desserts (les desserts)

Mother’s Day 2015 (recipe: tarte Tatin)

May 10th, 2015

chef morgan

Mother’s Day 2015

Forgiveness & (So-called) Mistakes
&
Tarte Tatin

Each year in honor of Mother’s Day I write a personal recipe for life inspired by and for my daughters accompanied by a food recipe relevant to the message. This year it is about forgiveness and so-called mistakes. The correlating recipe is the infamous French Tarte Tatin. If you would like to skip directly to the tarte Tatin recipe you may do so by clicking here. The fact that this post is technically posted after-Mother’s Day, well, forgive me. 

warmly,

LM

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tarte Tatin

May 10th, 2015

 

chef morgan

Tarte Tatin
You can substitute the apples for another fresh fruit such as apricots, peaches, nectarines, rhubarb, or pears. You can make savory renditions as well. Pan-roasted cherry and basil tomato tart (with or without burrata or mozzarella cheese), cauliflower with almonds, or summer squash tart are a few of my favorites. For tomato or zucchini tarts, eliminate the sugar and butter, and use a little olive oil in the pan instead. For cauliflower, you can caramelize it as you would apples.

makes 1 10″ Tart 

ingredients:

7-8 apples (Rome, Pomme Reinette, Caville, Gala), peeled, cored, and halved
fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1 pie dough, pâte sucrée, or puff pastry 

 instructions:

  • Preheat Oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Make Pastry Dough. Make enough pie dough, pâte sucrée or puff pastry for one 10 inch tart. Chill until ready for use. If using frozen puff pastry, defrost in the refrigerator until use.
  • Prepare Apples. Peel apples. Remove core and seeds. Squeeze lemon juice on the peeled apples to prevent browning. If apples are large, cut into quarters.
  • Cook Apples. Melt butter in an oven-proof sauté pan over medium heat. Pour sugar over the melted butter. Dissolve. Add apples. The apples will shrink when cooked, so at this stage they will be laying on their sides. Continue to cook until the apples are soft and the butter-sugar mixture is thick and bubbly. Use a spoon to baste the butter-sugar mixture over the apples. Be patient. It takes about 30 minutes (depending upon size of the apples) to cook them. Turn off flame.
  • Cover with Dough. Roll out the pastry dough slightly with a rolling pin. Cut dough into a circle to cover the pan. Arrange the apples in pan with flat sides facing up (or if cut, arrange them in a decorative way). Cover the apples with the pastry dough. Tuck the pastry inside the rim of the sauté pan (do not let it hang over the edge of the pan).
  • Caramelize (Bake). Place the pan in the oven. Bake until the pastry dough is brown about 20 minutes. CAREFULLY remove the pan from the oven using to use a potholder or towel. Let the tart slightly cool in the pan for about 10 minutes so the carmel can settle.
  • Invert. Place a plate over the pan (with the bottom facing up) and invert the tart gently onto the plate. The apples should be a deep caramel color. Remember to do this carefully and use a towel as the pan handle may still be hot.
  • Serve. The tart is best enjoyed warm and generally served with real vanilla ice cream. The tart tastes best the day it is prepared.

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cardamom sablés with fresh peaches and rose cream

July 11th, 2014

chef morgan

cardamom sablés with
fresh summer peaches and rose cream

You can enjoy this dessert deconstructed as well. For example, the peaches and cream can be placed in a bowl and you can add the sable on the top or on the side. Alternatively, enjoy the sables with a cup of tea (rose tea if you have it). The cream is lightly flavored with rose syrup (I use Monin) if you want a more pronounced rose flavor, add a little more (but not too much).

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classic chocolate soufflé

May 9th, 2014
chef morgan a table

classic chocolate soufflé
Measuring your ingredients by weight (rather than volume) is the most accurate way to bake and produces the best results.

makes  6 soufflés 

equipment:

kitchen scale
6 ramekins, 3” diameter
2 saucepans
double boiler or bain marie
2 nonreactive bowls
measuring cup
wire whisk
spatula
large spoon
rimmed baking sheet
mixer with whisk attachment (or large bowl with balloon whisk)

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chocolate lava cakes with heat

February 11th, 2014

cooking from the heart and giving with generosity
la Saint Valentin 2014

chocolate lava cakes (with a little heat)

chef morgan lava spoon 2

“Happy and successful cooking doesn’t rely only on know-how;
it comes from the heart
and needs enthusiasm and a deep love of food to bring it to life.”

— Georges Blanc, chef of Georges Blanc restaurant in Vonnas Read the rest of this entry »

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holiday fudge

December 19th, 2013

chef morgan fudge

short and sweet 

holiday fudge (like Grandma used to make) 

 It was my birthday this week. The exact day I will not specify but my mother did tell me that it was Brad Pitt’s birthday as well and what woman would not be pleased about that?

I neither greeted the day bounding out of bed in celebration of the gift of another year nor speed-dialing my dermatologist. In truth, the day began with pause because for the past forty- Read the rest of this entry »

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gingersnap cookies

December 12th, 2013

chef morgan cookies

a little holiday spice

gingersnap cookies

Bonjour. It has been a little longer than usual since I have written.  My time has been dominated by publishing deadlines and Paris apartment disasters (although I am learning that the words “disaster” and “Paris” are commonly used together when you live there). 

Thanksgiving left as quickly as it arrived. This year it was at our home in L.A. We ate a late dinner because many guests were coming to Los Angeles from out of town. Throughout the day I was cooking and my friend Celine was in the kitchen with me. When I reached in the baking pantry for something, I saw the molasses and the muscovado sugar. I grabbed them. Read the rest of this entry »

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my nutty, chocolaty (gluten free) tart with brandied cream

November 21st, 2013

chef morgan tart 1

I am thankful for…
many things, but especially dessert 

my nutty, chocolaty (gluten free) tart with brandied cream

I inherited my father’s affinity for sweets. At no time is this truth put to the test more than during the holiday season. For all of you who appreciate the sweet things in life as I do, and especially for those of you living a gluten-free lifestyle, this tart is for you. This week we are headed to the table with a delicious way to complete our Thanksgiving meal with a nutty, chocolaty (gluten free) tart with brandied cream.

à table !

LM

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tartelette aux figues

September 21st, 2013

chef morgan fig tartlet

what is a fig to do ?

tartelette aux figues
(fig tartlets) 

Fig season in the U.S. is short, but sweet. They always seem to be here at the same time we are transitioning from Summer to early Fall with its demands of work and school. I like to think that the change in the market is giving us a sweet treat to ease the craziness of our schedules. Along with figs, the markets are filled with varieties of grapes and the early harvest of apples and pears. Heirloom tomatoes are disappearing with the sun.

chef morgan figs

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Paris day trip: Château de Fontainebleau

August 30th, 2013

chef morgan

Paris day trip: Château de Fontainebleau 

emperors, strawberries, and a canoe on carp lake

recipe: summer strawberries with lime sugar and fresh mint 

Not far from Paris is a château rich in history. Yes, there are many. However, this particular château was inhabited for seven centuries by the royal and imperial French elite (most famously by  Napoleon I and Josephine). Surrounded by breathtaking courtyards, fountains, canal, gardens, a park, and a lake, it is a perfect Paris day trip. It is the Château de Fontainebleau and this week’s recipe, summer strawberries with lime sugar and fresh mint, was inspired by a visit to this château. So until you get there in person – venez avec moi (come with me)à la Château de Fontainebleau. 

Allez -y (let’s go) !

LM

chef morgan strawberries 2

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