"Sweet corns taste delicious uncooked in salads and salsas," says one edition of the "Joy of Cooking," which goes on to provide a laundry list of the vegetable's best accompaniments, from butter and bacon to chili powder, basil and lime. The savory uses are seemingly endless.
At no point, however, will you find mention of corn's affinity for desserts.
Perhaps it's because decades ago, when most of these books were written, the rich, buttery vegetable wasn't nearly as sweet as it is now. In years since, sugar-laden hybrids have become the favored variety, pleasing a growing collective sweet tooth.
The varieties we're finding now are almost candy-like, even if the ears sit for a while in supermarket produce bins. Whirred into a puree, fresh corn adds moisture when baked into cakes or cookies, and can also flavor custard and puddings. Plus, corn is a natural partner for summer stone fruit and berries. It's a wonder, then, that we've seen so little of the crop at the end of the meal.
Sweet corn ice cream is a seasonal staple at Tara's Organic Ice Cream (Berkeley and San Francisco), at Pepito in South San Francisco, and mixed with blackberry at Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco.
At Moss Room, executive pastry chef Rachel Leising has a sweet corn panna cotta on the menu. "It's selling quite well," she says, adding that those who take the plunge - even if a little skeptical - say it tastes just like summer.
Her smooth, silky dessert is made by steeping cream with corn kernels and cobs, long enough for the vegetable to impart the slightly sweet flavor. The recipe couldn't be simpler, crafted from just a handful of ingredients and garnished with ripe berries.
Using a similar steeping method, it's also possible to flavor thick, sweet custard, as in the accompanying pie recipe inspired by banana and coconut cream pies. The corn-scented pudding gets lightened with whipped cream, topped with sweet-tart blueberries and folded into a graham cracker crust. The gentle notes of corn come through at the end of each bite.
Savory corn pudding, a traditional Southern staple, often shows up as a side dish to accompany pork, barbecued meats or even Thanksgiving dinner. By adding a little extra sugar and topping it with sweet stewed cherries, however, it's perfectly at home on the dessert menu, and takes just minutes to prepare.
Sweet corn cupcakes with brown butter honey icing takes its cue from traditional corn bread, but has no cornmeal - just a puree of sour cream and corn with light cake flour. It results in a cupcake with a moist crumb and rich fluffy frosting.
These desserts are just the thing to make summer's iconic vegetable the stuff of every dish in the meal.
Sweet about corn
It used to be that you had to eat corn shortly after picking to ensure sweetness, but today's varieties travel well and retain their sweetness long after harvest. Here are a few types of corn that you'll find on grocery store shelves and at farmers' markets:
White: White corn tends to have a subtler, sugary flavor with small, tight kernels. Brentwood (Contra Costa County) growers are partial to the super-sweet white varieties, so they are the most prevalent in local markets. Today's recipes all use white corn.
Yellow: Compared with white corn, these golden varieties are richer and a little more buttery, with larger, less juicy kernels. The ears are also smoother.
Butter and Sugar: Also called bicolored, these cobs boast a mixture of yellow and white kernels.
Off the cob
Today's recipes all require you to get the corn kernels off the cob. Sure, you can buy a fancy corn-zipper to store in your gadget drawer, but the old-fashioned way is just as quick.
To remove kernels, first cut the cob in half, so that there is a flat end to place down on the tray (if you're working with a small cob, you can simply cut off the tip to achieve the same flat surface). Line a tray or cutting board with a towel to catch falling corn. Place the cob flat side down, and use a sharp chef's knife to slice the corn from top to bottom as you rotate the cob.
Sweet Corn & Crescenza Pudding with Stewed Cherries
Serves 6
Rich Crescenza cheese adds a tangy note to this super sweet pudding. Bellwether Farms makes a nice version that can be purchased at Whole Foods or specialty grocers. If it's not available, substitute any soft, fresh cow's milk cheese.
- The pudding
- 4 cups fresh white corn kernels
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the baking dish
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons Crescenza cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- The sauce
- 1 pound cherries, pitted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- -- Juice of 1 lemon
For the pudding: Preheat the oven to 350° and butter an 8-inch square baking dish. In a food processor puree the ingredients until well combined. It's OK if there are still a few bits of corn, but they should be small. Pour into the buttered baking dish, and bake until the pudding is golden brown on top and feels set, about 50-60 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
For the sauce: In a saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have softened and released their juices, about 20-25 minutes. Serve over the corn pudding.
Per serving: 555 calories, 11 g protein, 71 g carbohydrate, 28 g fat (16 g saturated), 219 mg cholesterol, 519 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
Wine pairing: Cherries provide red fruit sweetness. Try a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.
Sweet Corn Panna Cotta
Serves 8
This recipe comes from Rachel Leising, pastry chef at the Moss Room in San Francisco. She suggests serving the panna cotta with vanilla creme anglaise and fresh berries.
- 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 1 large ear fresh corn
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sugar
- -- Fresh berries or other garnish, to serve
Instructions: Place 2 teaspoons of cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over it. Let soften, about 5 minutes.
Remove corn kernels from the cob off with a sharp knife. Make sure to get only the kernels and not the cob.
In a medium saucepan, heat cream over low heat with kernels and cobs until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes. Discard the cobs. Puree the corn and cream with an immersion blender or a regular blender, then strain.
Set the bowl with the gelatin over a pot of barely simmering water to melt. Add to the still warm cream-corn mixture. Add sugar and stir to dissolve completely. Strain again.
Refrigerate the mixture until very cool (approximately 50°), then pour into eight individual 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, until firm.
Serve in the ramekins, garnished with berries. Or, remove from the ramekins by running a small pairing knife around the edge, and carefully inverting onto a plate (the panna cotta is very soft).
Per serving: 415 calories, 3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 39 g fat (24 g saturated), 143 mg cholesterol, 44 mg sodium, .5 g fiber.
Wine pairing: The moderate sweetness and delicate texture of this dessert calls for a lighter-bodied, slightly sweet Moscato d'Asti.
Sweet Corn Cupcakes With Brown Butter Honey Frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes
To brown the butter, heat over medium low heat, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Pour immediately into a bowl and solidify in the fridge. One stick of butter will yield about 3 ounces browned butter.
- The cupcakes:
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- The frosting:
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces browned butter (see headnote), cooled and softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- -- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons fresh corn kernels, for garnish
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.
In a blender, puree the sour cream and corn kernels until as smooth as possible (it will still have bits of corn). Set aside.
Using a mixer, preferably a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and the sour cream/corn mixture. With the mixer on slow speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides between each addition. Take care not to over mix.
Spoon batter into the cupcake holders until they are about three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20-22 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
To make the frosting: Using a mixer, preferably a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the two butters with the honey until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides occasionally, until it has been incorporated. Turn the mixer to high speed and whip until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Frost the cupcakes, and garnish each with a few kernels of corn. Serve immediately.
Per cupcake: 350 calories, 3 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (14 g saturated), 113 mg cholesterol, 198 mg sodium, .5 g fiber.
Wine pairing: The moist cupcakes and the frosting, which adds another level of sweetness, would be good with an Irish coffee.
Sweet Corn Cream Pie With Blueberries
Serves 8-10
The pie can be served immediately, or refrigerated for 24-36 hours.
- The crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- -- Pinch of kosher salt
- -- Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
- 6 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
- The filling
- 3 ears fresh white corn
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- -- Pinch of kosher salt
- 6 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- To assemble
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pint blueberries
- 2 tablespoons fresh white corn kernels
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and nutmeg in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the crumbs along the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until set and slightly browned. Set aside and let cool.
To make the filling: Cut the kernels off the ears of corn, and break cobs in half. Put corn and cobs in a medium saucepan, and add half-and-half. Heat over medium-low until just boiling, then remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cobs; puree corn and half-and-half in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve.
Pour the strained half-and-half back into the pot, then add the 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and salt, and slowly heat until just beginning to boil. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cornstarch .
Remove the half-and-half from the stovetop and set next to the bowl containing the yolk mixture. Temper the yolks by slowing adding a ladleful of the half-and-half to the yolks while whisking constantly. Do this about 2 to 3 times, then pour the yolk mixture back into the pot with the remaining half-and-half, whisking constantly.
Return the mixture to medium heat on the stove, and whisk continuously until the custard begins to thicken. When it reaches a pudding consistency, remove from heat and whisk in the butter piece by piece, until incorporated. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap, so that a skin doesn't form. Cool slightly, then refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
To assemble: Whip cream to soft peaks. Gently fold half the whipped cream into the corn custard.
Line the bottom of the pie crust with 1 cup blueberries, then top with the custard. Add blueberries to the top of the pie in 2-3 circles around the edge, then spread remaining whipped cream over the center of the pie. Garnish with fresh corn kernels. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 36 hours.
Per serving: 530 calories, 7 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat (18 g saturated), 221 mg cholesterol, 165 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.
Wine pairing: Try a German Auslese Riesling or Riesling ice wine.
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