Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes Written by David Lebovitz

Cherries in Red Wine Syrup

Makes 2 cups (500g)

I used bright-red sweet cherries, but feel free to mix in some of the multi-hued varieties, such as Queen Anne (incongruously called ‘Napoléon’ cherries inFrance) and Ranier. If you can get sour cherries, a mix of those with the sweet ones is cherry paradise.

1 pound (450g) fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (130g) sugar
1 1/4 cups (310ml) red wine
2 teaspoons corn starch or potato starch
2 tablespoons red wine or 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
optional: 1/2 tablespoon kirsch

1. Put the cherries and sugar in a large, wide saucepan.

2. Mix one tablespoon of the red wine with the corn or potato starch in a small bowl until it’s dissolved and set aside.

3. Add the rest of the wine and the vinegar to the saucepan. Bring the heat up to a boil, then reduce the heat so it’s at a low boil and cook, stirring frequently, for about 12 minutes, until the cherries are completely wilted and softened through.

4. During the last moments of cooking, stir in the starch slurry and let the mixture boil the additional minute or so, to thicken the juices.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the almond extract and kirsch, if using.

Storage: The cherries will keep up to one week in the refrigerator. They can be frozen for up to six months.

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?

Serves 6 to 8

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11⁄8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange

   juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,

   beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer

   on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla,

   and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly

   add the flour and salt.

4. Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the

   batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining

   1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1⁄8 teaspoon of cinnamon and

   sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick

   inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Rosemary Ganache

From Martha Stewart Living, February 2000

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 11 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Chocolate Rosemary Ganache
• Hazelnut Praline, (optional)

Directions

1. Separate rosemary into small bunches. Beat egg white with a drop or two of water until it is very loose. Place superfine sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Lightly brush one sprig of rosemary with the egg white. Sprinkle superfine sugar over the damp bunch of rosemary; shake to remove excess. Transfer rosemary to a cooling rack to dry, at least 1 hour. Repeat until all rosemary is used; set aside sugared rosemary. (It will keep at room temperature for about 24 hours.)
2. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with two racks centered. In the top of double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, and stir them into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add granulated sugar, flour, and baking powder to the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites just until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg whites, just until combined. Spoon the batter into twelve 3 3/4-inch heart molds with removable bottoms. Transfer molds to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until centers spring back when touched, about 45 minutes. Transfer molds to a wire rack, and let sit 5 minutes. Unmold cakes. (After they have cooled, if not using right away, cover cakes lightly with plastic wrap.)
5. To serve, place a cake on serving plate. Pour warm ganache over it; sprinkle with praline, if using. Top with a second and then a third cake layer, drizzling each with ganache. Repeat to make 3 more servings. Sprinkle cakes with praline if desired, and garnish with sugared rosemary. Serve.

Chocolate Rosemary Ganache

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 cups

• 9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, needles

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Warm cream with rosemary in small saucepan over low heat. Bring just to a boil. Strain cream over chocolate. Cover bowl tightly with foil; let sit about 5 minutes. Stir to melt all chocolate. To warm ganache, place bowl over a small pan of warm water to keep chocolate thin enough to spoon. (Do not keep chocolate over boiling hot water, or it may break and look as if it has separated.) The ganache may be made 1 day ahead and rewarmed in the microwave.