Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

I'm addicted to this dessert. I have made it three times, in the past three days!! Its very easy to make, and looks like you slaved all day to make it.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick of cold butter
½- ¾ cup hot water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup frozen blueberries,
4 cups frozen peaches

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While processing, stir in 1/2 cup or more hot water just until mixture comes together.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice, and fruits. Transfer to a heavy pot over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Pour the fruit filling in a baking dish and distribute the dough evenly on top. Lightly sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
Bake 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until dough is golden brown.
Serve while still hot with vanilla bean ice cream.

Serves 10

Fruit Tart

This fruit tart is delicious and looks very festive on the dessert table. You can use any fresh fruit you have on hand.

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups cookie crumbs (Graham crackers or Digestive Biscuits)
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1 Tbsp sugar
Custard Filling:
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (can also be substituted for Splenda)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

Fresh fruit for topping

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl and stir together until all crumbs are moistened.
Spread the mixture evenly in a 9" tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom).Press down and on the sides firmly with the help of a measuring cup.
Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 min or until lightly browned. let cool.
To make the filling, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until it looks pale yellow, about 4 min. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
Whisk the milk into the egg yolk mixture and strain into a pot. Add in the vanilla and put the pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes. The custard will start to thicken up almost instantly, be careful not to bring it to a boil, reducing the heat as needed.
The crust and the filling can be made up to two days in advance. Spread the filling evenly inside the crust and top with fresh fruit just before serving, to keep the crust crunchy.
Serves 6-8 persons.

Pumpkin Bread

This is the easiest and the tastiest pumpkin bread I have ever made. It makes two loaves, but I promise, they won't last long after they're cool enough to eat. I use canned pumpkin, but you can certainly use fresh pumpkin, just steam what you need and puree.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
4 eggs

Garnish: 1/2 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds

Preparation:
Butter and flour 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Measure flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices into a large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pumpkin, water, salad oil, eggs, and nuts. Beat until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and bake for approximately 1 hour until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Banana Bread

This recipe is for those overripe bananas that have been forgotten on your kitchen counter. Its delicious for breakfast with a cold cup of milk, or as an afternoon snack served with tea.

Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe large bananas mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnish: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients just until just combined and the batter is thick and chunky.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with walnuts. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan.

Candied Pear Tart with Pistachios

This recipe is acquired from "Williams Sonoma". The free-form tart looks very rustic, and a perfect ending to a big meal. It could be made with whatever fruit you like (apples, plums, berries, or pear). Make sure that the dough is cold when rolling it out. Serve it warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. plus 4 Tbs. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Ice water, as needed

1 Tbs. canola oil

2 firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/4tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup salted pistachios, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbs. water

1 Tbs. raw brown sugar

Preparation:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, the 1/4 tsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. of the salt and pulse once to combine. Add the butter and process in short pulses until large crumbs form, about 1 minute. Add a couple tablespoons or ice water at a time to moisten the dough as needed. Pulse until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a pastry board and press together to form a 5-inch disk about 3/4 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the pears and the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until the pears begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the pears with 2 Tbs. of the sugar, the cinnamon and nutmeg, and cook until the sugar melts and the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pears to a plate and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 9-inch round and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the pistachios evenly over the pastry and arrange the pears on top, overlapping the slices and leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the border over the pears, pleating the edges to make them fit. The center will be open. Brush the edges with the egg mixture and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until the edges of the tart are golden, about 25 minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbs. sugar evenly over the pears. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturers instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns.Or, place the tart under a broiler until the sugar melts. Serve immediately.

Vanilla Poached Pears

This is a healthy no fat dessert you can enjoy whenever fresh pears are in season. I normally serve it in bowls with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Just remember to use a good wine that you would drink on its own.

Ingredients:
1 (750-ml) bottle white wine, preferably Riesling
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 firm pears (preferably Bosc), peeled, leaving the stem intact

Preparation:
Place the white wine, water, sugar and vanilla bean and pulp into a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Core the pears from the bottom. Decrease the heat to medium low and place the pears into the liquid, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the pears are tender but not falling apart. Maintain a gentle simmer. Remove the pears to a serving dish, standing them upright, and place in the refrigerator.
Remove the vanilla bean from the saucepan, increase the heat to high and reduce the syrup to approximately 1 cup of liquid, approximately 20 to 25 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Place the syrup in a heatproof pitcher and place in the refrigerator until cool, approximately 1 hour. Remove the pears from the refrigerator, spoon the sauce over the pears and serve.

Lavender Crème Brûlée

Zouba... This one is for you!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups half&half
1 tsp dried lavender
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 6 tsp for the crunchy topping

Preparation:
Preheat an oven to 325°F.
Pour the half&half into a small saucepan, add the lavender and heat gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Using a tea strainer, remove the lavender florets from the cream.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth, add in the infused Half&Half and mix well. Strain the custard into a pitcher. Pour into 6 individual ovenproof ramekins or shallow dishes and put them in a roasting pan.
Place the pan in the oven and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until just set, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Preheat a broiler. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over each of the custards and broil until the sugar has caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar.
Serve within 30 minutes (before the top softens) garnished with fresh lavender and berries.

Bread Pudding

This is what I'm proud to call "My Signature Winter Dessert". You can experiment with almost any kind of loaf-type bread for this recipe, my favorites are egg based breads like Challah, Panettone and Brioche.

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup rum or scotch (Can be substituted for 1 tsp of orange zest)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Bread Pudding:
1 (1-pound) loaf Brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in 1 cup hot water

Preparation:
To make the sauce: Mix the cream, milk, cornstarch, liquor (or orange zest) and sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. (The sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)
To make the bread pudding: Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Mix the bread cubes with the raisins and arrange in the prepared dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and sugar to blend. Pour the custard over the bread cubes, and press gently to submerge. Let stand for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the pudding puffs and is set in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon the bread pudding into bowls, drizzle with the warm sauce, and serve.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
3 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Shredded coconut

Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla.

Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together.Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls (about the size of a walnut). Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Sable Cookies

Those are traditional French cookies. “Sable” in French means “sandy” and it refers to the crumbly texture those cookies have. They can be sandwiched with a variety of jams, lemon curd, chocolate, or just enjoyed plain. They can also be flavored with anise, citrus, or chocolate (just substitute half a cup of flour with same amount of unsweetened cocoa).

Ingredients:
7 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
2 eggs
Zest of one orange
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla
Strawberry or apricot jam

Preparation:
Place flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it starts to look like bread crumbs.
In a small bowl mix the eggs, the citrus zest and the vanilla.
Add it to the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Roll the dough on a well floured surface (or between two sheets of plastic wrap) to reach 1/4 inch thick. Shape cookies using a round cookie cutter. And using a smaller one cut half the amount in the middle to expose the jam when assembled.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.
Place a teaspoon of jam on the whole cookies and cover with the ones that have the hole in the middle.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Anise and Pine Nut Biscotti

The term "Biscotti" Literally means "Twice Baked" in Italian. These cookies are meant to be dunked in coffee or wine. They are addicting and are very easy to make. They don't last in my house more than a day or two. In a Lebanese household, anise and pine nuts are plentiful, so that's what I usually use. Feel free to omit or substitute any flavors that you like. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon aniseed, lightly crushed
Grated peel of one big orange
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ cup orange juice
3/4 cup pine nuts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy. Beat in melted butter, aniseed, and orange peel.
Mix flour and baking powder together. Add to the batter and beat until well blended.
Add juice and stir in the nuts. Place the dough on the baking sheet and shape into a loaf 1 1/2 inches thick, occasionally wetting your hands with some water to avoid a sticky mess.
Sprinkle the loaf with some sugar for that rustic look. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer the loaf to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Arrange, on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake an additional 10 minutes on each side and transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Makes 18.