The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

Lavender-Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons dried lavender
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with 1 tablespooon of the lavender. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes, then strain, discarding the lavender. Set aside to cool.

2. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.

3. In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using a whisk, fold the lemon zest and a third of the flour mixture into the eggs until thoroughly combined. Fold in the rest of the flour in two batches. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the batter with the melted butter and the vanilla. Add this to the remaining batter and fold to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. If the top of the cake seems to be getting overly browned before the center is set, cover with foil and contnue baking.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of lavender. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

6. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Using a cake tester or skewer, poke the cake all over. Brush the loaf with half the syrup and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan, and brush syrup over the bottom and sides of the cake. Reinvert the cake and brush with the remaining syrup. Let cool completely.

Yield: 8 servings

The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

Caramelized Apples

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped
2 to 3 Mutsu or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4-inch cubes (to yield 2 cups)
1/3 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Place a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat and let it get very hot. Sprinkle in about 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook until it begins to melt, shaking and stirring from time to time. Sprinkle in another 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to add more sugar as it melts and caramelizes. When almost all the sugar has melted, add the pulp from the vanilla bean and stir to incorporate. When the sugar is completely melted and caramelized to a deep amber brown, cover with the apples in a single layer. Cook until the apples soften and release some of their juices, 2 to 3 minutes, basting often with a spoon. Turn off the heat and set the apples aside.

2. Add the apple juice to the pan and simmer until the caramel melts and thins, 1 to 2 minutes, basting the apples with the syrup. Add the butter, stirring gently so as not to break up the apples.

Holiday Entertaining 2001, New York Magazine

Chocolate Brownie

8 ounces unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the pan
4 ounces high-quality unsweetened chocolate (preferably Scharffen Berger)
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or 1/3 cup pecans and 1/3 cup chocolate chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.

2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until combined. Add the melted butter and chocolate, and whisk until incorporated. Fold in the flour and salt, and finally stir in the nuts.

3. Pour into a greased 9-by-9-inch pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until it's just pulling away from the sides; the center should be very moist but not runny. Allow to cool in the pan before cutting. Best served when the brownies have rested for several hours.

Serves six to eight.

The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup earl grey tea leaves (not bags)
5 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and tea leaves to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let the mixture infuse for 2 minutes.

2. Place the finely chopped extra-bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Strain the hot cream over the chocolate, discarding the tea leaves. Let the mixture rest for 1 minute, then whisk until the chooclate is melted and smooth. Cover the chocolate and chill until the mixture is set, about 4 hours.

3. Using a teaspoon or a melon-baller, scoop out the truffles. Roll them in your hands to make rounded balls. Refrigerate the truffles for 15 minutes to firm them.

4. To make the coating, in the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl suspended over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water, melt two thirds of the bittersweet chocolate. Remove the boiler top from over the water and add the remaining chocolate. Stir continously until the chocolate is melted and smooth and feels room temperature. (This tempers the chocolate)

5. Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Drop the truffles one by one into the melted chocolate, turning them with a fork to coat them. Lift the truffles out of the chocolate and drop them into the cocoa powder. Roll the truffles in the cocoa until they are completely coated. They can be made up to 5 days in advance.

Yield: 2 dozen truffles

Holiday Entertainment 2000, New York Magazine

Assemble-Your-Own Tartlets

Tart crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour (slivered almonds may be ground with several pulses of a clean coffee grinder)
Pinch of salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg. Whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two batches, with the mixer on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until dough just holds together. Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and form it into a disk. Chill for at least 1 hour, until firm.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Chill for 1/2 hour. Remove plastic and cut 10 4-inch rounds of dough. Form in 3-inch tartlet pans. Prick the crusts all over with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming. Bake the shells until they are pale golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. (Shells can be made 8 hours ahead.)

Mascarpone filling
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup unflavored goat yogurt (organic yogurt may be substituted)
7 ounces heavy cream
1/2 cup plain goat cheese
1/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment, combine the mascarpone, yogurt, cream, goat cheese, and sugar, and beat until stiff. Fold in the zest and Grand Marnier. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Caramel blood oranges
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 small oranges, preferably a mixture of sweet and blood oranges

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and salt with 1/4 cup water. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then raise the heat to medium-high and cook the caramel, swirling but not stirring, until it turns medium amber in color, about 10 minutes. Immediately turn off the heat. Very carefully add another 1/4 cup water to the pot (stand back -- the caramel may splatter or bubble over). Set the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, until the caramel dissolves and is smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. When the caramel has cooled, peel the oranges, removing the white membranes around the segments. Pour caramel over segments just before serving.

Spiced poached quince
2 large quinces, peeled, cored, and cut into 16 slices
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup white wine
1 clove stuck into a 2-inch strip of orange peel
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 star anise

In a large saucepan, combine the quince, sugar, wine, orange peel, cinnamon, and anise with 3 cups water. Cut a round of parchment paper slightly smaller than the opening of the pot, and lay it on top of the quinces (this will keep the fruit submerged). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture until the quinces are tender and spongy, about 11/4 hours. Let the quinces cool in the liquid. Drain the quince pieces on layers of paper towel. Reduce poaching liquid until thick. Place slices of quince on mascarpone-filled tart shells and drizzle with reduced poaching syrup.

Roasted pineapple with pink peppercorns:

Roasted pineapple with pink peppercorns
1 cup sugar
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 pieces lengthwise
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped with the point of a knife
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons rum
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon cracked pink peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook, swirling but not stirring, until the mixture is golden brown and caramelized. Add the pineapple and the vanilla bean with its scrapings. Place in center of oven and bake for 50 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until pineapple is tender and translucent. Remove pineapple and set aside; when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges.

Whisk in the butter, rum, and salt until sauce is smooth. Pour over roasted pineapple; garnish with pink peppercorns.