Fried Mascarpone Custard With Strawberry Tawny Port Sorbet And Valrhona Ganache Recipes

SPOOKY PUNCH

Steps:

• For the ice cubes:
• Stick 1 gummy worm in each cube, with half of the worm hanging out. Pour cranberry juice into the ice cube trays. Place in freezer 2 hours before mixing the punch.
• For the shrunken head straws:
• Push a straw up through the center of 1 prune where the pit used to be, so it sits one-third of the way down the straw. Repeat with remaining prunes.
• In a small bowl melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave for 45 second at 15-second intervals stirring between intervals. Take 12 cloves and dip the round ends into the melted chocolate. Place on a plate lined with waxed paper and allow chocolate to set about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile using a small brush or toothpick coat the top part of each prune with melted white chocolate. Carefully sprinkle the coconut on top of the white chocolate to resemble hair. Repeat with the remaining prunes.
• Stick 2 white chocolate-coated cloves into each prune to create 2 eyes. Place 1 undipped clove into each prune under the eyes to resemble a nose.
• For the punch:
• Pour the strawberry smoothies, the orange juice and the lemon/lime soda into a large punch bowl and stir.
• Take the gummy worm ice cubes out of the freezer, and add half of them to the punch. Place remaining cubes into glasses and fill each glass with punch using a ladle.

STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE TART WITH PORT GLAZE

Steps:

• Make tart shell:
• Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together.
• Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.
• Make filling while tart shell cools:
• Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.
• Assemble tart:
• Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

GANACHE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour over the chocolate, let sit for 2 or 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and shiny. Cool slightly. Whisk in the liqueur, if using.
• One at a time, dip fruit, dried fruit, candied citrus peel, and crystallized ginger halfway into the warm ganache to cover by half. Place on a wire rack with parchment, wax paper, or foil underneath. Let stand until chocolate has dried.
• To make truffles, let ganache cool completely in the refrigerator until hard. Scoop small balls of the hardened ganache and shape by hand. Roll truffles in the cocoa powder to coat. ;