Serves 8-10
Ingredients

• Plain Sponge Cake Or Plain Pound Cake
• 1 1/2 Pounds Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 oz. Of Your Favorite Liqueur (Good Choices Are Creme de Cocoa, or Grand Marnier)
• 1 Ounce Of Dark Rum
• 1 Tablespoon Grated Dark Chocolate
• Tablespoons Finely Chopped Mixed Peel
• Powdered Sugar

Preparation time
15 minutes

Preparation
In a round bowl, carefully line the sides with the sponge cake or pound cake by cutting the cake into slices, and fitting them in carefully side by side. Mix together your rum and liqueur, and brush it liberally over the cake lining the sides. Drain the ricotta of any excess water by letting it sit in a strainer over a small bowl in your refrigerator for 30 minutes. Mix the ricotta with the other filling ingredients, and pour this mixture over the moistened cake. Top with the remaining cake slices cut to fit. Cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 5-6 hours, or overnight. Flip over the bowl onto a serving dish, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cups Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Chilled, Sweet Butter
• 1 Whole Egg And One Additional Egg Yolk

Filling

• 2 cups Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 3 Eggs
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Fruit Jam (I Prefer Blueberry)
• 1 (10-11 Inch) Tart Pan With Removable Bottom
• Powdered Sugar

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation
Prepare the crust first, by first mixing the sugar, flour and baking powder. Cut the butter into this mixture until it resembles small peas. Whisk together your egg and egg yolk, and add this to the dry ingredients. Combine just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add a tablespoon or so of ice water. Wrap this dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, no longer than 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-11 inch round, depending the size of your chosen pan. Transfer the dough carefully to the pan and trim.

To prepare the filling, mix together the ricotta, sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Spread the jam across the bottom of your pie pan, and pour the ricotta mixture overtop. Bake for about 55 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat and cool. When cool, remove from the pan rim, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Ingredients

Fruit Filling

• Four Ripe Pears
• 1 Cup Chopped Pecans
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Coffee Cake

• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Cups Sour Cream (or Creme Fraiche or Yoghurt)
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 8 Ounces Unsalted Butter At Room Temperature
• 1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Lemon Peel
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• Dash Of Salt
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

Preparation time
40 minutes

Preparation
Prepare your pan by buttering either a 10″ cake pan, or a 10″ bundt pan.

To prepare the filling, peel and core the pears. Cut the fruit into 1/2 inch dice. Mix together with the rest of the topping ingredients, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the eggs and sour cream with the vanilla extract. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg mixture, and on low speed mix well with the butter mixture.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix just until it is combined. Pour half the mixture into your prepared pan, and spread the filling mixture over top. Pour the rest of the batter over the filling and carefully spread evenly. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Serve either warm, or at room temperature.

Serves 12 (2 each)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 4 Egg Yolks
• Pinch Of Salt
• 1/4 Cup Vin Santo Wine, Rum, or Marsala Wine
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups Hot Water
• Oil For Deep Frying

Topping

• Confectioners Sugar, Honey or Granulated Sugar With Cinnamon

Preparation time
45 minutes

Preparation
In a medium sized pot, place the water and butter, and heat until boiling. Add the flour, and mix well over the heat for few minutes, or until the mixture dries and begins to pull away from the pan. This may take anywhere from two to five minutes. Remove from the heat, and then slowly add the other ingredients mixing well. Form into a dough, and lightly knead for 5 minutes or so until satiny. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into three parts and break off small pieces and roll into a thickness about the width of your finger, 8 inches long. Fry in oil heated to 375 degrees F (190 C). until golden. Place on a plate covered with paper towels, and lightly dust with confectioner’s sugar, sugar and cinnamon or melted honey.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Butter
• 1/2 c Shortening
• 2 c Sugar
• 5 Eggs (separated)
• 2 c Flour
• 1 ts Soda
• 1 c Buttermilk
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1 cn Flaked coconut (3-1/2 oz.)
• 1 c Pecans (finely chopped)

Icing

• 8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 c Butter
• 1 lb Powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3 tb Water
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1/3 c Pecans (finely chopped)

Preparation time
60 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and shortening; add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and chopped pecans. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

Icing
Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and water, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and blend. Spread between layers and top and sides. Sprinkle top with pecans.

For more flavor and taste, coconut and pecans may be added between the layers.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
For the filling

• 2 1/4 cups milk with a slice of lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (heaping) finely ground semolina
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp. butter

For the coating

• 3/4 cup finely ground dry bread
• 1 beaten egg
• 6 Tbsp. Butter for frying
• powder sugar to sprinkle

Preparation time
40 minutes (needs to be refrigerated for 24 hours)

Preparation

• Warm up the milk in a nonstick pan and when it starts to boil add the semolina flour a little at a time and mix using a wire whisk.
• Once the semolina is added continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Remove the pan from the stove and add the sugar, the butter and the egg yolks.
• Wet a smooth surface with water and place the mixture. Flatten it down with a large wet knife or a glass.
• Cut the semolina mixture into disks using a glass. Use the excess to make other more rounds.
• Dip the disks into the egg and then coat them with bread crumbs.
• Melt the butter in a medium non stick pan. Fry the disks a little bit at the time on both sides. Be careful not to burn the butter. In case it gets brown change the pan with new one.
• Place the disks on a paper towel to eliminate the extra butter and serve them on a plate sprinkled with powder sugar.
• Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder through a fine mesh strainer.
• Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 store-bought puff pastry sheets

Filling cream

• 125g butter
• 125g sugar
• 125g ground almonds
• 3 eggs

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Puff pastry is too difficult to make at home and can be bought frozen at the supermarket; it must be thawed before you start preparing the galette. Some pastry shops also sell their own puff pastry, which of course will taste even better.

Preheat oven to 230° Celcius (450° F). To make the filling cream (called “frangipane”), mix the sugar and butter and beat until smooth. Add the almonds and the eggs, and beat until smooth again (this can be done in a food processor). On a slightly floured cold surface, cut 2 circles the size of dinner plates out of the puff pastry. Put one of them on a floured baking sheet. Spread the frangipane cream on the circle, starting from the center, up to 2cm from the border. Brush water on the edge around the cream and place the second circle on top of the first one. Press all around the edges to seal them together.

If desired, you can decorate the galette by drawing patterns with a fork and brushing the top with an extra beaten egg.

Bake the galette for 25 to 30 minutes at 230° Celsius (450° F) until brown.

Recipe for:  1 pie

Ingredients

• 1 – 9 inch unbaked pie shell
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In medium saucepan, melt chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat. Stir in coffee, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour filling into pastry shell. Top with walnuts.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Cool.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 5 cups Peeled, chopped peaches, divided
• 6 Eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 2-½ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
• Dash of Salt
• 4 cups Whole milk
• 3 cups Heavy cream (whipping cream)

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
In a blender, puree 3 cups of the peaches. Mash the remaining 3 cups of chopped peaches with a potato masher. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and cream, just until it begins to steam. Pour a little of the heated mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, and stir. Then pour the bowl of egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the heavy saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and refrigerate the mixture for several hours or until well chilled.

Add the pureed peaches to the chilled mixture, stir well, and pour into a 5-quart ice cream freezer can. Turn on the ice cream freezer or crank it by hand for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove the top of the can and the dasher, and add the reserved 2 cups of mashed peaches, mixing them in with a long spoon. Put the dasher back in and the top back on, and continue freezing according to the manufacturer’s directions. Allow ice cream to ripen for at least an hour.

Serves: 14-16

Ingredients

For crust

• 1 cup sugar cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

For filling

• 11/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups whipping cream

For garnish

• fresh raspberries or strawberries
• lemon zest
• red raspberry and strawberry sauce

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Spread evenly into bottom of pan and refrigerate for about 15 minutes or until firm.

To make cheese cake combine sugar and cornstarch in a stainless steel saucepan.

In a small bowl, dissolve unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Whisk remaining lemon juice and beaten eggs in sugar and cornstarch mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens to a medium-thick consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and lemon zest.

Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool at room temperature. Whisk in mascarpone until smooth.

Beat whipping cream in a bowl until stiff. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream. Spoon cream mixture into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Seal top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Run a small sharp knife along the edge of the inside cake pan rim to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan.

Transfer dessert from metal base to a serving plate.

To serve, garnish with fresh berries, lemon zest and a red berry sauce.