SMALL DESSERTS,LARGE CHOICES

Selections, not proportions, the key

By LORETTA HARING

What’s the one big thing going on with desserts these days?

Little.

“Finger desserts are really popular right now,” says Jessica Gates, head pastry chef at Main Ingredient Catering-Bakery-Cafe in Annapolis.

If cake is appropriate, “cupcakes are the thing. They take people back to their childhood, and they don’t need a fork and knife. Each guest can just grab and go.”

For a more upscale event, small fruit tarts, individual mousses and mini cheesecakes are the rage. “With finger desserts, you can have variety. And you can eat on a napkin, which is very important for a party or gathering,” says Evelyn Loftus Turner, vice president at Main Ingredient.

“And these days, a lot of people just want a little bit of something, rather than a large serving.”

Flavor-wise, chocolate still reigns supreme. But men tend to prefer cheesecake or Key lime, says Jenny Francis, vice president of catering sales for Main Ingredient.

What desserts seem to have fallen from favor? Frangipane, petits fours, custards and trifles are rarely on the menu, Francis says.

Some preferences may reflect an overall move to a healthier diet, Francis speculates. Rather than a traditional lemon meringue or chocolate custard pie, Main Ingredient makes chocolate, lemon and Key lime mousse pies, which are quite popular. “The mousse makes them lighter,” Gates says, “which seems to appeal to people’s tastes. And since we make them in a springform pan, you can have a thicker slice.”

Gates thinks the biggest problem most home cooks face when making desserts is timing. “People think they can make the cake and frost it right away. They don’t realize the time that it takes to produce a good dessert.”

It takes a full 24 hours to properly bake and cool a cheesecake, Francis says. “You can’t start it in the morning for a party that night.”

Taking on too much is another issue, Francis says. “If you are doing dessert at home, think simple and think fresh.”

And don’t be ashamed to use the Sandra Lee “semi-homemade” approach, Francis suggests. “Three purchased meringues on a plate with some fresh berries can be a spectacular dessert. Or buy a cheesecake or poundcake and plate it with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Your guests will be impressed and you won’t be stressed.”

Francis and Gates both admit that, if they are making a pie at home, they start with a purchased crust. “Pillsbury makes a great pie crust,” Francis says. “You need to save your time for what is important.”

The secret to any dessert is practice, Gates says. “You will learn to recognize when the butter has enough air in it, but it is not overbeaten and in danger of breaking ... you will be able to even out the layers of a cake so they are perfectly flat for decorating ... you’ll know when your graham cracker crust has enough butter so it will stick together, but not too much so it will stick to the pan.”

Killer desserts shouldn’t be murder to make

The dessert experts at Main Ingredient Catering-Bakery-Cafe in Annapolis have many elaborate offerings to tempt any sweet tooth.

But for home cooks, keeping things simple and fresh will guarantee success, says Jenny Francis, vice president of catering sales.

“When you are entertaining, it is easy to make something fabulous if you stick with things you know and you like.”

If you are serving a large group, cupcakes and bar cookies are easy and will always be well-received. And fancy decorations aren’t necessary; for example, Main Ingredient does a German chocolate cupcake with coconut pecan frosting, accented with a dollop of rich chocolate buttercream in the middle. Simple sophistication, and a lot easier than trying to make flowers or other designs.

Another easy suggestion — take a single layer of cake and cover it with chocolate ganache and garnish with fresh berries. “It looks spectacular, and all you really have to do is melt some chocolate,” Francis says.

And don’t be afraid to take advantage of mixes or prepared foods when planning your desserts, says Jessica Gates, head pastry chef at Main Ingredient. “Boxed cake mixes can give terrific results.”

And layer cakes can be elevated to another level by using a filling rather than an icing between the layers, Gates says. Purchased lemon curd or raspberry preserves or chocolate mousse from a mix are easy filling options.

Francis suggests dressing up brownies with this simple trick: put half the brownie batter in your pan, then layer with Cadbury Caramilk pieces, then top with the remaining batter.

Gates and Francis both agree that the most common dessert error is overbaking. “Once it’s overbaked, it’s done. There’s not really anything you can do to fix things,” Francis says.

Overbaked means dry, and everyone prefers a fluffy, moist cake or cupcake. Gates says they should be “just firm to the touch,” and a toothpick inserted will come out clean.

Pans and ovens differ greatly, so Gates suggests a few sample runs before an event. But even if you’ve made a recipe a hundred times, “each time you make it will be slightly different. Keep an eye on things or you could ruin them.”

Main Ingredient, at 914 Bay Ridge Road, makes an average of 80 whole desserts, three wedding cakes and dozens of cookies and finger desserts every week. For information, visit www.themainingredient.com or call 410-626-0388.

Francis shared these recipes from her own personal library. The Hot Milk Cake has been served in her family for more than 50 years, she says. She suggests icing it with the chocolate butter cream frosting. She included a chocolate ganache recipe because “it’s so simple yet it makes a very dramatic statement.” She suggests pouring it over a single layer of cake for a simple but impressive dessert.

HOT MILK LAYER CAKE

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1/4 pound (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch cake pans.
2. Beat eggs well, until light (5-10 minutes). Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and fold together. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until hot. Add hot milk mixture and vanilla to cake batter and stir until combined, then pour into prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost with favorite icing.

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

16 ounces confectioners sugar

2/3 cup of cocoa

1/4 pound (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1. In large bowl, cream butter. Add vanilla. Sift together sugar and cocoa. Gradually add mixture, one cup at a time, beating well and scraping sides and bottom often. When all of dry mixture has been incorporated, add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

3 cups chocolate (semi-sweet chips or chunks)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Gently warm on a stove or you can microwave it, one minute at a time. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
2. Whisk until smooth.

*Use less cream and this mixture can be rolled into truffles … add a flavor you like.

**Use more cream and it is perfect for a Hot Fudge Sundae.

***When still warm, it is perfect for dipping strawberries or just about anything.

Francis says that miniature cheesecakes are very popular right now. One trick to get around making individual crusts is to use vanilla wafers in the bottom of the muffin pans. This recipe by Gale Gand uses an entirely different approach.

BITE-SIZE CHEESECAKES WITH LEMON-PEPPER-CORNMEAL CRUST “Gale Gand’s Just a Bite”

For the crust:

6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

11/4 cups polenta, or yellow cornmeal if unavailable Freshly grated zest of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Pinch of salt

For the filling:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Lemon confit (recipe follows) or other garnish

Make the crust:

1. Cream the butter until soft and smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and the vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix at low speed until almost blended. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly, just until the dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Flour a work surface. Roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick and prick all over with a fork. Use a cutter to cut out rounds of pastry that are the same diameter as the open end of the mini-muffin cups. Transfer the pastry rounds to the cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the pastry rounds until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let them cool. Leave the oven on.
4. Butter the mini-muffin tins and then lay a large piece of plastic wrap over the tin. Push the plastic wrap down into each cup (this is to line it very well). Don’t worry — the plastic wrap will not burn or melt in the oven.

Make the filling:

1. Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the sugar and mix. Mix in the eggs and vanilla, then the flour and salt. Divide the filling among the lined cups, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Let the filling cool to room temperature, then chill.
2. When ready to serve, cut the plastic wrap so you can remove each cup of cheesecake individually. Lift each one out of the cup and invert onto a cornmeal crust. Peel off the plastic wrap. When all the cakes have been assembled, top each one with a tiny mound of lemon confit* and serve.

*Other garnish suggestions: strawberry slices, jam, pie filling, mini chocolate chips.

LEMON CONFIT

1 large lemon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Cut a slice off the top and bottom of the lemon to expose the flesh. Cutting from top to bottom and following the contours of the fruit, cut off the peel and white pith in 1-inch-wide strips. Scrape off any pulp adhering to the strips, but leave the pith intact.
2. Cut each of the 1-inch-wide strips of lemon peel into long strips, about 1/4-inch by 3-inches each.
3. Meanwhile, boil a kettleful of water. Pour about 2 cups of the boiling water into a small saucepan, bring back to a boil, add the lemon rind and boil for 30 seconds. Drain in a strainer and rinse the rind under cold running water. Repeat 2 more times, using fresh boiling water each time.
4. Combine the sugar and 1 cup of tap water in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the blanched rind and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the rind until tender, about 1 hour (adding more water if needed). Drain the rind in a strainer (reserve the sweet, lemony syrup for sweetening drinks, if you like). Arrange the strips on a wire rack, using your fingers to gently spread them out so they do not touch each other. Let them cool and store in an airtight container.
5. When ready to garnish, chop the lemon confit. Mound a small amount onto the center of each cheesecake.

Francis listed angel food cake, trifle and custard pies as desserts that have fallen way down the popularity scale. This recipe from Emily Luchetti breaks the imposing large trifle into individual servings.

RED BERRY-WHITE CHOCOLATE TRIFLES

“A Passion for Desserts” by Emily Luchetti

Trifle Cake (recipe follows) or purchased sponge cake

1 pint strawberries

1 pint raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar, or as needed

White Chocolate Mousse:

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

3 tablespoons water

11/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Berry Sauce:

12 ounces frozen strawberries or raspberries (no sugar added), defrosted

2 tablespoons sugar, or as needed

To make mousse:

1. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium stainless-steel mixing bowl. Stir in the Grand Marnier, water and lemon juice. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of it does not touch the water. Whisk the eggs briskly until thick and the mixture has tripled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove the bowl from the stove and whisk in the white chocolate until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
3. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, then fold it into the white chocolate.

To make the sauce:

1. Puree the frozen berries in a food processor or pass through a food mill. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the seeds. Stir in the sugar. Add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar if the sauce isn’t sweet enough.

To assemble the trifle:

1. Cut cake as desired into small pieces that will fit in layers in serving glasses. Hull and quarter strawberries; cut into sixths if they are big. In a medium bowl, gently stir them together with half of the raspberries and sugar. Taste for sweetness.
2. Place a spoonful of berries in the bottom of six individual parfait or wine glasses. Spread a layer of White Chocolate Mousse over the berries. Put cake pieces in a single layer over the cream. Spread some Berry Sauce over the cake, completely covering it. Continue layering more berries, mousse, cake and sauce until you finish with a layer of mousse on top. Arrange remaining raspberries around the top of the trifles. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
3. The White Chocolate Mousse can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated. The berry sauce can be made 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. The trifle can be assembled a day before it is to be served and kept refrigerated.

TRIFLE CAKE

11/4 cups all-purpose flour

21/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

5 large eggs, separated

11/4 cups sugar

5 tablespoons very hot water

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 15-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip together the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes with a stand mixer or 4 minutes with a handheld mixer. Reduce to low speed and add the hot water and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Again increase to high speed and whip until thick, about 1 minute.
4. On low speed, stir in the dry ingredients.
5. In another bowl with an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, 1 minute with a stand mixer or 2 to 3 minutes with a handheld mixer. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Spread the batter evenly and gently into prepared pan.
6. Bake the cake until it is golden brown in color and springs back lightly when touched on top, about 20 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature. Remove the cake by running a knife around the inside edge of the pan and inverting it onto a counter. Lift the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
7. The cake can be made several days in advance; wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. It is easier to cut if it is a day old. Leftover cake can be frozen.