From the Chronicle Kitchen: The Sugar Cube
From personal experience, I know moms love getting cookbooks as gifts for Mother's Day, so I couldn't resist featuring The Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet today. If you've been lucky enough to visit Kir Jensen's cart in Portland, Oregon you know that her unique and creative takes on dessert classics are THE BOMB. Regardless of whether you're a fan already, this acclaimed pastry and dessert creator has made her recipes available to the home cook – including Mom, in case you need a last-minute gift idea!
Sample the recipe below for her coconut panna cotta, one of the most beloved creations from the cart (Kir LOVES panna cotta – there are three featured in the book!).
Do you have a favorite dessert-themed food cart or truck in your 'hood? Have you made panna cotta? Leave a comment and you'll be eligible to win a copy of the book that will be rewarded to a randomly selected person (offer valid in the US and Canada only).
Now go make your mom a delectable panna cotta!
Toasted-Coconut Panna Cotta with Aunti Shirley's Chocolate Sauce
Makes 8 servings
It's not enough to just use coconut milk to make coconut panna cotta. I need the flavor to be deeper and fuller, so I steep the milk with toasted, sweetened, shredded coconut to make it truly coconutty. I prefer my panna cottas to be barely set, so they have a light, silky-smooth, melt-in-your mouth texture, like a good crème brûlee. This means that I use a lot less gelatin than most and that unmolding isn't ideal. But I think panna cotta is much prettier served in a glass cup anyway. At the cart I serve them in little squat-bottomed mason jars, or you can dust off your grandma's fancy vintage glassware and put it to good use.
1 1/4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (preferably Angel Flake)
1/2 cup almonds
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (I use Chaokoh brand.)
1 cup heavy cream
Scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 vanilla bean (bean/seeds scraped)
3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
1/2 to 1 cup Aunti Shirley's Chocolate Sauce (see below)
Fresh Whoop (see below)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until most of the shreds are dark golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Spread the almonds in an even layer on the baking sheet and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn off the heat. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins or small serving glasses in the fridge. (Chilling the cups helps the panna cotta set faster.)
In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, cream, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the toasted coconut (reserve the rest for garnish). Split the piece of vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife directly into the pan. Add the pod and gently bring to a slight simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally (do not boil).
While the cream is heating, pour the cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let stand (don't stir) until the gelatin has absorbed the water, at least 5 minutes.
When the cream has begun to simmer, remove it from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Use a spatula to gently press the coconut against the sieve to force out all the liquid. Discard the solids and vanilla bean pod (or rinse, dry, and save the pod for another use). Add the softened gelatin and whisk until incorporated. (You shouldn't see any bits of solid gelatin.)
Divide the mixture equally among the chilled cups (do not cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until set, least 3 hours. (It should have the texture of a soft pudding.) Serve with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce, a dollop of whoop and a sprinkling of toasted, chopped almonds.
Tips
If you want to use sheet gelatin, use 3 1/2 sheets. Refer to the book for tips on working with sheet gelatin.
Ungarnished panna cottas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cover each with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
Aunti Shirley's Chocolate Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
Aunti Shirley was a very close friend of my mom's. I still remember her making me ice cream sundaes when I was a wee thing and topping them with her homemade chocolate sauce. I recently rediscovered just how wonderful it is. It has an intense, almost black hue, with a silky-smooth rather than gloppy texture. The chocolate flavor isn't overpowering, so it goes with just about everything. I've combined Aunti Shirley's tips with some of my own to make this very versatile topping. Try it on ice cream, of course, and use it to add welcome depth to root beer floats.
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
In a small saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in enough heavy cream, a little at a time, to make a paste, and then stir in the remainder. Add the corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to whisk continuously. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking continuously, for another 3 to 4 minutes to help cook out the bitter flavor from the cocoa and thicken the sauce. The sauce will be very glossy and take on a very dark hue (almost black).
To test if the sauce is thick enough, place a small dab of sauce on a clean plate and let stand for 1 minute. If the sauce spreads, keep simmering. You should be able to tip the plate without spilling the sauce.
Once done, remove from heat and stir in the butter. Serve immediately over ice cream or let cool slightly before using. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To reheat: Microwave at 50 percent power for about 30 seconds, or warm in a saucepan on low heat.
Fresh Whoop
Makes about 2 cups
At the cart, just about everything gets a hit of Fresh Whoop (southern slang for "whipped cream"). I can't help it. Everything tastes better with whipped cream. Besides, it's what my mom always did. She was obsessed with the stuff and passed that trait right on to me. She never used the stuff in the canister or Cool Whip because they don't count. Fresh whipped cream is just that–fresh cream whipped right on the spot. It tastes so much better than any of the commercial pretenders. Plus, it's a blank canvas, so you can flavor it dozens of different ways. When I want to add depth, I use dark brown sugar instead of granulated. When I want to get boozy, I use spirits or liqueurs. You can also add a pinch or two of ground spices, or infuse the cream with herbs or whole spices: Heat the cream with them, allow to steep until it tastes they way you like it, then strain and chill before whipping.
1 cup cold heavy cream (preferably 40 percent fat)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1/4 to 1/2 vanilla bean
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until medium-soft peaks form. (Alternatively you can whip the cream with a handheld mixer or by hand with a whisk, though it'll take a longer.) If you want the peaks softer, whip less. If you want them sturdier, whip longer, but don't overwhip or the cream will curdle and eventually turn into butter!
Purchase: The Sugar Cube.
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shareshare
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