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 6

Ingredients

• 2 c Milk
• 3/4 c Granulated sugar
• 1 Small coconut
• 5 Small eggs, separated
• Pinch salt
• Flan mold coated with
• Caramel

Preparation time
60 minutes

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450F (230 C).

Place the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan and melt the sugar over low heat, then raise the heat and boil the mixture briskly. Take care that it does not boil over. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, stir it so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. After about 30 minutes it should be the consistency of thin condensed milk and has been reduced to 1 cup. See Note.

Pierce holes through two of the “eyes” of the coconut and drain the water from it. Set the water aside.

Put the whole coconut into the oven for about 8 minutes. Crack it open; the flesh should come away quite easily from the shell.

Pare the brown skin from the coconut flesh with a potato peeler. Grate the coconut finely. You will need 2 1/4 cups, loosely packed, for the flan.

Add the grated coconut to the reserved coconut water and boil it for about 5 minutes, stirring it constantly.

Add the “condensed” milk and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Set the mixture aside to cool.

Beat the egg yolks together until they are creamy and stir them well into the coconut mixture.

Beat the egg whites until they are frothy, add the salt and continue beating until they are stiff. Fold them into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared mold. Cover the mold with a well-greased lid and place into a water bath.

Cook the flan on the lowest shelf of the oven for about 1 1/2 hours, then test to see if it is done. When it is done, set it aside to cool.

Of course, you can substitute1 cup of lightly thinned canned, sweetened condensed milk for the milk and sugar and substitute pre-grated but unsweetened coconut. Use milk instead of coconut water; the flavor will just not be quite as good.

Do not think you have done something wrong when you see that the coconut and custard have separated. That is how it is meant to be. The caramel will nearly all have been absorbed by the spongy layer of coconut.

If you are using fresh coconut there will almost certainly be some left over. It will keep perfectly well if frozen.

To test to see if the flan is cooked through, insert the blade of a knife or a skewer well into the flan. The knife should come out clean. Take care not to pierce the flan at the bottom or it will spoil the appearance of the top when it is unmolded.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 – 14.5 oz. can evaporated milk, undiluted
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 t clear vanilla extract

Preparation time (incl. waiting time)
60 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Spread 1/2 cup sugar evenly over the bottom of an 8″ round baking dish. Heat the dish in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until sugar is melted to a golden-brown syrup. Remove from the oven and let cool until hardened.

Meanwhile, beat eggs well with a mixer in a medium bowl. Add remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, the evaporated milk, cream, 1 cup of water, and the vanilla extract. Make sure sugar is dissolved.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place this dish in a shallow pan, and pour hot water to the 1″ level around dish. Bake for about 1 hour, or until knife inserted in the center of custard comes out clean. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 large pears
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 pinches of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon butter

Preparation time
15 minutes

Preparation
First peel the pears and cut them half, remove seeds and slice them. Put the sliced pears in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook over low heat until tender. Preheat oven at 300 degrees. With butter grease some individual serving bowls (oven proof).

In a mixing bowl, stir eggs, milk, whipping cream and cinnamon. Pour mixture into each bowl and Place a couple pear slices in each bowl. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm.

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.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large yolks
• 7 tablespoons sugar

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F (165°C). Combine cream, milk and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream mixture; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water in another heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Quickly pour caramel into six 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Using oven mitts as aid, immediately tilt each ramekin to coat sides. Set ramekins into 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Whisk eggs, egg yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl just until blended. Gradually and gently whisk cream mixture into egg mixture without creating lots of foam. Pour custard through small sieve into prepared ramekins, dividing evenly (mixture will fill ramekins). Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

Bake until centers of flans are gently set, about 40 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)

To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 ea Eggs, seperated
• 1 qt Milk
• 1/8 ts Salt
• 3/4 c Sugar
• 1 ea Nutmeg

Preparation time
15 minutes

Preparation
Make a paste of egg yolks, flour and 1 cup of the milk. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and salt to the remaining milk and scald at medium temperature. Add the egg yolk mixture to the scalded milk and continue to cook at medium temperature until it reaches the consistency of soft custard. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into the custard. Chill before serving. Spoon custard into individual serving dishes. Sprinkle each with nutmeg before serving.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium orange
• 1 lime
• 1 quart milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 eggs

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Peel orange and lime into thin strips with as little white pith as possible. (the rest of the fruit will not be used in this recipe)

Combine peel, milk, 3/4 cup sugar and salt in a large pan. Bring it to a boil and cook gently until it is reduced to 3 cups. (stir occasionally to break the film that forms on the surface) When done, strain and cool slightly.

In the meantime, heat 3/4 cup sugar in a skillet over medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. When sugar is melted and brown, immediately spoon over bottom and sides of a shallow 1-1/2 quart baking dish and cool.

Begin preheating oven to 325 F.

Beat eggs into a large bowl. Gradually add warm milk mixture to eggs and beat well. Then, pour the mixture into the baking dish containing the caramelized sugar.

Place the baking dish into a pan and pour water into the pan until it reaches half way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake about 1-1/2 hours or until a knife inserted off-center comes out clean. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent excess browning.

Remove dish from hot water and cool. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Run a knife around the edge and invert onto a platter just before serving.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 can Condensed Milk
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine all ingrediedents except Brown Sugar and Cinnamon in a blender and process till smooth.

Cook Brown Sugar in a sauce pan untill it is melted. Pour the sugar into your baking pan and then fill with the egg mixture.

Put baking dish into a larger pan with hot water about 1 in up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the center is set.

Remove from oven and let cool then invert onto a plate. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and chill thourghly.