Desserts - Cooking Sous Vide - Thomas N. England

Cooking Sous Vide - Thomas N. England (2016)

Desserts

DESSERT basics

Desserts cooked sous vide? Many people often question how it’s possible to make dessert-even ice cream-using the sous vide process. In reality, baking is considered much more of a science than cooking savory foods, so when it comes to the science of exact heat, bakers tend to grasp the concept of sous vide very quickly.

The difference you’ll find from traditional baking in terms of the end result is astounding. Cookies are chewier (with less butter!), cakes have a delicate crumb, pies are richer, and cobblers are airier when cooked sous vide.

Another big difference you’ll find is what the dessert is cooked in. Baking dessert automatically calls to mind precise containers, such as a 9×13-inch (23×33cm) cake pan. However, many of these don’t work with a sous vide water bath due to size restrictions. Instead, we go back to a sous vide tradition-glass jars. So when you cook a cake in a glass jar, for instance, not only will you get a delicious dessert, you’ll have a more modern presentation that really wows your guests.

Traditionally, when baking cakes, pies, and cookies, there’s a big jump in the volume of the batter that happens right when you put it in the preheated oven (known as oven spring). This is duplicated in sous vide by preheating the bath to 195°F (91°C) before putting the dessert in it.

When preparing...

Make sure you use a nonstick cooking spray to keep the baked good from sticking when using jars. Also, when you put the jars into the sous vide bath, don’t be too concerned about whether the water level goes over the top. The water simply needs to be high enough to go above the volume of the batter.

When finishing...

Desserts may be finished by chilling them, topping them with berries, or frosting them. If you’re using frosting, you have the option of making the frosting sous vide and then pouring it into a siphon whipping dispenser. You can then charge the dispenser with two N2O canisters before spraying the frosting on the dessert.

DESSERT times & temperatures

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berry CONSOMMÉ

Consommé prepared sous vide yields a juice that’s clear and bright in flavor. Experiment with your favorite berries and taste for yourself!

55 1 hour

55 190°F (88°C)

55 4 servings

2 lb. (1kg) frozen berries

¼ cup granulated sugar

PREP AND SEAL

5 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 190°F (88°C).

2 Combine frozen berries and sugar in a 1-quart (1l) plastic bag and seal.

COOK

45 minutes

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of sugared berries and allow to cook for 45 minutes.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

FINISH

10 minutes

1 Open the bag and pour berries and juice into a large serving bowl, or spoon out of the bag into four individual portions.

2 Serve consommé as a sauce on ice creams or panna cotta, or even as a soup.

The sous vide method for consummé works best when using frozen berries. This is because the cell walls of the frozen versions are brittle, so when the fruit is cooked, you’ll get more juice.

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Berry Consommé

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sponge cake

These little cakes-baked in sealed jars-have a moist texture and a delicate crumb. They’re finished off with a decadent sous vide chocolate frosting.

55 4 hours, 20 minutes

55 195°F (91°C) and 142°F (61°C)

55 8 servings

Cake:

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Frosting:

4 TB. butter

3 TB. cocoa powder

¼ cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2½ cups powdered sugar

PREP AND SEAL

30 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 195°F (91°C).

2 Spray the inside of eight individual pint-size (470ml) glass canning jars with nonstick cooking spray.

3 Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

4 In a second medium bowl, while using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine unsalted butter and sugar on a medium setting for 7 minutes. Mixture should become light and airy.

5 With the mixer still running on medium, add eggs one at a time to butter-sugar mixture, allowing egg to be incorporated before adding next one. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.

6 Turn down the mixer to a low setting and add sifted ingredients a little at a time. Mix until incorporated.

7 With the mixer still running on low, add buttermilk and mix until all ingredients are combined.

8 Divide cake batter among the jars and seal with the lids.

COOK

3 hours, 30 minutes

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the jars of batter, making sure they sit flat on the bottom of the bath. (The jars don’t have to be fully covered with water.) Allow to cook for 3 hours. Remove the jars from the water bath.

2 Reduce the temperature of the sous vide machine to 142°F (61°C).

3 Place butter, cocoa powder, whole milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a 1-quart (1l) plastic bag and seal. Shake the bag to mix ingredients.

4 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of frosting and allow to cook for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

FINISH

20 minutes

1 Pour frosting into a siphon whipping dispenser and charge with two N2O canisters.

2 Spray frosting on cakes in the jars and serve, or pop cakes out of the jars, spray on frosting, and serve.

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Sponge Cake

CHOCOLATE CHIP cookies

Baking cookies sous vide requires a lower concentration of butter so they’ll rise. But don’t worry-they’ll be even more delicious than ones right from the oven.

55 3 hours, 50 minutes

55 195°F (91°C)

55 12 to 24 servings

6 TB. unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅓ cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed

⅓ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

1 large egg

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

PREP AND SEAL

30 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 195°F (91°C).

2 Spray the inside of two 1-quart (1l) plastic bags with nonstick cooking spray.

3 In a large bowl, while using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and light brown sugar on a high setting until mixture looks like heavy cream, about 5 minutes.

4 Add egg and beat for 3 minutes. Add salt and all-purpose flour and beat for 2 minutes.

5 Add vanilla extract and baking powder and mix on a medium setting for 1 minute.

6 Add semisweet chocolate chips and mix on a low setting just enough to incorporate into dough.

7 Divide dough in two and place each half in a prepared plastic bag.

8 Roll a rolling pin over the bags to diminish dough thickness to ¼ inch (.5cm) and seal.

COOK

3 hours

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bags of dough and allow to cook for 3 hours.

2 Remove the plastic bags from the water bath.

FINISH

20 minutes

1 Allow the bags to rest for 10 minutes before opening.

2 Cut the plastic bags off of whole cookie.

3 Cut cookie into 24 2-inch (5cm) circles and serve.

PEACH cobbler

Traditionally a baked dessert consisting of biscuits atop stewed peaches, peach cobbler cooked sous vide allows the peaches to retain a brighter flavor, with the biscuit rising as it cooks.

55 3 hours, 30 minutes

55 195°F (91°C)

55 6 servings

3 cups peeled and diced freestone peaches (2 to 3 medium)

8 TB. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup whole milk

1 cup self-rising flour

PREP AND SEAL

20 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 195°F (91°C).

2 Spray the inside of six individual half-pint-size (235ml) glass canning jars with nonstick cooking spray. Divide freestone peaches evenly among the jars.

3 In a medium bowl, while using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine unsalted butter and sugar on a medium setting for 5 minutes.

4 Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and whole milk and mix until fully incorporated.

5 Add self-rising flour and mix until incorporated. Some lumps are good-don’t overmix.

6 Pour batter evenly among the jars and seal with the lids.

COOK

3 hours

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the jars of batter and allow to cook for 3 hours.

2 Remove the jars from the water bath.

FINISH

10 minutes

1 Remove the lids and finish by browning top of each cobbler with a blowtorch.

2 Serve cobbler in the jars while still warm.

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WHITE CHOCOLATE cheese cake

Sous vide cooks this cheesecake at a high-enough temperature to fully incorporate the white chocolate and allow the eggs to cook while still keeping the batter light and airy.

55 6 hours, 35 minutes

55 176°F (80°C)

55 8 servings

16 oz. (450g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

¼ cup sour cream

2 TB. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. cake flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

10 oz. (285g) white chocolate

PREP AND SEAL

30 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 176°F (80°C).

2 In a medium bowl, while using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar on a medium setting until fully incorporated.

3 With the mixer still running on medium, add eggs one at a time, allowing egg to be incorporated before adding next one. Add cake flour and vanilla extract and mix for 3 seconds. Set aside.

4 In a small microwave-safe bowl, put white chocolate. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on high in 30-second intervals, mixing in between, until chocolate is melted.

5 Add melted chocolate to cheesecake batter and use a spatula to combine.

6 Divide batter among eight individual pint-size (470ml) glass canning jars and seal with the lids.

COOK

2 hours

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the jars of batter (making sure they rest flat on the bottom) and allow to cook for 2 hours.

2 Remove the jars from the water bath.

FINISH

4 hours, 5 minutes

1 Place the jars in the refrigerator and allow to chill for 4 hours.

2 Serve as is or topped with seasonal fruit.

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White Chocolate Cheese Cake

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pecan PIE

A well-made pecan pie has a sweet taste and a nutty crunch. The sous vide process helps lock in the mouth-watering smells of molasses and bourbon in this crustless version.

55 6 hours, 25 minutes

55 195°F (91°C)

55 8 servings

1 cup real maple syrup

1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 TB. molasses

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TB. bourbon whiskey

7 large egg yolks

4 TB. unsalted butter

2 cups whole pecans, toasted

Store-bought or freshly whipped cream

PREP AND SEAL

20 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 195°F (91°C).

2 In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, light brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, molasses, kosher salt, vanilla extract, bourbon whiskey, and egg yolks.

3 In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt unsalted butter. Add melted butter to the medium bowl and whisk.

4 Divide mixture among eight individual pint-size (470ml) glass canning jars, top each with ¼ cup pecans, and seal with the lids.

COOK

2 hours

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the jars of batter and allow to cook for 2 hours.

2 Remove the jars from the water bath.

FINISH

4 hours, 5 minutes

1 Place the jars on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 4 hours.

2 Serve in the jars with a dollop of whipped cream.

It’s very easy to make whipped cream from scratch. Start by chilling a large bowl and the tool you plan to use (whether it’s a whisk or a whisk attachment) for 20 minutes. When ready, add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon sugar in the bowl and whisk by hand or using a mixer with a whisk attachment on high for 1 minute, or until stiff peaks form.

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Pecan Pie

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vanilla ICE CREAM

This simple and time-honored treat gets the sous vide treatment. Top with nuts or crumbled cookies to create a taste sensation.

55 2 hours, 40 minutes

55 185°F (85°C)

55 6 servings

2¼ cups milk

2¼ cups heavy cream

5 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

PREP AND SEAL

10 minutes

1 Preheat the sous vide machine to 185°F (85°C).

2 Combine milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract in a 1-gallon (3.75l) plastic bag and seal.

3 Shake the bag until sugar has dissolved and egg yolks are incorporated.

COOK

1 hour

1 Once the sous vide water bath has reached the desired temperature, insert the plastic bag of ice cream mixture and allow to cook for 1 hour, removing and shaking the bag every 15 minutes.

2 Remove the plastic bag from the water bath.

FINISH

1 hour, 30 minutes

1 Place the plastic bag in an ice bath and allow to completely cool, about 1 hour.

2 Pour chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

3 Serve immediately or store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Making ice cream sous vide eliminates the stovetop process typically used for the base. This allows you to capture the smooth texture you desire without worrying about the eggs curdling during cooking.

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Vanilla Ice Cream