Archives for September 2012

Lemon Cucumber

In Urbnspice’s most recent “What is It Series?” post, readers were asked to identify this photo. The What is It Series is a fun activity where I post a random pic and ask readers what they think it might be. This was a tricky one and no one guessed what it actually is – it is Lemon Cucumber. Lemon Cucumbers are heirloom cucumbers.

The Inspiration for this recipe is a market find: Lemon Cucumber

Did you guess? Some of the responses were great: potato; pineapple; and even cake pops. The answer is LEMON CUCUMBER. It is also sometimes called, “apple cucumber.” See the photo below to get a complete view:

…

Creme Anglaise

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

What do you think of when you hear the term English pouring custard, vanilla sauce, pouring sauce, custard sauce or Crème Anglaise? Do you know the difference? Well, guess what? They are all the same thing, which is in fact – a stirred custard. I am going to share with you how to make this delicious sauce – a term that will be referred to as Creme Anglaise for the purposes of this post.

You may have seen the post on Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp. To accompany crisps and cobblers or any warm desserts, creme anglaise is an excellent choice. I will explain the term, describe how to make it with tips and techniques to become confident making it on your own.

Apple Crisp and Star Apple Creme Anglaise

Here is a simple recipe for crème anglaise that you can make.

CREME ANGLAISE

CHEF TALK: This is one of the best sauce recipes that you can learn how to make. I provide tons of tips and ideas on changing the flavour of the creme anglaise.

YIELD: Approximately 1 1/2 cups sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup /250 ml milk(substitute almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk or even light cream)
2 1/2 oz. (approx. 70 grams) granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean pod, split or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

Bring the milk just to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and yolks together (wait to do this until the milk comes to a boil).
Temper the milk to the egg yolk mixture by pouring the milk slowly into the sugar/yolk mixture, whisking the entire time until all the milk is used.
Add the mixture back to the heat to thicken (just until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.)
Strain the mixture.
Place the crème anglaise over an ice bath to chill
Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.
Serve over warm apple crisp, or any other type of dessert requiring a sauce.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp

White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

NOTES: In the LEARNING TIPS of my cookbook series, “Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious”, I go into great detail about different methods of making crème anglaise with many tips and techniques that will make you confident in making it on your own. I will share with you a few of those tips:

CREME ANGLAISE TIPS & TECHNIQUES:

CHEF TIP: Many of you will have shied away from making this sauce because of its precise temperature and tempering process that typically results in many pots of scrambled egg sauce. As a culinary student, the traditional method caused many of us angst as we hovered over our sauces. Following, are two no-fret techniques for mastering a perfect crème anglaise. It was an Aha! moment for me when I learned these methods!

METHOD:

Technique # 1: Prepare a bain-marie with a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar together and place the bowl over the bain-marie, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar while warming the mixture. Meanwhile, heat the milk to boiling. Pour the hot milk over the warmed egg yolk/sugar mixture and stir until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. This will happen quickly.
Technique # 2: To eliminate any guesswork, use a digital thermometer and heat (while stirring) until the sauce reaches a temperature of 182°F (83°C).
Strain the mixture and add the vanilla extract or other flavourings, if desired.
Chill the sauce quickly in an ice bath. Cover the sauce directly with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until required. It will keep for up to three days.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THIS SAUCE RECIPE?

CHEF TALK: Crème Anglaise is like a blank canvas: Experiment with some of these flavouring suggestions:

Spices: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Experiment with others, should you wish.
Extracts: Add almond, rum, maple, lemon, orange, etc. Start with a ½ teaspoon. Add more to taste.
Mint Crème Anglaise: Add 1 cup of fresh, chopped mint leaves to the milk as you are bringing it to the boil. Continue with the recipe. You may steep the mixture if desired to achieve full flavour and colour. Strain as per directions. This softly shaded sauce is spectacular on top of fresh sliced strawberries.
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the saucepan while warming the milk to allow zest to steep.
Chocolate-Cinnamon Crème Anglaise: For every 375 ml of Creme anglaise, add 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Serve with Gingerbread Cake.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Bain Marie
Tempering Egg Mixtures
Flavourings
Ice Baths
Vanilla Extract
__________

As always, if you give this recipe for Creme Anglaise or its variations a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Ultimate Recipes Series

I want to share with you my recipe for Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp because the first crisp evenings of autumn are upon us. The leaves are starting to turn crimson, gold and yellow and the crickets are chirping – a sure sign that fall is approaching. When I think of autumn, I think of fall fruits. A favourite of mine is apples.

It is just as exciting waiting for the first fresh crop of apples as it is the first strawberries or potatoes or corn. Apples will be the focus of this article, particularly because we have just returned from Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. We enjoyed a number of delicious varieties along our route. For example, Gravenstein apples, which are known by the locals as “Gravs.”

Did you know that certain varieties are more suited for certain recipes than others? A softer apple, such as McIntosh is more suited for a baked apple, while a Mutzu or Granny Smith hold their shape when baked, making it ideal for apple pie or crisps. I came across an excellent Apple Reference Chart that can help you decide which apple will be best for your particular baking needs.

Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp with the addition of mixed berries is a wonderful variation

I used a combination of apples for this crisp: tart Granny Smith and sweet Crisp Pinks. You can use any combination of apples, even those apples hidden in the bottom of crisper that have seen better days. Adjust the sweetness of the apples based on their tartness. The recipe for the crisp topping is listed below; however, I prefer doubling the amount of topping to make a very generous layer of crisp topping….

Raspberry Hearts Cheesecake

By Denise Pare-Watson

Happy Heart Month! Everyone knows that February is the month of romance. On St. Valentine’s Day, we traditionally give loved ones gifts or candy or chocolate. What better way to show someone you care than to make cheesecake – everyone’s favourite! Cheesecake of any kind certainly is a favourite of mine. I thought I would share one of them with you – Raspberry Hearts Cheesecake.

This cheesecake was created when I was a Pastry Chef-de-Partie at a high-end hotel in Calgary, Alberta as a special feature for their Valentine’s Day dessert feature in their famous restaurant. I had fun with this one. It ended up to be so popular that the cheesecake itself was then put on the new room service menu.

Individual Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Raspberry Hearts Cheesecake

CHEF TALK: Make this extraordinary individual cheesecake for someone special. My favourite way to serve this type of dessert for special occasions is to make individual cheesecakes, however, the recipe will also make one 9 inch springform pan. It is shown in the photo with Coeur a la creme and mango coulis, and heart-shaped tuile cookie holding raspberry sorbet.

I think that you will enjoy making the following cheesecake recipe as much as you will enjoy receiving it. It is a recipe that has been adapted from my favourite pastry chef, Anna Olson. The hint of coconut and lime to the graham crust ingredients makes this cheesecake quite special.

Raspberry Hearts Cheesecake Recipe:

Yield: 1 – 9” springform pan, or 12 individual portions
Crust:
Flour, all-purpose	1 1/3 cups
Graham crumbs	1 1/3 cups
Coconut, unsweetened	1 1/3 cups
Sugar	3 tbsp.
Lime zest	2 tsp.
Butter, unsalted, melted	1 cup
Cheesecake filling:
Cream cheese, room temp.	1 lb. or two 8 oz. packages
Sugar	2/3 cup
Flour, all-purpose	2 tbsp.
Salt	1/8 tsp.
Raspberry puree	½ cup
Sour cream, plain Greek Yogurt or Creme Fraiche	2 tbsp.
Lemon juice	1 tbsp.
Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste	1 tbsp.
Eggs	3
Raspberry Swirl:
Raspberry puree	½ cup
Sugar	3 tbsp.
Egg yolk	1

METHOD:

For the Crust: Combine flour, graham crumbs, coconut, sugar and zest in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the melted butter.
Press into bottom and sides of small ring molds. (I used 3-inch rings)
Bake for 5 minutes at 350F until browned around edges. Allow the crusts to cool.
For the Cheesecake Filling: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar, flour and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl and blend a little longer to a smooth consistency.
Add the raspberry puree, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend well (it should be lump- free). Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until very smooth. Pour into cooled crusts.
For the Raspberry Swirl: combine swirl ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle this mixture over cheesecake and swirl or create a design. For the hearts, put a drop of puree onto the cheesecake mixture and draw a toothpick from top to bottom to form a heart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Let the cheesecakes cool to room temperature. Chill. Garnish as desired.

NOTES:

The cheesecakes freeze well
You can use any fruit puree for this recipe – peach puree is wonderful

Do you recall the sweet little love poem inside so many Valentine’s greetings card?
“Roses are Red, Violets are Blue……………..”

When I was researching for this post, I found this endearing original version of that same rhyme:

The original Valentine’s Day Love Poem:

“The rose is red, the violet’s blue,

The honey’s sweet, and so are you.

Thou art my love and I am thine;

I drew thee to my Valentine:

The lot was cast and then I drew,

And Fortune said it shou’d be you.”

English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1784)

Happy Heart Month! Don’t forget to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation during Heart Month.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Creaming
Oven Temperature Accuracy
Straining
Vanilla Extract
__________

You Might Also Like:

White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Mini Cheesecakes

Lavender Rose Mini Cheesecakes

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake – A Unique Cheesecake

Chocolate Desserts Cookbook Series by The Urbnspice Chef

As always, if you give this recipe for Raspberry Hearts Cheesecake a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

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