Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the recipe testers who helped fine-tune this collection of dessert recipes: Jeff Ashley, Barbara Nims, and Anne Nisbet. Its not only their love of cooking, but also their critical eye for detail that I appreciate so much! Leora Blooms assistance across the boardtesting, editing, compiling, correspondingwas a godsend. Sincere thanks to you as well!
Introduction
The sweet tooth is a universal and undeniable force. Whether concluding dinner or accompanying that late-morning cup of coffee, a little bite of something sweet is just the thing we rely on for the kind of satisfaction only a sugary treat can bring. It makes sense that to find some of the best dessert recipes in the Northwest wed return to those Best Places that we count on to feed us so well in this region.
All of the restaurants, cafes, and other eating establishments in the fourteenth edition of the Best PlacesNorthwest guidebook were invited to participate in this cookbook. What came of that invitation is a collection of 80 recipes that span the seasons, difficulty levels, and moods, from the pure comfort food of a Deep Dish Apple Pie to brownies charged up with espresso to the special-occasion extravagance of Coconut Cream Cake.
The seasonal scope of the Northwests signature ingredients is well represented in these pages. Appearing among the first hints of springtime are the ruby stalks of rhubarb, and summers kaleidoscope of berries provides endless inspiration for recipes from a simple nectarine cobbler to a silky crme brle embellished with wild huckleberries. Toasted hazelnuts, tart cranberries, juicy pears, and crisp apples evoke the cozy and warming cuisine of fall and winter. And when is it not the season for chocolate? Chocoholics will be well served with recipes the likes of Chocolate Gelato, Chocolate and Brandied Dried-Cherry Bread Pudding, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a luxurious Chocolate Hazelnut Torte. There is even a handful of after-dinner cocktailsa grown-ups-only option for capping off your time around the dinner table with spirit.
As ever with the Best Places cookbooks I have compiled, these recipes were all test-run in my home kitchen, so you can feel comfortable that they are presented with the home cook in mind. You can, however, count on some interesting insights from the chefs about the techniques and ingredients they use. The book serves as a tasty glimpse into some of the Northwests best kitchens to see how chefs bring to life those desserts we love so much. Enjoy!
Cynthia C. Nims
Cakes
Double-Baked Chocolate Cake
THE WHITEHOUSE-CRAWFORD RESTAURANT, WALLA WALLA , WASHINGTON
This rich and luscious chocolate cake is great for entertaining because it can be prepared through the first baking, refrigerated, and then popped in the oven for the second baking just before serving. Chef Jamie Guerin, whose wife, pastry chef Sara Guerin, developed the recipe, uses Callebaut brand chocolate for this dessert, but any top-quality baking chocolate will produce excellent results. The dessert has an interesting blend of characteristics that are part cake, part brownie, part souffl. If youre motivated to make your own ice cream to serve alongside, consider the Honey Rosemary Ice Cream (page 159) or Star Anise Ice Cream (page 153).
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces top-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
cup unsweetened cocoa powder
7 eggs, separated
1 cups sugar
Ice cream, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9- to 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter the paper, dust the pan with flour, and tap out excess.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Take the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and whisk gently until fully melted. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
Whip the egg yolks with cup of the sugar in an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and light, about 3 minutes. Put the egg-yolk mixture into a large bowl and wash and dry the mixers bowl and beaters well. Whip the egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining cup sugar and whip until the whites are stiff and glossy.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the chocolate into the egg-yolk mixture until barely combined. Fold in the egg whites just until no white streaks remain. Spoon 2 cups of the batter into a medium bowl and refrigerate. Scrape the remaining batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cake is cool, remove the sides of the springform pan and spread the reserved cake batter over the top of the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour.
Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 425F.
Bake the cake until a thin crust forms on top and the batter is soft and creamy beneath the crust, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm, with ice cream if you like.
MAKES 12 TO 16 SERVINGS
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
BACCHUS RISTORANTE, VANCOUVE R , BRITISH COLUMBIA
This moist, aromatic cake is an easy and not-too -sweet option for dessert or a great accompaniment for an afternoon cup of tea. Delicious as is, it would be extra tasty topped with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream or drizzled with a simple glaze of lemon juice with powdered sugar. Pure olive oil, rather than the more deeply flavored extra virgin olive oil, is the better choice for this cake.
1 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
4 eggs
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons whipping cream
cup pure olive oil
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square or round cake pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest in a medium bowl and rub the mixture between your hands until fragrant and moist. Cream together the sugar mixture and eggs in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Slowly add the lemon juice and cream and mix until blended. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the olive oil in 2 parts, and mix until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
