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 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 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice
• 1 cup of chopped apples
• 3/4 cup of skim milk
• 1/2 cup of raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Preparation time
65 minutes

Preparation
In a large bowl, mix 11/2 cups of cooked rice, 1 cup of chopped apples, 3/4 c skim milk, 1/2 c raisins, 1/2 c brown sugar, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla.
Pour into a 11/2-qt casserole. Bake at 325 F (160 C) for 1 hour, or until firm and golden brown

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tb Margarine
• 1 c Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 2 c White flour
• 2 1/2 pt Baking powder
• 1 c Skim milk mixed with 1 ts
• 6 Granny Smith apples

Topping

• 1/3 c Brown sugar
• 1/2 ts Cinnamon
• 1/4 ts Freshly ground nutmeg
• 3 tb Margarine, no salt

Glaze

• 1/2 c Apricot jam
• 1 ts Lemon juice
• 1 About 1 tsp water

Preparation time
45 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Spray a 9″ x 12″ baking dish with a nonstick spray Cream margarine with sugar. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients. into egg mixture alternating with milk and vanilla. In food processor, pro egg with sugar until well mixed. Add margarine and process and then milk. dry ingredients into processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, just until mixed. ( wash processor reserve for next step.) Spread batter evenly into prepare dish.

Top with fruit. Mix topping ingredients together in food processor or mixe Dot over top of cake. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean Cool completely.

For glaze, heat together apricot jam, lemon juice and water. Strain into s saucepan or glass measuring jug. Heat on top of stove or in microwave unti boiling and slightly reduced. If reduced too much, add a bit more water. onto completely cooled cake with pastry brush.

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 6

Ingredients

• 3 medium pears
• 1 large mango

The Dough

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of water

The Cream

• 1/4 cup table cream
• 1/2 plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

Preparation time
45 minutes

Preparation
To prepare the dough pour the flour in a large bowl and add the butter. Knead this with your fingers. When the butter and the flour are mixed thoroughly, add the eggs and 3 tablespoons of water. Keep kneading the dough until it’s smooth and homogeneous. When finished, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest in a cool place.

Peel the pears, remove the seeds and slice them into pieces. Put the pear pieces in a sauce pan with a cup of water and cook them on a low heat for 5 minutes. Peel the mango, remove the pit and slice it thinly. Preheat the oven at 350F (175 C). Prepare the cream next. Mix the cream, yogurt, sugar and the eggs, in a bowl. Whisk everything together.

Roll the dough into a circle slightly larger than your pie pan. (Have enough dough to cover the edge). Once the dough is in the pie pan, make some holes in it with a fork. Cook this crust alone for ten minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and place the pears and the mango pieces on it. Pour the cream on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F (200 C). Let it cool down.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• Cinnamon
• 8-10 apples

Preparation time
45 minutes

Preparation

• Fill an 8 or 9 inch pie plate with peeled sliced apples.
• Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and egg together.
• Place the egg mixture over the apples.
• Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Cook at 350 F (175 C) degrees for 35 minutes or until apples are soft (Test them with a knife)