| Book Notes: Pastry Queen Parties
Written by Tavaner Bushman
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The Pastry Queen’s much-anticipated third book finally arrives. Photography by Laurie Smith As Rebecca Rather recognizes and celebrates in her recently released third book, Pastry Queen Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style, Texans love to party. Whether it’s attending parties or hosting them, a Texan does not discriminate—both are likely to mean food, drink, friends, and fun. Pastry Queen Parties is divided into six location-based party menus: Hill Country Garden Party, Gulf Coast Beach Bash, Homecoming (small-town picnic), San Antonio Tex-Mex Fiesta, Big-City Cocktail Party, and a West Texas Dinner Party. The menus include appetizers, main dishes, sides, drinks, and it wouldn’t be the Pastry Queen without desserts. Sidebars feature tips and secrets from Rather and other great Texas hosts and hostesses, along with more than 100 gorgeous scenic food photos. When she is not traveling the state entertaining, Rather is the chef-owner of Rather Sweet Bakery & Café (for more information go to page 72) in Fredericksburg, Texas—a destination all its own. Rather caught the entertaining bug from her mother. “She often entertained in one of her many colorful, hand-embroidered Mexican dresses, and I remember her greeting guests with such radiant happiness that I vowed right then to follow in her party-throwing footsteps when I was old enough to have a home of my own,” writes Rather. The way to you choose to entertain in some ways reflects your stage in life. As a teen, Rather mastered beach weenie roasts on the Texas Coast, as a new bride pasta and wine parties, then black-tie bashes as a Houston-based caterer, and now informal garden-to-table feasts in her current home of Fredericksburg. Pastry Queen Parties is written for home cooks, so whether you’re a newlywed hosting a casual shindig or an experienced hostess planning a fancy cocktail party, Rather has got you covered.
Cocoa Cloud Icebox Pies I’ve never forgotten the icebox pies I used to eat as a child at Luby’s Cafeteria. Those pies, along with the jewel-colored servings of Jell-O, were too tantalizing to resist. I always selected an icebox pie and a bowl of Jell-O, agonizing over which color to choose. I always finished the pie, but never touched the Jell-O. The Jell-O was for looks, the pie for flavor. My version of icebox pie is a stunning party animal—dramatic and devilishly rich. For parties, I prepare this recipe in stages: the crust one day, the filling the next, and the whipped cream topping the day of my party. A word of warning: These are large and very rich pies. Only under extreme circumstances do I recommend eating a whole one in a single sitting. (For example, you’re starring in a new movie and have been asked by your big-time director to gain fifty pounds pronto.) So you may wish to serve a half or quarter pie per person. Makes 12 pies Crust: Truffle Filling: Cocoa Cloud Cream: To make the crust: In 1 or 2 batches, whirl the cookies in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade until ground into coarse crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the butter is thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into twelve 4 ¾-inch-diameter (1-cup) foil tartlet pans, making sure the crumbs cover the pans’ sides. Refrigerate until ready to fill. To make the filling: Heat the milk and 1 cup cream with the split vanilla beans in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, vigorously and thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, the granulated sugar, and the flour, about 30 seconds. Remove the vanilla beans from the milk mixture and discard. Slowly pour about 1/4 cup of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Set the saucepan with the remainder of the milk mixture over medium-low heat. (This “tempers” the eggs, ensuring that they do not curdle.) Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like consistency, 4 to 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough that the whisk leaves visible tracks as it passes through. Whisk in the chocolate, the 1/4 cup butter, and the salt, and stir until melted. Pour the chocolate filling into the individual pie pans to just below the top of the cookie crust. Immediately cover with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the filling at all points to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better to make sure the chocolate sets up). To make the cocoa cream: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the 4 cups cream in a large bowl on high speed until firm peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa and whip until thoroughly combined. Cover each pie with a generous mound of whipped cream. To serve the pies: Gently push the bottom of the each foil pan to slip the pie onto individual dessert or serving plates. Do it early: You can refrigerate the crust-lined tart pans up to 4 days ahead. The filled pies can chill up to 3 days in advance. You can add the cocoa cream the day they are ready to serve. Variations: Garnish each pie with chocolate shavings: draw a vegetable peeler along the edge of an 8-ounce chocolate bar, letting the shavings fall onto waxed paper. Alternatively, use a gourmet hot chocolate mix, many of which are made with chocolate shavings, such as Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate. For single servings, use standard nonstick muffin tins. To release the pies, run a sharp paring knife around the edges and they’ll pop out.
Savory Double Cheese Slice-and-Bake Cookies I keep a batch of these buttery, cheese-laden cookies on hand for drop-in guests year round as they’re better than a bowl of mixed nuts and just about as easy to make. Versatile, attractive, and positively addictive, they’re great for a before-dinner nibble, a cocktail party hors d’oeuvre, or a pre-theater or movie snack with a glass of wine. Makes about eighty 2-inch cookies ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cheeses on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the pecans. Divide the dough in half; shape each half into a roll about 2 inches in diameter and 8 to 10 inches long. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheets with butter or cooking spray or line with silicone liners. Unwrap the dough and slice into 1/8-inch rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheets about 1/2 inch apart. Bake until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and crisp, about 10 minutes. Do it early: Make the dough up to 2 weeks in advance, wrap in waxed paper and then a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. Or keep baked cookies in an airtight container up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving. Tip Asiago is an Italian cow’s milk cheese that comes two ways: aged Asiago, which is a hard cheese (sometimes called the “poor man’s Parmesan”) that grates easily; and fresh Asiago, which is softer and lighter in color. Only aged Asiago will work in this recipe. TH&L Reprinted with permission from Pastry Queen Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman, copyright © 2009. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Pastry Queen Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman can be purchased at Amazon.com.
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