I want a good dessert recipe.

This is super delicious, very easy, and will make people think you are a super pastry genius.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Vanilla-Bean-Flan-102956

My mother makes a Persimmon Pudding that is out of this world (it has the consistency of a moist cake when it’s done steaming). You’ll have to wait until they’re in season though, but it’s my favorite part of thanksgiving.

Gordon Ramsay has a recipe for Profiteroles that looks fairly easy and would please anyone with a sweet tooth. Here is a video of him making them.

The shells also make excellent appetizers when filled with chicken salad.

I love the Spicy Layer Cake from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

30 pitted prunes, cut into quarters
½ c. brandy
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted margarine, rom temperature
1 c packed dark brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
4 eggs
3¼ c sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1¼ c buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the cake:
Place the prunes in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the brandy and enough water to cover by ½ inch. Simmer about 20 minutes until the prunes are plump and tender.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans.

Cream the margarine and the sugars in a large mixing bowl.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and dry spices together. Drain the prunes reserving half of the cooking liquid.

Add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk and prune cooking liquid to the margarine, sugar and egg mixture, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and stir in the prunes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and cool completely.

Frosting
½ c (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 c confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
fresh lemon juice

Lemon zest strips or whole poached prunes (garnish)

To make the frosting:
Beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.
Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar.
Add the lemon zest and beat until blended.
Beat in a few drops of lemon juice if frosting is too thick.

Frost the side and top of the cake. ipe a decorative design with any extra frosting, if desired.

Refrigerate until cold. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Garnish with lemon zest or whole prunes.

10–12 servings

At this time of year, a Pavlova is perfect.

You make a meringue shell and bake it. Then fill with fresh berries of your choice and perhaps some kiwi in honor of the origin. Then cover with sweetened whipped cream (not out of a can, please).

Here’s one recipe, or this.

I love lemon anything but this Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Syrup Icing sounds divine!

I don’t care if it is still summer, I love Gingerbread Cake

How is this for decadence Caramel Filled Brownies?

Here’s a recipe for Lemon Upside Down Cake (that can also be made with blood oranges, figs or pineapples).

Here is a recipe for an English Sticky Toffee Pudding that has been updated and is reminiscent of a date cake.

These Coconut Cranberry Shortbread Bars sound both Tropical and Xmas-y at the same time.

I love cranberries way more than chocolate. How about this Cranberry Orange Sourcream Bundt Cake with Rum Sauce

This one really got my mouth watering Chocolate Spice Bundt Cake with Orange Ginger Caramel Sauce

Here’s a recipe that sounded a little unsusual but great for summertime Grilled Polenta Cake with Cherry Sauce

Here’s a delicious, rich, South of the border treat called Tres Leches (3 milks) Cake

I think this one might be my favorite and reminded me of frozen bananas on a stick Peanut Butter & Banana Pound Cake with Nutella Glaze

And last, but not least, Orange Cardamom Bundt Cake

Bon Apetite!

I love pie! And I happen to have the best pie crust recipe.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/easy-pie-dough-recipe.html

The trick is to use a food processor to fully blend the butter (and optional shortening) with about ⅔ of the flour, to make a fat-flour paste. Then you barely mix in the rest of the flour and sprinkle water on the lot. It’s very soft and easy to roll, and amazingly flaky and delicious.

I happen to be working on a peach pie recipe now that I will share with you. But as a rule, (I learned this from Cook’s Illustrated) you want to minimize the amount of thickener you use in fruit pies. And I always use minute tapioca, finely ground in a coffee grinder. Try not to use more than 2 tablespoons. You can use other thickening agents instead. In CI’s blueberry pie recipe, for example, they throw in a grated apple because apple has a lot of pectin (a thickening agent). In my peach pie I’m going to simmer down a few of the peaches with sugar to make a homemade peach jam and throw that in with the rest of the peaches, because jam has thickening power.