The Date Tasting

Carolina Sanchez, Pastry Chef (Azur by Le Bernardin Restaurant, La Quinta Resort & Club)
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Date Pudding

  • 1 3/4 cup California dates, chopped and pitted
  • 1 1/2 cup hot citrus tea
  • 5/8 cup butter, softened
  • 7/8 cup super fine sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp coffee extract
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cup flour

Date Ice Cream

  • 2 tbsp egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ice cream stabilizer
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup California date puree
  • 1 can root beer

Toffee Sauce

  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cream

Date Cream

  • 1/4 cup California date puree
  • 5/8 cup water
  • 1/2 cup whipped cream

Date Chips and Powder

  • 1 cup California date puree
  • 1/4 tsp lime juice
  • 3 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp egg whites

Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water

Poached Pear

  • 4 pears, peeled
  • 2 cup Sauturneres
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger

Date Phyllo

  • 1/2 cup California date puree
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted and ground
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese
  • 4 sheet phyllo
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup honey, heated

Phyllo Squares

  • 4 sheet phyllo dough
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions
 

Date Pudding

  • Soak dates in the hot tea. Cream butter and sugar and add eggs one at a time. Mix the baking soda, vanilla, coffee and water and add to butter mix. Sift flour, baking powder and salt then add to batter. Add soaked dates and mix until smooth. Do not over mix. Pour into a greased loaf pan, place into a preheated oven and bake at 355⁰ for 1–1Β½ hours. Remove from oven and poke holes all over the top of the cake. Immediately pour the following hot sauce over the hotcake. Let cool in the pan. Refrigerate overnight, soak loaf pan in warm water to unmold easily. Slice to desired size.

Date Ice Cream

  • Whip Egg Yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar until light yellow in color. Mix 4tablespoons sugar with ice cream stabilizer and add to the milk. Bring to a boil. Temper the yolk mixture with the hot milk and return to pan until it reaches about 200⁰. Cool in an ice bath. When cool add the cream and the date puree. Refrigerate overnight and churn.

Toffee Sauce

  • Combine in a saucepan over low heat until it boils.

Date Cream

  • Whisk the puree with the water until smooth then gently fold in the whipped cream just until combined; do not over mix. Fill a plastic pastry bag with the date cream and keep refrigerated until ready to plate

Date Chips and Powder

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Apply a thin layer to a Silpat and dry in a 200⁰ oven for 40 minutes. Note: For date powder process in a spice blender

Root Beer Ice

  • Pour Root Beer into a cold flat container and place in the freezer mixing occasionally until ice crystals form. The crystals will be used as layers for the root beer float.

Simple Syrup

  • Ina small saucepan heat the sugar and water and bring to a boil. When the sugar is completely dissolved remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Poached Pear

  • In a sauce pan bring the Sauternes, simple syrup and ginger to a soft boil. Add the peeled pears and simmer until they reach the desired firmness, tender when pierced with a knife about 12 minutes.

Date Phyllo

  • Mix the Date Puree, hazelnuts and cream cheese until it forms a paste. Brush one phyllo sheet with melted butter and spread some paste over one fourth of the sheet; roll tight into a cigar form and brush with butter. Repeat one more time to get two cigars. Place them in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and score them on an angle every 1Β½ inch. Bake in a convection oven at 355ΒΊ for about 7 minutes or until light golden color. As soon as they come out of the oven brush them with the warm honey, then let them cool. When cooled finish cutting all the way through and set them aside at room temperature until ready to plate.

Phyllo Squares

  • Brush one sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter, sprinkle lightly with some of the sugar and repeat process until using all phyllo. Brush the last layer of phyllo with butter and cover with parchment paper. Roll a rolling pin back and forth over the layers until they stick. With a ruler measure 2Β½ inch squares and cut as even as possible. You may also use a square cutter to give you uniform squares. To bake the squares spray the back of a sheet pan with pan coating spray, cover with parchment paper, very lightly spray with pan coating again and place the squares on the parchment. Sprinkle with sugar and cover with another parchment paper, now put two sheets on top and bake at 375ΒΊ for 7 minutes or until golden. Let them cool, and then remove the sheet pans. This will help keep the phyllo flat.

Assembly

  • You will also need some honey, root beer, whipped cream, shot glass, straw and a rectangle plate. Place a dab of date cream on the plate then one date chip, then a phyllo square, date cream, pear slices repeat until using four phyllo squares then decorate with a date slice. Root beer float: layer date ice cream, root beer ice, then just before serving add the fresh root beer, date chip and straw. Place a line of honey and put two date phyllo on top, place a slice of date pudding, one dab of soft whipped cream on top then sprinkle it with the date powder.
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