Using fresh, seasonal ingredients captured at the peak of their flavor, Claudia Fleming creates highly satisfying desserts without pretention. She smartly matches contrasting textures, flavors, and temperatures to achieve a perfect end resultsomething brittle and crunchy next to something satiny and smooth, stretching the definition of sweet and savory while retaining an elemental simplicity. The desserts inThe Last Course speak to everyone, as to the 175 easy-to-use recipes. The book is broken down seasonally by fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and flowers, spices, sweet essences, dairy, and chocolate. The final chapter is made up of composed deserts. Claudia gives suggestions on how to combine recipes from previous chapters to create the ultimate desserts of the restaurant. Each chapter and each composed dessert is paired with a selection of wines recommended by Gramercy Tavern's sommelier. Recipes include: Warm Raspberry Verbena Meringue Cake, Blueberry Graham Cracker Tarts, Apple Tarte Tatin, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Sauternes Gelee, Warm Chocolate Ganache Cakes, and more. Beautifully illustrated, with more than eighty-five full-color photos,The Last Course is the last word on dessert.

Claudia Fleming is the pastry chef of Gramercy Tavern in New York City. She is the recipient of the 2000 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Her work has been celebrated in publications such as The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Saveur, Vogue, and Time. Melissa Clark is a regular contributor to The New York Times, among other publications. She is the author of eleven cookbooks.

Acknowledgments

vii

Preface

ix

Danny Meyer

Foreword

xi

Tom Colicchio

Introduction

xxi

BERRIES

Raspberry-Lemon Verbena Meringue Cake

5

(2)

Blueberry-Cornmeal Cakes

7

(1)

Blueberry-Cream Cheese Tarts with Graham Cracker Crust

8

(3)

Blackberry Napoleons with Orange Shortbread Wafers

11

(1)

Tarragon-Maceraed Strawberry Shortcakes with Tarragon Cream

12

(2)

Caramelized Brioche Pudding with Blackberry Cream and Fresh Blackberries

14

(2)

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry Rose Gelee

16

(2)

Blackberry Compote

18

(1)

Lemon Thyme-Macerated Raspberry Compote

19

(1)

Raspberry Sorbet

20

(1)

Strawberry Sorbet

21

(4)

STONE FRUITS

Cherry Cheesecake Tart with a Red Wine Glaze

25

(2)

Bing Cherry and White Cherry Napoleons with Black Mint

27

(2)

Spiced Italian Prune Plum Crisp

29

(2)

Prune-Armagnac Bread Cobbler

31

(1)

Peach Tartes Tatin

32

(1)

Apricot-Muscat Soup

33

(2)

Roasted Apricots with Chamomile

35

(1)

White Peach-Rose Champagne Gelee with Champagne-Peach Sorbet

36

(2)

Prune-Armagnac Ice Cream

38

(1)

Sour Cherry Sorbet

39

(4)

FIGS, MELONS, AND GRAPES

Fig and Concord Grape Clafouti

43

(1)

Fig-Cornmeal Tart

44

(2)

Grape Focaccia with Rosemary

46

(2)

Roasted Figs with Roquefort, Hazelnuts, and Banyuls Glaze

48

(1)

Concord Grape Parfaits

49

(1)

Honeydew Melon Soup with Figs and Orange-Flower Creme Fraiche

50

(2)

Spiced Red Wine-Fig Compote

52

(1)

Brandied-Fig Ice Cream

53

(1)

Concord Grape Sorbet

54

(2)

Cantaloupe Sorbet

56

(1)

Watermelon Granite

57

(4)

APPLES, PEARS, AND QUINCES

Apple Tartes Tatin

61

(1)

Pear Crisps with Dried Sour Cherries

62

(1)

Apple-Butter Crepes

63

(2)

Spiced-Quince Butter Cake

65

(1)

Caramelized-Apple Blini

66

(2)

Quince Thumbprint Cookies

68

(2)

Maple Baked Apples with Dried Fruit and Nuts

70

(1)

Roasted Chestnut-Honey Pears

71

(1)

Ginger-Port Poached Pears with Granite and Candied Ginger

72

(2)

Pear Sorbet with Poached Pear Compote

74

(1)

Green-Apple Sorbet

75

(4)

CITRUS FRUITS

Lemon-Lime Souffle Tart

79

(2)

Lime-Gingersnap Parfait

81

(1)

Semolina Pudding with Minted Citrus Salad

82

(2)

Prosecco Sabayon with Clementines and Blood Oranges

84

(1)

Lemon Macaroons

85

(1)

Lemon-Poppy Seed Shortbread

86

(2)

Orange-Cornmeal Shortbread

88

(1)

Caramel Blood Oranges

89

(1)

Citrus Lace Tuiles

90

(2)

Pink Grapefruit-Rosemary Sorbet

92

(1)

Blood-Orange Sorbet

93

(4)

TROPICAL FRUITS

Tamarind-Glazed Mango Napoleons

97

(2)

Maple-Glazed Bananas with Waffles

99

(1)

Banana-Pecan Strudels

100

(1)

Roasted Dates with Sherry and Spices

101

(2)

Roasted Pineapple with Pink Peppercorns

103

(1)

Papaya-Lime Soup with Strawberries

104

(1)

Coconut Tuiles

105

(1)

Coconut Ice Cream

106

(1)

Coconut Sorbet

107

(2)

Coconut Tapioca Soup

109

(1)

Banana Sorbet

110

(1)

Passion Fruit-Pineapple Sorbet

111

(4)

VEGETABLES

Cornmeal Pound Cake

115

(1)

Cornmeal Crepes with Orange-Butter Sauce

116

(1)

Rhubard-Rose Cobbler with Rose Cream

117

(3)

Truffled Rice Pudding

120

(1)

Saute of Tomatoes and Plums

121

(2)

Pumpkin Clafouti

123

(1)

Candied Fennel with Pernod-Orange Sorbet and Pernod Whipped Cream

124

(1)

Maple-Glazed Winter Squash and Apple Compote

125

(1)

Chilled Rhubarb Soup

126

(1)

Sweet-Corn Ice Cream

127

(4)

NUTS

Hazelnut Torte

131

(1)

Almond Brown-Butter Cakes

132

(1)

Macadamia-Nut Tart

133

(1)

Pine-Nut Tart with Rosemary

134

(2)

Chestnut Souffles with Armagnac-Nutmeg Custard Sauce

136

(3)

Hazelnut Parfaits

139

(1)

Cornmeal-Nut Biscotti

140

(1)

Cashew-Chocolate Chip Crisps

141

(1)

Pistachio-Nut Brittle

142

(2)

Pecan Sandies

144

(1)

Almond-Milk Granite

145

(4)

HERBS AND FLOWERS

Lavender Creme Brulee

149

(1)

Lavender-Lemon Pound Cake

150

(2)

Bay Leaf Flan

152

(2)

Lemon Verbena Custards

154

(1)

Rose Parfaits

155

(1)

Frozen Orange-Blossom Honey Mousse

156

(1)

Rose Meringues

157

(1)

Basil Ice Cream

158

(1)

Black Mint Ice Cream

159

(2)

Lemon Verbena Ice Cream

161

(1)

Tarragon Ice Cream

162

(1)

Honey-Lemon Thyme Sorbet

163

(4)

SPICES

Sugar-and-Spice Doughnuts

167

(3)

Saffron Rice Pudding

170

(1)

Cinnamon Creme Brulee

171

(2)

Guinness Stout Ginger Cake

173

(1)

Mixed-Pepper Tuiles

174

(1)

Anise Shortbread

175

(1)

Gingersnaps

176

(1)

Gingersnap Ice Cream

176

(2)

Ginger Ice Cream

178

(1)

Black Pepper Ice Cream

179

(4)

SWEET ESSENCES

Butterscotch Custards with Coconut Cream

183

(1)

Chestnut-Honey Madeleines

184

(2)

Espresso-Orange Panna Cotta Parfaits with Coffee Gelee

186

(2)

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Sauternes Gelee

188

(1)

Maple Flan in a Walnut Crust

189

(2)

Vanilla Shortbread

191

(1)

Espresso Shortbread

192

(1)

Caramel Ice Cream

193

(1)

Eggnog Ice Cream

194

(1)

Earl Grey Ice Cream

195

(1)

Licorice Ice Cream

196

(5)

CHEESE, MILK, AND CREAM

Triple-Creme Tart

201

(2)

Mascarpone Cream Cannoli

203

(1)

Goat-Cheese Cheesecake

204

(2)

Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta

206

(1)

Goat Yogurt-Rose Mousse

207

(1)

Orange-Cardamom Shakes

208

(2)

Frozen Ricotta-Chestnut-Honey Cream

210

(1)

Buttermilk Ice Cream

211

(1)

Cream-Cheese Ice Cream

212

(1)

Yogurt Sorbet

213

(4)

CHOCOLATE

Individual Chocolate Souffle Cakes

217

(1)

Warm Chocolate Ganache Cakes

218

(1)

White Chocolate-Espresso Tart

219

(1)

Chocolate Caramel Tarts

220

(2)

Warm Chocolate Souffle Tarts

222

(1)

Chocolate Espresso Terrine

223

(1)

Chocolate and Vanilla Malted Creme Brulee

224

(2)

Black and White Chocolate Malteds

226

(1)

Chocolate Biscotti with Pistachios and Sour Cherries

227

(2)

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

229

(1)

Earl Grey Chocolate Truffles

230

(2)

Milk Chocolate Malted Ice Cream

232

(1)

Extra-Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet

233

(3)

SIGNATURE COMPOSED DESSERTS

Waffles with Maple-Glazed Bananas and Maple Flan

236

(2)

Mascarpone Cream Cannoli with Lemon Thyme-Macerated Raspberry Compote and Honey-Lemon Thyme Sorbet

238

(3)

Saute of Tomatoes and Plums with Basil Ice Cream and Mixed-Pepper Tuiles

241

(1)

Coconut Tapioca with Coconut Sorbet, Passion Fruit-Pineapple Sorbet, Passion Fruit Caramel, and Cilantro Syrup

242

(3)

Cornmeal Crepes with Sweet-Corn Ice Cream and Blackberry Compote

245

(1)

Rose Meringues with Summer Berries, Raspberry Sorbet, and Goat Yogurt-Rose Mousse

246

(3)

Roasted Dates with Coconut Sorbet and Candied Coconut

249

(1)

Chocolate Souffle Tart with Extra-Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet, Milk Chocolate Malted Ice Cream, and a Chocolate Malted

250

(3)

Peach Tartes Tatin with Black Pepper Ice Cream, White Peach-Rose Champagne Gelee, and Champagne-Peach Sorbet

253

(1)

Chilled Rhubarb Soup with Rose Parfait, Strawberry Sorbet, Candied Pistachios, Strawberries, and Rhubarb Chips

254

(3)

Semolina Pudding with Minted Citrus Salad, Blood-Orange Sorbet, Candied Kumquats, and Mint Syrup

257

(1)

Cherry Napoleon with Almond-Milk Granite, Sour Cherry Sorbet, and Red Wine-Cherry Sauce

258

(11)

APPENDIX

Simple Syrup

261

(1)

Lemon Confit

261

(1)

Candied Kumquats

261

(1)

Candied Nuts

261

(1)

Chestnut Honey-Roasted Pine Nuts

262

(1)

Herb (Cilantro, Mint, Basil) Syrup

262

(1)

Lemon-Ginger Sauce

262

(1)

Earl Grey Carmel

263

(1)

Passion Fruit Caramel

263

(1)

Lemon Curd

263

(1)

Candied Corn

264

(1)

Rhubarb Chips

264

(1)

Red Wine-Cherry Sauce

264

(1)

Macerated Dried Sour Cherries

265

(1)

Golden Raisin Verjus

265

(1)

Vanilla Ice Cream

265

(1)

Candied Coconut

266

(1)

Buttery Brioche

266

(3)

Sources

269

(2)

Credits

271

(2)

Index

273

What is included with this book?

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Chilled Rhubarb Soup with Rose Parfait, Strawberry Sorbet, Candid Pistachios, Strawberries, and Rhubarb Chips

This dessert features a fruit, a vegetable, and a flower, all with a natural affinity for each other. The rhubarb soup is sweet and tangy, softened by a delicate and creamy rose parfait. The crunchy pistachio nuts fit right in with these sweet, distinctive flavors, and the more delicate crunch of the rhubarb chips is a nice tart contrast to the rich, nutty garnish. The warmth of the rhubarb, rose and pistachio flavors is in pleasing opposition to the cool temperatures of the soup, parfait and sorbet.

Components
Chilled Rhubarb Soup
Rose Parfaits
Candied Pistachios
Strawberry Sorbet
Rhubarb Chips
Fresh hulled strawberries, quartered

Directions
Ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Place a rose parfait in the center of each bowl and scatter strawberries around the parfait. Sprinkle with candied pistachios. Top each parfait with a small scoop of sorbet and finish with a rhubarb chip.

Excerpted from The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern by Claudia Fleming, Melissa Clark
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.