Eye Candy

Art Culinaire, Winter, 2003 by Carol M. Newman

Pinch salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

2 1/4 ounces cake flour

2 ounces bread flour

For the filling:

2 eggs

2 1/2 ounces granulated sugar

1 ounce brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon clove powder

4 ounces milk

3 ounces powdered milk

8 ounces pumpkin puree

For the caramelized almonds:

2 ounces simple syrup

1 ounce sliced almonds

For the mousse:

1 egg white

1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar

1 1/2 ounces water

7 ounces fromage blanc*

1 1/2 gelatin leaves, softened in cool water

For the cranberry sauce:

4 ounces frozen cranberries

1 ounce sugar

2 ounces orange juice

For the garnish:

Caramelized sugar sticks

* Available through Murray's Cheese Shop at (888) MY-CHEEZ.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RELATED ARTICLE: Fig Carpaccio with Lemon Cheesecake (Serves 6)

Jeff Lehuede

directions

For the cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, mix cream cheese until smooth. Add lemon zest, vanilla seeds and sugar. Add egg and mix until smooth; mix in cream. Pour cheesecake mixture into 3-inch oval flexipan molds and place into a hot water bath. Bake until firm, about 25 minutes.

For the sherbet: In a medium saucepan bring water, glucose, powdered milk, orange zest, stabilizer and sugar to a boil. Add orange juice and blood orange juice and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Set in an ice bath until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For the phyllo sticks: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack sheets on top of each other and brush the top sheet with clarified butter; sprinkle with sugar. Cut into decorative strips. Place on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Top phyllo sticks with parchment and another sheet tray to keep phyllo sticks flat. Place in oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

For the sauce: In a small saucepan, reduce port to a syrup consistency.

For the fig carpaccio: Scoop out insides of figs and flatten to 1/16-inch thick between two sheets of plastic wrap. Place on a sheet tray and freeze. Remove from freezer and cut into 2X3-inch squares.

To serve: On a dessert plate, peel off one side of the fig carpaccio and place unwrapped side down on plate; peel off remaining plastic wrap. Place cheesecake and sherbet on plate. Garnish with sauce, figs and phyllo sticks.

ingredients

For the cheesecake:

11 ounces cream cheese

Zest 1/2 lemon, grated

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

3 ounces sugar

1 egg

3 ounces heavy cream

For the sherbet:

3 ounces water

2 ounces glucose

1/2 ounce powdered milk

Zest 1/2 orange

1 teaspoon stabilizer

3 ounces granulated sugar

6 ounces orange juice

6 ounces blood orange juice

For the phyllo sticks:

1 sheet phyllo dough, quartered

Clarified butter as needed, melted

Sugar as needed

For the sauce:

10 ounces port wine

For the fig carpaccio:

6 figs, halved

For the garnish:

2 figs, quartered

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

RELATED ARTICLE: Apple Millefeuille (Serves 6)

Jeff Lehuede

directions

For the ice cream: In a medium saucepan, bring milk, powdered milk, cream, butter and glucose to a boil. In a bowl, combine egg yolk, sugar and stabilizer; whisk until smooth. Temper the egg yolk, adding one-third of hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. Whisk the tempered egg yolk mixture in the remaining milk mixture and place over medium heat. When the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Add the Armagnac. Set in an ice bath until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.