Mexican Floating Island With Kahlua Custard Sauce And Sesame Pumpkin Seed Brittle Recipes

MEXICAN FLOATING ISLAND WITH KAHLUA CUSTARD SAUCE AND SESAME PUMPKIN-SEED BRITTLE

Steps:

• In a dry heavy skillet cook 1 cup of the sugar over moderate heat until it begins to melt and continue cooking it, stirring with a fork, until it is melted completely and is a golden caramel. Pour the caramel into a 1 1/2-quart ring mold. Using potholders to hold the mold tilt and rotate the mold to coat the bottom and let the caramel cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the salt until they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, and beat the whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff glossy peaks. Spoon the meringue into the ring mold, rapping the mold sharply on a hard surface to expel any air bubbles, and smooth the top. (The meringue will fill the mold completely.) Transfer the mold to a deep baking pan, add enough hot water to the pan to reach 1 inch up the side of the mold, and bake the meringue in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. (The meringue will rise completely and will deflate as it cools.) Turn off the oven and let the meringue stand in the oven for 15 minutes. Transfer the mold to a rack and let it cool completely. The meringue may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Invert the meringue onto a deep serving plate, letting the melted caramel drip over the top and down the sides. Some of the caramel will remain, hardened, in the bottom of the mold. Put the mold in a skillet of simmering water and heat the caramel, stirring occasionally, until it has melted. Spoon the Kahlúa custard sauce around the meringue, drizzle the meringue decoratively with the melted caramel, and crumble some of the sesame pumpkin-seed brittle over it. Serve the remaining custard sauce separately.
• To make Kahlúa custard sauce:
• In a small heavy saucepan bring the half-and-half just to a boil with the vanilla bean and remove the pan from the heat. In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is combined well and add the half-and-half mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook it over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens slightly and registers 175°F. on a candy thermometer. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Strain the custard sauce through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, let it cool, stirring, and stir in the Kahlúa. Chill the sauce, covered, for at least 2 hours, or until it is very cold. The sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes about 2 cups.
• To make sesame pumpkin-seed brittle:
• In a dry heavy skillet cook the sugar over moderate heat until it begins to melt and continue cooking it, stirring with a fork, until it is melted completely and is a golden caramel. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the pepitas and the sesame seeds, and, working quickly, pour the mixture onto a sheet of foil. Let the brittle cool and break it into small pieces. The brittle may be made 1 week in advance and kept in an airtight container. Makes about 1/2 pound.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE FLAN WITH KAHLUA

Steps:

• Set out 10 small custard cups, and a roasting pan large enough to hold the cups in a water bath.
• To make the caramel, mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
• Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a deep amber color, about 8 minutes.
• Divide the caramel among the custard cups, and tilt the cups to coat the bottom and sides.
• Set the custard cups in the roasting pan.
• To make the custard, pour the half-and-half (or milk and cream mixture) and the milk into a large saucepan.
• Add the chocolate, cinnamon stick and sugar.
• Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, cover and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
• In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, Kahlúa, vanilla and almond extracts.
• Slowly beat the hot milk mixture into this.
• Strain all the custard through a fine-mesh sieve and throw out the cinnamon stick.
• Pour the mixture into the caramelized custard cups.
• Place the roasting pan with the custard cups onto the center rack of the oven.
• Pour in enough hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups, and loosely cover the pan with foil.
• Bake just until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the center, usually 20 to 25 minutes.
• They will firm more when chilled, so do not overbake.
• Take the custards out of the water bath, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• To unmold the flans, run the tip of a knife gently around the edge of each custard cup, then put a plate over the mold and flip over.
• Serve immediately.
• Note: If you can get it, Bayless recommends Mexican Ibarra chocolate.

FLOATING ISLAND (OEUFS A LA NEIGE)

Steps:

• Separate two of the eggs. In top of double boiler, combine 1 whole egg and 2 yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and the salt, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the milk and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat. (Do not boil. If custard should start to curdle, remove from heat and beat vigorously until smooth.) Pour the custard through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Cool and refrigerate.
• In a heat-proof bowl, lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until the temperature of the whites reaches 145 degrees F (63 C) or hotter. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, and use an electric mixer to beat the warm egg whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks.
• Pour the chilled custard into a serving dish. Drop the meringue by heaping tablespoons onto the custard to make islands. Chill before serving.

KAHLUA® HOMEMADE

Steps:

• Combine water and instant coffee in a pot; bring to a boil. Stir light brown sugar and dark brown sugar into coffee, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring every 15 minutes, for 3 hours. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Pour coffee mixture into a clean, large glass jar. Add grain alcohol, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean; cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let sit in a dark place, shaking occasionally, for 1 month. Divide into bottles, leaving a piece of vanilla bean in each.

FLOATING ISLANDS WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the caramel sauce, put the sugar in a small, heavy-based pan over a high heat and cook for a few mins until it has melted to an amber colour. Remove from the heat and carefully add 3 tbsp water - watch out as it will spit quite violently. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool completely.
• Whisk the egg whites and vanilla essence together to soft peaks, add the caster sugar and whisk until you have a stiff, glossy mix. Grease four ramekins or small pudding moulds with sunflower oil, then gently spoon the meringue mixture into a piping bag. Snip the end off the bag and pipe out the mixture to half fill the ramekins. Put them in a large shallow pan or roasting tin and pour boiling water from a kettle into the pan around the ramekins, stopping when the water comes halfway up the ramekins or before it fills the pan. Cover with a lid or tin foil and place over a medium heat so that the water is just simmering. Cook for 4-6 mins, then take the ramekins out of the water and, while still warm, run a palette knife all the way around the edge of the meringue to release it and carefully turn out onto a sheet of baking paper. Set aside at room temperature for up to 4 hrs until serving.
• To make the crème anglaise, put the milk and cream into a large pan. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod to the pan and bring to the boil, then take off the heat to cool slightly. Whisk together the egg yolks and 75g of sugar until pale and creamy, then whisk in the cornflour and 4 tbsp sugar.
• Discard the vanilla pod, then add the egg mixture to the warm milk and cream, and heat gently for 4-5 mins, stirring continuously until it starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Strain through a sieve into a large jug and cover with cling film. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge until serving.
• To serve, pour a pool of chilled custard into each bowl then carefully top with a meringue. Drizzle over the caramel syrup and serve immediately.