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.

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 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: 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: 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.

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: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup fine sugar
• 3 tablespoon self raising flour
• rind and juice of 2 lemons
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Preparation time
15 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, lemon juice and rind. Separate eggs and beat egg yolks and milk into the mixture. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the mixture. Pour into a greased oven proof dish, stand dish in a water bath. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Serve with cream or ice cream.