Walnut Cake With Sautéed Pears Pecorino And Black Pepper Ice Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the raisins in a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the flour until lightly coated (this will prevent them from sinking in the cake batter during baking).
• To make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer) until fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vanilla and the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix into the egg mixture. Mix in the pears and nuts, then stir in the raisins by hand, distributing them evenly in the batter. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan and bake about 45 to 60 minutes, until springy and dry in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out. Freeze until ready to use or just wrap and store for up to 2 days.
• To make the glaze: Stir the maple syrup and sugar together in a bowl. Glaze the cooled cake by spooning the glaze around the top of the cake and letting it drip down the sides.

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Combine milk, cream, peppercorns, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring just to simmer. Whisk yolks and sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.
• Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
• Transfer custard to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to container; cover and freeze.
• Make walnut cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Process walnuts and powdered sugar in processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to large bowl. Add almond flour, all purpose flour, and salt. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla extract in large bowl until frothy. With mixer running, gradually add brown sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 egg-white mixture into flour mixture. Fold in remaining egg-white mixture in 2 additions. Pour into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.
• Sauté pears:
• Melt butter with sugar and honey in heavy extra-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears and cook until liquid evaporates and pears are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in brandy and lemon juice.
• Cut cake into 8 pieces. Place cake on plates. Arrange shaved cheese on side of plates. Top with sautéed pears and scoop of black pepper ice cream.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the raisins in a bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the flour until lightly coated (this will prevent them from sinking in the cake batter during baking).
• To make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer) until fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the vanilla and the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Mix into the egg mixture. Mix in the pears and nuts, then stir in the raisins by hand, distributing them evenly in the batter. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan and bake about 45 to 60 minutes, until springy and dry in the center. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack, then turn it out. Freeze until ready to use or just wrap and store for up to 2 days.
• To make the glaze: Stir the maple syrup and sugar together in a bowl. Glaze the cooled cake by spooning the glaze around the tops of the cakes and letting it drip down the sides.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, oil, eggs, sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl until very smooth.
• Blend in dry ingredients.
• Stir in pears and walnuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 55 mins.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Place flour in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup of nut mixture; set aside for topping. Set aside remaining nut mixture for filling., In a small bowl, toss pears with lemon juice; set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. , Spread two-thirds of the batter into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Top with the reserved nut mixture, pears and remaining batter. Sprinkle with walnuts and reserved topping mixture. , Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and tap out the excess flour.
• To prepare the cake, in a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk 8 to 10 times until well mixed.
• Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 batches, alternating with the milk and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir well and fold in the nuts and vanilla.
• Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter just until mixed. Spread the batter in the cake pan. Bake in the center oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
• To prepare the pears, in a sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat and cook the pears, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or just until softened. Sprinkle with the sugar. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice and mix well. Cover to keep warm.
• To make the cream, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, whip the cream and sugar until the cream is thick but not dry. Add the cinnamon and continue whipping until the cream is the desired consistency. Serve the cake topped with the pears and cream.

Steps:

• Slice the cheese thin and divide it among four plates. Cut the pears into quarters, core them and slice the quarters thin. Divide them among four plates.
• Warm the honey in a small saucepan and pour it lightly over the pears and cheese. Grind pepper over each plate and serve.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottoms of each with a round of parchment paper and grease the paper. Use a little cocoa powder to coat the insides of the pans, rotating pans so the cocoa comes up the sides, then tap out excess.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and 2/3 cup boiling water. Whisk in milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the cocoa mixture. Add remaining portions, alternating between two mixtures. Beat until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake until the centers of the cakes are firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn them out onto the rack to cool completely. (Peel off parchment paper if it sticks to the cakes.)
• Make the buttercream: Fill a medium pot halfway with water (or use a double-boiler) and bring to a simmer. In a heatproof bowl that fits over pot, whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Using an electric mixer, whip until completely cooled and thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter a little at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in vanilla bean seeds and pepper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a large platter or cake stand. Top evenly with a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat, alternating between cake and frosting, ending with a layer of cake. Cover cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare fudge frosting. (Cake can rest in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
• Make the frosting: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, heavy cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Set bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice. Use a hand mixer or an immersion blender with the whisk attachment to whip until mixture is thick and cool, about 5 minutes. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

Steps:

• Blue Cheese Ice Cream:.
• Combine the half-and-half and salt in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Bring the half-and-half just to a boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Beat the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the half-and-half mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, to the beaten eggs and sugar, whisking in between each addition, until all is used. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl with the crumbled blue cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted. Allow the custard to cool completely.
• Process the cooled custard in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove the ice cream form the machine, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze until firm, about 8 hours.
• Yield: 1 quart.
• POACHED PEARS:.
• In a 4-quart saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the pears. Stir the liquid until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Place the pears in the saucepan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over the pears and serve as a parchment lid. Cook the pears over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the pears are easily pierced with a knife. Allow to cool completely in the poaching liquid.
• Pound Cake:.
• Adjust the oven rack to the center position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter, and dust with 1 tablespoon of the cake flour, tapping out the excess.
• Place the 1/2 pound butter and the vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan set over low heat. Gently melt the butter, whisking constantly. Set aside. Combine the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer. Use the whip attachment to beat the mixture on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, and in a slow and steady stream, pour the melted butter and vanilla into the bowl. Sift the remaining 1 1/2 cups cake flour, the baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Add the sifted flour mixture in 3 parts to the wet ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure an evenly blended batter. Mix the batter just until blended, add the sour cream and walnuts and mix just until blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and continue to bake the cake until the top is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes of baking. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool on the rack until just warm.
• Yield: 1 (9-inch) loaf cake, 8 to 10 servings.
• Rosemary Caramel Sauce:.
• Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice and rosemary leaves in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add the cream (be careful; it will bubble up), whisk to combine, and remove from the heat.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, then add up to 2 more tablespoons, until the desired consistency is reached. Strain the sauce and let cool until ready for serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Add the sprigs of rosemary to the caramel as it cools and allow the sauce to steep with the rosemary until the rosemary essence permeates the caramel. Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving the caramel. The caramel may be made up to several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently over low heat before serving.