“Sweet Enough” by Alison Roman. Clarkson Potter Publishers. 303 pages. $35.00.
I am always looking for new dessert recipes because I love to cook them for my children and grandchildren, and they always appreciate my efforts. This new book by bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman is full of delicious ideas that she has developed for easy to prepare treats. The book also has a few savory entries and, while they are inventive and worth trying, I’ve chosen sweet ones for this column.
“Sweet Enough” concentrates on recipes that are “casual, effortless and chic.” They make use of the pans you already have on hand and ingredients that are easily available. Roman’s entries range from how to make sumptuous pies, cakes, and puddings, to tips for frozen desserts and jams, and they star caramel, chocolate, and especially fresh fruits. Lovely photographs accompany most recipes and will tempt you to serve them at your next dinner party or take to special friends.
The book begins with a section on pies, tarts, and galettes, so the first recipe I’ve chosen for you today is for a luscious-looking rich chocolate tart. It even has a chocolate crust, designed to gild the lily for all chocoholics. Plus, it can be made three days ahead and refrigerated.
Perfectly Tangy Chocolate Tart
For the crust:
For the filling:
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and kosher salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan, using a measuring sup or your hands to flatten it and make sure it’s all packed an even.
Bake until it’s completely baked through and gone from dark brown and shiny to a lighter dark brown and matte, 15-20 minutes. The center should be firm and opaque. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Make the filling: In a heatproof medium bowl, combine the dark and milk chocolates and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream and honey over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two to melt the chocolate, then, using a spatula, mix until well blended and no pieces of chocolate remain.
Stir in the sour cream and mix until it looks thick, glossy, and emulsified. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt and refrigerate. Let chill at least 1 hour before slicing. Makes one 9-inch tart.
The next recipe is for a galette, a simple desert but one that looks spectacular. This one calls for peaches, but there are more that star other fruits.
Peaches and Cream Galette
This galette calls for a piecrust, preferably homemade, so I’ve included the author’s recipe for one. She claims it’s a never fail! It is a little different than the one I have used for years, and her explanation of why it works is compelling enough that I will try it soon.
For the Crust:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat it in the flour mixture. Using your hands, smash the butter between your palms and fingertips, mixing it into the flour, creating long, thin, flaky, floury, buttery bits. Once most of the butter is incorporated and there are no large chunks remaining, dump the flour mixture onto a work surface.
In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and ice water and drizzle it over the flour/butter mixture. Run your fingers through the mixture like your running your fingers through your hair, just to evenly distribute the water through the flour until the dough starts coming together.
Knead the dough a few more times, just to gather up any dry bits from the bottom and place them on the top to be incorporated. You will be tempted to add a tablespoon or two more water now - resist if you can, add only if you must.
Once you’ve got a shaggy mass of dough, knead it once or twice more and divide it in half. Pat each piece into a flat disc about one inch thick. Wrap each disc individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. Since this recipe calls for only one disc of dough, the other one may be wrapped thoroughly and frozen for a later galette.
For the Galette:
Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 13-14-inch round and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
Arrange the peach slices in the center of the dough, letting the slices pile on top of each other, leaving a 2-inch border of dough all around. Gently toss the peaches with lemon juice and two tablespoons of the sugar.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the peaches, letting it pool and gather in the nooks and crannies. Fold the crust over the peaches by about two inches, crimping/overlapping the dough at 1- or 2-inch intervals to create a good seal for all the juiciness to come.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with one teaspoon or so of water and use that to brush onto the crust. Sprinkle the whole galette with three or four tablespoons more sugar for juicier fruit and an extra crunchy/craggy/golden crust.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back once, until the crust is deeply golden brown and baked through, the peaches are juicy, tender, and bubbling, 50-55 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle with chamomile, if using. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes one 10-inch galette.
I am always looking for new dessert recipes because I love to cook them for my children and grandchildren, and they always appreciate my efforts. This new book by bestselling cookbook author Alison Roman is full of delicious ideas that she has developed for easy to prepare treats. The book also has a few savory entries and, while they are inventive and worth trying, I’ve chosen sweet ones for this column.
“Sweet Enough” concentrates on recipes that are “casual, effortless and chic.” They make use of the pans you already have on hand and ingredients that are easily available. Roman’s entries range from how to make sumptuous pies, cakes, and puddings, to tips for frozen desserts and jams, and they star caramel, chocolate, and especially fresh fruits. Lovely photographs accompany most recipes and will tempt you to serve them at your next dinner party or take to special friends.
The book begins with a section on pies, tarts, and galettes, so the first recipe I’ve chosen for you today is for a luscious-looking rich chocolate tart. It even has a chocolate crust, designed to gild the lily for all chocoholics. Plus, it can be made three days ahead and refrigerated.
Perfectly Tangy Chocolate Tart
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 4 ounces milk chocolate
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup sour cream
- Flaky sea salt
Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and kosher salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan, using a measuring sup or your hands to flatten it and make sure it’s all packed an even.
Bake until it’s completely baked through and gone from dark brown and shiny to a lighter dark brown and matte, 15-20 minutes. The center should be firm and opaque. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Make the filling: In a heatproof medium bowl, combine the dark and milk chocolates and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream and honey over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute or two to melt the chocolate, then, using a spatula, mix until well blended and no pieces of chocolate remain.
Stir in the sour cream and mix until it looks thick, glossy, and emulsified. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt and refrigerate. Let chill at least 1 hour before slicing. Makes one 9-inch tart.
The next recipe is for a galette, a simple desert but one that looks spectacular. This one calls for peaches, but there are more that star other fruits.
Peaches and Cream Galette
This galette calls for a piecrust, preferably homemade, so I’ve included the author’s recipe for one. She claims it’s a never fail! It is a little different than the one I have used for years, and her explanation of why it works is compelling enough that I will try it soon.
For the Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 Tsp. sugar
- 1 Tsp. kosher salt
- 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into
- 1-inch pieces, chilled
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ice cold water
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat it in the flour mixture. Using your hands, smash the butter between your palms and fingertips, mixing it into the flour, creating long, thin, flaky, floury, buttery bits. Once most of the butter is incorporated and there are no large chunks remaining, dump the flour mixture onto a work surface.
In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar and ice water and drizzle it over the flour/butter mixture. Run your fingers through the mixture like your running your fingers through your hair, just to evenly distribute the water through the flour until the dough starts coming together.
Knead the dough a few more times, just to gather up any dry bits from the bottom and place them on the top to be incorporated. You will be tempted to add a tablespoon or two more water now - resist if you can, add only if you must.
Once you’ve got a shaggy mass of dough, knead it once or twice more and divide it in half. Pat each piece into a flat disc about one inch thick. Wrap each disc individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours. Since this recipe calls for only one disc of dough, the other one may be wrapped thoroughly and frozen for a later galette.
For the Galette:
- 2 pounds peaches, nectarines, or
- apricots, unpeeled, cut into slices
- about 1-inch thick.
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
- 5-6 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tsp. dried chamomile, or 1 Tbsp.
- fresh, optional
Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 13-14-inch round and transfer to the lined baking sheet.
Arrange the peach slices in the center of the dough, letting the slices pile on top of each other, leaving a 2-inch border of dough all around. Gently toss the peaches with lemon juice and two tablespoons of the sugar.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the peaches, letting it pool and gather in the nooks and crannies. Fold the crust over the peaches by about two inches, crimping/overlapping the dough at 1- or 2-inch intervals to create a good seal for all the juiciness to come.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg with one teaspoon or so of water and use that to brush onto the crust. Sprinkle the whole galette with three or four tablespoons more sugar for juicier fruit and an extra crunchy/craggy/golden crust.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet front to back once, until the crust is deeply golden brown and baked through, the peaches are juicy, tender, and bubbling, 50-55 minutes. While still warm, sprinkle with chamomile, if using. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes one 10-inch galette.
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