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

• 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: 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.

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: 6 – 8

Ingredients

• 6 c flour
• 1 ts salt
• 1 ts sugar
• 1 ts yeast
• 2 c (approx) hot water

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation
Mix the dry ingredients, and make a well. A little at a time, pour in the water, mixing well until the dough forms a stiff ball. Knead the ball until smooth and elastic. Cover, and let rise until double. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Roll dough out until it is about 1/4″ thick. Cut into triangles. Fry until golden brown. Drain, and keep warm in a 150 degree oven. Serve with honey.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons molasses
• 3 whole eggs
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation
Heat the milk, cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and molasses over low heat until very hot, but not boiling. Combine the eggs, egg yolks and granulated sugar in a stainless steel mixing bowl or the top of a double boiler. Pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time, whipping constantly.

Place the mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water and continue to whisk until the mixture is thickened (about 12 to 15 minutes.) It should boil slightly. Spoon the mixture into six 6-ounce custard cups and chill.

Just before serving, preheat the broiler. Sift the brown sugar over each cup and place the cups in a pan filled with ice. Place the entire pan under the broiler and cook until the sugar has formed a crisp crust. Serve immediately.

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.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lime juice (3 to 4 limes)
• 4 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 11 graham crackers, processed to fine crumbs
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation

• Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green.
• Beat in milk, then juice and set aside at room temperature till it thickens.
• Preheat oven to 325 (160 C) degrees.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl.
• Add butter and stir with a fork until well blended.
• Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.
• Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature.
• Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.
• Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled.

Ingredients

• 12 large egg yolks, beaten
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
• 1 cup light brown sugar

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
• In a large heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
• Place the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Warm just until little bubbles form around the edge. Remove from the heat and, whisking constantly, pour into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the cardamom and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
• Pour the mixture through a very fine sieve into 6 crème brûlée dishes, filling them only half full. Place the dishes into a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them withough crowding. Place the dish on the middle rack of oven. Working quickly to preserve the heat, finish filling the dishes with the custard mixture, making sure that it comes right to the top of each dish. Then carefully fill the baking dish with very hot tap water so it comes halfway up the sides of the filled dishes. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the custard is set in the center.
• Remove the custards to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until ready to use.
• When ready to serve, preheat the broiler.
• Pass the brown sugar through a fine sieve to eliminate all lumps. Generously sprinkle the top of each chilled custard with an equal portion of the brown sugar, taking care to cover all of the custard, so that it gives an even finish. Place the chilled crème brûlée dishes under the preheated broiler and broil for about 2 minutes, or until the tops are crackling brown. Remove from the broiler and serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 5 cups Peeled, chopped peaches, divided
• 6 Eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
• 2-½ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
• Dash of Salt
• 4 cups Whole milk
• 3 cups Heavy cream (whipping cream)

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
In a blender, puree 3 cups of the peaches. Mash the remaining 3 cups of chopped peaches with a potato masher. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and cream, just until it begins to steam. Pour a little of the heated mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, and stir. Then pour the bowl of egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the heavy saucepan. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat, and refrigerate the mixture for several hours or until well chilled.

Add the pureed peaches to the chilled mixture, stir well, and pour into a 5-quart ice cream freezer can. Turn on the ice cream freezer or crank it by hand for 5 minutes. Then, carefully remove the top of the can and the dasher, and add the reserved 2 cups of mashed peaches, mixing them in with a long spoon. Put the dasher back in and the top back on, and continue freezing according to the manufacturer’s directions. Allow ice cream to ripen for at least an hour.