Hunter Smith is an incredible chef and one of my very best friends. These days he is a personal chef, but we used to work together, and I was always in awe at his culinary artistry. I find him so inspiring.

For the special meal, Hunter and I created a custom menu that we prepared at my place. It was so fun to stay in, relax, hang with my parents, and eat far better than at any other restaurant in Vail. They loved sitting at the counter and watching us cook.

Photo (Below): Chef Hunter Smith’s Wagyu beef creation

Photo (Below): The happy diners

When I used to live back home, I would make a pistachio pastry that my parents adored. It consisted of rounds of dacquoise, a chewy nutty meringue, layered with luscious pistachio pastry cream. It was rich and light at the same time. Deliciousness!

Flipping through The Seven Sins of Chocolate, by Laurent Schott,  a gorgeous cookbook given to me by one of my former chefs and good friend (and also soon to be famous!), Rahm Fama, I came across a chocolate pistachio dessert that sparked my interest. I wanted to make a variation of it as a treat to my parents.

The mousse cakes consist of three layers: a chocolate-brownie, rich pistachio cream, and light chocolate mousse. Then the little cakes are doused in a shiny chocolate glaze. I plated them with a raspberry coulis and scooped a quenelle of pistachio ice cream on the side. I rarely eat dessert, because I taste bites of it all day, but this was one I nearly finished. It’s pretty good!

The other plus? It works at high-altitude. No adjustments necessary. Rather than make the single 6-inch cake, I used 3-inch cake ring molds to create four individual mousse cakes. It’s always fun to get your very own dessert.

Photo (below): Garnishing the Chocolate Pistachio Mousse Cakes with finely chopped pistachios.

Chocolate-Brownie Cake Layer

• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over low heat. Remove from heat, and whisk in the egg and sugars. Stir in the flour. Divide among 4 buttered 3-inch ring molds, or a buttered 6-inch cake pan with a removable bottom. Bake until the cake is almost set, slightly puffed, and just a small dark circle remains inthe center. Taking the cake out at this point ensures you have a fudgy, moist brownie layer. Slightly underbaked brownies are always superior in taste and texture.

Pistachio Cream

• 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup pistachio paste

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light yellow and slightly thickened. Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan and whisk into the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and stir over low heat til it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Whisk in the pistachio paste. Strain through a wire sieve into a clean bowl.

Chocolate Mousse

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 large egg yolks
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Bring the sugar and water to a full boil. Beating the yolks with an electric mixer, pour the hot syrup into the yolks, until the yolks have doubled in volume and are cool. Using clean beaters, whip the cream to soft peaks. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the tepid chocolate. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the yolk mixture, then the remaining cream.

Chocolate Icing

• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring sugar, cocoa, heavy cream, and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the soaked gelatin, making sure it is fully dissolved. Pour into a bowl and let stand until the icing is tepid, but still fluid. If it is too warm when you glaze, it will melt the mousse. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Raspberry Coulis

• 1 bag frozen raspberries
• Sugar and lemon juice to taste

In a blender, combine the raspberries with a little sugar and lemon juice. Puree, then taste to see if any additional sugar or lemon juice is needed to brighten or sweeten the flavor of the berries. Strain to remove the seeds.

Assembly:

• Once the cakes have cooled, leave them in the ring molds and top with the pistachio cream.
• Allow the pistachio cream to set slightly, either by refrigerating or freezing it.
• Cover to the top of the mold with the chocolate mousse. You will want to do this step shortly after you make the mousse so that it doesn’t set. Use a knife to smooth the top. You will have some extra mousse leftover.
• Freeze the cakes until the mousse is firm.
• Arrange the mousse cakes over a wire rack placed on top of a sheet pan. Ladle the tepid chocolate icing over each mousse cake, running an offset spatula across the tops once to smooth and evenly distribute the icing. Refrigerate or freeze the cakes to set the icing, then let them temper in the refrigerator before you eat them so that the components are not still frozen.
• Spoon the raspberry coulis across a plate. Top with an assembled mousse cake, and serve with pistachio ice cream, if desired.

Photo (below): Cooking a custom meal for my parents in the kitchen with chef Hunter Smith

When I first moved out here, I was terrified of what the elevation can do to baked desserts and pastries that would normally come out perfect at sea-level. In fact, I even avoided baking because I felt so restricted. My original belief was that nothing would turn out well.

One day I had to make several recipes from pastry chef Francois Payard’s cookbook, Chocolate Epiphany, to assist him with a culinary demonstration he would be leading. Everything turned out…fine. I felt liberated. I began to read more about high altitude baking and started to experiment with my own recipes.

I realized that as a pastry chef, I had to embrace my situation as a test of my skill and to overcome the challenge with successful baked creations. I’ve been tweaking recipes ever since, with the firm belief that just because we live at 9,000 feet above sea level, pancakes can still be fluffy, cakes can still be moist and delicate, and great dessert is alive and well!

There seems to be a lack of high altitude recipes available on the Internet, and I want other people to be able to experience the thrills and enjoyment of baking, rather than dread it, like I once had. I will begin regularly posting recipes on my site that I’ve had success with here in Vail, Colorado.

Check back soon!

Pumpkin pie and sugar pumpkins  have a “smooth, sweet flesh that is much less pulpy and stringy” according to Regan Daley’s In the Sweet Kitchen.  This makes them the choice for bakers and chefs when they want to use real pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree.

Long before people were thinking about Fall flavors, especially pumpkin, I was intrigued by a danish variation I had seen using pumpkin butter and cream cheese filling. So, when the time finally came around for pumpkin to step into the spotlight, I decided to try my hand at making pumpkin butter.

Let me warn you however, that like apple butter, pumpkin butter takes a few hours start to finish because the pumpkin needs to completely break down. The best part is the incredible smell that will fill the kitchen. While I used my pumpkin butter as a danish filling, it can certainly be used in other Autumn and holiday desserts.

Another flavor to capture this season is pear. They are in season right now and taste their best. When we have too many to eat, I like to poach them and store them in the refrigerator for later usage. Sugar syrups, wine, fresh herbs, whole spices, vanilla beans, and citrus peel can be included in the poaching and create a great variety of flavors. Poaching works best on fruit that is slightly underripe.

Finally, on the note of preservation, I’d like to share a tip from one of my chefs, the brilliant En-Ming Hsu. Chef Hsu gave us this formula for cleaning herbs and extending their shelf life. A few weeks ago after a big frost warning, I did this with a bunch of herbs from our garden and they are still fresh in my refrigerator. The bleach water kills any organisms on the herbs.

Preserving Fresh Herbs:

• Fill two large clean, sterilized containers (hotel pan size) with water.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon household bleach in one container, and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in the other.
• Soak your herbs in the bleach water for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the bleach water and soak the herbs in the vinegar water for 20 minutes.
• Remove herbs from vinegar water and drain briefly.
• Wrap the herbs in paper towels, then put inside of plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Butter (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 3 lbs pumpkin(s) (Sugar or Pumpkin Pie variety)
• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• pinch ground cloves

Cut the pumpkin(s) into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Place the quartered pumpkins cut side up on a sheet pan. Bake at 325 F until the flesh in tender, about 25 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin with a paring knife. Place the pumpkin flesh in a large pot with the sugar, butter, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and cloves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the volume has reduced by half, about 2 hours. The pumpkin will completely break down and turn into a smooth paste. Remove the vanilla bean pod.

Cool the pumpkin butter over an ice water bath and reserve in an airtight container under refrigeration. Makes about 15 fl ounces.

Basic Poached Pears (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 75 fl ounces water
• 15 ounces sugar
• juice of 7 lemons
• 12 pears

Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot large enough to hold 12 pears. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium.

Trim the bottom of each pear to make it flat, core out the bottom with a melon baller or paring knife, and peel off the skin. Leave the stem attached. Once a pear is prepped, submerge it immediately in ice water acidified with lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

Once all of the pears are prepped, place them into the poaching liquid and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes. Make sure the pears are completely submerged by placing a parchment circle on top of the pears. Once the pears have become slightly tender, remove the pot from the heat and let the pears sit in the poaching liquid until tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Cool pears to room temperature. Reserve, covered, under refrigeration. Makes 12 poached pears.

I like crusts to be tender, flaky, subtle- the real prize to a pie or tart is the filling. The crust should be a compliment to the filling, something that accents it just right.

Rather than purchasing pre-made pie crust dough, make your own. I have two recipes here that are incredibly easy to make, roll out with very little sticking, and taste wonderful each time. Both of them feature one of my favorite ingredients- beautiful butter. Just remember to have your butter really, really cold. Pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes. It is that cold butter in a hot oven that creates flakes in your crust. Handle the dough as little as possible since your hands will warm the butter. Don’t be afraid of the pastry, you can always stick it in the freezer to chill up again, but just be aware of the butter’s temperature.

Using a mixer or food processor makes pie crust preparation a very short task. Whether you use an appliance or depend on a beloved pastry cutter, aim for butter pieces the size of peas.

If your dough is dry and crumbly don’t panic, you can add liquid in small amounts at a time until it is perfect. Plan ahead so you allow the dough time to chill before rolling it out. You can streamline the process and get better crust results (less time at room temperature) if you have everything pre-measured and ready. Have the cold ingredients measured and sitting in the refrigerator.

The pie crust dough recipe can be found in my post on Southern Comfort Apple Pie. Use it for fruit fillings, pumpkin, custards- anything really. Both the pie and tart crust doughs can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and kept chilled in the refrigerator. Let them sit at room temperature 10-15 minutes before rolling so they soften up enough not to crack when rolled.

Here is another dough recipe that makes an exquisitely flaky crust. It can be used for both pies and tarts.

Flaky Pie/Tart Dough (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (omit for a savory crust)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the butter pieces in a bowl or on a plate and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate the water in a small measuring cup until needed.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Process for 10 seconds to blend the ingredients. Add the frozen butter pieces and pulse 6 to 10 times (in 1-second bursts), until the butter and flour mixure looks like crushed crackers and peas.

Immediately transfer the butter-flour mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the cold water over the mixture and “fluff” it in, then add another, and another, until 3 tablespoons have been added. Continue to fluff and stir 10-12 times. It will not be a cohesive dough at this point but a bowl of shaggy crumbs and clumps of dough. Before bringing the dough together, you need to test it for the correct moisture content. Take a handful of the mixture and squeeze firmly. Open your hand. If the clump falls apart and looks dry, remove any large, moist clumps from the bowl and then add more water, one teaspoon at a time, sprinkling it over the top of the mixture and immediately stirring or mixing it in. Test again before adding any more water. Repeat, if needed. The dough is done when it holds together (even if a few small pieces fall off). If the butter feels soft and squishy, refrigerate before continuing. If the butter is still cold and firm, continue to the next step.

Turn the dough out on a work surface and knead gently 3 to 6 times. If it won’t come together and looks very dry, return it to the bowl and add another teaspoons or two of water (one at a time), mixing in as above, and try again. Flatten the dough in a 6- or 7-inch disk, wrap in plastic or parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  This allows time for the dough to hydrate fully and for the butter to firm up again.

If the dough has been chilled for more than 30 minutes, you may need to let it sit 10 to 15 minutes on the counter until it is soft and malleable but still cold. Dust your work surface generously with flour and set the disk on the flour. Dust the top with flour. Roll, turning the dough, until you’ve got a 14-15 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. If at any point the dough becomes too warm and sticky, gently fold it into quarters, unfold it on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until butter is firm again.

Fold the dough circle into quarters, brushing off any excess flour as your fold. Put the point of the folded dough in the center of the pie pan, tart pan, or baking sheet, and unfold the dough, lifting it slightly as necessary to ease it into the crevices of the pan. Do not stretch or pull the dough, which can cause thin spots, holes, and/or shrinkage during baking. Trim the dough using kitchen scissors or a knife (carefully) so it overhangs the edge of the pan by 1 inch. Fold the overhanging dough under itself around the pan edge, then crimp or form a decorative border. Chill for 30 minutes before baking.

If you need a baked shell, bake the dough in a preheated 375 degrees F oven on the lower third rack. Be sure to line the shell with heavy duty foil, and fill with pie weights (or dry beans). Bake the shell 20-22 minutes, until foil comes away from dough easily, if it doesn’t, bake another 5-6 minutes and check again. Remove pan from oven, close oven door, and carefully lift out foil and weights from shell. Return pan to oven and continue baking the shell 20-25 minutes longer until golden brown all over. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

The tart crust dough has a softer texture and sweeter taste. Tarts are very similar to pies, with the exception of the crust. Generally speaking, you can fill tarts and pies the same.

Tart Crust Dough (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream (more as needed)

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed abuot 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas.

Whisk the egg with the cream and add to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough is just combined. Continue mixing for 10 seconds longer. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to a 1/8 inch thickness on a generously floured flat surface. Fold it over the rolling pin and gently transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan. Press it lightly into place. It is now ready to for you to fill and bake it.

When making Cranberry Cornbread Muffins, I was inspired by their distinctive oval shape and shiny garnet red color. They would look beautiful contrasted against dark brown or white my pastry geek mind says to me.

Sugared fruit makes beautiful centerpieces and decorations. It looks especially striking on plums and cherries and it takes very little time.

All you will need is fruit, organic egg whites (if food safety is still a concern to you, use 1 tablespoon powdered egg whites [also known as dried egg whites or meringue powder] mixed with 3 1/2 tablespoons water), and caster/superfine sugar. And maybe a clean paint brush.

Brush the fruit with the egg white (I’ll admit I used my fingers on the smaller cranberries). Gently roll or drop the fruit in a bowl filled with your desired amount of superfine sugar. Sometimes the sugar will dissolve and you will have to coat the fruit with it several times.

To add a little more oompf, perhaps even sexiness, I rolled my cranberries in edible red glitter. Scandalous! These are edible, although I think their purpose is more decorative since cranberries are so tart.