Ancient Grains for Modern Meals - Maria Speck [120]
¼ cup honey
1 To prepare the millet, bring the water and the millet to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Combine the milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a small bowl and stir into the millet. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool to room temperature, about 60 minutes (if in a hurry, spread the millet on a baking sheet).
2 Once the millet has cooled, make the pudding. Place the ricotta, honey, lemon zest, and juice in a large bowl and beat vigorously using a wooden spoon until the ingredients are incorporated. Loosen the millet with a fork, and then stir it into the ricotta mixture, breaking up any lumps.
3 In a large deep bowl, whip the cream with a handheld mixer, first on medium then on high speed, gradually adding the sugar until medium-firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the ricotta-millet mixture in 3 additions. Divide the pudding among serving bowls. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
4 When ready to serve, make the raspberry compote. Place the raspberries and the honey in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, gently stirring once in a while so as not to crush the berries, until the compote is hot and the berries are just warmed through, 5 to 8 minutes.
5 To finish, spoon a bit of the raspberry compote over the chilled ricotta pudding and serve at once.
TO GET A HEAD START: Make the millet, as in step 1, ahead as per the instructions.
Crème au Chocolat with Brandied Blackberries
A cross between a suave mousse au chocolat and a dense luscious ice cream, this is a mouthful of a dessert. It is as easy as 1, 2, 3, and hence one of my favorite last-minute desserts. Admittedly, it has no whole grains, but I follow my passion for good food. Just two ingredients, crème fraîche and chocolate, are gently melted together and then chilled. Given the nature of these ingredients, you will hopefully understand that the serving size is, well, moderate. In a hurry? Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh mint leaves. This pairs with—everything.
You can use dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content, but you have to watch closely in step 2 as it scorches more easily. Crème fraîche has become more widely available in recent years, and it is well worth seeking out for this dessert. Full-fat sour cream does work, but it’s a little less velvety—be sure you get a high-quality brand (the fewer ingredients, the better). If using sour cream, prepare 1 day ahead to allow the tanginess to mellow. Also, use 3 (instead of 2) tablespoons sugar for the fruit topping. SERVES 6
CHOCOLATE CREAM
2 cups crème fraîche (16 ounces)
6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1¼ cups)
BRANDIED BLACKBERRIES
2 cups fresh blackberries (about 6 ounces)
1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1½ tablespoons brandy
1 To make the chocolate cream, place the crème fraîche and the chocolate in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and combine well using a wooden spoon. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring gently and almost continuously, until it is smooth and the chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes. The mixture will look granular.
2 Increase the heat to medium. Stirring all the while and watching closely, bring just to a boil (bubbles should break just below the surface), 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat, stir a few more times, and spoon the darkened mixture into small (5-ounce) dessert cups. Allow the chocolate cream to cool to room temperature; cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
3 To make the brandied blackberries, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring