Chef’s Best
All photos in this article by Jim Bush.
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Carolyn and Bill Panzica, owners of Butterwood’s.
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Butterwood Desserts began in 1996 in the basement of our 200-year-old home. Since then, we have gone on to supply fine hotels and restaurants all over the country. We also supply fine desserts to sporting arenas and department stores in the Northeast and Midwest and even to U.S. embassies in the Carribean. Our wedding cakes have been served in London, San Francisco, and all points in between. Our goal is to remain the most creative and progressive bakery in the world.
Passion Fruit Mousse
(makes 10 cups)
2 1/2 TB unflavored gelatin
2 cups papaya or other tropical fruit juice
1 lb. passion fruit
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup unflavored yogurt
1 batch meringue (1/2 cup eggwhites whipped with 3/4 lb. granulated sugar
Steam clams, olive oil, parsley, red and black pepper, garlic, scallion, pancetta, and tomatoes in a sauce pan for 2-3 minutes. Add wine, beans, 1/2 lemon, and cover until all clams are open. Serve clams, spoon the broth over, and sprinkle with bread crumbs and Romano cheese.
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Chocolate Molten Cake
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 stick plus 2 TB softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 TB unsweetened cocoa
Lightly butter 6 ramekin cups. Place the chocolates in a double boiler and melt. When smooth, stir in butter and sugar. Add eggs, baking powder, and cocoa. Beat until mixture has a thick consistency. Fill ramekins 1/2 full, cover with plastic and freeze. Just before serving, bake the cold desserts at 350º until outer edges are set and center is moist. Invert onto serving plate and serve with ice cream.
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1 oz. fresh ginger root, sliced
3 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks
3 oz. Turbinado sugar
8 oz. good-quality white chocolate in sm. chunks
6 oz. roasted macadamia nuts, chopped
1/2 oz. crystallized ginger, chopped fine
Combine the fresh ginger, half and half, and cream in a saucepan. Heat to scalding and set aside for 30 minutes. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy. Strain the ginger root from the cream and reheat the cream. Gradually add the hot cream into the egg mixture. Place over simmering water and heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thick enough to coat the spoon. Remove from heat and add the white chocolate and macadamia nuts, until the chocolate is melted. Stir in crystallized ginger. Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Rue Franklin
At Rue Franklin, classic desserts are key. As with the rest of their menu, their dessert philosophy is that “good food is simple.” Here, Rue Franklin pastry chef Donna Majewski presents recipes that can easily be prepared at home. Ms. Majewski also maintains her own dessert business, Room for Desserts.
Linzer Torte
3 sticks butter (room temp)
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. clove, cinnamon
1 lemon zest
1 1/2 c. ground almonds
1/2 c. raspberry jam
Cream butter & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, mixing until just incorporated. Combine flour, spices, & nuts together, mixing well. Add nut mixture to batter and combine. Spoon 3/4 of the mixture onto a greased 12” tart pan, pressed into the bottom and sides of the pan and chill for half an hour. Spread with the jam. Pipe remaining batter onto tart in a lattice design. Bake at 325º for 70 min. until golden and bubbly. Let cool completely. Remove from pan. Serve at room
Apple Walnut Cake
1 1/2 c. veg. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
3 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. peeled cubed apples
1 c. walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
Whisk first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Sift together dry ingredients and fold into oil sugar mixture. Fold remaining ingredients into batter. Spoon into a greased and floured tube pan and bake at 325º for 60 min. until knife comes out clean. Let cool. Top with butter glaze. Let the glaze set and serve cake at room temp.
Butter Glaze
1 stick of butter
1/2 c. brn. sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Melt in a small sauce pan until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot over cooled cake.
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