Creme Brûlée

Ingredients
2 1/2 c heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
2 tsp tapioca flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp raw sugar

Directions
*You must start this recipe at least one day ahead so the custards have time to chill.

1. First make the custard by placing the cream in a pan over low heat and bring to just below simmering, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
2. While the cream is heating, use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and tapioca starch.
3. While whisking the egg mixture the whole time, gradually pour the hot cream into the bowl with the other hand.
4. Once its all in, immediately return to the saucepan using a rubber spatula.  Return to the low gentle heat as you continue whisking until the custard is thick and smooth. This will happen as soon as it reaches simmer icing. Do not overheat, or it will look grainy. If this occurs, remove from heat and whisk until smooth again.
5. Divide the custard into the ramekins and leave to cool. Cover each dish with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
6. To caramelize the tops, preheat the broiler. Uncover the ramekins and sprinkle tops evenly with one Tbsp of sugar. Place all on a baking tray under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes until the sugar has melted and starts to go very dark brown in some places. Leave the caramel to harden before serving.

There is another, more common, method of preparing the custard in a steam bath in the oven.

Strawberry Pavlova

Ingredients

For the meringue
3 large egg whites
3/4 c sugar
1 c fresh ripe strawberries, hulled
1 tsp sugar

Filling
1 250 g tub mascarpone, chilled
1 tsp vanilla
1 tub low fat cream cheese
1 tsp sugar
icing sugar to dust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250. For the meringue: Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks. It is very important not to over whisk, as it will start to collapse.
2. Now whisk in the 3/4 c sugar, 1Tbsp at a time, whisking after each addition until all the sugar is in.
3. Using a metal tablespoon, spoon about 1/3 of the meringue onto a prepared baking sheet covered in parchment paper, forming a circle about 8 inches in diameter.
4. Next spoon rounded blobs next to each other, so that they join to form a circle all around the edges. Using the tip of a skewer, make little swirls in the meringue. Put into oven, then immediate turn the heat down to 225. Leave for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min.
5. Turn the heat off but leave the Pavlova inside the oven with the door cracked until it's completely cooled.
6. When ready to serve, or up to 1 hour ahead, whisk the filling ingredients together. Put 1/3 of the strawberries into a food processor along with 1 tsp sugar. Halve the remaining strawberries, leaving small ones whole.
7. Lift the Pavlova from the liner and place on the serving dish. Spook the vanilla cream into the center, arrange the strawberries on top. Dust with icing sugar and pour the puree just before serving. Cut into wedges.

* This recipe is adapted from delia online. You can see a video of this recipe at deliaonline.com

Tarte au citron (classic lemon tart)

Ingredients

Tart crust
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp icing sugar
1 free range egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold water

Filling
5 free range eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 lemons, juice
zest of 1 lemon
icing sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. For pastry: place flour, butter, icing sugar into a food processor or work by had until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Then add egg yolk and water
2. Continue working (or pulse food processor) until the mixture sticks together in clumps, then tip onto a work surface and gather it into a ball with your hands. Knead the pastry just two or three times to make smooth. Wrap in saran wrap, place in fridge, chill about 15 minutes to re-cool the butter.
3. Grease tart pan, and dust with flour. Roll out the pastry thin and larger than tart tin size. Place onto tart tin and gently fold the pastry surrounding the tin base in towards the center. It should slightly overhang the rim. Lightly prick with fork, but not all the way through.
4. Place the apstry and tin on a baking tray, cover loosely with foil if desired. Cover with parchment paper and add beans or cooking weights. Blind bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes until the pastry is set. Remove from oven, remove parchment paper and beans, and return to oven for an additional 10-12 minutes. It should be pale golden and completely dry. Reduce oven temp to 325. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife.
5. For the filling, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Add the rest of filling and whisk again until well- combined. Pour into cooled pastry crust. To prevent spilling, pour in the oven. Bake 30-40 minutes until set with just a slight wobble in the center.
6. Leave to cool, and when pastry is firm enough, remove from the tin.Transfer to serving plate and served, dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Florentines (Italian cookie classic)

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter
1/4 c raw sugar
1/4 c honey
1/4 c flour (plain or rice)
1 Tbsp dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried apricots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp zest of orange (about zest of 1/2 to 1 orange)
1 Tbsp almonds, finely chopped
1 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
200g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 trays with parchment paper.
2. Place butter, sugar, and honey in a small pan, heating gently until butter is melted.
3. Remove from heat, add flour, cranberries, apricots, orange zest, nuts to the pan. Stir well to mix.
4. Make 18 florentines by spooning 6 tsp of the mixture onto each of the trays. Be sure to leave enough room for spreading during the bake.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to partially cool on tray and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. (If the florentines become too hard to remove, pop them back into the oven for a few minutes to soften again.)
6. Set a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Temper the chocolate by breaking half of the chocolate into the bowl.  Stir until it reaches melting temperature at 127 degrees. Meanwhile, finely chop or grate the remaining chocoate.
7. Carefully remove the bowl from the pan, add the remaining chocolate, and stir gently until cooled at 79 deg.  (There are great tutorials online as to how to temper chocolate without a thermometer).
8. Spread the melted chocolate over the flat base back side of each florentine and leave to cool slightly before marking a zip zag in the chocolate with a fork. Leave to set, chocolate side up on the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.