Discover cooking secrets at Pfister & Mason Street Grill

Looking to learn cooking secrets that will spice up any dinner or party? The chefs of the Pfister and Mason Street Grill are sharing their secrets each Saturday. The next on, which is taking place Saturday, November 16th, is all about dessert with executive pastry chef Jennifer Carlson. Watch as Chip gets a sneak peek at all they have to offer.

Eggnog Crème Brulee

Yields: 15 – 8oz. ramekins

1 quart heavy cream

1 quart half and half

1 c. sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

1 T. ground cinnamon

½ T. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground clove

½ tsp. ground ginger

1 vanilla bean split

20 egg yolks

1 whole egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat the heavy cream, half and half, vanilla bean, and sugar to scalding. In a large bowl, place yolks and egg and whisk until combined.  Temper hot liquid into eggs slowly and whisk in spices.  Strain mixture through fine sieve or cheesecloth.  Distribute mixture into ramekins evenly and bake in a water bath for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool overnight before consuming.  When ready to eat, sprinkle extra sugar on top of crème brulee evenly and burn with torch.

Pumpkin Swirled Cheesecake w/ Ginger Graham Cracker Crust

Yields: 1 10” spring form pan

3 # cream cheese

1 c. sugar

6 eggs

1/3 c. sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. pumpkin puree

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Graham Cracker Crust (per recipe) (with powdered ginger added to crust):

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

1.  Take a greased spring form pan and wrap bottom of pan with aluminum foil.  Place the graham cracker crust into bottom of mold and press down evenly (coming up a bit on the sides of the pan).  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
2.  In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Scrape bowl.  Add eggs one at a time and continue mixing until combined.  Add sour cream and vanilla.  Save about 1 ½ cups of cheesecake filling on the side to mix with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pour the plain cheesecake filling on top of cooled crust and spread evenly. Swirl pumpkin cheesecake batter on top of each cheesecake with knife or skewer.  Place in oven with water bath on bottom rack of oven and bake at 275 degrees for about 60- 70 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool overnight before serving.

Pumpkin Pie with homemade crust

Yields: 1- 9” pie pan

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Directions:

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.  Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Yields: 1- 9” pie

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon bourbon

2 cups pecan halves or pieces, divided

1 pie shell, 9-inch, unbaked

Preparation:

Beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy and light. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla, salt, corn syrup, and bourbon. Arrange 1 cup pecans on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour pie filling over the pecans, then sprinkle remaining pecans over filling. Bake 55 to 60 minutes at 350° F.

Pie Crust (Short Crust Pastry):

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces

1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 - 60 ml) ice water

Directions:  In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds).

Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube until the dough just holds together when pinched. If necessary, add more water. Do not process more than 30 seconds.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Flatten into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, place on a lightly floured surface, and roll into a 13 inch (33 cm) circle.(To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. Use a fork to make a decorative border or else crimp the edges using your fingers. Refrigerate the pastry, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes before pouring in the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.