White Chocolate Parfait with Flambéed Cherries

Serves - 10

Flambéed cherries

• 300 gm / 10 oz fresh cherries, drained
• 60 gm / 2 oz sugar
• 2 gm / ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 gm / 5 oz port wine
• 10 Baked disks of chocolate meringue 2½-inch / 6-cm in diameter
• 110 gm sugar
• 75 gm / 2.5 oz water
• 120 gm / 4 oz egg yolks
• 150 gm / 5 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 375 gm / 12 oz heavy cream

For decoration

• chocolate curls as needed
• pistachios as needed

For the chocolate meringue

• 250 gm / 8 oz egg whites
• 250 gm / 8 oz fine granulated sugar
• 125 gm / 4 oz cocoa powder
• 250 gm / 8 oz confectioners’ sugar

1. Prepare the baked chocolate meringue disks, with the whip attachment; beat the egg whites first at medium speed, then at high speed, until they form soft peaks.

2. Add the granulated sugar, a little at a time, with the machine running. Whip until stiff.

3. Sift the confectioners’ sugar twice with the cocoa powder.

4. Stop the machine. Fold in the cocoa powder and sugar with a spatula..

5. Mark circles of 2½-inch / 6-cm in diameter on a sheet of parchment.

6. Using a pastry bag, pipe the chocolate meringue in a spiral to fill circles.

7. Bake at 100ºC until crisp but not browned.

8. Cool the meringues, then remove them from the parchment. Be careful, because they may be fragile.

9. Prepare the cherries: Pit the cherries and place them and the sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently until liquid begins to cook out of the cherries. Continue to heat until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the vanilla and the port. Place over high heat and flambé to burn off the alcohol. Continue to cook, lightly covered, over low heat until the juices are thick and syrupy. Drain the cherries and set aside. Reserve the syrup.

10. Set 2¾-inch / 1-cm ring molds on a tray. Place a disk of baked Chocolate Meringue in the base of each.

11. For the parfait, dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil.

12. Whip the egg yolks until light and gradually whip in the hot syrup. Continue whipping until cool.

13. Melt the white chocolate over a hot water bath.

14. Quickly mix the chocolate into the egg yolk sabayon. Do not overmix, or the sabayon may fall.

15. Whip the cream and quickly fold in.

16. Without delay, fill the molds about two-thirds full. Place 6-8 cherries in each one, pushing some of them down into the mix. (Reserve the remaining cherries and syrup to serve with the parfaits.) Fill to the top with parfait mix and level the tops. Freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm.

17. To serve, unmold by lightly warming the mold and lifting off. Top with chocolate curls and pistachios and a few cherries. Spoon some of the cherry syrup and a few more cherries onto the plate.

Cherries packed in syrup may also be used. Morello cherries (griottes) are especially good in this preparation.

Cannoli with Mascarpone Cream

Yeilds - 16 Cannoli

Ingredients

Cannoli Shells

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/8 cup sweet Marsala wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao)
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Mascarpone Creme

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (drained overnight w/ cheesecloth & squeezed dry)
• 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla or Grand Marnier
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions
Cannoli Shells

1. Combine flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add Marsala and oil, and beat on medium speed until dough comes together. Using your hands, knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic, and let rest 30 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Pass 1 piece of dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine (keep remaining pieces covered) OR roll out into a thin sheet of dough. Continue passing through narrower settings until it is the thickness of a dime. Lay on a floured work surface. Cut out rounds with a 3 1/4-inch cutter. Gather scraps and reroll.
3. Pour enough oil into a large, heavy saucepan to come about 4 inches up sides. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees.
4. Wrap each round of dough around a 3 3/4-inch-long cannoli form, sealing with a dab of egg white. Working in batches of 3 or 4, fry until golden, about 1 minute. Using a wire skimmer or tongs, transfer to paper towels, and let cool 5 minutes. Carefully slide out forms, and let shells cool. Continue rolling, cutting, and frying the remaining dough.
5. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let set 15 minutes on parchment paper.

Mascarpone Cream

1. Mix filling ingredients together.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (at least a couple of hours).
3. When ready to serve, use a ziploc bag (cut the corner) or pastry bag with 1/2 inch star tip. Pipe filling into one end of a shell to the center, then into other end. Repeat with remaining shells and filling. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately.
4. Let the filling smoosh out of each end of the shells, just a tad.
5. Some people sprinkle powdered sugar on top right before serving or dip the ends into chocolate shavings.

Cannoli cannot be made ahead of time the shells will get soggy. You can however, make the shells and cream in advance then pipe them right before serving. After making the shells store them at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

• 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

1. Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. 
2. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. 
3. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. 
4. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. 
5. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. 
6. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. 
7. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.