Le Cirque 2000 Clown Hats
Clown Hats
10 1/2 ounces white chocolate
8 cone shaped paper cups
M & M�s Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits
Raisin Creme Brulee
Scant 2/3 cup golden raisins (raisins need to be
hydrated for at least 24 hours before using)
Water as needed
1/2 cup dark rum or flavored liqueur
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 scant cup granulated sugar
*Puff Pastry
Caramelized Banana Saut�, recipe follows
To finish desserts
8 scoops vanilla ice cream
Raspberry Sauce, recipe follows
Mango Sauce, recipe follows
For the Clown Hats: Melt white chocolate in microwave. Fill each cup
all the way to the top with melted chocolate. Invert the paper cup
over the bowl of chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip
back into the bowl. Place the paper cups upside down on a wire rack
placed over a parchment paper covered baking sheet and allow the
chocolate to set. When use a sharp paring knife to gently trim the
chocolate off the bottom (opening) of each hat. Then peel off the
paper cone. To adhere the M&Ms baking bits to the hats, heat the tip
of a paring knife in boiling water. Dry it off and gently press it
against the chocolate hat to melt the spot for the candy.
Immediately press an M&M into the chocolate hat. Use as many as you
like to decorate hat.
For the Raisin Cr�me Brulee: Hydrate the raisins by placing the
raisins in a mixing bowl or glass jar and add water so that it
covers the raisins by at least 1/2 inch. Stir in the rum or flavored
alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for
24 hours. It is even better to allow the raisins to hydrate for 2 to
3 days; they will become very plump as they absorb the liquid. You
can keep them in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
When you are ready to use them, strain the amount that you need
through a fine-mesh sieve before adding them to the recipe. Preheat
the oven to 320 degrees F. Sprinkle the hydrated raisins over the
bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Pour the
heavy cream and milk into a nonreactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed
saucepan and set over medium heat. Use a sharp paring knife to slice
the vanilla bean in half again, this time lengthwise. Separate the
seeds from the outside skin by scraping the bean with the knife.
Place the skin and seeds in the heating cream. Scald the cream by
heating it until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.
Remove from heat. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a
large mixing bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Continue to
whisk as you slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture. Whisk
until the mixture is smooth and homogenous in color. Strain the
mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pieces
and any overcooked eggs. Your next step will be made easier if you
strain the mixture into a large measuring cup with a spout. Place
the cake pan on a baking sheet with 1-inch high sides. Fill the cake
pan with the custard and set the baking sheet in the oven. Use hot
water from the tap and pour enough water onto the baking sheet to
reach halfway up the side of the pan. If you are using a convection
oven, a water bath is not needed because the even circulation of the
air insulates the custard from the direct heat of the oven. If using
a convection oven, preheat to 200 degrees F. Baking time is about
the same for either oven, about 50 minutes When baked correctly, the
custard should tremble slightly when gently shaken. If you detect
any liquid under the skin, the custard is underbaked. Put it back in
the oven and shake it every 5 minutes until it is ready. Remove the
mold from the oven and the water bath and place on a wire rack to
cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving; it will
finish setting in the refrigerator. Let the water bath cool before
removing it from the oven.
Puff Pastry Circles
20 ounces puff pastry (store-bought)
Generous 1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water
For the Puff Pastry: Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Place the
puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the top
of the puff pastry with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the puff
pastry into a rectangle 1/4-inch. Use a 4-inch fluted cutter to cut
8 circles from the puff pastry. Remove the scraps and space the
circles 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
Combine the corn syrup and water in a small mixing bowl and mix
well. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of each circle a nice,
shiny glaze; it will also enhance the flavor of the baked puff
pastry. Place the puff pastry circles in the oven until well risen
and evenly browned 20 to 25 minutes. To keep the circles from rising
unevenly, I place six 3-inch-high timbale molds (one in each corner
and two in the center) on the baking sheet with the circles. Then, I
place a wire rack on top of the molds. As the puff pastry rises, the
rack will keep it level. You can also place another sheet of
parchment paper directly on top of the puff pastry circles and bake.
The slight weight of the parchment paper will keep the puff pastry
even as it bakes and rises. Remove the baked puff pastry circles
from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
For assembling the clown hats, use a paring knife to carefully cut a
small circle from the top of each puff pastry shell. Set the top
aside to use later. Use your finger to remove the doughy inside from
the shell. Fill the shell with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream
and reposition the puff pastry circle. Place the clown hat on top of
the puff pastry. Decorate the plate with fruit sauces.
Caramelized Banana Saut�
Large ripe banana
1/2 cup dark rum or Grand Marnier
Scant 1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (optional)
For the Caramelized Banana Saut�: Peel and dice the banana into
1/4-inch cubes. Place them in a small mixing bowl with the rum or
Grand Marnier and about 1/3 of the sugar and let macerate for 10
minutes. Heat a medium-size heavy-bottomed frying pan over
medium-high heat. If it starts to smoke, the pan is too hot and you
need to run it under cool water, dry it, and start again. When warm,
sprinkle the remaining sugar into the pan. Try to keep the sugar in
an even layer to allow it to caramelize at the same time. As soon as
you see the sugar begin to melt. Start moving the pan over the
burner to keep the sugar from burning. Tilt the pan from side to
side so that the melted sugar runs over the unmelted sugar. Cook
until all of sugar is light golden brown. I usually add the butter
at this stage because it makes the caramel smoother. Add the banana
mixture and spread it evenly in the pan. Let cook over medium-high
heat until most of the liquid has evaporated and the bananas are
soft but not mushy. If the bananas are still firm when most of the
liquid has evaporated, add a few tablespoons of water and continue
cooking until they are ready. Remove from the heat and pour the
caramelized bananas onto a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and set
aside.
Raspberry Sauce
3 cups raspberries
Scant 1/2 cup powdered sugar
A few drops lemon juice
Mango Sauce
3 cups mango
Scant 1/2 cup powdered sugar
For the Raspberry Sauce: Puree the raspberries in a blender or food
processor until completely smooth. Add the sugar 2 tablespoons at a
time, incorporating it well after each addition and making sure any
lumps are dissolved. Add lemon juice and blend again. Strain the
sweetened puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This
will separate the pulp from the fruit puree and remove any small
seeds. Stir the puree until completely smooth.
For the Mango Sauce: Peel and remove pits of mangos. Chop into
medium-size pieces. Puree the fruit until completely smooth. Add
sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, incorporating it well after each
addition and making sure any lumps are dissolved. Strain the
sweetened puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir
the puree until completely smooth.
Yield: 8 servings Source: Jacques Torres,
Executive Pastry Chef Le Cirque 2000 NYC |