Yields 6  3/4 cup servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 3 large eggs, separate yolks and whites
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 Indian vanilla bean (scraped)
• 3/4 cup whole milk plus 2 tbsp.
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, zest and vanilla bean scrapings. Whisk in milk until combined. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment beat egg whites until frothy, add the remaining sugar. Beat until soft peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into lemon mixture very gently. Divide batter among the prepared ramekins.

Place ramekins into a 9x13 baking pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and top springs back when touched lightly. Chill 2-4 hours and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Yields 4 Individual Galettes

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus 1/8 cup extra for kneading)
• 1 cup salted butter (cut into cubes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla bean paste (3-Fold)
• 8 tablespoons ice water
• coarse sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

Filling

• 12 ounces frozen mixed berries (thawed)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Directions:

Put flour, butter cubes, sugar and vanilla bean paste into a food processor bowl fitted with blade. Pulse until the butter becomes fine bits throughout the flour. With the food processor running slowly add water until dough just begins to form. Stop the food processor, remove blade and dump contents of the bowl out onto a floured surface.

Form dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

To form the crust rounds:

Cut dough into four pieces. Place dough on lightly flour surface and start rolling from the center of the dough. Roll out to each edge of the dough and rotate the dough 60 degrees. Continue this 5 more times until you have a perfect circle. Put aside and prepare the berry filling.

Place frozen berries (thawed), sugar and almond extract into a bowl and toss to mix. Spoon 3 ounces of berries into the center of the pastry dough rounds. Roughly gather one edge 1/3 into the center of the berry mixture. Form a single pleat with each edge and repeat 5 times until all edges are brought 1/3 to the center of the galette. Brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes until crust is golden brown and berry mixture is bubbling.

Ingredients:

• ½ loaf of challah bread (cut into 1 inch squares)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (scraped)
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 4 ounces chopped white chocolate
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak bread in whole milk. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla bean, allspice and cinnamon. Add bread and white chocolate to egg mixture and toss very gently to combine.

Brush four soufflé ramekins with the melted butter. Divide bread mixture between the prepare ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes until set. Let cool and remove from ramekins. Garnish plate with vanilla crème anglaise and fresh berries or leave in ramekins and spoon crème anglaise over top of the bread pudding.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Directions:

Heat milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan until small bubbles form on the edges. In a mixing bowl whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Slowly add ½ the milk mixture to the egg mixture whisking immediately. Add the mixture back into the remaining hot milk, return to low heat. Whisking continuously, bring to a simmer and continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly. To test doneness of the sauce, dip a spoon into the sauce and run your finger across the back of the spoon. If the line remains on the spoon the mixture is thickened sufficiently.

Recipe adapted from Southern Cakes
Makes one Bundt cake

Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. Madagascar double-fold vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Cinnamon Filling

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1½ cups coarsely chopped and roasted pecans
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, melted

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

To make the filling, combine the light brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl and stir with a fork to mix everything well. Place the pecans in another bowl. Set aside. Place the cinnamon mixture, pecans and melted butter aside.

Cake batter: combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir the vanilla extract into the milk. In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar, and beat with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and evenly mixed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl to ensure a good mix. Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl, until the mixture is smooth.

Use a large spoon or spatula to add about a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir only until the flour disappears. Add a third of the milk and mix in. Repeat twice more until all the flour and milk mixtures have been incorporated. Stir just enough to keep the batter smooth.

Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the cinnamon mixture over the batter followed by half the melted butter. Scatter half the pecans over the top. Spread the remaining batter carefully over the filling, using a spatula to smooth the batter all the way to the edges of the pan. Top with the leftover cinnamon, butter and nut mixture, covering the cake evenly.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into slices.

Yields 8 medium tarts
Tart shell adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter (cut into pieces and frozen)
• 3/4 cup pastry flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Combine frozen butter, pastry flour, all purpose flour and powdered sugar into the food processor bowl. Pulse until small bits of butter can still be seen, but are well incorporated into the mixture.

In a small bowl whisk together the ice water, egg yolks and vanilla bean paste until combined. With the food processor on dough setting, slowly add the egg mixture into the bowl. Run the food processor until the dough begins to form. Turn off food processor and dump dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap around the dough and push down and on the sides to form a disk of pastry dough. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm.

To form dough into tart shells: Divide dough into 8 pieces. Gently push dough into bottom of sprayed medium sized individual tart pan, push up the sides and scrape off excess dough from the top using a sharp paring knife.

Bake tart shells at 375 degrees for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 2 meyer lemons
• 1 Valencia orange
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Tahitian vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (2 to 3 Meyer lemons)
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Directions:

Using a grater or micro plane, zest the rind of 2 Meyer lemons and 1 orange into a small bowl. Place the sugar and zest into a food processor bowl, pulse until all the zest is incorporated into the sugar. Slowly add the butter and vanilla bean paste until smooth and creamy. Whisk together the eggs and lemon juice. With the food processor on, add the egg mixture, run until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour mixture into a medium saucepan and place on stove with the temperature set to low. Whisking continuously, bring to low simmer and continue whisking for 10 minutes until mixture becomes thick and custard like. Transfer to bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the curd (this keeps the curd from forming a skin). Chill overnight.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Tahitian vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Place heavy cream and vanilla bean paste into a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat on low until soft peaks begin to form. Add sugar. Increase speed and beat until thick and creamy.

Assembly

Remove tart shell from pans, place on parchment lined baking sheet. Spoon in the orange-meyer lemon curd until you just reach the top of the tart. Pipe or spoon on the whipped cream into the center of the curd. Garnish with lemon and orange zest and a fresh raspberry.

Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Milk Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Yields 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup raspberry liqueur (Chambord is great)
• 1 tsp. raspberry extract
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream

Directions:

Combine the chocolate, raspberry extract, raspberry liquor, 1/4 cup water, and the vanilla in a heat-proof glass bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals until the chocolate melts. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in the Mexican vanilla extract and softened butter until well combined.

Place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 4 minutes until very thick and pale yellow. Place the mixer on low speed, slowly add the chocolate mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Place 1 cup of egg whites (save or discard the rest), the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then fold in the remaining egg whites very lightly with a rubber or silicon spatula.

Whip the heavy cream and the remaining tablespoon of sugar in the same mixing bowl as the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Lightly fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture using a rubber or silicon spatula. Spoon or pipe the mousse into individual dishes, chill for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Yields 4 shortcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 lb. salted butter (cubed and placed in freezer to chill)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• flour for patting the dough to cut into shapes
• turbinado sugar
• buttermilk for tops of unbaked biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine both flours into a medium mixing bowl, add baking powder and sugar. Whisk to combine. Place the cold, cubed butter into the bowl with the flour mixture and chop into the mixture using a pastry cutter or fork. The mixture should have small bits of butter running through it when combined. Add the buttermilk to the center of the butter/flour mixture and lightly mix together, your hands are the best tool for this. Do not over mix the dough, it will become tough and result in a dense biscuit! Once the dough has begun to combine and come together, dump dough onto lightly floured surface and pat together to form a rectangle of approximately 9x11 inches and 2 inches high. Lightly flour your biscuit cutter, and choose any shape you would like. Place cutter on dough and press down. Remove dough from cutter and place onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough has been cut.

Lightly brush tops of the unbaked biscuits with buttermilk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool to room temperature.

Strawberries

Ingredients:

• 1 quart strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Directions:

Slice tops off strawberries, cut into lengthwise pieces and place into small bowl. Add sugar and almond extract to strawberries. Stir to coat the strawberries in the sugar. Set bowl aside and allow strawberries to macerate.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 pint heavy cream (cold)
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 bourbon vanilla bean (Madagascar or Papua New Guinea)

Directions:

Combine heavy cream and vanilla bean scrapings in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium high. Add sugar when soft peaks begin to form, beat until whipped cream is light and fluffy.

Assembly

Slice biscuit in half, and spoon juice from the strawberries on to the bottom layer of the biscuit. Add a spoonful of strawberries, followed by a heaping spoonful of whipped cream. Place top of the biscuit on to the whipped cream. Garnish top of the biscuit with a sliced strawberry. Serve and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 pound butter (salted)
• 1 cup flour
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 madagascar vanilla bean, scraped

Directions:

Heat the milk, butter and vanilla bean scrapings in a medium sauce pan until hot. Slowly add the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is formed and the dough begins to leave a film on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 -3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take pan off heat and let sit for a few minutes until it comes close to room temperature. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the egg is incorporated. Continue with the remaining eggs. The dough will be very sticky and shiny in the end.

Spoon into a piping bag with no tip. Pipe into round mounds all the same size and width.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Turn the oven off and let sit in the oven for 10 more minutes.

Cool to room temperature

*Assembly

Cut the cream puff in half, and fill with vanilla almond whipped cream

Drizzle with a simple chocolate sauce, or before you fill the cream puffs, dip the tops into a hard caramel sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to boil and cook to hard-crack stage on your candy thermometer. Continue cooking until the sugar-water mixture becomes a medium amber color. Carefully dip the tops of the unfilled cream puffs into the caramel-sugar mixture. Place the puffs upright on a surface to let the caramel harden. Once cooled, fill with vanilla almond whipped cream.

Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup almonds, roasted and roughly chopped
• 1 Tahitian vanilla bean
• 1/4 c. sugar

Directions:

Bring the roasted almonds, heavy cream and Tahitian vanilla bean scrapings to a low boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let infuse for 1 hour. Strain out the almonds into a bowl and set the infused cream aside. Cover the cream and refrigerate overnight.

Once the cream is cold, place into a mixer, along with the sugar. Beat with a whisk attachment and beat until medium peaks form. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

*Fresh whipped cream lasts 24-48 hours at the very most

Yields 20

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. cake flour
• 1 1/4 c. All-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 oz. red food color
• 1 Ugandan Vanilla bean scraped
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa, and salt. With a stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add in food coloring and vanilla bean scrapings.

Reduce mixture speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk baking soda and vinegar mixture. Mix until combined. Scoop batter into cupcake liners with an ice cream scoop to ensure even amounts in liner. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until cake springs back when touched in the center. Cool to room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese to room temperature
• 1 Tahtian Vanilla Bean scraped
• ½ tsp. almond extract
• 3 lbs. powdered sugar
• 1/2- 3/4 c. milk

Directions:

With whisk attachment beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla bean scraping, and almond extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and milk until combined. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy.

Place in piping bag or plastic lunch baggie with the end cup off and pipe the frosting onto the cupcake.

To Garnish:

Crumble two cupcakes and sprinkle on top of frosting.