Stephen Ceideburg
1/4 ts Baking soda
3/4 c Coarsely chopped unsalted
-macadamia nuts
1/4 c Water
1/2 c Sugar
1 tb Butter
FILLING:
1/2 ts Gelatin
1 tb Dark rum
1 c Milk
6 tb Sugar, divided
3 Eggs, separated
1 tb Cornstarch
2 tb Butter
3/4 c Coarsely chopped macadamia
-nut brittle
3/4 c Heavy cream
1 ts Vanilla
One 9-inch baked pie shell
TOPPING:
1/2 c Heavy cream
NUT BRITTLE:
Unflavored vegetable oil
This pie has a crisp, golden crust and a delicious creamy filling dotted
with nut brittle. It’s a perfect ending to a simple meal.
Macadamia brittle: Spread a thin film of vegetable oil on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle baking soda over nuts in a small bowl.
Combine water and sugar in a 1 1/2 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and place
over low heat; swirl to moisten the sugar. Heat until the sugar dissolves.
Add the butter, raise heat to medium, and boil the mixture until it
registers 280 degrees F. on a candy thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from heat, immediately add nuts, and stir briefly just to combine.
(Too much stirring will deflate the brittle.) The mixture will foam. Pour
onto the oiled baking sheet. Set aside to cool and harden.
When completely cool, store in an airtight metal container for up to 1
month at room temperature. Makes 1 cup.
Filling: Sprinkle gelatin over rum to soften. Combine the milk with 2
tablespoons of the sugar in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Set over medium heat
and bring to a boil. Whisk the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar and the
cornstarch in a small bowl. When the milk boils, remove from heat, and pour
about half into the yolk mixture, whisking to mix completely. Pour this
mixture into the milk, return to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly
as mixture begins to thicken. Whisk until mixture is smooth and very thick;
remove from heat. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add butter, and
whisk until melted.
Pour into a bowl to cool. Place plastic wrap on top of the cream to prevent
a film from forming.
When cool, chop brittle in food processor into coarse piec- es, about 1
cup. Reserve 1/4 cup for decoration. Whip the 3/4 cup heavy cream with
vanilla until very soft peaks form. Whip egg whites with 1 tablespoon sugar
until stiff, shiny peaks form. Fold brittle into the cream filling. Then
fold in the whites alternately with the whipped cream. Pour filling into
the cooled baked crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until set. Cover
with plastic wrap.
Topping: Whip cream with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until soft peaks
form, then spread over pie. Sprinkle the reserved brittle on top. PER
SERVING: 460 calories, 6 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat (15 g
saturated), 145 mg cholesterol, 245 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.
From an article by Flo Braker in the San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/91.
Yields
1 Servings