Book of the Month: The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern

My recommended book for the month is one that I wouldn't consider a staple for most home cooks, but if you are looking for delicious desserts, this is one of my favorites.

Claudia Fleming is respected in the food world for her creative desserts that are both unique and very delicious. Some of her recipes take time and others can be prepared very quickly. If you are looking to spend some time in the kitchen to wow your guests or just tickle your palate, you can't go wrong here.

Her book is broken into different sections based on main ingredient, such as: Berries, Stone Fruits, Nuts, Spices, Chocolate, etc. And I find myself getting hungry just looking at the pictures and reading through the recipes, and I am not even a dessert person!

One of my favorite things in her book is how she recommends serving her desserts. Here is one example: The recipe for Pecan Sandies recommends serving them with Roasted Chestnut Honey Pears and/or Cream-Cheese Ice Cream. All of which are recipes in her book.

I absolutely love her ice cream recipes and have enjoyed making several different flavors. Should you be looking for some unique flavors, here are a few she includes:

Ice Cream Recipes
Basil
Black and White Chocolate Malteds
Black Mint
Black Pepper
Brandied-Fig
Buttermilk
Caramel
Coconut
Cream-Cheese
Earl Grey
Eggnog
Ginger
Gingersnap
Lemon Verbena
Licorice
Milk Chocolate Malted
Prune-Armagnac
Sweet-Corn
Tarragon
Vanilla

And just for fun, I thought I would include one of her recipes that I really enjoyed. Though I made it without the lavender, wich I am sure is a major foux pas.

Lavender-Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons dried lavender
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup strained lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the lavender. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes, then strain, discarding the lavender. Set aside to cool.
   
   
2. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
   
   
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using a whisk, fold the lemon zest and a third of the flour mixture into the eggs until thoroughly combined. Fold in the rest of the flour in two batches. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the batter with the melted butter and the vanilla. Add this to the remaining batter and fold to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
   
   
4. Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. If the top of the cake seems to be getting overly browned before the center is set, cover with foil, and continue baking.
   
   
5. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of lavender. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
   
   
6. Transfer the cake to a wire rack. Using a cake tester or skewer, poke the cake all over. Brush the loaf with half the syrup and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan, and brush syrup over the bottom and sides of the cake. Reinvert the cake and brush with the remaining syrup. Let cool completely.

And my favorite part, Serving Suggestions:

Serve with Blackberry Compote
For something more complex, add Yogurt Sorbet
For a composed dessert, add whipped crème fraîche and Lemon Confit