Peanut butter cake with malted PB ice cream....and some caramelized peanuts, candied bacon, with white beer foam. Very sophisticated, very delicious (and a labor of love).
June 2008
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Gourmet Peanut Butter Recipes
Peanut Butter Milk Confit Cake, Molasses, Malted Peanut Ice Cream, Maple Candied Bacon & Beer Dessert
The most sophisticated of the three desserts took third prize in The Peanut Buttery Dessert Contest. The matching of malt, peanut butter, bacon, and beer is perhaps odd, says third-place winner Sean Pera, “but when combined together, the saltiness, sweet, and bitterness acts as a true match.” It’s not odd to those of us who comb the country’s top restaurants looking for something that dazzles. This dessert does...but it takes a dazzling pastry talent (or great patience) like Sean’s to pull together.
PEANUT BUTTER DESSERT RECIPE INDEX
Peanut Butter Milk Confit Cake, Molasses, Malted Peanut Ice Cream, Maple Candied Bacon & Beer dessert
Sean Pera was the Peanut Butter Co. Third Place Prize Winner. This recipe serves 10 - 12. Weissbier is the German word for white beer, a pale brew made from wheat.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Milk Confit
Peanut Oil Sponge Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons and a pinch baking powder
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons eggs
- 1-2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup peanut oil
- 1/2 of a lemon, zested
Fried Caramelized Peanuts
- 1/2 cup unroasted peanuts
- 7/8 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1-1/2 cups canola oil
Malted Peanut Ice Cream
- 1 quart (4 cups) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (scant) heavy cream
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup (scant) malted milk powder
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
Candied Maple Bacon Chip
- 8 pieces thinly sliced bacon
- 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons maple syrup
White Beer Foam
- 1-1/2 cups white beer*
*Sean used the Hoegaarden brand, but if you can’t find it, look for any wheat beer,
weissbier or witbeer. Weissbier is the German word for white beer, a pale brew made
from wheat; witbeer is the Belgian word.
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 sheets gelatin
Molasses Syrup
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup simple syrup (1/8 cup water, 1/8 cup sugar)
Peanut Butter Powder
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/2 cup tapioca maltodextrin†
†You can substitute tapioca starch or tapioca flour if you can’t find tapioca
maltodextrin.
Preparation
Peanut Butter Milk Confit
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In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and peanut butter.
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Whisk together until the mixture is homogenous.
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Reduce the mixture to a boil.
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Lower heat until a slow simmer is reached.
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Reduce the mixture by half. It should resemble a crème anglaise consistency.
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Pour the reduced mixture though a chinois into a medium sized bowl over an ice bath.
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Cool and reserve in the refrigerator.
Peanut Oil Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 380°F.
- In a Kitchen Aid mixer with the whisk attachment, whip eggs and sugar until thick and foamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the milk and then gently fold in the dry ingredients.
- Add the peanut oil and lemon zest.
- Pour into a silpat lined half sheetpan, bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cut the cooled cake into 2-inch long by 1-inch wide strips.
- Place the pieces into the peanut butter milk confit. Bake in a ceramic dish in a 200°F oven for approximately 30 minutes. Drain.
- Reserve the cake pieces in the refrigerator.
Fried Caramelized Peanuts
- In a medium saucepan, fill with water to approximately halfway and bring to a boil.
- Place the peanuts in the boiling water and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until slightly translucent. Drain, dry and reserve.
- In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar around the interior edges and center of bowl until a thin layer of powder is created.
- Heat a large saucepan with the canola oil to 350°F. Place the peanuts into the powdered sugar and stir to coat. Add the coated peanuts to the hot oil immediately.
- Fry the peanuts until the sugar begins to slightly caramelize and the peanuts turn a light brown color. Drain and cool.
- Reserve the fried caramelized peanuts in an airtight container.
Malted Peanut Ice Cream
- Prepare an ice bath with two medium sized bowls, one being filled with equal parts ice and water.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and half amount of sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk half of the hot milk mixture in to the yolks to temper them.
- Add the tempered mixture back to the milk and cook while stirring constantly at 180°F.
- Pour through a chinois into a bowl over an ice bath.
- Keep refrigerated for 4 hours before spinning.
- Run the ice cream base through an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Reserve in freezer before serving.
Candied Maple Bacon Chip
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Place bacon strips flat on a cooling rack screen on a baking sheet.
- Bake the bacon for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until thoroughly brown and crispy.
- Once the bacon is cooked and cooled, brush both sides of the bacon strips with maple syrup using a pastry brush. Place the bacon back in the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes.
White Beer Foam
- Hydrate the gelatin sheets in small bowl filled with one part water and one part ice. Allow the gelatin to become soft and flexible, approximately 7 minutes. Drain and reserve.
- Mix together the beer and water, melt gelatin and add the mixture.
- Whip this mixture until it increases in volume, approximately 10 to 12 minutes at high speed.
- Let set in refrigerator before serving.
Molasses syrup
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar and water, bring to a boil.
- In another small saucepan, combine together the molasses and simple syrup.
- Reduce this mixture until 1/4 of the original amount remains.
- Reserve in the refrigerator.
Peanut Butter Powder
- In a small bowl, add together the peanut butter and tapioca maltodextrin and mix together until a powder is formed.
- Reserve in an airtight container.
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