Tiramisu

Tiramisu is pretty much a staple on the dessert menus of America's Italian restaurants with it's robust coffee flavor and creamy texture.

I'm sure we've all had at least one that was really good, and at least one that was sadly lacking one thing or another... or multiple somethings. But, they could also have had too much of something...

Depending on just who you happened to be at the age of 10 or so, I suppose tiramisu could elicit a few different responses.

For some, it may have been a simple "ewww."

For others who might have been a little more daring or imaginative, it might have received something more akin to the feeling of doing something slightly illicit.

A scandalous dessert.

If you knew it contained coffee (surely an "adult" drink), and alcohol (even more and "adult" beverage than coffee), this was your chance to be slightly more adult... as adult as a 10-year-old could possibly be.

If you felt yourself to be a fairly chic, slightly forward thinking, cosmopolitan grade schooler, you may have ordered it.

And it wouldn't have mattered if it wasn't the best dessert on the menu because you were doing something rascally, laughing in the face of social norms, taking your life into your own hands by this fearful endeavor.

I'm allowed to order this? I'm allowed to eat something like this?

I'm really not going to get in trouble? Will my parents be in trouble?

Nobody's going to march up to the table to scold or lecture? No one's going to be questioned by the authorities or taken to jail over this?

See... this is where some of the imagination comes into play.

This kind of a combination (youth and illegal confections) could potentially be similar to Prohibition and speakeasies.

It could be downright dangerous if you're caught. This not-too-sweet and slightly boozy, layered concoction could possibly wreak havoc on your social standing depending on who you associate with. It could be a dire situation.

But... the sad thing is that it really wasn't your dessert. You had to share...

All because life is unfair.

That's why people have to share desserts: because life is unfair.

Then again, if you're 10 and you don't pay, you don't really have much of a say in important matters such as this.

Anyhow...

Mascarpone cheese is sort of an Italian version of cream cheese, and can probably be found in most grocery stores in the cheese section or with the dairy products. I will not tell you that it's in ALL grocery stores because someone won't end up finding it and make me out to be a liar. Sorry, I won't guarantee mascarpone cheese's omnipresence.

Ladyfingers are available in some (not all) grocery stores. I have found both Italian and French versions (at least that's the way they were labeled, and there's a picture above). Both work equally well, you just have to use more of the French ladyfingers to cover the pan. For the second row, you will most likely need to cut the cookies a little so that they all fit comfortably (as if anyone is concerned about the comfort of cookies).

The time the tiramisu spends overnight in the refrigerator is important. This way the flavors meld and everything comes together nicely. Plus, it becomes fairly easy to cut into squares for a pretty presentation if you take a little time and are gentle with a spatula. On the other hand, if you're pressed for time and patience, you could also use a spoon to serve.

This dessert DOES contain raw egg yolks. If you're worried about it, this probably isn't the recipe for you. Then again, maybe you could find some chickens you trust.

Tiramisu

serves 8-12

2, 6-7 oz packages savoiardi or ladyfingers (the dry, crispy ones- not the soft, cakey ones)

2 1/2 c espresso or strong black coffee

3/4 c rum

6 extra large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/3 + 2 t sugar

16 oz mascarpone cheese

6 T whipping cream

pinch of salt

1/2 t vanilla extract

cocoa powder

Whisk the egg yolks and 1/3 c sugar on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and continue to whisk until the yolks are very thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese, 1/4 c rum, 1/4 c espresso, whipping cream, vanilla and salt, whisking again at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix until the cheese mixture is quite thick and smooth.

Combine the rest of the rum and espresso in a medium bowl with 2 t sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Dip and roll each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture so they are saturated and line the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Pour about half the cheese mixture over the top of the ladyfingers and spread smoothly and evenly. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the top of the cheese layer.

Repeat the process with another layer of rum and coffee soaked ladyfingers and finish with a final smooth layer of the remaining cheese mixture. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cut the tiramisu into squares and plate (or scoop it out of the pan with a spoon). Dust the top of each serving with cocoa powder.

Brown Butter and Pine Nut Pasta

There are a variety of pasta shapes out there, and they were created with different purposes in mind...

...or the sauces were paired with the pastas because they were complimentay for one reason or another.

Large shells are meant to be stuffed with a meat or cheese, as are canneloni.

Very small pastas are good as an addition to soups (just like rice or barley might be).

Pastas with ridges "catch" bits of meat and sauce.

Personally, I totally prefer pasta shapes to pastas in a long, thin noodle form. I think I just like the textures.

This is a very nice, simple pasta, and I chose the farfalle because the folds will catch little pools of sauce and a pine nut or two.

Make sure not to overcook the pasta in the boiling water. When the pasta is added to the hot sauce, it will continue to cook a bit and soak up the sauce. In fact, for this reason I tend to undercook the pasta by a couple minutes. I want the texture to be perfectly al dente.

Brown Butter and Pine Nut Pasta

serves 6-8

1 lb. farfalle (bowtie) pasta

kosher salt

2 sticks plus 2 T butter (18 T)

1 c pine nuts

1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra for serving

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped

fresh Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat a large pot of well-salted water to boiling.

While water heats, melt the butter in another large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the pine nuts, stirring often, until they nuts are a deep golden brown (about 10 minutes). Turn off the heat, remove the nuts from the butter with a slotted spoon or sieve and set aside.

When the pasta is "al dente," remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water to a cup or a bowl, drain the pasta from the water and add it to the brown butter. Add the reserved water, most of the pine nuts, a sprinkling of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, and chopped parsley, and stir to combine.

Serve the pasta with fresh Parmesan cheese and a grating of fresh nutmeg. Sprinkle a few of the reserved pine nuts on top.

Birthday Cake

Panettone

Panettone is a rich, buttery and eggy bread (like brioche or challah) with raisins, vanilla, and citrus. Sometimes it has other fruits or chestnuts. It's moist, flavorful, and has a somewhat feathery crumb that reminds me of cotton candy when I pull pieces off a slice.

It's very "Christmas" to me.

It's special, and made more so since you can normally only find it this time of year.

I suppose you can find it year-round... but it probably wouldn't be "great" panettone.

If you find a really good one, imported from exotic Italy in a nice red tin, it's usually fairly expensive. Part of the expense is undoubtedly the packaging and importation, but it also takes quite a bit of time to make it! I started the process one morning and baked it late the next morning.

I found a recipe a few years ago, and I re-discovered it a couple months ago. I've kept my eye on the wayward recipe (losing it a few times, of course), and just made it the other day as a trial run for Christmas.

If you want to make it, you're going to need two days for the project. Not that it requires attention the whole time, but it does require some semblance of attention.

Another thing I have to say is that I'm not a fan of candied citron (but I won't refuse to eat something with citron). I don't quite know why people put it in "holiday" baked goods such as fruitcake. Do people really love this stuff, or do they do it because it's "tradition" or because it's just the way things are? Can we have a good reason? I mean, I like citrus flavors, and sometimes I do like candied orange peel, but this is bitter!

Occasionally, I get excited and I seem to lack (or be completely devoid of) planning skills which suddenly leaves me scrambling to try to figure something out.

Long story short, when the bread comes out of the oven it needs to cool while hanging suspended upside-down (in a large pot, between two chairs) so that it doesn't deflate. Long metal skewers would be ideal, however if you unable to find yours it seems acceptable to double up on long wooden ones so they're strong enough to hold the bread without breaking.

Paper molds can be bought for baking the bread, and are ideal if you plan on giving the bread as gifts. The original recipe calls for a 6 by 4 1/2 inch panettone mold which caused the bread to mushroom out over the top of the mold when baked. I was able to find 7 inch paper molds at Sur La Table, which turned out to be just fine... it just happened to contain the bread a bit better.

Panettone is very nice warmed or toasted, served with coffee, tea, wine, hot chocolate, cider... and it makes excellent french toast if lasts long enough to get a little stale.

The original recipe was found in a December, 2008 issue of Gourmet and came from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York. My adaptation loses the candied citron, increases the amount of lemon zest and adds orange zest.

Panettone

makes 1 large loaf

active time: about 20 minutes, start to finish: 2 days

1 c raisins

2 T light rum

2 T hot water

2/3 c tepid water

3 3/4 c flour

2/3 c sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t active dry yeast

zests of 2 lemons

zests of 2 oranges

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 T mild honey

12 1/2 T unsalted butter (10 1/2 T cut into tablespoons and softened; 1 T melted butter; 1 T chilled)

Soak the raisins in rum and 2 T hot water at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the raisins are plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 8 hours or overnight.

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, zests, and vanilla bean in a mixer on low speed until combined. Whisk together the eggs, tepid water, and honey in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, pour the egg mixture slowly into the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium-low and mix to combine. Add 10 1/2 T of softened butter, 1 T at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Drain the raisins, discarding the remaining liquid, and mix with 1 T melted butter. By hand, stir the raisins into the dough. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a cold oven with the door closed. Let the dough rise 12-15 hours, or until nearly tripled in volume.
Discard the vanilla bean, then sprinkle the dough lightly with flour. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle a bit more flour onto the dough. Fold edges of the dough into the center, and place the dough, seam side down, into a 6-7 inch paper panettone mold (being careful not to tear the paper). Place on a sheet pan and cover with a damp kitchen towel (not terrycloth) and place in a draft- free, warm room temperature location until the dough is risen (it should rise above the top edge in a smaller mold), 3-5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 370 degrees F with a rack set in the lower 1/3 of the oven.

Use a sharp knife to score an "X" across the entire surface of the risen dough, about 1/2 inch deep. Place 1 T chilled butter in the center of the "X", and bake until a wooden skewer inserted near the center comes out slightly moist, but not wet, 1-1 1/4 hours (the top of the bread will be very dark).

Pierce skewers all the way through the panettone, including the paper) about 4 inches apart and 1 inch from the bottom so that skewers are parallel. Hang the panettone upside-down in a large stockpot or between two objects of equal height. Cool completely before cutting.

Panettone will keep wrapped tightly in foil and sealed in a plastic bag at room temperature for about a week.