Celebrity Recipes - Ricky Lauren Cookbook

So, okay, we may not all have houses in the Hamptons and we may not all be married to a famous-beyond-famous designer. But that doesn't mean we can't at least dine like Mrs. Ralph Lauren does. The ever-gorgeous Ricky Lauren just published The Hamptons: Food, Family, And History, and in it, she divulges some of her so-good family recipes.

As foodies, fashion-lovers, and Hamptons enthusiasts to boot, we obviously needed the exclusive scoop. So, we dove head first into the cookbook for three tasty recipes (a breakfast, an entrée, and a dessert) to serve up this weekend (whether we end up pool-side in the Hamptons or not). Plus, since these babies are technically healthy (yes, even those rum-infused brownies), we should all feel no shame in mastering these dishes before bikini season...right?

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Click through for some famous eats to serve up this season.

Sunrise Granola

6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: Sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, and cashews
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
½ cup honey or maple syrup
1 cup raisins or chopped, dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, and seeds, along with the cinnamon, salt, and honey. Spread the mixture on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should brown evenly without burning.

Remove from the oven and add the dried fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring occasionally until the granola is cooled to room temperature. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, it will keep indefinitely. Serve with homemade or Greek yogurt and fresh fruit.

Makes eight cups.

Shrimp and Scallop Burgers

12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 sea scallops
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh ginger
1 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

Coarsely chop the shrimp and scallops in a food processor — do not over-process. Transfer the seafood to a bowl and mix with the garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, mirin, and soy sauce. Mold into four 1½-inch-thick burgers.

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Heat a little vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the burgers on both sides until golden, about two to three minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with avocado and mango dressing (recipe follows).

Serves four

Avocado and Mango Dressing

2 avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ cup chopped scallions
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and chopped
3 tablespoons mirin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Puree the avocados in a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients.

Nana’s Rum-Laced Brownies

"Ralph loved Nana’s brownies so much that he offered to put a brownie department in his stores for her! That way he would not have to wait all the way until his October birthday when she would make another batch for him to savor and devour. David remembers how we treasured Nana’s brownies so much that we rationed them in small morsels over as many weeks as we could stretch them! When my mother stayed with us in the Hamptons, we were so happy that she made the brownies for us all summer long."

For the Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1½ cups chopped walnuts

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

For the Glaze
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) salted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Rum or brandy to taste
Walnut halves

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To make the brownies: Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan. Melt the butter, chocolate, and sugar in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Beat the eggs with the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix all the ingredients together and stir in walnuts. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for about 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

To make the glaze: Melt the butter and chocolate. Mix in all the other ingredients except the walnuts, then spread the frosting evenly on the cooled brownies. Cut into squares and decorate with the walnut halves. Refrigerate for one hour.

Makes 12 brownies

AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT