Louisiana_Cookin_-_November_-_December_2019

67 louisianacoo

CAFÉ AU LAIT

KUGELHOPF

MAKES 1 (10-CUP)

KUGELHOPF CAKE

(photo on page 61)

Dusted with confectioners’ sugar
and fl avored with coff ee, this cake is
reminiscent of beignets and café au lait.

½ cup warm whole milk (105° to 110°)
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
1 (0.25-ounce) package active
dry yeast
2½ cups all-purpose fl our, divided
⅓ cup sliced almonds
⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
½ cup strong hot coff ee (105 ̊ to 110 ̊)
Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted
   with the paddle attachment, combine
   warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar,
   and yeast. Add ¾ cup fl our, and beat
   at low speed until well combined.
   Cover and let stand until mixture
   starts to bubble, about 30 minutes.


2. Butter and fl our a 10-cup
   kugelhopf pan. Sprinkle bottom and
   sides of pan with almonds.


3. Add butter, salt, vanilla, and
   remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar to
   yeast mixture, and beat at low speed
   until combined. Beat in egg and egg
   yolks. Add remaining 1¾ cups fl our in
   three additions alternately with hot
   coff ee, beginning and ending with
   fl our, beating just until combined
   after each addition. Increase mixer
   speed to high, and beat until smooth,
   shiny, and elastic, about 8 minutes.


4. Spoon dough into prepared pan.
   Using wet fi ngers, gently press dough
   even and fl at. Tap pan on counter
   a few times. Cover and let rise in a
   warm, draft-free place (75°) until
   dough almost reaches top of pan, 2 to
   2½ hours.


5. Preheat oven to 350°.
   6. Bake until golden and an instant-
   read thermometer inserted near
   center registers 190 ̊, 20 to
   25 minutes. Let cool in pan for
   10 minutes. Invert cake onto a
   wire rack. Serve warm, or let cool
   completely. Just before serving, dust
   with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

PRALINE CHEESECAKE

MAKES 1 (9-INCH) CHEESECAKE

(photo on page 62)

With swirls of caramel sauce and heaps

of pecans, this cheesecake is simply

stunning.

1½ cups crushed graham cracker

crumbs

1½ cups sugar, divided

½ cup fi nely chopped pecans

⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

4 (8-ounce) packages cream

cheese

3 tablespoons all-purpose fl our

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

¾ cup sour cream

¾ cup Caramel Sauce (recipe

follows), plus more to serve

Garnish: pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a
   9-inch springform pan with baking
   spray with fl our. Line bottom of pan
   with parchment paper.


2. In a medium bowl, stir together
   cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, and
   pecans. Add melted butter, and stir
   until well combined. Press mixture
   into bottom of prepared pan.


3. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a
   wire rack for 30 minutes. Place pan
   in an oven roasting bag. Reduce oven
   temperature to 325°.


4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted
   with the paddle attachment, beat
   cream cheese at medium speed until
   creamy. Gradually add fl our, vanilla,
   and remaining 1¼ cups sugar, beating
   until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time,
   beating just until combined after each
   addition. Beat in sour cream.


5. Place half of batter in a medium
   bowl, and fold in Caramel Sauce.
   Alternately pour plain and caramel
   batters into pan. Swirl batters using
   a knife.


6. Place cheesecake in a roasting pan.
   Pour enough hot water into roasting

pan to reach about 1 inch up sides of

springform pan. (Make sure roasting

bag reaches up higher than the water.)

7. Bake until center jiggles slightly
   when gently shaken and an instant-
   read thermometer inserted in
   center registers 150 ̊ to 155°, 1 hour
   40 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.
   Remove cheesecake from roasting
   pan and bag, and let cool completely
   in pan on a wire rack. Cover and
   refrigerate overnight. Serve with
   Caramel Sauce. Garnish with pecans,
   if desired.

CARAMEL SAU CE

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons water, divided

½ cup heavy whipping cream, room

temperature

6 tablespoons unsalted butter,

cubed and softened

1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar
   and 3 tablespoons water over high
   heat, being careful not to splash sides
   of pan. (It should be the consistency
   of wet sand.) Use remaining 1 tablespoon
   water to brush down sides of pan, and
   stir to help sugar dissolve. (Do not
   stir once it starts to boil.) Cook until
   desired dark amber color is reached.
   Remove from heat; slowly add cream,
   whisking to combine. Add butter, a
   few pieces at a time, whisking until
   combined. Let cool completely.

CRÈME BRÛLÉE TARTS

MAKES 9 (4-INCH) TARTS

(photo on page 63)

For a variety of sizes, you can also make

these tarts using 3.5-inch tart pans.

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise,

seeds scraped and reserved

4 egg yolks, room

temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

½ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar,

divided

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Pâte Sablée (recipe follows)

1. In a medium saucepan, heat cream
   and vanilla bean and reserved seeds
   over medium heat just until bubbles

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