Everyday Food - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [72]
2 With an electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the syrup; if needed, rewhip cream to stiffen.
3 Starting with strawberries, spoon alternating layers of strawberries and cream into four serving glasses. Top each with a mint sprig. Serve immediately.
PER SERVING: 320 calories; 22.8 grams fat; 3.7 grams protein; 29.1 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber
BROILED SPICED APRICOTS WITH GINGER WHIPPED CREAM
Broiling the apricots with a touch of brown sugar draws out their sweetness. Look for apricots that are deep orange, fairly plump, and soft enough to yield to gentle pressure (avoid any that are bruised, mushy, or shriveled).
SERVES 4 PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
8 apricots (about 1 pound), halved and pitted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons light-brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place ginger in a fine sieve; set over a large bowl and press on ginger with a wooden spoon to release juice (discard solids). Add cream and granulated sugar; with an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered.
2 Place apricots, cut sides up, on a rim-med baking sheet. Dividing evenly, dot with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and cardamom. Broil until apricots just begin to brown in spots, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped cream.
PER SERVING: 192 calories; 14.1 grams fat; 1.7 grams protein; 16.5 grams carbohydrates; 1.4 grams fiber
CARAMELIZED PEARS
All you need to have on hand to make this delightfully simple and relatively wholesome dessert are two ingredients—pears and sugar (plus water). A melon baller makes quick work of coring pears, but a small spoon can be used instead.
SERVES 4 PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
4 ripe but firm red Bartlett pears
⅓ cup sugar
½ cup water, plus more if needed
1 Halve pears lengthwise; remove cores. Place sugar on a plate.
2 Heat a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium. Press cut side of each halved pear in sugar, then place, cut side down, in skillet (fit will be snug). Cook (uncovered) until sugared sides are beginning to brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
3 Pour water into skillet. Cover; simmer until pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 5 to 10 minutes (depending on ripeness), adding more water if sugar begins to burn. Remove pears from skillet with a slotted spoon.
4 If liquid in pan is thin, simmer until thickened to a sauce-like consistency; if it is very thick, add more water. Serve sauce over pears.
PER SERVING: 162 calories; 0.7 gram fat; 0.7 gram protein; 41.6 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber
FIG AND ALMOND CROSTATA
In this Italian-style free-form tart, thinly sliced fresh figs and a tender almond filling are encased in a buttery crust. If you can’t find fresh figs, use ripe plums, pitted and thinly sliced.
SERVES 8 PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 45 MINUTES (WITH CHILLING DOUGH AND COOLING TART)
½ cup blanched whole almonds
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 pound ripe fresh figs (about 16), stemmed and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Basic Pie Dough
1 teaspoon water
1 In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until finely ground. Add 1 egg along with butter, flour, vanilla, and salt; pulse until smooth. In a bowl, gently toss figs and lemon juice to combine.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F. On a large, lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out dough to a 14-inch round. Tran-sfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread almond filling in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border; top evenly with