Sweet Somethings

It’s 5:30 and crisp autumn air welcomes Thanksgiving night. The host’s home is fragrant from warming potpourri that has mingled with the aroma of a roasted bird, a hint of garlic and fresh rosemary. Merry guests and family are gathered at a lavish table brightly lit with peach-colored candles.

Sixty gastronomic minutes glide by, and after sipping more wine and relishing the last chunk of orange-scented yams, each anticipating guest wonders:

“What, no dessert?”

No, it burned. It collapsed. The oven wasn’t turned on.

The truth is, time ran out on the host and cook.

It’s actually 5:30 on a crisp Thanksgiving morn. The cook wakes up relieved to find out that it was all a bad culinary dream. But the question still rises: Will he/she be able to create and finish a magnificent and sumptuous piece de resistance for that awaited moment?

In exchange for a labor of love and discounting all due praises, one could always turn to some of the splendid patisseries or dessert take-outs in town. What’s wrong with fresh fruit or cheese? Easily found in any frozen gourmet foods department or gelato shop are plenty of fancy and exotic sherbets and frozen desserts. These make great palate cleansers after a heavy traditional meal.

But no, the host insists on doing it all. Let it be as honestly simple as a winter ice of frozen persimmon, but it has to be his own production.

The passion that some people have for eating desserts translates to others as an obsession for manufacturing one’s own. For Jim Dodge, a native of New Hampshire, the passion started at age 21, when he became a pastry chef. Classically trained, he now passes on his Swiss-melded American pastry techniques to students at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco. In the nine years he’s been with the Stanford Court Hotel in the Bay Area, Dodge has been expressing his artistic ideas in the preparation of famous desserts for the hotel’s Fournou’s Ovens restaurant.

“I seem to have more of a sweet tooth than before,” said Dodge, after whipping up a luscious banana cream pie at a recent demonstration at the Williams-Sonoma store in the Beverly Center. The sweet craving naturally helps him develop more decadent recipes, although he also leans toward unique and healthier desserts. For these Dodge relies on the natural goodness of fresh fruits and purees.

Taking a cue from restaurant experts such as Dodge, who have to line up a repertoire of exquisite desserts ahead of time for customers, the key to success boils down to time management and preparing items in advance.

Often the big scare comes when one sees layers of surprises inside a classic pastry, and the first thought is of a long recipe filled with subrecipes.

Triumph isn’t farfetched, however, because most of these substeps can be prepared ahead and stored. Who says you can’t freeze butter cream, spongecake layers, meringue shells, puff pastry, tart shells, choux paste? Who says you can’t refrigerate creme anglaise, pastry cream, lemon curd, royal icing, ganache and other chocolate glazes for several days? And who says you can’t fill and frost and freeze a cake or torte? For hot bread or steamed puddings, you can count on the blessings of a microwave.

In addition to making all necessary sidesteps beforehand, Dodge advises that you should “feel comfortable with the recipe; read it over very well. And it has to be something you’ll enjoy making.”

His signature dessert at Fournou’s Ovens, Praline Ice Cream Pie, sets a perfect example of a do-ahead structure. The pecan praline can be done days ahead. Chunks of these crunchies are folded into vanilla ice cream, another do-ahead. And the same goes for the genoise layer, the shell base for the pie (you can substitute a bakery poundcake or spongecake). Meringue rosettes are piped atop the pie and then are either browned in the oven or with a blowtorch.

Hard to believe but proven to do so, Praline Ice Cream Pie stores beautifully in the freezer for four to five days. The superb Rum Sauce, which is also delicious with any cheesecake, can be refrigerated as long as a week.

Dodge recommends serving this Stanford favorite during the holidays. He also suggests fresh-fruit ices, which are especially refreshing after a big meal.

“The public likes to have desserts that are healthier, but they also want desserts that are sinful as ever,” Dodge said. He extols the uncomplicated flavors of fresh ingredients such as fruits as well as modified and classic creations in a new book titled “The American Baker: Exquisite Desserts from the Pastry Chef of Stanford Court” (Simon and Schuster: $22.95).

Going for the unusual, Dodge exhibits offbeat-flavor marriages such as oranges sweetened with tarragon, or lime-scented honeydew laced with serrano chile-syrup. There also is a recipe in the book for strawberries mixed with green peppercorns and spiked with strawberry eau de vie.

At this end of the state, we take a cue from another American baker. Susan Holtz is a full-time high school home economics teacher in the San Fernando valley. After work she becomes even busier producing hundreds of miniature classics such as fruit tartlets, creme brulee, praline and chocolate truffle goodies. To please every age group’s fantasy, her other desserts range from giant peanut butter message cookies, cheesecake or raspberry brownie tortes to gorgeously decorated liqueur tortes and cakes.

Holtz has been looking forward to concentrating on Dessert Design, her line of custom-made desserts. Although it was early in the season, the spirit of the Christmas holiday was felt by guests during a tea party in her Sherman Oaks home last month. It was a lovely afternoon for hot, soothing tea, and a harpist’s mellow music added to the ambiance. It was also the perfect chance to see Holtz’s beautiful work and get a tiny sample of each rich dessert.

Holtz most spectacular desserts are those topped with candy-clay flowers such as orchids, plumerias, roses, tulips and frangipani. Representing an ancient food art form, each is painstakingly handcrafted using a glucose, gelatin and powdered-sugar base. Most attractive is the red poinsettia that topped a beribboned chocolate Drambuie confection cake. Called Forever Keepsakes, the candy clay ornaments included pretty pastel boxes, among others. As they were expecting a lot of guests, Holtz and her assistants were kept busy with last-minute details. A yule log covered with white-chocolate “bark” and powdered-sugar “snow” needed some sprigs of fir and cones; the tartlets were being topped with fruit and glazed.

Holtz had plenty of time to entertain those tasting the samples. When asked about tips for advance dessert preparation, she said, “At home, people can bake their pie crusts the day before, or even longer, to freeze until the day of serving. The dough can also be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated.”

“Creme brulee can be made early in the day but torch it just before serving,” she said. “This sugar caramelizes to the hardest, the candiest. Meringues can keep in an airtight container, up to a week. If baked well and dried, they can even be filled with butter cream and frozen. They’ll stay crisp.”

She gave tips on whipped cream that she pipes into camellia flowers for a cake topping. “I use manufacturer’s cream (it gives smoother and more stable texture), which comes by the gallon. If you beat regular ultrapasteurized cream slowly and aren’t in a hurry, it is more stable. Unflavored gelatin dissolved in water also helps stabilize it.”

Holtz added that many hosts fail when they serve their desserts too cold. Chocolate, for instance, as well as cheesecakes and cakes with liqueurs, are best served at room temperature. Here are some holiday dessert recipes that can be prepared ahead of time: Jim Dodge’s Praline Ice Cream Pie with Rum Sauce, his delicious Fresh Fruit Pound Cake served with Poached Cranberries and a sinful Bourbon-Lemon Cream.

We also provide an easy Chocolate-Banana Cake that children love. The beauty of this dessert is that it can be frozen days in advance and taken out just two hours before serving. The filling will have the texture of creamy ice cream, and the bananas stay fresh. Susan Holtz provided an eye-catching Yule Snow Log, which you can fill with any filling you want. Try the Winter Citrus Cheesecake too. It’s fabulous with Jim Dodge’s Rum Sauce, as we’ve discovered.

For more tips on do-ahead desserts, see Page 9.

FRESH FRUIT POUNDCAKE

2 medium-size firm green apples

2 medium-size ripe pears

1 1/2 cups cranberries

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 eggs

Butter and flour 10-inch springform pan. Peel and quarter apples and pears. Cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Wash and towel-dry cranberries. Cream butter, sugar and buttermilk until light. Sift flour and baking powder together. Mix half flour mixture into batter. Beat in 2 eggs, blending well. Add remaining 2 eggs and blend well. Mix in remaining flour, beating until light.

Stir apples, pears and cranberries into batter with wooden spoon. Pour immediately into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until center is firm, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Allow cake to cool 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack. Serve at room temperature. Serve with Poached Cranberries and/or Bourbon-Lemon Cream if desired. Makes 12 servings.

Note: This cake stores very well. Double wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate or freeze.

Poached Cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 pound cranberries

Bring sugar and water to fast boil in saucepan. Add cranberries. Remove from heat and stir gently until all cranberries are coated with syrup. Allow berries to cool in syrup. Makes 12 servings.

Bourbon-Lemon Cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 to 3/4 cup bourbon (or to taste)

Whip eggs and sugar at high speed until doubled in volume and very light in color. Mix in lemon juice and zest. Transfer to top of double boiler and cook over high heat until very thick, 20 to 30 minutes. Once mixture has begun to thicken, stir occasionally with wire whisk to help eggs cook evenly (they cook around edges first).

Remove from heat. Slowly add butter pieces to egg mixture and stir until melted. Strain through fine sieve if needed and set aside to cool. (If it becomes thick on standing, thin with 1 tablespoon half and half.) Whip cream to soft peaks. Fold in cooled lemon cream and bourbon. Chill until ready to use. Store leftover sauce in covered container in refrigerator up to 3 days. Makes about 3 cups.

WINTER CITRUS CHEESECAKE

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup whipping cream

Grated peel of 1 lime

Grated peel of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

Nut Crust

Beat cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, egg yolks, flour and whipping cream. Add lime and lemon peels, lime and lemon juices. Turn into Nut Crust in prepared pan. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees and bake additional 50 minutes or until set. Cake may be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.

Just before serving caramelize remaining 1/4 cup sugar in heavy skillet. Spoon over cheesecake to form lacy pattern. (Or omit caramelized topping and serve with Rum Sauce on Page. 8.) Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Nut Crust

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons sugar

Combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, butter, pecans and sugar in bowl. Press evenly over bottom of 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-BANANA

DELIGHT

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons creme de banana or rum

3 cups whipping cream

2 bananas

Toasted almonds

In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light. Stir in cocoa powder and water. Beat 7 minutes. Add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Beat another 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 5 minutes longer.

Turn batter into greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 40 minutes or until cake center springs back when lightly touched. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Split cake into 2 even layers. Sprinkle each layer with liqueur.

Whip cream to soft peaks with remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread one layer with whipped cream. Slice and arrange bananas on top, leaving 1-inch margin of cream. Spread with more whipped cream to cover bananas. Top with second cake layer. Frost sides and top with remaining cream.

Cake can be frozen, in box, up to 2 days. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving. Filling will seem like ice cream. Garnish with toasted almonds and fruit if desired. Makes 10 servings.

PRALINE ICE CREAM PIE

1 1/4 cups pecans, toasted

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2-inch sponge cake or genoise layer or 8 ounces poundcake, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream

6 large egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Rum Sauce

Line baking sheet with greased parchment and place pecans in center in tight single layer. Stir together 2/3 cup sugar and water in saucepan and bring to boil. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until mixture turns rich mahogany color. If liquid colors unevenly, swirl pan to distribute color. Pour hot caramel over nuts on parchment paper and set aside to cool. Using big spoon or wooden mallet, smash cooled praline into 1/2-inch chunks.

Press sponge layer into 9-inch pie plate. Flatten cake with hands against sides and bottom of pan. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

Remove ice cream from freezer and let soften slightly. With electric mixer, beat ice cream until soft and smooth, but not melted. Fold in praline. Fill pie shell with mixture, smoothing top into slight dome. Freeze ice cream until solid. (Ice cream pie may be covered and left in freezer up to 1 week at this point.)

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is stiff and shiny. Spread 1/2 inch layer meringue over ice cream, smoothing it with spatula. Spoon rest of meringue into pastry bag with No. 7 star tip. Pipe out 16 large rosettes around outer edge. Then pipe 8 large shells inside circle of rosettes, points toward center and smaller shell between each two large shells.

Light propane torch and adjust flame to medium. Move tip of flame quickly over surface of meringue until golden. Freeze pie, covered loosely with plastic wrap, overnight or at least 4 to 6 hours before serving. (Pie will keep in freezer 4 to 5 days.) Serve with Rum Sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Note: Although propane torching produces best effect, pie may be browned in 475-degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

Rum Sauce

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons dark or refined rum

Combine sugar and water in heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook without stirring to rich mahogany color. If caramel starts to color unevenly, swirl pan to distribute color. Remove from heat and carefully pour in cream. Swirl pan to combine ingredients. When mixture stops bubbling, return to medium-high heat and bring to boil, stirring with metal spoon. Add butter. Remove from heat and stir until butter is dissolved. Stir in rum. Cool to room temperature. Makes 2 cups.

YULE SNOW LOG

Genoise

Filling (choice of jam or jelly, and/or chocolate whipped cream, berries or other fresh, candied or canned fruit filling)

2 tablespoons orange or other fruit liqueur

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

White Chocolate Curls

Powdered sugar

Unroll cooled Genoise onto parchment paper or towel. Spread with selected Filling. Reroll cake and sprinkle with liqueur. Chill until filling is firm, about 20 minutes.

Beat cream in chilled bowl until foamy. Add sugar and continue to whip slowly over medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.

Frost cake roll all over with whipped cream, reserving 1/2 cup for decoration. Cut 2-inch piece from one end of cake, slicing diagonally, to make “knot.” Transfer cake to flat serving plate. Position knot on top of roll, then press gently. Smooth more cream around it.

Spoon remaining cream into pastry bag fitted with No. 2 or small round tip. Pipe spiral of cream on exposed end of knot to resemble rings of cut log. Repeat on both ends of cake. Arrange white chocolate curls over cake, leaving decorated ends uncovered. (Cake may be refrigerated up to 1 day.) Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over cake, holding sieve 4 inches from cake. Decorate plate with pine cones and sprigs of fir, if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Genoise

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

5 eggs, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Powdered sugar

Line buttered jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Butter and flour pan.

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar with flour and set aside. Fill pan about 1/3 full of water and simmer on low heat. Combine eggs and 3/4 cup sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Place bowl on top of pan (bowl should not touch hot water). Stir mixture vigorously until eggs are just lukewarm to the touch. Beat with electric whisk attachment until eggs are white and thick.

Using flat round turner with holes, gently sift sugar-flour mixture into batter, 1/3 at a time, folding only until flour is incorporated. Blend vanilla into warm butter then fold into batter. Turn into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until cake pulls slightly away from sides of pan.

While still slightly warm, loosen edges and invert onto terry-cloth towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Peel off paper. Starting from longer side, roll cake fairly tightly using towel for support. Set aside wrapped in towel to cool completely.

White Chocolate Curls

1 pound white chocolate

Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water. Strain if needed. Using pastry scraper, evenly spread chocolate on baking sheet to 1/16- to 1/8-inch thickness. Chill to set, about 20 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 minutes. Using pastry scraper or side of metal spatula, scrape chocolate into curls. If chocolate becomes too warm, chill before continuing. Chill until ready to use.

Food styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane