• preparation

In a small bowl mix together the milk and 1½ teaspoons of sugar, sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes, then mix together.

In the stand mixer add the flour, zest, remaining sugar, salt, egg, vanilla and yeast mixture, knead on low speed then increase the speed and knead for up to 7 minutes.
Add the butter and knead again for approximately 10-15 minutes, until the dough stops sticking to the side of the bowl and is soft, smooth and elastic.

Scrape the dough into a lightly buttered bowl to rise in a warm draft free area for approximately 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured flat surface, divide into 6 parts and shape into a slightly oval shape. Place the buns on a parchment paper lined baked sheet, cover and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled, approximately 1½ hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C.
Brush the buns with the egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. Remove from the oven, move immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brush the completely cooled buns with the sugar syrup, cut each bun on a slight angle be careful not to cut all the way through, fill the open area with whipped cream.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately. Enjoy!
FOR THE EGG WASH
In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk until combined well.

FOR THE CREAM FILLING
In a large bowl whip the cream until soft peaks appear then add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until thick peaks appear.
Notes
The dough can also be left to rise overnight in the fridge.
Storage
Once the maritozzi are filled with cream, they should be served and eaten immediately. Plan on making them and enjoying them the same day!

• preparation

Add the stock to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated.
Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes).
Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking dish (10x8 inch) and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cool completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.
Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries.
Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve as a side or appetizer.

• preparation

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water and sugar. Stir well and allow to raise in a warm place. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, yeast mixture, sugar, butter, eggs. Mix dough at low speed until it becomes elastic and smooth and does not stick to sides of bowl.
Shape dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until triple in volume. Punch the dough. Again shape into a ball.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To bake the panettone, I use an empty 2 pound coffee can lined with buttered brown paper.
On a floured surface, work the lemon and orange peel and raisins into the dough.
Drop dough in the prepared mold. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Let dough rise at room temperature until triples in volume. Brush dough with warm milk.
Bake about 55 minutes to 1 hour.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel and slice carrots. Boil until tender. Drain.
In a medium skillet, cook the onion in 1 tablespoon butter, over moderate heat, stirring until pale gold.
Add carrots, and cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Transfer the carrots to a food processor, and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the cheese, the flour and egg yolk, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; mix well.
Bring a wide shallow saucepan of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Prepare a bowl of ice cold water. Shape the carrot mixture into ovals, using two soup spoons, scooping a portion between the spoons.
Slide 4 of the gnocchi at the time into the boiling water and cook just until they rise to the surface, about a minute or less.
When the gnocchi are done, transfer to the cold water.
Lightly butter a baking dish large enough to hold the gnocchi in a layer without crowding.
Drain the gnocchi and arrange them in the prepared baking baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and butter. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve at once.

• preparation

Peel and trim the asparagus.
Boil 4 quarts of water in a pot. Cook asparagus in boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes or until just tender.
Gently remove asparagus from boiling water and cool in ice cold water. Drain on paper towels, and set aside.
Separate egg yolks and whites. Wash egg whites in cold water. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Finely chop egg yolks; set aside in a small bowl. Chop egg whites and save in a bowl.
Arrange asparagus on a serving platter. Sprinkle egg yolk and egg white and parsley over asparagus.
Serve cold with the herb-vinaigrette.

• preparation

Make the Rice
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, place the rice, saffron, and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer about 15 to 20 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.
Remove lid, stir in grated Parmigiano, butter, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Spread the rice out on a large plate or baking dish to cool completely to room temperature.


Make the Meat Sauce and Filling
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring often, until softened and the onions are translucent - about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the ground beef and pork and fry, stirring often, until browned - about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the wine and let cook until the alcohol aroma has reduced - about 1 minute.
Stir in the tomato paste and tomato purée, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally - about 10 minutes.
Stir in meat sauce.
Add the peas and continue to simmer the sauce for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the peas are tender and the sauce is thickened. It should not be too liquidy.
Transfer the filling to a bowl and set aside to let it cool.

Once the rice and filling are completely cooled, start shaping your rice balls.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon of rice in the palm of one hand, then use your fingers and thumb to shape it into a hollow bowl shape.
Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center and 1 to 2 small cubes of diced fresh mozzarella (if using).
Then gently close the rice around the filling to form either a round ball shape or a cone/pear shape.

When all of your arancini have been formed, whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup of water, and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl until smooth.
Spread the bread crumbs in a plate or baking dish.
Gently roll each ball first in the egg-flour-water-salt mixture, letting any excess drip off.
Then roll them in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated.
At this point, you can refrigerate your arancini for 20 to 30 minutes to let them firm up if they seem a bit too loose or liquidy. If not, you can go directly to frying.
Heat about 2 inches of vegetable frying oil to 360F.
Fry your arancini in batches of just 2 to 3 at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot until they are evenly golden-brown - about 3 minutes.
Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Serve hot.

• preparation

Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a Dutch oven or a heavy cooking pot together with half of the beef cubes. Lightly brown the meat. Remove to a bowl.
Pour 1 tablespoon into the pot again and brown the remaining beef cubes. Put in the bowl with the other beef cubes. Set aside.
Lower the heat under the pot to medium, and add the remaining oil to the pot together with onion and garlic. Fry until the onion is translucent.
Put the beef cubes into the pot with the onions. Add all the other filling ingredients to the pot, except for the water and the cornstarch. Stir around until its combined. There should be enough liquid to nearly cover the meat. If not, add some water (or wine / broth if you have some extra laying around).
Bring the stew to a simmer.
Lower the heat below the pot to low / medium low.
Put a lid on the pot and leave the stew to simmer until the beef is very tender about 45-60 minutes. Stir occasionally during this time, and check if there is enough liquid.
When the beef is very tender, pour cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water into a cup with a lid and shake it well. Make sure there are no clumps.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot and stir to mix it in.
Leave the stew cooking for 5 minutes more to allow the stew to thicken
Add salt to taste.
Remove the pot from the stove and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
Grease the muffin tins.
The pie crust pastry is used for making the “cup” part of the pie shell. Check the size of your muffin tins and cut the pastry accordingly to line the inside of muffin tins.
Place one pie crust pastry circle in each muffin tin hole. Press them gently to turn them into “cups”.
Fill each “cup” to the brim with beef stew from the pot.
The puff pastry will be used to make lids for the pies. Check which size would be best for your particular pies and cut accordingly.
Put a lid on each pie. Press or nip gently along the rim to join the lid with the “cup”.
With a small and sharp knife, make four little slices in each lid to allow steam a way to get out of the pies and reduce the risk of cracking.
Lightly beat the egg yolk in a small bowl.
Brush the pies with egg yolk.
Put the muffin tins in the oven. Bake until the pie lids are of a dark golden brown shade. This will take 20-25 minutes or so.
Take the tins out of the oven and leave in room temperature to allow the pies to rest for a few minutes.
Carefully transfer the pies to a wire rack. Serve!

• preparation

Cod can be substituted with other white firm skinless, and boneless fish.
Cut fish into 5 oz. (140 g) pieces. Wash under cold water and dry. Season with salt. Coat in the cold batter.
Deep fry at 360 F. (190 C) for 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange on a warm dish lined with a napkin.
Serve with chips and lemon pieces, or the traditional malt vinegar.
(The chips are actually large French fried potatoes, made with the baking potatoes, and deep fried.

BATTER FOR FISH

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Beat egg and water. Blend in dry ingredients until smooth.

• preparation

1. Combine kale leaves, ginger, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and ground pepper in food processor. Pulse/process until all the kale is chopped up. Transfer to a medium bowl. If all the kale won’t fit in the processor at once, process in batches. Don’t over-process, you don’t want your kale to become a paste/puree. It should look like chopped leaves.
2. Add water, flour, baking powder and egg yolks. MIX WELL.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they hold peaks but are not too stiff. They’ll first get bubbly and then turn to a light fluffy foam.
4. Fold egg whites (beaten) into the kale mixture.
5. In a pan, heat up a thin layer of oil on medium-high.
6. Drop the kale batter in spoonfuls onto the hot pan. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side. The fritters should be a golden brown color. You can turn the heat down a bit once they get frying. It’s a pretty quick process. Add more oil as needed.
7. When they’re done, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
8. Serve with sour cream, a chutney or another dip of your choice.

• preparation

Cook pasta until firm but tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain again very well.
Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add pasta, red pepper, onions, feta cheese and half of the shredded basil; toss gently. Stack spinach leaves and roll up tightly; cut crosswise into thin strips.
Add to salad along with tomatoes and remaining basil; toss gently.

• preparation

In large pot of boiling water, cook penne according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook shallots, leeks and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes.

Add scallops and shrimp; cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and scallops are opaque, about 3 minutes.

Stir in pasta and spinach; cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in enough of the reserved cooking liquid to coat; transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.

• preparation

Add the stock to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated.
Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes).
Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking dish (10x8 inch) and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cool completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.
Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries.
Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve as a side or appetizer.

• preparation

Preheat broiler.
Melt butter in heavy broilerproof 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes. Add spinach and mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.
In a medium bowl, Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over. Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

• preparation

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Serve with toasted garlic bread

• preparation

Preheat oven to 375F. If feta is packed in liquid, rinse with cold water. Pat dry. Crumble into a measuring cup. Place in a medium-size bowl along with goat cheese. Finely chop tomatoes. They should measure 1/2 cup . Add to cheeses. Stir in chives, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne, if using, just until evenly distributed.
Place a sheet of phyllo in front of you on a flat dry surface. Keep remainder of phyllo covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out. Lightly brush phyllo with butter. Place another sheet on top. Brush lightly with butter. With a sharp knife, divide sheets into 12 squares by making 2 cuts lengthwise and 3 cuts crosswise. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling on each square. Gather up sides and pinch together above filling. Repeat until phyllo and filling are used up.
Place kisses on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in centre of 375F oven until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

• preparation

Peel and trim the asparagus.
Boil 4 quarts of water in a pot. Cook asparagus in boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes or until just tender.
Gently remove asparagus from boiling water and cool in ice cold water. Drain on paper towels, and set aside.
Separate egg yolks and whites. Wash egg whites in cold water. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Finely chop egg yolks; set aside in a small bowl. Chop egg whites and save in a bowl.
Arrange asparagus on a serving platter. Sprinkle egg yolk and egg white and parsley over asparagus.
Serve cold with the herb-vinaigrette.

• preparation

Trim stem ends of tomatoes; cut in half lengthwise.
Arrange, cut side up and without crowding, on large foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
Stir together garlic, basil and oil; brush over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in 250 degree oven for 2 hours or until tomatoes are softened and shrivelled, and edges begin to darken.

Tip:
To make Roasted Tomato Crostini,
1 french baguette
4 ounces soft goat cheese Cut French baguette into 20 slices;
place on baking sheet and broil until toasted.
Evenly spread with goat cheese; top each with 2 tomato halves and 1 basil leaf.

• preparation

In a soup pot, combine potatoes and onions with the stock. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Add the broccoli and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Puree soup in a blender.
Refrigerate for several hours until thoroughly chilled.
At serving time stir in the cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Garnish soup with lemon slices

• preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato to let steam escape, then place them on a baking sheet. Bake them until they're tender, about 45 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and pass them through a ricer, or a food mill with a fine grate.
3. Place the puree in a large bowl and add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sage, the salt and pepper, nutmeg and the cheese. Mix gently until just combined.
4. Flour a work surface and scoop the dough out onto it. Dust the top and sides of the dough lightly with flour, and perhaps rub some flour between your hands so that they don't stick to the dough.
5. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece under your palms so that it forms a long rope. [The original recipe says that the ropes should be about 1 inch wide and 20 inches long, but your mileage might vary.] Go ahead and sprinkle the dough with a bit of extra flour if it's sticking. Cut the rope into 1-inch segments, and roll each segment over the tines of a fork to form the characteristic indentations. (Use a gnocchi board if you're lucky enough to have one.) Collect the formed gnocchi on a baking sheet.
6. When you've finished forming the gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt it generously. Drop several gnocchi into the boiling water (you'll need to work in batches so that you don't crowd the pot). Cook them for about 10 seconds after they rise to the surface. This could be only a couple of minutes, or up to five minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked gnocchi to a clean baking sheet, and cool completely.
7. Place a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Melt the butter and cook it, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids have turned a lovely chestnut color and smell nutty, about 5 minutes. If you plan to add fried sage leaves as a garnish, go ahead and fry them.
8. Once the butter has browned, add the remaining chopped sage and turn off the heat. The mixture will bubble up, so don't be alarmed.
9. Add the gnocchi to the sage butter, place over medium-high heat, and cook until the gnocchi are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. You might have to do this in batches, in which case it's useful to have the oven preheated to 300F/150C so that your earlier batches don't get cold. Divide the gnocchi and sauce among bowls, garnish with sage leaves (if desired), and serve.

• preparation

Remove any leaves around the cauliflower. Chop the cauliflower using large pices that fit in a food processor or by grating with a box grater.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, then add shallot and garlic. Cook until shallot is softened, then stir in riced cauliflower and vegetable broth. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

Puree 1/4 of the cauliflower mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Drain excess water from the remaining ¾ of the cauliflower.

Stir pureed cauliflower back into the cauliflower rice, along with the parmesan and heavy cream. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

• preparation

Slice the onions in half, lengthwise. Place, cut side down, on a cutting board and slice crosswise into very thin slices.
In large non-stick skillet, combine butter, cloves, onions, thyme and salt. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are very soft, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Transfer onion mixture to a gratin dish and smooth it. The recipe can be prepared several hours up to this point. Cover and store at room temperature.
Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks and cream and whisk well. Stir in the cheese.
Pour the mixture over the onions in the baking dish. Place dish under broiler about 2 inches from the heat.
Broil until the top is sizzling and golden. Serve immediately as a vegetable course or as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

• preparation

Heat oven to 375F. Add cherry tomatoes, olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and sugar to 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Toss to combine. Roast until just starting to char, about 40 minutes, tossing occasionally to cook evenly.
Remove from oven and cool 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer tomatoes along with any any accumulated juices to large bowl. Add mozzarella and basil. Gently toss to combine. Add lemon zest then season with salt and pepper. Toss again and serve.

• preparation

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas and fresh fava beans, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. set aside off the heat for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

• preparation

Wash and drain broccoli, discarding tough stems. Cook broccoli rabe in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Drain and immerse in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again;
Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté about 2 minute. Add broccoli rabe and sauté until heated through. Remove from heat. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons cheese over and toss to combine.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to warm platter. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over.

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, cream and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Leave 30 minutes to infuse, then strain. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, ground cinnamon and salt until thick and the sugar dissolves.
Whisk in the strained milk and cream mixture. Pour into a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring until slightly thickened or the mixture reaches 176°F (82°C). Do not boil. Strain immediately into a bowl set over ice and stir until cool. Refrigerate until cold.
Churn in an ice-cream machine.

SATIN CINNAMON CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Combine chocolate, corn syrup, milk and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat for a minute, while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
Can be refrigerated for a week. Serve with ice cream.

• preparation

FOR MERINGUE SHELL:
In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, combine the egg whites with cream of tartar and lemon juice and beat at high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
Continue beating, and gradually add the sugar, vanilla and cornstarch. Beat until very stiff, about 2 minutes.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tube. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Pipe meringue onto the prepared baking sheet to form two 8-inch circles. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Place meringues in a 150 degree oven to dry, about 2 to 3 hours.
Store in a sealed container away from humidity. They keep for a week to 10 days.
Just before serving, beat the cream with the powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until firm. Spread the whipped cream over the top of pavlova meringues and sprinkle cream with your choice of fruit. Sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, fresh pineapple, passionfruit or what you like. Do not add cream and fruit ahead of time as will make the meringue soggy.

• preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and flour. Whisk over medium heat until thick.
Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the peach puree and lemon juice. Whip the cream until stiff.
Fold cream into the ice cream mixture. Freeze in an ice cream maker until creamy.

• preparation

Pastry:
Place flour, butter and sugar in food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add egg and water. Pulse again until ball of dough forms.
Roll out dough and place in 11-inch flan pan. Chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover dough with sheet of foil and weight with dried beans or pastry weights.
Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned.
Remove foil and beans and bake for 5 to 8 minutes longer.
Filling:
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Stir in cream; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Arrange raspberries over bottom of pastry shell and cover with chocolate mixture.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Butter a 5-cup soufflé mold. Coat inside with teaspoon sugar. Combine espresso with hot water, stir until dissolved.
Melt chocolate on top of double boiler. In a mixing bowl, combine melted chocolate with cream and coffee.
Beat egg yolks and flour. Stir into the chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to a soft peak. Sprinkle in sugar, and beat until stiff peak. Stir a 1/4 of the whites into chocolate mixture, then fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites, a little at a time. Pour this into the prepared mold.
Bake for 35 45 minutes. Serve hot with lightly whipped cream.

• preparation

Cut off the top 1/3 of the lemon (not the stem end) and reserve for the 'cap'.
Hollow out each lemon by using a grapefruit knife just inside the rind and circling the flesh (being careful not to puncture the lemon). Remove juice and flesh and put it in your juicer.
Make a slight shallow cut on the bottom of each lemon shells (being careful not to cut through to the inside of the lemon). This will make them sit straight and not fall over when placed on a plate.
Freeze the shells at least one hour or overnight. Then fill with sorbet and freeze again. this sorbet can be made ahead and will keep several days in the freezer. The frozen shell will prevent the sorbet from melting too quickly when you serve it.

LEMON SORBET:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Add lemon zest. Stir until mixture comes to a boil; boil 2 minute. Remove from heat, cool, and strain.

Ice Cream Maker - Transfer mixture to ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer's instructions.
Freezer Method - Pour into container, cover, and place mixture in the freezer. When it is semi-solid, mash it up with a fork and refreeze again. When frozen, place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Cover and refreeze until serving time. NOTE:
Can be prepared 2 to 3 days in advance. Cover and keep frozen.

• preparation

Place the flour, sugar, instant yeast and zest into a large mixing bowl. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape to remove the seeds, add the seeds to the flour mixture.
Make a well in the flours and add the warm milk. With a wooden spoon mix the ingredients together. Alternatively, you can use your kitchen aide mixer with the dough hook attachment to prepare your dough.
Add the eggs all at once and mix until a soft ball forms.
Add the butter in small pieces a little at a time.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. The dough should be a little soft but not sticky.
Place the dough in a well oiled mixing bowl, covered with plastic wrap and in a warm window until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Punch the dough down lightly and roll out on a lightly floured surface until a 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough with a 3 inch cookie cutter and place on a cookie sheet
Take the leftover dough and roll into a ball. Place the dough back into the oiled bowl to rise for another 1/2 hour or so. Roll the dough out and repeat the process.
When all the dough has been used let the rounds raise again covered and in a warm place until doubled in size.
Fill a large pot with enough oil until it is 3-4 inches deep. Heat the oil to 340 degrees. Fry the doughnuts until golden brown.
You may use a pastry bag with metal tip to fill the doughnuts with Nutella or just serve Nutella alongside the warm doughnuts and start dipping.

• preparation

1. Thaw the puff pastry.

2. Prepare a bowl with some water and the lemon juice. Cut the apples in half, remove the core and cut the apples in paper thin slices, leaving the peel so it will give the red color to your roses. place the sliced apples in the bowl with lemon and water.

3. Microwave the apples in the bowl, for about 3 minutes just to soften them. Or you can also simmer the apple slices in the water in a small pan.

4. Unwrap the puff pastry over a clean and lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin stretch the dough a little, trying to keep it in a rectangular shape. Cut the dough in 6 strips. These are about 2 in x 9 in (5 cm x 22 cm).

5. In a bowl, place three tablespoons of apricot preserve with two tablespoons of water. Microwave for about one minute, so that the preserve will be easier to spread. Spread the preserve on the dough.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Drain the apples.

7. Place the apples on the edge of dough, with the unpeeled edges extending over the dough Sprinkle with cinnamon.

8. Fold up the bottom part of the dough.

9. Carefully roll, seal the edge, and place in a greased muffin cup.

10. Do the same for all 6 roses. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40-45 minutes, until fully cooked.
NOTE: make sure the pastry is fully cooked on the inside before removing the roses from the oven! If after 30 minutes the apples on top look fully cooked, move the pan to a lower rack in the oven, and wait for 10-15 more minutes to avoid undercooking the puff pastry.

Sprinkle with powder sugar and enjoy!

• preparation

Peel and core the pears.
Cut them into quarters. Place the pears in a saucepan and add the wine and sugar.
Peel the lemon and cut the peel into very fine julienne strips. Reserve the lemon for another use. Add the peel to the saucepan.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until pears are tender.
Transfer the pears and the lemon peel to a serving dish. Bring the liquid in the saucepan to the boil and add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to half.
Pour the sauce over the pears. Let cool and chill.