Wow, what a night. Last night was my last class of the year at Rolling Pin, Make Ahead Christmas Eve Dinner and it was packed. I usually sell out at 18, but somehow 5 extra students were added at the last moment, and no one remembered to let me know! It all worked out wonderfully, but I must admit, I am exhausted today. Quick post and them I am off for a nap!! Hopefully after a 20 minute power nap, I will be refreshed and ready to start preparing for all the Christmas festivities (and the catered breakfast I have for 30 on Tuesday)
The menu I prepared last night, is my traditional Christmas Eve Dinner
Kris Kringle Soup
Beef Wellington
Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts w/Buttered Pecans
Individual Chocolate Cranberry Cakes with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Before class began, I made a large batch of Duxelle, our filling for the Wellingtons, which is nothing more than sauteed shallots, garlic and mushrooms. I then seared all but a couple of the fillets, cooled them on rack and popped them in the fridge. The beef and the duxelle need to be cooled before you begin assembling the Wellingtons, it makes the puffed pastry much easier to handle! I buttered 23 tartlet pans, leaving one to do as a demo for class and combined the dried cranberries with the Bourbon for dessert. By then all the students began arriving, EARLY. Actually, one student arrived an hour early, but we convinced her that she had plenty of shopping to do in the store!
I began the class by preparing Kris Kringle Soup. It is a secret family recipe, and only those close to our family know the recipe....and the 20 that attended my class last night. Only joking, the recipe is oh so easy, but makes a wonderful start to a very rich meal! While the soup was heating, I made small batch of duxelle, seared a couple extra fillets, and popped them in the fridge to cool. We then served the soup and I moved on to preparing the Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes and the Brussel Sprouts. Potatoes went into the oven as we starting assembling the Wellingtons. We rolled out the puffed pastry slightly and cut each sheet into fourths. We placed a tablespoon or so of duxelle, topped that with a fillet, then wrapped it all up like a little package, sealing the edges with an egg wash. At this point, we had to bake the wellingtons, but they are much better refrigerated for at least one hour or up to a day (the make ahead part) It is very challenging to prepare a make ahead dinner in 2 hours:-)
When everything was baked to perfection, we plated the Wellingtons with the potatoes and the brussel sprouts. As our students enjoyed their dinner, I moved on to making my favorite part of dinner, DESSERT!
I began by prepping our tartlet pan. I needed to cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pans, easy enough, I just remove the bottom, traced it, and cut it out, perfect fit! Then, I demostrated how to coat the interiors of the tartlet pans. I brushed the inside completely with some melted butter, placed the parchment circle in and coated with butter again. I refrigerated the pan until the butter was cold and set, about 5 minutes. I brushed a second coating of butter over the interiors of the pan, chilled 5 minutes more and then lightly dusted it with flour.
While I was preparing the pan, I simmered the cranberries until all the liquid was absorbed, and moved them to a bowl to cool.
I melted the chocolate and remaining stick butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and moved to another bowl to cool.
I pulsed the pecans with some flour in the food processor until finely ground.
In to the mixer bowl went the eggs yolks and brown sugar and I blended them at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. I added chocolate mixture and beat until just combined. I then transferred the batter to a larger bowl and stirred in the pecan mixture and cranberries.
After one of the assistants washed the mixer bowl, I whipped the whites with a pinch of salt until they just held stiff peaks. I folded one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then folded in remaining whites gently, but thoroughly.
At this point, my assistants helped me divide the batter among molds that we had placed on cookies sheets. Makes getting them in and out of the oven so much easier! We baked them for about 25 minutes. Ideally, the cakes need to cool in their pans for about 30 minutes, but we were running out of time and the smell of the chocolate had our students salivating. So we decided to serve them more like a molten cake. I quickly whipped up some heavy cream with some confectioners sugar and bourbon then carefully removed the cakes from each mold, I slid each cake from removeable bottom onto a dessert plate, making sure I removed the parchment paper. We lightly dusted each cake with confectioners sugar and served with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream. They were licking their plates and asking for more, but is was time to go home and we still had a ton of dishes to do. The best part of this menu, everything can be made ahead and all the prep dishes and pans washed and put away before you sit down to dinner!
What an evening. Nap time. Oh yeah, one more thing, I am going to start guest writing for floridafoodies.net. If you get time, check my introduction from Claudia McCants.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut out 4 rounds of parchment paper to fit just inside bottom of each mold, then set rounds aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, and brush the molds with some of it. Line bottom of each mold with a round of parchment and brush parchment with some melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes (to set butter), then brush parchment and side of each mold with more melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes more. Dust molds with flour, knocking out excess, and set aside.
Simmer cranberries and 1/4 cup bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until cranberries are tender and bourbon is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt chocolate and remaining stick butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
Pulse pecans with flour (2 tablespoons) in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to process to a paste.
Beat together yolks and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined, then stir in pecan mixture and cranberries.
Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl using cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Divide batter among molds (they will be very full), then put molds in a shallow baking pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out with tip wet and remainder of pick dry, about 25 minutes. (Batter will rise above rims but will not spill over.) Transfer cakes to a rack and cool in molds 30 minutes. (Cakes will continue to set as they cool.)
Beat cream with confectioners sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon in a small bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
Remove side from each mold, then slide each cake from bottom onto a dessert plate, discarding parchment. Lightly dust each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.
