Tropical Fruit Custard Sauce Recipes

CHOCOLATE-PECAN CAKE WITH TROPICAL-FRUIT CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter the inside of a nine-inch cake pan. Place a round of parchment or waxed paper, cut to fit, in the bottom of the pan. Butter the round of paper. Add about one tablespoon of flour to the buttered pan and shake it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Shake out excess.
• Combine the cream and four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. When the mixture simmers, add all the chocolate and stir around the bottom and sides until melted. Remove from the heat and let stand.
• Break the eggs into a heat-proof earthenware or metal mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Place the bowl over - not in - a basin of simmering water, beating the mixture vigorously with a wire whisk.
• After about one minute, when the eggs are warm and not overly heated, remove the bowl from the basin and beat with an electric mixer.
• Continue beating until the mixture is tripled in volume and reaches room temperature, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Scrape about one-third of the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add about one-third of the egg mixture and blend well with a spatula. Add the remaining egg mixture and fold it in. Fold in the remaining chocolate mixture and stir in the pecans.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth over the top.
• Place the cake pan in a larger pan and pour boiling water around the cake pan. Place in the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit in the water bath about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and wipe off the bottom of the pan. Invert the cake onto a platter, remove the round of paper and let stand to room temperature. Serve with tropical-fruit custard sauce.

TROPICAL-FRUIT CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel the mangoes or papayas and discard the skins. The flesh should be quite soft. Put the flesh into a food mill and turn the handle to strain the pulp. Discard the seeds. There should be slightly more than one cup of pulp. Put the pulp into the container of a food processor and blend thoroughly. Set aside.
• Put the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla. Bring to the boil and remove from heat.
• Put the yolks in a mixing bowl and add the sugar. Beat rapidly with a wire whisk or electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the hot milk, beating vigorously. Pour this mixture into a saucepan and continue beating. Cook over low to medium heat (it is best if a heat pad is used) beating constantly. Cook the sauce, stirring, until it reaches 185 degrees on a candy thermometer or until it coats a wooden spoon. It must be thickened and custardlike.
• Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice and set the saucepan in it.
• Stir occasionally, until cooled. Stir in the cream or creme fraiche and the mango or papaya puree. Serve with chocolate-pecan cake.

COCONUT AND TROPICAL FRUIT TRIFLE

Steps:

• To make the coconut custard, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk with the 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and coconut milk until completely smooth. In another small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until combined.
• When the milk mixture is hot, stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine, then whisk it into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. While whisking constantly, pour about one-third of the hot thickened milk into the egg yolks, then scrape the yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, just until the mixture begins to boil (it will be very thick). Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl. (The vanilla pod can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14.) Stir in the 1 cup (70 g) coconut, and refrigerate until chilled. (To speed up the chilling, you can set the bowl containing the custard in a larger bowl filled with ice water.)
• To make the fruit filling, in a nonreactive skillet, gently cook the pineapple until it is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool completely.
• Add the strawberries, mango, 6 tablespoons (75 g) sugar, lime juice, and rum to the pineapple and toss gently.
• To assemble the trifle, use a 2-quart (2-liter) rectangular baking dish with at least 3-inch (8-cm) sides. Remove the parchment paper from the sponge cake and cut out 2 pieces that each fit in the bottom of the baking dish. (You'll need the cake trimmings, so don't eat them!)
• Spread 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the coconut custard evenly in the bottom of the dish. Place one of the cake pieces on top. Spread half of the fruit filling and some of their juice over the cake.
• Spread about 1 cup (250 ml) of the coconut custard over the fruit, then place the second cake piece on top. Cover the cake with the remaining fruit filling and juice. Spread another 1 cup (250 ml) of the coconut custard over the fruit, and cover with the cake trimmings, fitting them in a single layer.
• Finally, spread the remaining coconut custard over the top and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to firm up the top layer of custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
• Scoop out big spoonfuls of the trifle so all the layers of fruit, cake, and custard can be seen. Strew toasted coconut over the top of each serving. The dessert is delicious by served all by itself, but even better in a pool of Raspberry Sauce (page 246), Mango Sauce (page 246), or Strawberry Sauce (page 248).
• This trifle will keep overnight, but if stored any longer, the juices from the fruit will make the cake too soggy.
• I prefer to use unsweetened coconut, but if you can only find sweetened coconut, reduce the sugar in the custard by 1 1/2 tablespoons.

FRESH FRUIT WITH VANILLA CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Scald milk in a large saucepan over medium heat (do not allow milk to boil), set aside.
• Combine eggs, egg whites, and sugar in a medium bowl, beat with a wire whisk until blended.
• Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot milk into egg mixture; add to remaining hot milk, stirring constantly.
• Cook stirring constantly, over low heat until mixture thickens and coats a metal spoon, about 30 minutes.
• Immediately pour sauce into a large bowl, stir with a wire whisk until cool.
• Stir in vanilla and salt, cover and chill 2 hours.
• Serve over fresh fruit.