'Tis the season for a cup of holiday cheer. But who says that cheer has to be liquid? All of the desserts in this newsletter are based on a classic cocktail and are sure to bring some cheer.

All of that cheer aside, I know it has been a tough year, and it will be a tough season for many. I do hope that you are able to have a Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! I hope some of the recipes I have sent have brought you some joy this year, and I hope to continue to bring you recipes throughout 2021!

Sangria Poached Pears

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups fruity red wine (but still a dry one)

1/2 cup brandy

1/4 cup triple sec or other orange flavored liqueur

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

Juice from 1 orange

4 each Bosc or d 'Anjou pears, peeled and cored

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (learn the best way to core the apple here)

4 Mandarin oranges, segmented (learn what this means and how to do it here)

Procedure:

Mix liquids and sugar in a small, deep pot. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and liquid comes to a simmer. Add pears and cover. Simmer, flipping pears frequently if the liquid does not cover them completely. Cook until the pears are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. If serving immediately, remove from heat and remove ½ cup poaching liquid. Allow pears to cool, submerged in liquid.

While pears are cooling, place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter. When butter is melted, add apples. Saute until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, approximately 5-6 minutes. Add reserved poaching liquid and continue to cook until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in orange segments.

Remove pears from poaching liquid, and fill cavities with apple mixture. Place saucepan with liquid back on heat. Bring to a boil and reduce until liquid becomes a syrup (when it is approximately ¼ of the original volume).

Place stuffed pears on individual plates. Drizzle with syrup. Serve.

White Russian Bread Pudding

Makes 6 individual, 6-oz ramekins

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 eggs

1/2 cup coffee flavored liquor, such as Kahlua

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups stale or toasted bread cubes

Butter or spray, for greasing ramekins

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray 6, 6-oz ramekins. Set on a sheet tray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add bread and stir together. Set aside for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, to allow bread to soak up milk mixture.

Once bread has soaked up mixture, divide mixture equally between ramekins, making sure each ramekin has both bread and liquid. Place tray containing ramekins in oven. Bake until slightly puffed and custard is set, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside briefly to cool. Serve while warm.

Gin and Tonic Trifle

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

For the cake:

4 large eggs, room temperature

5.25 ounces granulated sugar

3.5 ounces All-purpose flour

1.75 ounce unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing

Zest of 1 lime

For the soaking syrup:

2 tablespoons gin

2 tablespoons tonic

1 teaspoon lime juice

¼ cup granulated sugar

For the gin and lime sabayon:

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons gin

½ cup lime juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 6 pieces

For the tonic meringue:

6 ounces granulated sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tonic

3 ounces egg whites (approximately 3 large eggs)

Procedure:

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9” x 13” pan and set aside.

Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn on high speed and beat until eggs are fluffy and thick. They are done when you lift the whisk and the eggs fall back down in a “ribbon” and sit on top of the mixture for just a second before dropping down.

Sift flour over the top and gently (but quickly!) fold in. Fold in melted butter. Pour in to prepared pan and gently smooth top. Place in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown and set in the center (cake should spring back when gently pushed in the center), approximately 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the soaking syrup:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Heat, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Make the sabayon:

Place about 1 1/2 inches of water in a saucepan that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Place pan on a medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, and gin for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pan containing the simmering water and, whisk the mixture for about 2 minutes, or until the eggs are foamy and have thickened. Add one-third of the lime juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lime juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lime juice. Continue whisking vigorously, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. Remove from water and set aside to cool. When room temperature, cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator until completely set.

Make the meringue:

Just before serving, make the meringue. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and set aside.

Dissolve sugar in tonic in a small saucepan and set on medium heat. Cook until sugar reaches 240 degrees F.

When sugar reaches 220 degrees F, start mixing egg whites on a medium-low speed. When the sugar reaches 240, return the mixer to a low speed. Carefully pour sugar mixture down the side of the bowl with the mixer running. When the egg mixture starts to thicken, turn mixer to high and mix until stiff peaks form.

Assemble trifle:

Using ring or biscuit cutter, cut pieces of cake to fit inside a rocks glass. Place a layer of cake in the bottom of each glass. Then use approximately 2 teaspoons of soaking syrup on top of the cake layer. Top with sabayon. If desired, make one more layer each of cake, syrup, and sabayon.

Fill piping bag fitted with a large star tip with meringue. Pipe on to the op of the last layer of sabayon. If desired, use a torch to (carefully) lightly brown the top of the meringue. Serve immediately.

Pimm's Cup Souffle

Makes 3-4, 6 oz souffles

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, separated, plus 1 additional egg white, room temperature (learn how to separate eggs here)

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided

1 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

Finely grated zest of a lemon (learn how to zest the best way here)

2 Tablespoons Pimm’s

2 Tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, cold

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and position an oven rack in the bottom third.  Butter the entire inside of the ramekins and dust them with sugar. Tap out any excess.

Prepare the base: 

Place the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, and the flour in a stainless steel bowl and whisk until well blended and slightly lightened in color, about 1 minute.  Add the lemon zest, Pimm’s, and lemon juice and whisk well.  Place 1 1/2 inches of water into a saucepan with a slightly smaller diameter than the bottom of your bowl, and bring to a rolling boil (you are forming a double boiler).  Reduce the heat so the water is at a simmer and place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure it does not touch the water.  Cook until the curd is very thick, 5 to 7 minutes, whisking constantly and scraping around the edges frequently so the eggs don’t scramble.  When the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom and the curd looks fairly stiff, you are done. Remove bowl from pan.

Add the butter pieces to the curd, burying them so they begin to melt.  Wait 1 minute, then whisk until the butter is completely melted and blended with the curd.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.

Whip the egg whites: 

In the very clean bowl of the stand mixer (if there is any fat, the whites won’t whip), whip the 3 egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy.  With the mixer running, rain in the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and beat until firm peaks form. 

Remove plastic from curd and whisk one-fourth of the egg whites into the lemon curd to lighten the mixture.  Fold in the remaining whites just until there are no more streaks of whites.

Fill the dishes and bake: 

Divide mixture between ramekins, filling each one to the line that is below the rim. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the soufflés are set and firm to the touch in the center.  Do not open the oven before 10 minutes, or your souffles will fall. If you watch through the window in the oven door, you will notice that they stop visibly rising. This is generally an indication that they are ready to be checked.

Remove souffles from oven and place ramekins on napkin-lined plate. Use a fine-mesh strainer to dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve immediately.

Want more recipes? See all our past newsletters here: