Concorde Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Place an oven rack on the middle shelf of the oven and the second rack on the top shelf. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On the first baking sheet, trace two 8-inch circles on the parchment paper, using the bottom or an 8-inch cake pan as a template. Trace a third circle on the second baking sheet. Turn the parchment paper over on the baking sheets so that you can see the outline but the meringue won't come in contact with the markings when you pipe it onto the parchment.
• 2. To make the meringue: In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer at low speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating until soft peaks form. Continue beating, adding the superfine sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in the vanilla.
• 3. Sift the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the cocoa mixture into the meringue just until no streaks of cocoa remain. Do not fold the cocoa mixture in any more than is necessary, as overmixing will deflate the meringue. You want the mixture to hold stiff peaks, which ensures that the meringue disks will hold their shape.
• 4. Fit a 16- or 18-inch piping bag with a 3/8-inch (No. 5) plain tip. Fill the bag with the meringue. Starting from the center of each circle, squeeze out the meringue in a spiral. Pipe the remaining meringue into long strips on the baking sheet with 1 meringue circle.
• 5. Bake the meringues for 2 hours, or until crisp. If the oven seems too hot, or the meringues are beginning to color, reduce the oven temperature to 175 degrees F and prop the oven door open slightly with the handle of a wooden spoon. Turn the oven off and let the meringues cool in the oven for 1 hour. Cut the meringue strips into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces.
• 6. To make the chocolate mousse: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
• 7. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of the cream with the coffee mixture. Heat over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan and the cream is just about to boil. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds to soften the chocolate. Stir until smooth.
• 8. Let the chocolate mixture cool until it is at room temperature but still malleable. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 1/4 cups cream until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly blended.
• 9. To assemble: Place 1 meringue circle on a serving plate. With a small palette knife or offset spatula, spread one third of the mousse over the surface of the meringue. Cover with a second circle of meringue and spread with another one third of the mousse. Place the final meringue disk on top of the cake. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining mousse. Press the broken meringue sticks into the top and sides of the cake. Dust the entire cake with confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving. The meringue will soften slightly the longer it sits in the refrigerator, but remains just as delicious.

Steps:

• Sterilize jars:
• Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Dry screw bands. Put jars on a rack in canner or deep pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leaving jars in water. Heat lids in water to cover by 2 inches in a small saucepan until thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil). Remove from heat, leaving lids in water. Keep the jars and lids submerged in hot water, covered, until ready to use.
• Cook jam:
• Chill 2 small plates (for testing jam).
• Slip skins from grapes and purée skins with 1 cup sugar in a food processor, then transfer to a 4- to 6-quart wide heavy pot. Stir in lemon juice, peeled grapes, and remaining 4 cups sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently and skimming foam, until pulp is broken down, about 20 minutes. Force jam through food mill set over a large bowl. Discard remaining solids. Return jam to pot and cook at a slow boil, skimming foam occasionally and stirring frequently as mixture thickens to prevent scorching, 35 minutes, then test for doneness.
• To test jam, remove from heat, then drop a teaspoonful on a chilled plate and chill 1 minute. Tilt plate: Jam should remain in a mound and not run. If jam runs, continue cooking at a slow boil, testing every 5 minutes, until done, up to 25 minutes more.
• Seal, process, and store jars:
• Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top. Wipe off rims of filled jars with a clean damp kitchen towel, then top with lids and firmly screw on screw bands. Put sealed jars on rack in canner or pot and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, then boil 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer jars to a towel-lined surface to cool.
• Jars will seal; if you hear a ping, it signals that vacuum formed at the top of cooling preserves has made lid concave. Remember that you may or may not be around to hear that ping (some jars make the sound after you remove them from water, and others in same batch may take a few hours); the important thing is for jars to eventually have concave lids. Preserves will thicken as they cool.
• After jars have cooled 12 to 24 hours, press center of each lid to check that it's concave, then remove screw band and try to lift off lid with your fingertips. If you can't, lid has a good seal. Replace screw band. Put any jars that haven't sealed properly in the refrigerator and use them first.

Steps:

• Make the pie dough:
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and shortening and pulse until coarse, pea-sized crumbs form, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add 5 tablespoons ice water and process until the dough just holds together, about 30 seconds. Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers: If it is very crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (2 tablespoons maximum). Do not over process.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times to combine. Divide the dough into two equally sized balls. Flatten dough balls into discs with smooth edges (no cracks), cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Make the filling:
• Meanwhile, stir together grapes and sugar in a large pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook until grapes are broken down and juice has thickened, about 20 minutes more.
• Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain grape mixture into the bowl, pressing on the solids to release all the liquid. Discard solids in strainer. Return strained grape mixture to pot and add pears (reserve bowl). Cook until liquid releases and thickens but pears still retain their shape, 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on ripeness of pears. Gently stir in the cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt and pour grape-pear filling into the bowl and let cool while you roll out the dough.
• Roll out the dough:
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a 13-inch round. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin, and then unfurl it into the 9-inch pie pan. Gently lift and settle the dough into the pan. Trim the excess dough using scissors, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the edge of the dough under itself, and then crimp as desired. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Roll out the other disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Use the cookie cutter to cut as many shapes as possible from the rolled-out dough as possible (re-rolling scraps if desired). Transfer shapes to a baking sheet and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Assemble pie:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F with one rack on the bottom rung and one rack in the center of oven. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack to preheat.
• Pour filling into chilled pie shell (do not overfill). Brush the edge of the pie and the cut shapes on the baking sheet with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Arrange the cut shapes on top of the filling, working in a spiral fashion and overlapping slightly, allowing some of the filling to peek through. Chill pie for 30 minutes.
• Bake pie on preheated rimmed baking sheet on bottom rack of oven. After 30 minutes, rotate baking sheet and move it to the center rack of oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more (cover the crust edge with foil or a pie shield if it starts to brown too much). Transfer pie to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing, about 3 hours. Pie will keep up to 2 days, loosely covered with foil, at room temperature.

Steps:

• Combine the grapes, water, and sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a slow boil, then simmer until the grapes have broken down, about 1 hour. As they cook, gently mash the grapes with a slotted spoon to help them release their juices. Your kitchen will begin to smell like grape-flavored bubble gum: this is a good sign.
• Once the grapes have surrendered most of their juices and begun to look more like raisins, remove from the heat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the grape carcasses and transfer to a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Pour the juice over the grapes and press down on them to get every last bit of juice out of them. (We compost the remaining skins, seeds, and stems.)
• Use the grape juice right away, or store it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 1 week or in your freezer for up to 1 year.
• Concord grape juice is used in Concord Grape Jelly (page 190).

Steps:

• Squeeze the end of each grape opposite the stem to separate skins from pulp. Set skins aside. Place pulp in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Press through a strainer or food mill to remove seeds. , In a large bowl, combine the pulp, skins, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt; pour into pastry shell. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. , Cover edges of pastry with foil. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a sheet pan on the lower oven rack.
• Wash and stem grapes; squeeze grapes out of their skins. Save the skins and set aside. Place grape pulp in a large saucepan; mash a few at the bottom to release their juice. Cook over medium-low heat until grapes come to a full boil. Remove pulp from heat, and press through a food mill to remove seeds. Combine pulp and skins in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice.
• In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt. Stir into grape mixture. Pour filling into pastry crust, and dot with butter. Cover with second pastry shell. Flute edges, and cut little slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
• In preheated oven on sheet pan for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in top crust. Allow to cool before serving.

Steps:

• Sort and wash grapes, and remove stems. Place them into a large kettle and crush them. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and extract juice. Allow the juice to stand in a cool place overnight to prevent the formation of crystals in the jelly.
• Strain the juice through a double thickness of damp cheesecloth. Measure 4 cups of the juice into a large pot. Stir in the sugar. Quickly bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in pectin, and allow to boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and skim off foam. Pour into hot sterile jars, and process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.