Recipe - Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding

This is an amazing dish that is basically dinner - there is no need to eat a full meal ahead of it, even though it is really a dessert. It's very simple to make and unbelievably good. Adapted very slightly from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express.

INGREDIENTS 2 stale croissants (can be plain, but also excellent to use almond, chocolate or jam filled) 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/2 cup cream 1/2 cup skim milk 2 tablespoons dark rum 2 eggs, beaten Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit Tear the croissants into pieces and put in a small gratin dish that holds about 2 cups Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the stove over a medium to high heat. Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber color, about 5 minutes. Keep looking but don’t be too timid. Turn heat down to low and add the cream – ignoring all spluttering – and, whisking away, the milk and rum. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs. Pour the caramel custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, allow to cool slightly and serve hot. Serves 1 as a meal, 2 after a light dinner, or 3-4 after a larger meal.

Recipe - Pear and Chocolate Cake Tart

This is a really beautiful and impressive tart, and it is also very delicious. The dessert is both decadent, with the dark chocolate and dense pastry crust, and light, with the poached pears. The chocolate has the consistency of a cake, hence the name. This recipe is adapted from Clotilde Dusoulier's book Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris.

For the pastry shell:

1 large yolk, saving the white for later
3 tbsp and 1 tsp ice water
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick (8 tbsp) + 1 tbsp of salted butter (softened to room temperature)

For the pears:

2 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
3 tbsp dark rum
2 ripe pears (a sweeter, fragrant variety will add to the tart best - try to find juicy pears)

For the chocolate filling:

3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
5 ounces of quality, bitter chocolate (should be about 70% cocoa)
7 tbsp salted butter, diced
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

Crust:

-Beat the egg yolk, water and sugar in a small bowl
-Using a food processor, or by hand, combine the flour and butter until they are combined into crumbs
-Add the yolk mixture and further combine, adding more ice water a teaspoon at a time, if needed
-Place dough on a floured surface, push into a ball without rolling
-Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 24 hours
-Remove dough, letting sit for 10 minutes if it has been in fridge over an hour
-Grease a 9" tart pan with butter
-Roll out the dough on a floured surface into an 11" circle
-Line the tart pan with the dough, crimping and trimming edges
-Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Remove dough, prick in several places on the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 minutes

Pears:

-Peel the pears and cut them in sixths, being sure to discard the cores
-Combine the other ingredients in a saucepan and let simmer on medium heat
-Add the pears and keep simmering until the pears have softened, about 10 minutes
-Remove the pears and set them aside to cool

Chocolate filling:

-Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
-In a double broiler, melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat
-Remove from heat and add sugar, stirring constantly, then the eggs, and finally the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is combined
-Pour the chocolate mixture into the baked tart shell, making sure it's level
-Add the pears on top of the chocolate in a circular pattern, with the narrower tips toward the middle
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until the center is just firm
-Let cool before serving, with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream, or on its own

Recipe - Vanilla Soufflé with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

Le Violon d'Ingres in Paris has many delicious dishes, but one of their most standout is their incredible dessert soufflé, a hot vanilla infused cloud that is smothered in salted butter caramel sauce. It is perfection in their seventh arrondisement location, but it can also be made at home now that the restaurant has posted the recipe on their site:

Soufflé chaud à la vanille, sauce caramel au beurre salé
Hot vanilla soufflé and caramel sauce with salted butter

Ingredients for 4 servings:
For the caramel sauce:
100 g (3 ½ oz) cream
80 g (2 ¾ oz) salted butter
125 g (3 3/8 oz) granulated sugar
20 g (3/4 oz) fine sea salt, preferably Guérande

For the soufflé:
25 cl (1 cup) whole milk
20 g (¾ oz) butter
1 vanilla bean
60 g (2 1/8 oz) flour
15 g (1/2 oz) flan powder or cornstarch
4 egg yolks
6 egg whites
60 g (2 1/8 oz) granulated sugar
Pinch salt

For the soufflé molds:
20 g (3/4 oz) softened butter
30 g (1 oz) granulated sugar

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

For the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with 2 tablespoons water, and cook over medium heat until a light caramel forms; (do not stir during this process to avoid re-crystallization of the sugar.) Meanwhile, warm the cream over low heat. Remove the caramel from the heat and gradually stir in the warm cream. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the butter and fine sea salt, stirring.

Prepare the soufflé: Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with the tip of a paring knife and add seeds and pod to a saucepan with the milk and butter. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 5 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with 40 g (1 ½ oz) of the sugar and the flan powder. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and gradually add the milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly. When thoroughly combined and smooth, pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour into a clean mixing bowl and let cool. Incorporate the egg yolks, whisking rapidly.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).
Butter the bottom and sides of 4 individual soufflé molds, and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they begin to thicken. When they have doubled in volume, add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a whisk, stir about a third of the whites into the soufflé batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the remaining whites into the batter. Divide the batter equally among the buttered soufflé molds, place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Serve the soufflés immediately, accompanied by the caramel sauce, passed separately in a small pitcher.