Pistachio Brown Butter Cake With Concord Grapes Recipes

PISTACHIO BROWN-BUTTER CAKE WITH CONCORD GRAPES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until light brown and smells nutty, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• In a large bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar, pistachio flour (or pistachios and flour processed in a food processor until fine), cake flour, and salt. Whisk in egg whites to combine. Whisk in strained butter in a slow, steady stream. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour and up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Pour chilled batter into prepared tart pan. Sprinkle grapes over the top, keeping fruit 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pan. Sprinkle grapes and batter with Demerara sugar.
• Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until edges of the cake are golden and top is slightly springy to the touch, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack, remove the outer ring of the pan, and let cool; serve warm or at room temperature. This cake is best eaten the day it is made, but can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

CONCORD GRAPE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Combine the grapes, apple and water in a medium Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until most of the grapes pop and shrivel, about 12 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the granulated sugar. Cook, stirring often and mashing with a potato masher occasionally to crush the apple, until the filling is thick and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the granulated sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until it looks like wet sand, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla; beat on high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Continue beating until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then invert onto racks; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl until just foamy. Spread the granulated sugar in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Dip the grapes in the egg whites, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then roll in the sugar. Transfer the sugared grapes to the prepared baking sheet. Freeze at least 30 minutes.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, then the vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until very light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about one-third of the grape filling on the cake, then top with another cake layer and half of the remaining filling. Top with the third cake layer. Cover the top and side of the cake with the frosting. Refrigerate to set the frosting, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread the remaining filling on top of the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the frozen grapes around the border.

CONCORD GRAPE PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of pate brisee into a 15-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim to a 1-inch overhang all around. Crimp edge as desired. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process for rolling out dough. Using a 4-inch grape leaf cookie cutter, cut out 4 leaves from dough. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove skins from grapes by pinching the ends of each grape, reserving both the pulp and skins separately, discarding any accumulated liquid.
• Place pulp in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until the seeds separate from the pulp and the pulp breaks down, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into the bowl with the reserved skins; discard solids. Let cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove grape mixture from refrigerator. Stir in sugar and cornstarch. Pour into prepared pie shell. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush edge of pie shell with egg mixture, reserving any remaining mixture. Transfer pie to oven; bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking until filling jiggles when shaken, about 30 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire cooling rack; let cool overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove reserved grape leaves from refrigerator and brush with remaining egg and water mixture. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack; let cool.
• Before serving, place grape leaves on top of filling.

PISTACHIO BROWN BUTTER CAKE WITH CONCORD GRAPES

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until light brown and nutty-smelling, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
• Sift together confectioners' sugar, pistachio flour (or pistachios and flour, processed in a food processor until fine), cake flour, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in egg whites to combine. Whisk in strained butter in a slow, steady stream. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour and up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Pour chilled batter into prepared tart pan. Sprinkle grapes over the top, keeping fruit 1/2 inch in from edge of pan. Sprinkle grapes and batter with demerara sugar.
• Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until edges of cake are dark golden brown and top is slightly springy to the touch, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack, remove outer ring of pan, and let cool; serve warm or at room temperature. This cake is best eaten the day it is made, but can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days.