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 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 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)

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pound blueberries
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup flour
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation time
40 minutes

Preparation
Mix the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Stir this thoroughly and make it as granular as possible. Once you have a fine crumby texture put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This will be the crust and the top layer of the tarte.

Put the blueberries in a pan with the white sugar and cook it over a low heat for 10 minutes. Spread a thin layer of dough in the pie pan evenly over bottom. Then carefully spread the blueberries over the crust. Cover the layer of blueberries with the remainder of dough. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and bake at 350° F (175° C).

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons anise seed
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation

• Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening with sugar and anise seeds until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and brandy until well blended.
• Turn dough out on a floured board and pat or roll to 1/4 or 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into shapes (the fleur-de-lys is traditional).
• Dust with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the cream

• 40 cl milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 90g sugar
• 50g flour
• 1 vanilla bean
• optional: 100g dark chocolate

For the puffs

• 75g flour
• 60g butter
• 2 eggs
• 10cl water
• 5cl milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Preparation time
35 minutes

Preparation
To make the cream: put the milk, the split vanilla bean (and the grated chocolate if desired) in a pot and bring to a boil. During that time, put the egg yolks and the sugar in a bowl, and whip for about 5 minutes (until smooth and almost white in color). Add the flour, and mix again until smooth. Slowly pour the boiling-hot milk while stirring until smooth. Put the mix back in the pot, put the pot on medium heat, and stir constantly until the cream boils. At first boil, take the cream out of the heat and let it cool.

To make the puffs: Put water, milk and butter (cut in pieces) in a pot. Add the sugar and the salt, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Take out of the heat and slowly add the flour, while stirring, until the dough is smooth. Put the pot back on the heat and stir constantly for about one minute, then take out of the heat. Add the eggs one by one, stirring constantly until the dough is smooth. Pre-heat the oven at 220 C (430 F). Put the dough in a pastry pocket, and make 3cm-wide puffs, separated 4cm from each other, on a pastry sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the puffs are brown and puffed.

To stuff the puffs: when the puffs and the cream have cooled, put the cream in a pastry pocket and fill the puffs with the cream.