GAYLETTER’S 420 DESSERT PARTY
The handsome gentlemen of GAYLETTER invited us over for dessert this past Easter Sunday. Tom Jackson and Abi Benitez hosted myself, Raymundo Barba, Beatrice Gomberg, Brian Kenny, Matt Lambert, Slava Mogutin, Daniel Moss, Andrew Park, Gio Black Peter, William Reid, and Neil Young at Mr. Benitez’s Lower East Side apartment for board games, sangria, and various incredible desserts. Please enjoy a selection of photographs and recipes from our day.
GAYLETTER'S 420 BUTTER
It’s really simple, and really strong. This is the old school way to make weed butter. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Fill a large pot with water. Boil whatever amount of weed you have with as much butter as you like. We usually do half an 8th with 2 sticks of butter. This will give you medium strength butter. Stir occasionally and let boil down for about 1-2 hours.
Step 2: Strain the butter water mixture to remove all the weed. The cannabinoids will have separated from the weed and attached to the fat in the butter.
Step 3: Place water/butter mixture in the freezer. The butter will float to the top and freeze into a solid in about 2-3 hours. After that time, poke a hole in the top layer of butter and pour out the water underneath.
What remains is delicious, stanky butter that you can now cook with.
GAYLETTER'S 420 BLACKBERRY FINANCIERS
1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar; additional for dusting
5 large egg whites
2 tablespoons honey
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed) blackberries, halved
Special equipment: a mini muffin pan
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until browned bits begin to form. Continue to simmer. Scrape up browned bits at bottom of pan, until fragrant and dark brown but not burnt (there’s gold in that pan!), 6-7 minutes. Scrape butter and all browned bits into a medium bowl. Let cool for 3-4 minutes.
Process almonds and flour in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl; whisk in 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Add egg whites; mix until smooth. Fold in honey.
Fold browned butter into batter. DO AHEAD: Batter can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°F. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray. Pour 1 generous tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Top with 3-4 blackberry halves. Bake until cakes are golden brown and just cooked through, 15-16 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
GAYLETTER'S 420 LIME AND BASIL SHORTBREAD
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for pressing cookies
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Sanding sugar (optional)
(Decorative sanding sugar has large, crunchy crystals; available at specialty foods stores and beryls.com.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter, basil, both zests, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until large, moist clumps form. Measure level tablespoonfuls of dough; roll between your palms to form balls. Place on a large baking sheet, spacing 2″ apart. Lightly dust the bottom of a flat measuring cup with powdered sugar and press cookies into 2″ rounds, dusting cup bottom with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sanding sugar, if using. Bake until edges are brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.
GAYLETTER'S 420 LIME TART
3 limes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup lime juice (5 limes or just use juice)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Using a microplane zester, zest the limes. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lime curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
