"DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION": RAGE DEMON DESSERT.
Straight from the fiery depths of the Breach, I would like to present to you the Rage Demon Dessert! I have been addicted to Dragon Age: Inquisition since it came out, and I really wanted to do a recipe in its honor. Whilst playing my character Alfador, level 22 rift mage (aka Elfen Degeneres) I never came across any food aside from wines and the Wedge of Destiny! I figured I would come across something I would be able to make during my logged 75 hours (and growing), but I never did. So I consulted Jessica Chobot (@JessicaChobot) of Nerdist.com since she has 3 times as many hours logged as I do (and hello, she is an elite nerd), and she suggested doing a Rage Demon dessert — brilliant! I wanted to capture the creatures essence in one badass dessert that would do all my Dragon Age lovers proud.
For those of you that don’t know, it’s a large fiery demon. I made sure I got the colors down of yellows with the lemon sponge cake, orange with orange sherbet, and red with the cherry syrup. The cherry syrup, toasted almonds, and Bacardi 151 are what makes this dish so special. I wanted it to make you feel like you were actually devouring a Rage Demon. The cherries are reduced with cinnamon for spice, cloves because they mess with your tongue (if you eat enough it will make your tongue go numb), and chile flakes to add a little heat, but not to where it’s like “eww, my dessert is spicy.” The toasted almonds give it a wonderful, smokey aftertaste. The Bacardi, well, it sets your dessert on fire and if that doesn’t say fiery Rage Demon I don’t know what does!
Rage Demon from Dragon Age: Inquisition
I hope you all enjoy this dessert! It’s a bit unconventional, but it’s so delicious you’ll be wondering why it has never been made before. It’s a great interactive dessert that will surely impress your friends and even the Herald of Andraste!
Oh, and if you know where I got the name Alfador for my toon, you automatically get tons of cool points!
*I would just like to note that you can use any vessels of your choice. I used short 8 oz. glasses and they made a nice presentation. I’m a horrible dessert eater, so I felt these were splittable. With that being said, my boyfriend is an exquisite dessert consumer, and he had no problem devouring the whole glass.
Alfador, aka Elfen Degeneres
LOOT: 4 - 8 OZ. SERVINGS.
MATS.
LEMON SPONGE.
1/2 cup packed cake flour, sifted
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest (about 3 lemons, reserve the whole fruit)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
CHERRY SAUCE.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 lb. fresh red sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
2 tsp. cinnamon
heaping 1/4 tsp. salt
heaping 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 cup bourbon
1.5 quart package orange sherbet
3/4 cup almonds, chopped and toasted
4 tbsp. Bacardi 151**
**If you are not very experienced, I would urge to skip the Bacardi 151 and the fire. It is HIGHLY flammable, and you must be extremely careful!!! The flame can sometimes appear invisible, so please make sure all fires are controlled.
EQUIPMENT.
oven
half sheet pan
Silpat or parchment paper
microplane
mixer with whisk attachment (or hand mixer if unavailable)
spatula
whisk
offset spatula
ring-shaped cutter for cutting lemon cake circles (or the top of a glass that you will be building the dessert in)
large frying pan
fire
knife
4 serving glasses
stick lighter
STRAT.
LEMON SPONGE.
1.) Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a half sheet pan with either a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
2.) In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour and pinch of salt. Set aside.
3.) In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly rain in the 1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar while whisking the yolks. Once the sugar is incorporated, whisk in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Set aside.
4.) In a mixer fixed with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks on medium high until they start to foam. Slowly rain in the 1/4 cup sugar while the whites are being whisked. Gradually increase the speed on the mixer to high, and whip until the whites form soft peaks, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to over-whip or you risk having a dry and tough cake.
5.) Using a spatula, add 1/2 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold the whites into the yolks by scooping underneath the yolks and folding them over and into the whites. Once mixed in, add the rest of the whites and repeat.
6.) Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the eggs and gently fold. Once incorporated, add the rest of the flour and repeat until it forms a delicious, silky cake batter.
7.) Using a spatula, scrape the cake batter onto the prepared sheet pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter in the pan until it makes a uniform layer. Clean the edge of the pan by running your thumb along the inner wall of the pan to prevent any burning. Place in preheated oven and bake until it is a light golden color and springs back when you touch it, about 8 minutes.
8.) Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan by cutting the cake around the edges to loosen and flipping it over. Peel off the Silpat or parchment and cut the cake using a ring or the top of a glass that you plan on putting them in. Place cake circles onto plates and cover with plastic wrap until they’re ready to be used. Don’t leave them unwrapped or they will dry out!
CHERRY SAUCE.
1.) In a large frying pan, stir together the sugar and water until all the sugar is wet. Place the pan over a medium high flame, and cook until the sugar starts to boil slowly. **DO NOT STIR DURING THIS PROCESS!* Stirring will make the sugar crystallize, thus giving you a chunky and gritty sauce — and nobody wants that. This process will take about 6 minutes — the sugar and water will boil rapidly, then bubbles will start to slow.
2.) Carefully stir in the cherries and coat them with the sugar mixture with a spatula. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
3.) Add the cinnamon, salt, red pepper flakes, and cloves. Thoroughly stir into the mixture and boil until it reduces into a nice syrup consistency, about 8 minutes.
4.) Carefully add the bourbon and stir into the cherries. Cook for about 30 seconds, remove from heat, and set aside.
ASSEMBLY.
1.) Cut 4 of the ends off of the leftover lemons (about 1 inch) and scoop out the pulp either with a spoon or a juicer. Set aside.
2.) Scoop roughly 1/4 cup of ice cream into the bottom of each glass and flatten it as much as possible. Place a couple spoonfuls of cherry sauce on top of the ice cream and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of chopped almonds. Add a lemon cake circle and repeat.
3.) Top with a little extra ice cream, cherry sauce and almonds.
4.) Securely wedge one of the lemon ends in the top of each dessert so it makes a little bowl on the tops. Move the desserts to your desired location of admiration!
5.) Carefully fill each lemon end with Bacardi 151. CAREFULLY light with a stick lighter, and commence the oohs and ahhs. Gently blow out the flame (The flame can sometimes appear invisible, so please make sure all fires are controlled), discard lemon, and enjoy!
