This recipe is from David Paul’s Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Maui. This dessert may make you sing and is a guaranteed hit at any fun affair. It’s also a really pretty cake, and is especially attractive when you save an assortment of chiles to garnish the platter.
Mary Jane’s recipe is based on one by the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten), but the shoeless TV cook wouldn’t dare to use red chile powder! You will need a springform pan for this cake since it would be difficult to get it out of a regular cake pan in one piece. If desired, you can use semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet in the filling, and the cake will be slightly sweeter.
Desserts are not served too often at home, and are made with locally grown fruits, often sun-dried. They are usually served for guests and at special dinners, and are not part of the everyday menu.
Afghan Pastry Dough:
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
2 small eggs, lightly beaten
The Filling:
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup ground pistachio nuts
2 Tablespoons hot water
Pastry dough (see recipe)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Powdered sugar
Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients.
Place the eggs in a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1/2 cup of liquid. Mix the egg mixture into the dry ingredients to form stiff dough. Divide the dough into 3 equal balls and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a floured board into a very thin layer about 15 inches in diameter. Dust lightly with the flour and fold the dough back over itself several times, rolling with the pin each time.
The dough is then rolled out, cut into desired form, and filled.
To make the filling:
In a bowl combine the dates, nuts, and warm water.
Roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 12 equal squares. Put about a tablespoon or so of the mixture into each square of pastry. Fold the pastry to form a triangle.
Deep fry in oil until lightly browned. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve either warm or cold.
The ultimate fancy restaurant dessert is the soufflé. Who does these at home? They’re too hard to make and too fragile, right? Wrong. Remember, your BBQ is nothing more than an oven you’ve taken outdoors, whether you use charcoal, gas, or hardwood logs. If you can do it indoors, you can do it outdoors.
This dish truly amazes people. I even had a 4-star chef once bet me I couldn’t make a soufflé in a BBQ. He ended up eating one, and paying for my dinner that night, which included a soufflé that didn’t rise as high as mine. So there!
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 ounces imported white chocolate (such as Lindt), coarsely chopped
5 large egg yolks, room temperature
3 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 teaspoons Grand Marnier
5 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ounces imported white chocolate (such as Lindt), coarsely chopped
Powdered sugar
Preheat the barbecue to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 6-cup soufflé dish (or small individual soufflé dishes) and sprinkle the dish with sugar; roll the dish around to coat all surfaces, then tap out the excess. Add a buttered and sugared aluminum foil collar that extends 2-3-inches above the rim of the dish and tie in place with butcher’s twine.
On your BBQ grill or on your stove top, heat the cream and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 6 ounces of white chocolate and stir until the chocolate dissolves. Whisk in egg yolks and orange peel, and cook for about five minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly; do not boil.
Whisk in the Grand Marnier. Transfer the mixture to large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and then beat again until stiff peaks form.
Mix 2 ounces of the chopped chocolate into the warm egg yolk mixture, then fold in the egg whites in 2 batches. Transfer the mixture to your prepared soufflé dish. Bake over INDIRECT heat in the BBQ until the soufflé is puffed and the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
This moist, orange-flavored soufflé is rich with white chocolate. Offer snifters of orange liqueur, with a mandarin orange segment and cherry on a toothpick floating inside, to sip with the dessert.
Speaking of traditional desserts, how about a Barbecued Banana Split? As easy as pie, a delightfully rich treat, and another dish that will cement your reputation as being a master BBQ dessert maker.
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 ripe bananas
Vanilla ice cream
Hot Fudge Sauce (or Caramel, Butterscotch, etc.)
Whipped cream
Chopped nuts
Preheat your barbecue grill to 350 to 400 degrees F. and spray the grill heavily with PAM or another grilling spray.
Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved. With a sharp knife, cut each banana in half lengthwise, leaving the peel on the halves.
Brush the cut side of the banana halves with the sugar mixture and place the bananas cut side down on the grill. Grill until golden brown and caramelized, about 2 minutes. Re-spray the grill with PAM and turn the banana halves, peel side down and brush the upper surface of each with more glaze. Grill the bananas 2-3 minutes longer or until tender.
To serve, place two grilled banana halves in a sundae dish or shallow bowl. Top with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with your favorite dessert sauce, and top with whipped cream and chopped nuts.
