Coconut and Pistachio Baklava

Makes 24 pieces

I use a French orange flower water, Vallauris brand, that I brought back from Nice. If your orange flower water is from the Middle East (most often Lebanon) you will need to use more to taste; the Middle Eastern-style is not as strongly flavored as the French version. I also use Athens brand phyllo (it says "fillo" on the box), which comes in a 1-pound container with two separate packages inside. Make sure to use unsalted pistachios. This baklava is actually not at all difficult to make, but take care not to press down on the layers of pastry as you layer and then cut them.

Ingredients

    One 1-pound box phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
    1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

    2 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened dried coconut
    3/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios
    1/2 cup sugar
    1/4 cup water
    1 tablespoon orange flower water
    Pinch of salt

Syrup

    1 3/4 cups sugar
    1 1/2 cups water
    Large pinch of salt
    3 tablespoons orange flower water
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan.

2. Unfold the sheets of phyllo dough, lay the stack on a work surface, and cover with wax paper and then a damp kitchen towel to keep it from drying out. Remove 2 pieces of phyllo, place them in the pan, and brush them with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Continue in the same way with the phyllo and butter until you have used 24 sheets of phyllo.

3. To make the filling: Stir together the coconut, pistachios, sugar, water, orange flower water, and salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle half of the filling evenly over the phyllo in the pan. Place 2 sheets of phyllo in the pan and brush them with 1 tablespoon butter. Continue in the same way until you have used 12 sheets of phyllo. Spread the remaining filling on top. Layer and butter the remaining phyllo in the same way. Brush the top layer of pastry generously with butter, and pour any remaining butter over the top. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava lengthwise into 4 strips and then crosswise into 6 strips, taking care not to press down on the phyllo.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

5. To make the syrup: Bring the sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the orange flower water and lime juice.

6. Transfer the baklava to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and pour the syrup evenly over the top. Let cool completely on the rack. (The baklava can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.)

7. Cut into pieces with a sharp knife and serve.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen depending on size

Supposedly whoopie pies get their name from the fact that Amish women would occasionally pack these treats in the farmer's lunchboxes and when discovered the men would yell "Whoopie!"

Traditionally whoopie pies are two round mounds of chocolate cake with a creamy frosting sandwiched in between. For a twist on tradition, I love to make Red Velvet Whoopie pies.

Ingredients

Cookie

    8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

    1 cup granulated sugar

    1 large egg, at room temperature

    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    1 ounce red food coloring (about 2 tablespoons)

    2 cups sweet rice flour blend

    2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

    1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

    1/2 cup buttermilk

    1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Filling

    6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

    3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

    Pinch of kosher or fine sea salt

    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    3 cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a large spatula. Add the vanilla and food coloring and mix well.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour blend, cocoa powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add half the flour blend mixture, then the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the flour blend mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl stir the vinegar and baking soda together and then stir into the batter. Using a large spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl and make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Drop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets using a small ice cream scoop or large tablespoon.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are firm but springy to the touch. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, make the filling.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Turn the mixer off. Sift in the confectioners' sugar and starting with the mixer on low speed and slowly increasing the speed to medium, mix well.

With your hand, brush the crumbs off the bottom (flat side) of a cookie, spread with a generous amount of filling, then top with another cookie, flat side down on the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

The cookies should be stored in the refrigerator but are best eaten un-chilled, so take them out of the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches

Makes 8 ice cream sandwiches

There are no two ways about it, these are just fun! Peanut butter ice cream with jelly sandwiched between peanut butter cookies ; pretty much a kid's dream dessert. I'm no kid, but I am a big fan as well. Use any flavor jelly or jam you like, I am particularly fond of strawberry and grape.

Bake the cookies smaller and these make a great bite-size treats for birthday parties.

Ingredients

    1 recipe Peanut Butter Ice cream

    1 recipe Peanut Butter Cookies

    3/4 cup jelly or jam, at room temperature

Preparation

Prepare the peanut butter ice cream and let harden in the freezer for about 6 hours.

Prepare the dough for peanut butter cookies and divide the dough into 16 walnut-size balls. Proceed with the recipe from there, baking the cookies 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely.

To assemble the ice cream sandwiches remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften slightly.

Spread a layer of jam on the flat side of each peanut butter cookie. Place a scoop of peanut butter ice cream in the center of half the cookies, on top of the jam. Top with the remaining cookies, jam side down. Gently squeeze the cookies together until the ice cream and jam come to the edges of the cookies. Put the ice cream sandwiches back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to harden the jam. These can be made 2 days ahead. Place them in a large plastic storage bag or airtight container and store in freezer.

Thiebaud Pink Cake

Makes one 8-inch cake, serving 8 to 10

active time

1 hour

total time

1 day

The most dainty and cute of the three, this little pink cake was the one that propelled me into a life in cake making and was the original inspiration for the cakes I made at Miette. For the SFMOMA, I make the Thiebaud Pink Cake pink by cooking down strawberry syrup and adding it to the buttercream, and I top the frosted cake with either a red buttercream dot or a big, ripe raspberry if they're in season. I use lemon curd in the filling because, being the giant kid that I am, I love the combination of strawberry and lemon in a dessert—to me, it always tastes like Froot Loops.

Ingredients

Strawberry Concentrate

    1/2 pound (227 g) fresh strawberries

    1/2 cup (4.3 oz / 120 g) water

    1/4 cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

    Rose's Downy Yellow Butter Cake

    3/4 cup (6.4 oz / 180 g) Lemon Curd

    Vanilla Buttercream

    Simple Syrup

    1 fresh raspberry

Preparation

To make the strawberry concentrate, wash, dry, and hull the strawberries. Cut the berries in half or quarter them if they are especially big.

Combine the strawberries, water, and sugar in a medium nonreactive saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Turn down the heat to the low, cover, and simmer until the berries are soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the berries rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Transfer the berry mixture to a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium nonreactive saucepan. Once all of the juice has drained, set the berries aside to use in another project. Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-low heat until it has reduced down to 1/4 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g), about 10 minutes, and set aside to cool.

To assemble the pink cake, place the cooled cake on a flat, stable work surface. Using a long, serrated knife, slice off the rounded top of the cake so that it is perfectly level. An even, flat top is key to the look of this dessert.

Using the serrated knife, split the cake horizontally into 2 even layers. Split each half in half again so that you have a total of 4 layers. Place the bottom layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round or directly on the serving platter and set on top of a cake turntable, if you have one. Generously brush the surface of the cake with simple syrup.

Prepare the buttercream by warming and whipping it to achieve a mayonnaise-like consistency (see Working with Buttercream ). Measure out 1/2 cup (2.6 oz / 73 g) of buttercream and, using an offset spatula, spread it evenly on the bottom cake layer, being careful not to let it blop over the sides. As you spread the buttercream, let a small wall (about 1/4 inch high) form around the outer edge, creating a well for the lemon curd.

Evenly distribute 1/4 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g) of the lemon curd in the well. Set another cake layer on top and brush with simple syrup; spread with buttercream, creating a well, and fill with lemon curd just as you did with the first layer. Repeat with the third layer. Top with the final cake layer.

If necessary, warm the buttercream once again. Measure out 1 cup (5.2 oz / 146 g) of buttercream and use the offset spatula to apply it as a crumb coat, a thin coating covering all surfaces of the cake; a crumb coat will seal the exterior of the cake to help prevent crumbs from marring the final frosting. (It's important to measure out buttercream specifically for the crumb coat so that the unused buttercream remains crumb free.) Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Reserve about 1/2 cup (2.6 oz / 73 g) of buttercream for the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, apply a thick layer of the remaining buttercream to the sides of the chilled crumb-coated cake. At this point, it's not important that the cake look pretty—it's most important that the buttercream be evenly distributed around the sides. With the cake sitting squarely in the middle of the turntable and with the offset spatula held vertically against the frosting, begin spinning the turntable. Keep the cake moving steadily in one direction and apply light pressure with the spatula; the buttercream will begin to even out. I like to imagine the spatula as the needle that stays steady while the record (or cake) spins round and round on the turntable. My goal is to make the sides perfect before adding any Thiebaud personality. Make sure to watch the vertical line of the cake; I find it helpful to look at the right side of the cake at eye level while spinning the turntable. You can add more buttercream to any spots that seem thin and whittle down any thick spots with the spatula.

Once the sides are perfectly vertical and smooth, create as much or as little texture as you want in the buttercream. I constantly refer back to Display Cakes as I try to capture the casual, slightly imperfect look of Thiebaud's cakes onto my neatly frosted sides. It's not easy! While spinning the cake on the turntable, I often hold my offset spatula vertically and gently wobble it back and forth, or I take a quick swipe at the cake with the spatula blade as the turntable spins.

When the sides are to your liking, you'll find a ring of buttercream standing up above the surface of the cake. Lightly "grab" the excess buttercream in one area with the offset spatula and pull it toward the center of the cake, spreading it toward the center. Repeat until you have a nice, clean edge all around.

If necessary, warm the reserved buttercream, and then mound it up on top of the cake in the center. Using a small offset spatula, start from the center and begin smoothing out the buttercream, inching it closer and closer to the edge of the cake. I work fairly slowly when doing this in order to get a nice, voluminous lip of buttercream where the sides and the top of the cake meet, re-creating the ring that appears around the top edge of Thiebaud's pink cake.

Place the raspberry in the center of the cake.

The cake is best served immediately.

Do Ahead: This cake has many different components that require preparation before the cake can be assembled. The cake needs to be baked and thoroughly chilled before assembly, so consider making it the day before. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or for up 2 months in the freezer. The lemon curd takes 3 to 4 hours to set, so consider preparing it while the cake is baking. It can be kept for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for 4 months in the freezer. The strawberry concentrate can be made ahead and stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer, but should be at room temperature before using. The buttercream is easiest to use when it's freshly made, but it can also be made ahead and easily rewarmed before frosting the cake (see Working with Buttercream ). It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer. The simple syrup can be made shortly before assembling the cake but, if made ahead of time, will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. To store leftover cake, press plastic wrap against the cut sides and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Above and Beyond: In the painting Display Cakes, the pink cake is the smallest of the three. But since 6-inch cake pans aren't common in home kitchens, I've made this cake the same size as the other two. To make a more faithful replica of the painting, bake the cake batter in two 6 by 2-inch cake pans; see Variations in Rose's Downy Yellow Butter Cake for details. Split each baked cake into 2 even layers so that you have a total of 4 layers. Build the cake on a 6-inch cardboard cake round or directly on a serving platter, using slightly less simple syrup, buttercream, and lemon curd on each layer.

Woodman Cheese and Crackers

Makes about 28 crackers with cheese

active time

40 minutes

total time

2 hours

When SFMOMA presented the first Francesca Woodman retrospective in the United States in over two decades, I was excited to immerse myself in the work of another influential female photographer whom I studied in college. I love Woodman's juxtaposition of textures, her way of placing soft and vulnerable human forms in withered, deteriorating environments. My plan was to base a dessert on a photograph with this type of contrast. Of all of the images in the show, the one of the artist wearing a Victorian-style floral coat and flowing dress while posing in a crumbling room was my favorite.

At the time the Woodman retrospective opened, I had just returned from a vacation in Scandinavia where I would have been happy to live on only Norwegian hardtack, rye bread, soft cheeses, and smoked salmon. The combination of hearty rusticity and soft refinement of these foods were like elements in the Woodman photo: I saw the crumbling room as a cracker made with whole wheat and rye; her flowing skirt as soft cheese; and the pattern on her coat as beautiful, delicate edible flowers.

To create a tender cracker with the heartiness of my Norwegian inspiration, I used two types of rustic flour and incorporated the butter using the same technique that's used to make flaky pie dough. A little bit of yogurt added tang and tenderness to the cracker. To slather onto the crackers, I wanted a soft-textured fresh cheese that was simple to make in our tiny kitchen. Ricotta cheese was just the type. A sprinkling of colorful edible flowers from Leah's garden and a touch of black Hawaiian sea salt perfected the rustic-elegant presentation of the Woodman Cheese and Crackers.

Ingredients

Ricotta Cheese

    1 1/2 cups (13 oz / 363 g) whole milk

    1/2 cup (4.1 oz / 116 g) heavy cream

    1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

    1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rye Crackers

    1/2 cup (2.5 oz / 70 g) whole wheat pastry flour

    1/2 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g) rye flour

    1 tablespoon sugar

    1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon caraway seeds

    4 tablespoons (2 oz / 56 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

    1/4 cup (2.1 oz / 60 g) whole-milk plain yogurt

    Colorful edible flower petals, for garnish

    Maldon sea salt, for garnish

Preparation

To make the ricotta cheese, line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth and set the colander over a bowl.

Combine the milk, cream, and salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching, until the mixture registers 190°F on a digital thermometer.

Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then pour the curds and whey through the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let drain at room temperature until the cheese is thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Transfer the cheese to a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

Combine the whole wheat flour, rye flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and caraway seeds in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly on low speed to blend. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and continue mixing just until the dough comes together into a ball, 10 to 20 seconds.

Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper and press it into a flat, even rectangle measuring about 5 by 6 inches. Lay a second sheet of parchment paper on top and roll out the dough to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of parchment and, using a chef's knife, cut the dough into rough 2 by 4-inch rectangles. The dough will be sticky, so don't try to remove the rectangles until after chilling. Slide the parchment with the dough onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until the dough is firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week.

To make the crackers, position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a small spatula, carefully remove the crackers and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the crackers are golden brown and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, and then use a spatula to transfer the crackers to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To serve, spread a layer of ricotta cheese about 1/8 inch thick onto each cracker. Scatter a few edible flowers over the ricotta and sprinkle with sea salt.

Note: To create rough edges reminiscent of Francesca Woodman's photograph, we split our cracker dough into thirds, rolled it out, and then cut pieces incorporating the rough edge for a more rustic-looking cracker.

Do Ahead: The ricotta cheese can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cracker dough can be rolled out, wrapped tightly in plastic, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stored in an airtight container, the baked crackers will keep for 1 day at room temperature.

Easy Chocolate Mousse

Makes about 1 1/2 pints mousse, about six 1/2-cup servings

Most chocolate mousses are high in calories, but it's quite easy to make a delicious chocolate mousse that contains a fraction of the original calories and fat. The secret is to use high-quality bittersweet chocolate. It packs a strong, lively chocolate flavor and makes up for the fact that the mousse doesn’t have a quart of whipped cream in it.

Ingredients

    1 envelope unflavored gelatin

    1/4 cup sweet liqueur, such as Chambord or Triple Sec

    1 cup fat-free milk

    3/4 cup sugar, divided

    2 large eggs

    4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

    4 large egg whites

    Large pinch of salt

    6 stemmed glasses or ramekins for serving the mousse

Preparation

1 Sprinkle the gelatin on the liqueur in a small bowl and set aside.

2 Combine the milk and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan and whisk to mix. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

3 Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a small bowl. When the milk boils, whisk about a third of the milk into the eggs. Return the remaining milk to a boil over low heat then whisk in the egg mixture. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens slightly. Don't let it boil or the eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the gelatin mixture.

4 Whisk in the chocolate and continue whisking until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Scrape it into a medium bowl and cool it to room temperature.

5 To make the meringue, half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Regulate the heat so that the water simmers gently but isn't boiling violently. Combine the egg whites, salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, whisking by hand just to mix. Place the bowl over the pan of water and whisk gently until the egg whites are hot (140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) and the sugar is dissolved. Place the bowl on the mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until the meringue is cooled (it doesn't have to come all the way down to room temperature) and increased in volume.

6 Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture.

7 Divide the mousse among the prepared glasses and refrigerate until set, 3 to 4 hours.

SERVING: Serve the mousse alone or with some Maida's Skinny Whipped Cream. You can also decorate it with a few berries or some chocolate shavings.

STORAGE: You can prepare the mousse the day before. Keep it covered with plastic wrap if it needs to stay in the refrigerator any more than a few hours after you prepare it.

Lemon Custard with Raspberry Sauce

Makes 8 individual servings

A hint of lemon is perfect in a creamy baked custard. This one has no caramel to get in the way of the lemon flavor. Lemon juice would be too overpowering here. Instead, the subtle lemon flavor comes from steeping lemon zest in the milk for the custard mixture. The heat of the milk extracts the essential oil from the lemon zest skin, and the milk absorbs the delicate flavor. The hints of cinnamon and vanilla are there to support the lemon, not obscure it. Raspberry sauce makes a perfect complement. I wouldn't dream of serving the custard without it.

Ingredients

    1 quart whole milk

    2/3 cup sugar

    3 large lemons

    1-inch piece cinnamon stick

    6 large eggs

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1 recipe Cooked Raspberry Sauce

    Eight 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups, set in a small roasting pan or any pan about 2 inches deep

Preparation

1 Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.

2 Combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and whisk several times to mix. Bring the mixture to a boil over low to medium heat.

3 Use a vegetable peeler to remove just the yellow zest from the lemons in large strips. Do not include any of the white pith beneath the zest, which would impart a bitter flavor.

4 When the milk boils, remove it from the heat, add the lemon zest and cinnamon stick, and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

5 Combine the eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk well, but not so quickly that the eggs become foamy. Strain the milk mixture into a lipped container, such as a 4-cup measure, to remove the strips of zest and the cinnamon stick.

6 Pour the milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly but not quickly to avoid creating too much foam.

7 After the milk has been added, let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, then use a ladle or large kitchen spoon to remove any foam from the surface. Pour the mixture into the lipped container and fill the molds almost to the top.

8 Place the pan of molds on the oven rack and immediately pour 3 to 4 cups of warm water into the pan around the molds so that the water comes about halfway up the side of each mold. If the molds fit tightly in the pan, it may be necessary to remove one temporarily to have room to pour in the water.

9 Bake the custards for about an hour, or until they are completely set and no longer wobbly in the center.

10 Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a rack for 10 minutes to cool. Then remove the molds from the pan and cool them completely to room temperature. Individually wrap each mold in plastic and chill until you intend to serve them.

Serving

Serve the custards in the molds or unmold them to dessert plates. To unmold, insert the point of a paring knife about 1/4 inch deep between the mold and the custard. Run the knife all around the inside of the mold to loosen the top. Using your fingertips, ease the top of the custard to one side, letting some air into the space you create between the custard and the mold. Invert a dessert plate on the mold, then invert it again. Holding both the mold and plate firmly with both hands, quickly raise and lower the stack to unmold the custard. If it does not emerge easily from the mold, repeat the motion several times. Top each custard with a couple of spoonfuls of the raspberry sauce.

Storage

Keep refrigerated at all times. You may prepare these custards a day or two in advance, but don't keep them more than 3 days total.

Variation 

Orange Custard

Substitute the zest of 2 oranges and 1 small lemon for the lemon zest.