SAUCE MAGAZINE
Posted On: 12/02/2008
Is it possible to pinpoint the taste of the season? For Mathew Rice, pastry chef at Niche, it's eggnog, that thick, silky potion served only at year's end ' and forever at Rice's family's holiday gatherings. Nog-laced nostalgia inspired him to create a dessert with the flavor of yuletides past in a more luxurious form befitting holidays present. The resulting eggnog pudding, a rich, simple stunner perfected just in time for last year's festive season, was so well-received that it's back on the Benton Park restaurant's menu this December.
- Katie O'Connor
EGGNOG PUDDING
Courtesy of Veruca Bakeshop and Cafe and Niche Restaurant's Mathew Rice
4 to 6 servings
4 cups eggnog
1 Tbsp. freshly grated nutmeg
10 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Hazelnut-toffee sauce (recipe follows)
Gingersnaps (recipe follows)
- In a saucepan, combine the eggnog and nutmeg and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch.
- Temper the eggnog into the yolk mixture by slowing stirring about half of the hot eggnog into the yolks.
- When combined, add the yolk mixture to the pan and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold or overnight.
- To serve, stir the pudding until smooth and divide equally into serving dishes. Top with a spoonful of hazelnut-toffee sauce and serve with homemade gingersnaps.
HAZELNUT-TOFFEE SAUCE
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted
- In a saucepan, combine the butter and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Add the cream and salt and simmer until thick.
- Stir in the hazelnuts. Refrigerate until cool and the sauce is thick.
GINGERSNAPS
About 3 dozen 1-inch cookies
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1½ sticks (6 oz.) butter
1 egg
1½ tsp. grated ginger
½ tsp. grated lemon zest
1½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. cloves
½ tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 Tbsp. raw sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
beat the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Add the egg, grated ginger,
and lemon zest.
- Slowly add the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, white pepper, cloves and baking powder. Stir in the crystallized ginger.
- Roll out the dough between 2 layers of parchment to ½-inch thickness. Chill until firm.
- Cut the dough into shapes and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake on a baking sheet until crisp.
