Longbotham - Luscious Creamy Desserts

luscious creamy desserts

luscious creamy desserts

BY LORI LONGBOTHAM | Photographs by France Ruffenach

For Auntie Jean, always my favorite, with a lifetime of thanks.

A great big thank you to Bill LeBlond, Amy Treadwell, and Judith Sutton. And to Jerry Goldman; Steve, Liz, and Sarah; Ellen McGill; and the Perrys. My gratitude for lots of fun and kindness also to Deborah Mintcheff, Barbara Ottenhoff, Barbara Howe, Jean Pellegrino, Marie Regusis, Joanna and Leigh, Sabra Turnbull, Cliff Burnstein, Lisa Troland, Rosie and Sprocket, Val Cipollone, Tracey Seaman, Jim Standard, Diana Sturgis, Sarah Mahoney, Honey Jeanne Laber, Kate Reese, Kathy Blake, Miriam Brickman, Amy Albert, Kim Masilbay, Rebecca Freedman, Jena Myers and her parents, Jon and Debby, Eugenia Escobar, and my cousin, the lovely Catherine Longbotham.

Text copyright 2008 by Lori Longbotham. Photographs copyright 2008 by France Ruffenach.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN 978-1-4521-2395-0

Prop styling by Emma Star Jensen

Food styling by Elisabet der Nederlanden

Designed by Amber Reed and Kim Cullen

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

Nielsen-Massey vanilla is a registered trademark of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc., Del Monte dried apricots are a registered trademark of Del Monte Corporation, Bordens Eagle Brand condensed and evaporated milk is a registered trademark of Eagle Family Foods, Inc., Microplane zester is a registered trademark of Grace Manufacturing, Inc., Silpat baking mat is a registered trademark of ETS Guy Demarle, Grand Marnier orange liqueur is a registered trademark of Societ des Produits Marnier-Lapostolle, Ratna sweetened mango pulp is a registered trademark of Ratnakar Canning Industries, Swad

Who can resist luscious creamy desserts? They are the worlds favorite comfort food. And thats saying a lot, since comfort foods are our most beloved of all. I think of creamy desserts as the teddy bears of the dessert world. A dessert may be flavored with chocolate, lemon, berries, or whateverbut our true favorites, the dishes that touch our hearts and stay there, the desserts we are always pleased to see sitting in front of us, are creamy.

Desserts are for pleasure. They are indulgences and luxuries, and we count on them to raise our spirits. And what could raise a mood or spirit better than a luscious creamy dessert like a quivering panna cotta, a rich butterscotch pudding, a caramel apple shortcake, or a Venetian-style fried custard? Many creamy desserts have a pristine simplicityneither the techniques nor the ingredients are elaborateand yet the potential for satisfaction, for pleasure, even for consolation, is huge. When were served them, we feel safe and loved, and when we prepare them and serve them to others, we feel generous and nurturing.

This selection of desserts is not only a celebration of our favorite texture, its also a celebration of flavors. While all the desserts are luscious and creamy, they are not all vanilla, or all white. Here are desserts with gorgeous, vibrant colors and bold flavors, along with others that are delicate and pale. Its no longer a vanilla world! Classic vanilla custard sauce is fantastic, but mango custard sauce is just as good as the original. Its even better with some desserts.

LUSCIOUS CREAMY DESSERTS includes desserts flavored with fruits and berries, including many types of citrus, dried fruits, and tropical fruits. Youll also find herbs, spices, and aromatics like tarragon, coriander seed, ginger, and licorice. Other flavorings include nuts of all kinds, liqueurs, and lots of chocolate, caramel, and coffee.

Just what defines a creamy dessert? To me its any dessert that feels creamy in your mouth. It may not have heavy cream in it, but the creaminess is there. It may instead include mascarpone, half-and-half, crme frache, ricotta, yogurt, or sour cream. Or take lemon curd. Its definitely creamy, but the creaminess comes from egg yolks and butter, not cream. Lemon curd is essentially a custard that is made with butter instead of cream. Yet what is butter? Churned cream.

Some of the recipes in LUSCIOUS CREAMY DESSERTS are amazingly easy, while others are for more experienced cooks or for show-off occasions. There are both recipes for traditional desserts and fresh ideas for contemporary ones.

For me, creamy means caramel just as much as custard. Caramel is sweet and creamy, but dark caramel has an appealing bittersweet edge. Its the balance and complexity of flavors that makes it compelling. And a caramel sauce or syrup is a great foil for many creamy desserts. Think of the way the caramel that lines crme caramel offers the perfect bittersweet foil to the creaminess of the custard. Please take note also of the Caramel-Coated Strawberries ()their crisp, very thin coating of dark caramel really enhances the flavor of the berries as well as the look of the plate. They are a real treat.

Creamy desserts call out for contrastcrisp cookies on the side, crunchy praline on top, toasted candied nuts, an icy granita, a tart fruit sauce, or ripe fresh fruit and berries. Youll find lots of those contrasts here. Im very fond of the Lemon Crunch (), which is the quickest and easiest recipe in the book. Just crush a few of those rough-looking brown sugar cubes (like the ones served in upscale restaurants with coffee and tea) and stir in freshly grated lemon zest. The flavors come together in a wonderful way, and a sprinkle on top of a creamy dessert just before serving adds a very pleasing aromatic and fresh-tasting crunch.

Praline is a cousin to caramel. Shards of it, looking like shiny pieces of glass, make a grand garnish. Crisp, crackly coarsely or finely ground praline can be sprinkled over or into many creamy desserts. In fact, I had to keep myself from recommending praline for almost every one of these recipes. But please know youre encouraged to use praline with abandon.

You will find desserts here that are just the thing for a weekday when you, or someone you love, needs comfort. But when you want to celebrate, you have many choicestry the Cannoli Cheesecake (). Sometimes you just must have something luscious, creamy, and delectable, and you are sure to find the recipe here.

Dairy products are produced from milk, mostly from cows but also from other animals such as goats and sheep. Not only delicious, they are high-energy-yielding foods, our richest source of calcium, and very nutritious. They are high in protein, B vitamins, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. And most dairy products are fortified with vitamin D.