Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day, Pop, said with Peaches and Bourbon!




Since the 'rents live in Florida and I just saw them last weekend I knew I wouldn't be spending Father's Day with papa 'rent.  Doesn't mean I couldn't make a dessert just for him.  Sucks he wasn't here to eat it, because it's right up his alley!  Peaches and bourbon.




If my dad is in Alabama during peach season, it's practically mandatory dessert has to be a peach something or other.  He's also been known to occasionally enjoy a glass of Jack Daniels on the rocks, so I decided to combine those two in his honor....Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake with Bourbon Ice Cream with Toasted Buttered Pecans.  




Oh, Pop, you would have loved this!  I'm not a bourbon lover, but this ice cream from the new Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home is ah. maze. ing.  This is the second recipe I've made from this book (I just got it on Tuesday!) and this is the creamiest ice cream I've ever made.  It's like your tongue is being coated with velvet.  I think the secret is the cream cheese.  Not an egg to be found anywhere!




And it paired beautifully with this cardamom-spiced cake, although if bourbon's not your thing, this would be fabulous with a vanilla bean ice cream as well.  This cake is delicious.



Sorry you weren't here to enjoy this, Pop, but I certainly thought about you with every bite!!  I hope you have a great Father's Day anyway.  Love you!

Here are the recipes:

Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake
Bon Appetit Desserts

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 small or 2 medium ripe peaches (about 1 pound total), pitted, thinly sliced (I pealed mine also)

Directions:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter 9-inch diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in honey and brown sugar.  Boil until mixture darkens slightly, stirring often, about 2 minutes.  Immediately pour honey mixture into prepared pan to coat bottom completely.  Let stand while preparing batter.

Whisk flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend.  Using electric mixer, beat sugar and remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large bowl until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Mix in half of flour mixture, then all of yogurt.  Add remaining flour mixture and mix just until blended.

Arrange peach slices decoratively over honey mixture (it will be firm), covering completely.  Drop batter by spoonfuls evenly over peaches and gently spread batter over peaches to cover completely. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. (Mine was done in 30, but my oven tends to run hot)  Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes.  Run small knife around pan sides to loosen cake.  Place platter over pan.  Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over.  Gently lift off pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.


Bourbon Ice Cream with Toasted Buttered Pecans
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients:
2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup Salty Buttered Pecans (recipe follows)

Prep:
Mix about 2 tablespoons of the whole milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry.  

Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

Fill a large bowl with ice and water.

Cook:
Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and boil for 4 minutes.  (It's important to have a 4-quart saucepan, because the milk expands rapidly once it starts boiling)  Remove from the heat, and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.  Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.

Chill:
Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth.  Stir in the bourbon.  Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath.  Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.

Freeze:
Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister of your ice cream maker and spin until thick and creamy.  Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid.  Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.


Salty Buttered Pecans

Ingredients:
3/4 cup nut halves or quarters
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine the nuts with the butter and salt in a bowl, tossing to coat.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and aromatic.  Let cool completely.

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