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).

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.

Serves: 6

Ingredients
Poached Pears

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups white wine or white grape juice
• 3 cups water
• Zest of 1 orange, in 1 by 3-inch strips
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 slightly underripe Bosc pears, peeled and cored, with stems intact

Chocolate Sauce

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup Fra Angelico liqueur
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 8 ounces shaved semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream or low-fat frozen yogurt, softened, for serving

Preparation time
35 minutes

Preparation
This classic French recipe stands a poached pear in ice cream topped with chocolate sauce like a sundae. A low-fat frozen yogurt can also be used. Use a tall, elegantly shaped, and long-stemmed poaching pear like the Bosc.

To make the poached pears, combine all the ingredients except the pears in a nonaluminum Dutch oven or soup pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peeled pears, stem side up, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pears are just tender. (Ripe pears will cook much quicker.) Remove the pears from the poaching liquid with a slotted spoon and regfrigerate for at least 2 hours. The poaching liquid can be stored and reused.

To make the chocolate sauce, bring the cream, liqueur, sugar, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and cover. After 3 minutes, blend in the chocolate until the sauce is smooth. (The sauce can be prepared several days ahead and chilled.)

To assemble, warm the chocolate sauce, if chilled, over low heat or in a double boiler. If it is too thick, add a few drops of cream. Place a large spoonful of vanilla ice cream in each dessert cup. Stand a chilled pear in the ice cream and spoon the warm chocolate sauce over the pears. Serve immediately.

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 5-6

Ingredients

• 10 ounces (280 grams) Vanilla Pastry Cream
• 1 Package Unflavored Gelatin
• 1 ounce (0.3 liters) Boiling Water
• 10 ounces (280 grams) Whipped Whipping Cream
• 6 ounces (170 grams) Frozen or Fresh Blueberries

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation

• Whip the cold pastry cream add flavoring if needed. Dissolve gelatin in the boiling water. Chill the whipping cream, whipping bowl and whip.
• Whip the whipping cream in the chilled bowl on medium high speed with the wire whip. Stir the gelatin liquid into the smooth pastry cream. Whip the cream until it is stiff.
• Fold the pastry cream into the whipping cream. Fold it slowly and evenly until uniform.
• Using a large pastry bag and a medium star tip fill the serving dishes with a spiraling swirl of the Bavarian cream mixture.
• Using the blueberries decorate each dish with an ounce on top.

These freeze and thaw really well for advance preparation.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk, scalded
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 4 apricots, pitted, sliced
• 2 bananas, peeled, sliced
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation time
10 minutes

Preparation
Mix sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract together. Add gradually the scalded milk and mix well. Put all the fruit in a pudding dish. Pour over them the milk mixture. Set pudding dish in a pan of water. Bake in moderate oven for about 35 minutes.

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 13×9x2-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: 5-6

Ingredients

• 3 Tbl. all purpose flour
• 3 Tbl. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 12 oz bittersweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup brewed strong coffee 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 7 egg whites
• Confectioners sugar

Preparation time
50 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375º F (165º C). Melt butter in a sauce pot over low heat, whisk in flour and milk and cook until it thickens. Stir in chocolate and stir constantly until it’s melted. Remove from heat and add coffee, vanilla, and half the sugar. One at a time, add the egg yolks while whisking constantly.

Butter a 2-2 1/2 quart soufflé or baking dish.

In a perfectly clean and dry bowl , whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and gradually whisk in the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the peaks stiffen. Gently fold the egg whites into the soufflé base and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until the soufflé rises 2 inches above soufflé dish. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately because the soufflé will deflate in less than two minutes.

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C). Whisk yolks and 7 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Whisk in Grand Marnier and vanilla; divide custard among six 3/4-cup custard cups. Arrange cups in 13×9x2-inch metal pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until gently set in center, about 25 minutes. Remove cups from water and refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

Preheat broiler. Place custards on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar onto each. Broil until sugar starts to bubble and color, turning sheet often to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. Chill until topping is hard and brittle, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 8 whole graham crackers, crushed
• 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation time
35 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Combine cream, espresso powder and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, then eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour. Stir espresso mixture until powder dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter over crust. Bake cake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and center is just set, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool on rack 30 minutes; chill cake uncovered until cold, about 6 hours. Cover; keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Top with curls, if desired.