Refreshing Buttermilk Lime Intermezzo

I realize it’s been a few weeks since I posted; the busy season is upon us at the hotel and I've been working long hours. Recently, I've gained more responsibility and also taken it upon myself to spark some initiative to create even more unique dining experiences for our guests. Working with the Angle Chef de Cuisine Mathew McGee, I was able to finally play with some liquid nitrogen in pastry applications. One fun project has been an intermezzo for the chef’s tasting menu.

I came up with a buttermilk lime ice cream with lemon streusel and raspberry pods. Ice creams are unusual for intermezzos, traditionally acidic sorbets are used but this recipe is American style (it doesn't include eggs) and has a refreshing flavor that both excites and cleanses the palate for the next course.

 

Pictured with spiced lemoncello soaked blueberries which pair very well but take away from the goal of a simplistic intermezzo and transition to the next course. 

Buttermilk Lime Ice Cream

Yield: 3 quarts

Tools: Ice cream maker, blender or stick blender

Ingredients:

2 ½ quarts	2268 grams	Buttermilk
2 1/3 cup	520 grams	Sugar
1 each	1 each	Vanilla Bean
4 each	4 each	Lime Zest
2 pinches	2 grams	Salt

Method of Preparation:

1.      Using a hand or stand blender, combine ingredients. (Heating the buttermilk will cause it to curdle and separate, instead the liquid will turn the sugar granules to syrup with a little agitation and time).

2.       Allow to cold steep for 48 hours in the refrigerator.

3.      Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Lemon Streusel

Yield: 3 cups

Tools:

Ingredients:

¾ cup	185 grams	Brown Sugar
2 ½ cup	180 grams	Bread Flour
11 tbsp.	150 grams	Butter
1 1/3 cup	125 grams	Almond Flour
2 tsp.	5 grams	Baking Powder
2each	2 each	Lemon Zest
¼ tsp.	2 grams	Salt

Method of Preparation:

1.      Using a stationary mixer, fitted with a paddle, blitz ingredients together until uniformly dispersed but crumbly.

2.      Spread on parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 350^oF until just golden. About 7-10 min.

Raspberry Pods

With the utmost caution, pour liquid nitrogen into a metal pan, drop in a handful of raspberries. Break up raspberries into pods. Store in freezer once liquid nitrogen has fully frozen and evaporated from the berries. 

Love Me Some Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup with Confit Butternut

The first time I had butternut squash soup was also the first time I went to Johnson & Wales for open house. Now I won’t say a soup won me over on my future but it certainly helped! 

Every time I see this soup on a menu I have to have it. Not just for the warm, seasonal taste, but because along with its rich flavor comes rich memories and nostalgia of my time in culinary school. Here is a tasty recipe for my favorite soup with added components for depth of texture.

 

Yield: 6 servings

Tools: 2cookie sheets, large pot, blender or stick blender, fork, chef knife, cutting board

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Soup
2 pounds	908 grams	Butternut Squash
1 ½ cup	340 grams	Chicken Stock/Broth
1 tsp.	2 grams	Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp.	1 grams	Ground Thyme
½ tsp.	1 grams	Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp.	1 grams	Ground Ginger
½ tsp.	1 gram	Salt
¼ tsp.	0.5 gram	Pepper
1 cup	240 grams	Half and Half
Butternut Squash Confit
2 ¾  cup	340 grams	Extra Butternut Squash , ½” cubed
3 Tbsp.	30 grams	Olive Oil
½ tsp.	1 grams	Salt
¼ tsp.	1 gram	Ground Ginger
½ tsp.	1 gram	Ground Cinnamon
3 Tbsp.	45 grams	Brown Sugar
Candied Pecans
½ cup	57 grams	Pecans
1 each	30 grams	Egg White
¼ cup	50 grams	Granulated Sugar
Pumpkin Cake Croutons
About 3 cupcakes worth	150 grams	Pumpkin Cake

Method of Preparation:

1.       Preheat oven to 350^oF.

2.       Cut squash in half and remove seeds and stem.

3.       Weigh each half and then cut excess off the top so that each half is one pound.

4.       Line cookie sheet with foil, spray with pan spray or grease with olive oil.

5.       Place squash cut side down and puncture skin with a fork all over the top.

6.       Bake in oven for 40 minutes until tender, and then allow to cool.

7.       In the meantime, cube extra squash.

8.       Mix remaining ingredients with squash cubes for the squash confit.

9.       Spread onto foil lined cookie sheet and cook in oven about 15 minutes, until tender.

10.   Set aside confit.

11.   Once baked squash is cool, scoop out of skin and into large pot.

12.   Add remaining ingredients for soup to the pot.

13.   Blend with a stick blender until smooth (or put ingredients into a blender).

14.   Cook in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Allow to boil for 5 minutes then remove from heat, keep covered until ready to serve.

15.   To make candied pecans, toss them in egg whites, removing excess then toss in sugar, bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes.

16.   To make pumpkin cake croutons, take extrapumpkin cake (This is how I reused extra from last weeks post), cut into cubes and bake on foil lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes.  *I just baked the croutons and the pecans at the same time on the same pan.

       

17.   Serve soup with all of the toppings for an exciting take on my favorite fall soup!

Fabulously Fall Pumpkin Cake with Festive Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake with Orange Spiced Cream Cheese Icing

It’s that lovely season when the leaves begin to change and the wind gets chilly, except here in Florida, that doesn’t happen. I keep waiting for the opportunity to wear my cute fall sweaters and an excuse to have hot cocoa, or warm soup. It looks like I’ll have to celebrate fall in my own way, by baking spirits bright! Here is an excellent recipe for a super moist and tender pumpkin cake with a yummy frosting. Since I am not the only one craving fall, I had to make a double batch so I could make a Bundt cake and cupcakes for my family.

Yield: 1 Bundt cake or 24 cupcakes

Tools: Bundt pan or cupcake pans, rubber scraper, stationary or hand mixer fitted with a paddle, mixing bowls

Ingredients:

Volume	Metric 1X	Metric 2X
Pumpkin Cake
1.5 sticks/ ¾ cup	170 grams	340 grams	Butter, unsalted
¾ cup	150 grams	300 grams	Granulated Sugar
½ cup	120 grams	240 grams	Brown Sugar
3 each	150 grams	300 grams	Eggs
2 ¼ cup	320 grams	640 grams	All Purpose Flour
2 tsp.	6 grams	12 grams	Baking Powder
1 tsp.	6 grams	12 grams	Baking Soda
1 tsp.	2.5 grams	5 grams	Cinnamon
½ tsp.	1.5 grams	3 grams	Nutmeg
½ tsp.	1 gram	2 gram	Ginger
½ tsp.	1 grams	2 grams	Salt
1 ¼ cup	290 grams	580 grams	Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling)
¾ cup	185 grams	370 grams	Buttermilk*
1 tsp.	5 grams	5 grams	Vanilla
Orange Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
1, 8 oz. Package	227 grams	454 grams	Cream Cheese
½ cup	100 grams	200 grams	Granulated Sugar
½ stick/ ¼ cup	57 grams	113 grams	Butter, unsalted
½ tsp.	1.5 grams	3 grams	Cinnamon
¼ tsp.	0.5 gram	1 gram	Ginger
¼ tsp.	0.75 grams	1.5 grams	Nutmeg
¼ tsp.	0.5 grams	1 gram	Salt

Method of Preparation:

1.      Preheat oven to 350^oF. Grease and flour Bundt pan or place cupcake liners into cupcake crevices.

2.      Measure out all ingredients: butter and sugars in mixing bowl; dries in a large mixing bowl, eggs in a small mixing bowl, and remaining liquids in a medium mixing bowl.

3.      Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl.

4.      Add eggs one at a time and scrape down sides after each addition.

5.      Alternate mixing in dry and wet ingredients starting with the dry. Scrape down sides after each addition.

6.      Pour batter into bundt pan or scoop into cupcake liners ¾ full.

**If you do have empty crevices in your cupcake pan, for this recipe or any other, fill crevice about a centimeter high with water to prevent your pan from warping and to promote even baking. 

7.      Bake Bundt cake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cupcakes for 17 minutes. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. In the meantime, make the frosting.

*If you do not have buttermilk (or forgot to get it at the store like me) just mix just under ¾ cup of milk with 2 tsp. of lemon juice, allow to sit five minutes before use.

Frosting:

1.      Paddle cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

2.      Add sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Scrape down sides.

3.      Add butter and continue to cream for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides.

4.      Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined.

5.      Pipe onto cooled cupcakes or spread onto Bundt cake.

 Garnish cupcakes or Bundt cake with toasted pecans and thai ginger salt or any other fall décor that suits your fancy.