Yields 24

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
7 large egg yolks
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

In a non-reactive saucepan, heat milk to just under boiling.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl. Liaison the heated milk into the egg mixture and then marry the two together and place back onto the heat. Add cocoa powder and chocolate and stir to combine. Allow mixture to slowly heat and thicken. Do not allow to boil or eggs will curdle.

Allow chocolate mixture to cool or cool in a metal bowl on an ice bath. Do not allow water to get into chocolate mixture.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream with a whisk until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.

Divide mixture evenly between lined muffin cups. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm, preferably overnight.

To serve, peel away the paper liners and serve with strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce
Makes 1½ cups

Ingredients

2 cup frozen or fresh unsweetened strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

 Ingredients:1 pkg. dry active yeast1 cup whole milk, warmed to just before boiling½ cup granulated sugar1/3 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon salt2 eggs4 cups all-purpose flour 

Bun Filling:1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed3 Tablespoons cinnamon1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 

Instructions: 

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Mix together sugar, butter, eggs, and salt. Add flour and make into a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

2. Place dough in a very lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place free from draft from a minimum of 1 hour until dough as nearly doubled in size. Can be refrigerated overnight.

3. When dough is ready, in a separate bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.

4. Punch down dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape about ¼” thick.  Spread the filling mixture evenly over the surface of the dough.
5. Roll up the dough like a jelly roll.  Cut the rolled dough into 1 1/2” slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, allow about 1” of space between each roll.

6.  Put rolls into a warm place and allow rolls to rise until about double in size, approximately 30 minutes.

7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden. Ice the rolls when still warm.

Cinnamon Bun Icing 

Ingredients: 

2 sticks butter, softened3 cups powdered sugar½ cup cream cheese1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Whip together all ingredients. 

Lemon Splenda Cheesecake
created by Stefanie Paganini of
The Loretta Paganini School of Cooking

White Fruitcake 

2 cups granulated sugar 3 cups candied fruits 2 cups walnuts, chopped 5 large eggs 2 cups golden raisins 1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature2 Cups AP flour, sifted 1 cup white rum 

Ingredients: 

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Soak the candied fruit and raisins in white rum.   

2. Prepare two 8-by-4-by-2-inch loaf pans with buttered parchment paper and set aside.  

3. Cream together the butter and sugar in kitchen mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix just until incorporated.   

4.  Add flour in two stages allowing flour to mix in with other ingredients. Do not over mix.  

5.  Strain fruit from rum.  Fold in the fruits and nuts.  Separate batter equally into the two prepared pans.  

6.  Bake for 1 hour,   and then cover the top of pans with foil to prevent over browning,.  Bake until firm, approximately another 40 minutes 

Can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks. 

Stefanie’s Gingerbread Cookie 

1 cup butter or margarine

 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 2/3 cup molasses or dark corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, beaten

4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves 

In a saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar and molasses.   Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.  Stir in vanilla and cool for 5 minutes.  Add egg and beat well.  Set aside. In another bowl, sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  Add to the butter mixture in thirds.  Mix well after every addition.  Divide dough in half.  Wrap each half in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or over night. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  On a lightly floured surface roll the dough to 1/8” thickness, working with a half of the dough at a time.  Cut and trim cookies.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool and decorate. 

Royal Icing 

1/4 cup meringue powder1/2 cup cold water1 lb. 10X confectioners’ sugar 

Add meringue powder to cold water in a mixing bowl.  Beat on medium speed until you see soft peaks. Add sugar, one cup at a time, beating the mixture after each cup.  (Beat for a total time of 5 to 7 minutes)  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TART 3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar3/4 cup light corn syrup2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into bits4 large eggs1 tsp. vanilla1 2/3 cups pecan halves Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim, and trim the edge, leaving a 1/2 – inch overhang.  Fold the overhang inward onto the side of the shell, pressing it firmly, and chill the shell for 30 minutes. Spread the chocolate, melted, on the bottom of the shell and chill the shell for 15 minutes. In a heavy saucepan combine the brown sugar and the syrup, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and simmer it for 5 minutes.  Let the mixture cool until it is no longer bubbling, add the butter, and stir the mixture until the butter is melted.  In a bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and add the syrup mixture in a slow stream, whisking.  Add the pecans to the shell, pour in the egg mixture, and if necessary tap down the pecans to coat them with the egg mixture.  Bake the tart in the middle of a preheated 350? oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is pale golden, let it cool.  

PÂTE SUCRÉE 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/2 tsp. salt1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar1 package vanilla sugar4 large egg yolks1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks  In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt until combined.  Add butter chunks, process until mixture resembles cornmeal. Pulse as you add yolks until dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and blend dough by pushing it away with the heel of your hand and gathering it up with a pastry scraper into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.   

Cream Filled Doughnuts 1 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon instant yeast2 tsp sugar
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour  1 recipe of pastry cream or lemon curd or filling of your choice
 Vegetable oil, for frying

In a small saucepan heat milk to around 100 degrees F.  Do not boil. Pour yeast into milk with 2 teaspoons sugar.  Let milk mixture sit in a warm draft free area for 10-15 minutes.   In a kitchen mixer or a large bowl with a hand held mixer, combine 3 tablespoons of sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and mix until just well combined. Add the egg and combine. Add flour and yeast mixture and work until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough sit in a warm draft free area until doubled in size. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll dough out to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Using a round cookie cutter, cut doughnuts into rounds of desired size. In a large pot heat vegetable oil to 360-385 degrees F. Fry the doughnuts, a few at a time turning when one side turns golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Place cream in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip and poke a small hole in the side of the doughnuts and fill the centers with cream.

Pastry CreamIngredients:1/4 cup AP flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste 6 large egg yolks 16 oz. whole milk 1/8 tsp. salt Instructions:

1. In a non-reactive saucepan heat milk to boiling. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, sugar, yolks, vanilla bean paste, and salt.  Make sure items are well blended.
3. Liaison the milk into the egg mixture slowly to prevent curdling.
4. Pour incorporated mixture into non-reactive saucepan and slowly heat mixture, making sure to stir constantly to prevent premature cooking of egg yolks.
5. Allow mixture to thicken to pudding consistency.  Remove immediately from pan to prevent further cooking.  Cool in ice bath if desired.
6. Place plastic wrap on surface of cream and place in refrigerator to cool. 

Chocolate Espresso Fudge 

18 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. coffee extract 

In a very large non reactive saucepan bring milk to a boil.  Pour boiling milk over chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl.  Stir to melt chocolate and incorporate.  Add vanilla extract and coffee extract and incorporate.  Transfer mixture into an aluminum foil wrapped 8 inch baking pan to cool. 

Nonna’s Apple Rum Cake

 Ingredients6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar or extract
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 or 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
½ cup golden raisins, soaked in Rum then drained, reserving the liquid
¼ cup slivered toasted almondsInstructionsIn an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs and beat until they are pale yellow and ribbons form.

Ingredients: 

Topping: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter, chopped and chilled 

 Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together blueberries and sugar.

3.  In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

4. Place berry mixture in a 9×13 baking dish.

5. Sprinkle crumble mixture over the berries.

6. Bake in oven for approximately 35 minutes, until topping is a rich golden brown and berries are bubbly.