Bromeliad Buttressed Bavarois - Pineapple Bavarian Cream

I have mentioned this recipe in passing the last time I made a white Angel Food Cake, but I figured it was time to share the deliciousness that is Bavarian Cream (Creme Bavarois) with Pineapple.

Bavarians are very similar to Mousses but there are several important differences;  Bavarians always contain Gelatin or Isenglass (Agar), they always contain whipped cream, they are always a dessert and are usually molded.  The gelatin base is part of their claim to fame, since they have been around a lot longer than refrigeration has been.  Bavarians molds were surrounded by ice and salt, just like Ice Cream, in order to make them set up.  Thus, they were sort of the rich man's dessert, back in the day. 

Mousse, on the other hand, may or may not contain gelatin, may or may not contain whipped cream, and may or may not be sweet; sometimes they are molded, but more often they are spooned into fancy sherbet glasses.  There just aren't any hard and fast rules when it comes to Mousse.  Think of mousse as being the airy, free-spirited Dionysian dish, while the Bavarian, even though light and creamy, is much more Apollonian in it's execution.

Bavarians DO contain raw egg whites, so it is a good idea to track down pasteurized eggs even though you will be cooking the yolks.

Please, do not attempt to use fresh pineapple for this recipe.  Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins (ie. Gelatin)  Your Bavarian will never set if you use fresh pineapple.  Canned pineapple, on the other hand, has been pasteurized during the canning process.  The pasteurization deactivates the bromelain enzyme, making it safe for desserts containing gelatin.

Pineapple Bavarian

1 TB Unflavored Gelatin Powder
2 TB Water
3 large Eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups (20 oz) Crushed Pineapple, with juice
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 TB Lemon Juice
1 cup Heavy Cream, whipped

In a small bowl or ramekin soften the Gelatin in the Water and set aside.

Combine Egg Yolks with Salt, Sugar and Lemon Juice.

Beat until pale and foamy.

Fold in the crushed pineapple.

Place over simmering water and cook until slightly thickened.

Remove the bowl from the steam and add the softened Gelatin, torn into chunks.

Stir until it dissolves into the Pineapple mixture.

Chill until it begins to set (about 15 - 20 minutes)
Beat the Egg Whites to stiff peaks and set aside... Beat Heavy Cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl.

Fold in the Egg Whites into the chilled pineapple mixture, followed by the Heavy Cream.

Technically, this should be spooned into an oiled mold and chilled until set.

We don't go to that trouble, simply pile the pineapple fluffiness into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours. (more like a mousse)  ;)

Then grab yourself a hunk of Angel Food Cake and spoon the Pineapple Bavarian over the top. (like a big pineapple cloud of deliciousness)

Oh yeah!

Mangia!!
~~

Hot Cocoa's Best Friend - Honey Marshmallows

I have attempted to make marshmallows many many MANY times.  Each time, the results have been a disaster. I went so far as to "blow up" my Oster Kitchen center in my quest to attain the perfect marshmallow.  In a way, it's because of marshmallows that I now own a Kitchen Aid mixer.  LOL
Alas, even with a KA, I still have not been able to achieve satisfactory marshmallow-dom. 

That is, until now. 

Thanks "bee" to The Pioneer Lady's Country Kitchen, for her Honey marshmallows are not only right up my ally (being made with honey) they come out perfect every time!

My 4 year long quest has come to a close and I have attained a state of Marshmallow Nirvana.  Now if you will excuse me, I must go make some Hot Cocoa to enjoy my puffy white pillows of deliciousness.  :)

Honey Marshmallows

Oil for the baking dish and the saucepan
Cornstarch to dust baking dish
1 TB unflavored Gelatin
a pinch of Kosher Salt
236ml (8oz) (1 cup) Water, divided
200g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
236ml (8 oz) (1 cup) Honey (or 315g or 11.1oz depending on how you prefer to measure it)
Confectioners' Sugar for dusting marshmallows (about 1 cup-ish or 125 to 150 ish grams)

Grease an 9 x 9 pan and dust with cornstarch, then set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, pour 118ml (4oz) (1/2 cup) of the Water and sprinkle the Gelatin over the surface to bloom.

Sprinkle with a pinch of Salt.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining Water with Sugar and Honey.

Set this over medium flame and cook, without stirring, until it reaches Soft-Ball stage or between 234F and 240F (112C-115C).

Remove the syrup from the flame and pour over the bloomed Gelatin, stirring well to combine.

Allow this to cool until it has the consistency of a "raw egg white". I know that is kid of vague, but the temp varies slightly somewhere around 80 F (26 C) degrees

Then begin whipping the mixture with your whisk attachment (or rotary beater if you don't have a whisk) until stiff peaks form.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and allow the mixture to firm up and dry out for 8-12 hours, uncovered. (Yes, I started these yesterday evening and finished them first thing this morning)

Turn out onto a flat surface that has been liberally dusted with Confectioners' Sugar. (you may need to loosen the sides with a frosting spatula)

Cut into 1-inch strips, with a Confectioners' Sugar dusted knife, and roll each piece in more Confectioners' Sugar.

Cut each strip into 1 inch pieces.

Dredge again in Confectioners' Sugar.

Lay finished marshmallows on a piece of waxed paper and allow them to completely dry for an additional hours or so.

Turn them over and dust with Confectioners' Sugar, again.  Let them dry for 1 hour longer. (you will notice that the exposed sides have begun to form a dry "crust" on them.  This is a good thing)

Once they are completely dry, dust all the marshmallows again in Confectioners' Sugar before storing in an air tight container between sheets of waxed paper.

NOW is the time to make some Hot Cocoa (Not Hot Chocolate, actual Hot Cocoa)

Mangia!!
~~

A Jab at Jell-O - Ouefs en Gelees

There is a saying...  "Real men don't eat quiche."

This little tidbit of supposed wisdom has never made sense to me.  I have always assumed it was coined by someone with certain amount of prejudice.   After all, quiche is nothing more than scrambled eggs (albeit with cream) that have been baked in a pastry shell in the oven.  In essence, it is a scrambled egg pie.

News Flash!! Guys like pie.

With Chicken pot pie, Shepherds pie and Apple pie usually being the top picks by men the world over.

That being taken into account, scrambled egg pie (quiche) usually contains some form of meat... Not always, but I would say over 50% of the time the recipes include things like Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Clams or any combination of the a fore mentioned delights of the carnivore's diet. 

News Flash!!   Guys like meat.

Especially those having been preserved via copious quantities of nitrates & nitrites. (Oh yea!)

Thus, following this thought process, I am sure you can understand my confusion over the somewhat ludicrous statement that "Real men don't eat quiche"

There is, however, a "food" that I believe would have been a better fit in the "Real men don't eat...." concept.

Aspic!

This is where my own prejudices come into play.  I, personally, have never been overly fond of Jell-O or other gelatin based desserts.  Not even as a child attending Church potlucks.  I always avoided the pink and green CoolWhip/Jell-O salads along with the three tiered gleaming red mound with grapes suspended in the center... and don't get me started on the proverbial Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise... (shudder)  If I am not going to eat sweetened fruit flavored Jell-O then why; Oh WHY would I want to eat meat flavored Jell-O?

Yes, it' sort of tastes like meat, and I DO like meat; but it's not really "meat".  It's more of a "delicate suggestion" of meat; the very essence of bridge parties, tea parties and "luncheon"; not lunch, not brunch... luncheon.  What the heck is a luncheon?  I am not really sure, but obviously there ain't no meat bein' served.

Be that as it may...  Real men face their fears head on.

Thus, after much soul searching, I resigned myself to face my own fear of said aspic by biting the bullet and making Ouefs en Gelee, which is a fancy French way of saying "Eggs suspended in meat flavored Jell-O" (it sounds more appetizing in French)  So, armed with a little left over consommé, a little fortitude and a tweeked Laura Calder recipe, the Gelatinous Journey began.

Ouefs en Gelees

2 Large Eggs, boiled or poached
1 3/4 cups Chicken Consommé (you can use stock, Laura Calder did on her show)
1 TB Unflavored Gelatin
1 TB Armagnac or Cognac
Fresh Tarragon leaves

Place 2 eggs (I did 4 cause I wanted to make a little egg salad too) in a saucepan and cover with cold water.

Place over medium flame and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and cover; allowing the eggs to sit for 20 minutes. Then drain and refrigerate.

This is why I held back a little of the consommé I made the other night.

Sprinkle gelatin over the consommé and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes. (I should have just done it in the saucepan)

Pour the consommé/gelatin mixture in a saucepan and set over medium low heat.

Add Cognac and stir the mixture until you can no longer see any gelatin granules (the mixture will be clear again)

Spoon a thin layer of gelatin into 4 ramekins and refrigerate them until it becomes slightly tacky but not completely set, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel your boiled eggs.

and cut them in half.

When the gelatin is partially set, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and lay tarragon leaves in the "bottom" (remember, the bottom will be the top when they are unmolded, so lay the leaves vein side up)

Place 1 half of a boiled egg in each ramekin, over the tarragon, yolk side down.

Divide the remaining consommé/gelatin mixture between the ramekins, pouring gently over the backside of the egg half.

Return to the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour until completely set.
Run a small knife or small frosting spatula around the edge of the ramekin and unmold onto a bed of greens.

Serve.

On the whole, it really wasn't THAT bad.  I have always loved egg and tarragon together, and the aspic had really delicate chicken/cognac flavor.  It's a texture thing though.  I mean, it didn't kill me to eat it.  I made it, so I ate it.  But it's not something I am going to be salivating for, any time soon.  My Aunt and Mother, however, were unequivocally enraptured.  LOL

So I reiterate....  Real men don't eat aspic.  But, for the record, one should at least be brave enough to try it.   LOL

Mangia!!
~~