ALMOND AND CHOCOLATE TORTE

4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
a 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar
15 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 pound blanched whole almonds, toasted lightly, cooled
completely and ground fine
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar and beat in the egg yolks, a few at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the potato starch, the baking powder, the vanilla, the almonds, and the chocolate.  In a bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the yolk mixture and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.  Transfer the batter to a buttered and floured 14-inch round cake pan, 2 inches deep, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 300 degrees oven for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.  Let the torte cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, turn it out onto the rack and let it cool completely.

BAKED PEACHES WITH COINTREAU

1/3 cup peach nectar
6 peaches, peeled, halved, pitted
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 Cointreau or other orange liqueur
3 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Additional Cointreau :) or other orange liqueur (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter 9-inch square baking dish. Pour nectar into prepared dish. Arrange peaches cut side up in dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Drizzle Cointreau over. Top with butter. Bake until peaches are tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Top with peaches; spoon juicees from dish over. Serve, passing additional Cointreau separately, if desired.

BERRY-YOGURT SMOOTHIE

1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
1 cup frozen unsweetened blackberries
1 8-ounce container vanilla yogurt
1 cup reduced fat milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour into 2 large glasses and serve immediately.

BLACKBERRY SAUCE

Use with ice cream, cheesecake or other desserts.

8 ounces frozen blackberries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp water

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan set on medium heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes, until the berries are thawed and have broken up.  Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and process for 1 minute.  Pour through a fine sieve to remove the solids.  Discard the solids and place the sauce in a covered container.  Refrigerate until needed.

CHOCOLATE, PLUM AND WALNUT TORTE
 
Desserts are among Hungary’s specialties, and tortes are particularly renowned.  This luscious cake is flavored with plum brandy, which is known in Hungarian as Szilva Palinka. In North America, you will find that this brandy is called slivovitz, another label given to the clear spirit made throughout Central Europe.
 
8 Servings
 
Cake
 
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)
 
Glaze
 
3 tbsp whipping cream
3 tbsp slivovitz or other brandy
1 tbsp light corn syrup
5 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup plum jam or apricot preserves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
 
For Cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 8 inch diameter cake pan with 2 inch high sides.  Line bottom with parchment; butter paper.  Dust pan with flour.  Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water.   Remove from over water.  Add butter 1 piece at a time, mixing until melted and smooth.  Mix in sugar.  Mix in eggs 1 at a time.  Add flour, then walnuts and stir to combine.  Transfer batter to prepared cake pan.  Bake just until springy to touch, about 45 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack, remove paper and cool completely.
 
For Glaze:  Bring whipping cream, slivovitz and light corn syrup to simmer in heavy saucepan.  Reduce heat to low.  Add semisweet chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.  Let glaze stand until cool but still pourable, whisking occasionally.
 
Place cake on serving platter.  Slide waxed paper under edges.  Spread jam over top.  Pour glaze over top and sides of cake.  Smooth top and sides with spatula.  Sprinkle walnuts in 1 inch border around top edge.  Let stand until glaze sets.  (Torte can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cover tightly and refrigerate.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

CHOCOLATE SWEETHEARTS

4 ounces bittersweet, milk or white chocolate coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 tablespoon pecans
1 tablespoon unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1 tablespoon dark raisins
3 small strawberries, quartered
12 tiny mint leaves
 
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave oven.  Spoon the chocolate into 12 miniature foil cups and let cool slightly.  Lightly press the nuts, seeds, raisins, strawberries and mint into the chocolate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until set.  Discard the foil, set the chocolates on a plate and serve.
 
Offer cognac or port with these simple chocolates.

CHRUSCIKI

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large eggs
10 egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3 tablespoons whiskey, rum, cognac or brandy
1/2 cup sour cream
4-5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Vegetable shortening, for deep-frying
Sifted confectioner’s sugar, for sprinkling

Melt the butter and combine with eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, extracts, citrus rind, liquor and sour cream.  Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and lemon coloured.  Gradually add enough flour to produce a fairly stiff dough.  Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour if necessary, until the dough blisters, becomes elastic and can be handled easily.  Keep under an inverted bowl to prevent dough from drying out.

Roll small pieces of dough very, very thin and cut into strips about 4 inches long and 1 1&Mac218;2 inches wide.  Cut the ends on a diagonal.  Slit each piece in the center and pull one end through the slit.

Heat the shortening to 375 degrees and fry the dough strips, a few at a time, for about 1 minute, until lightly browned, turning once with a long fork or tongs.

Drain chrusciki on old brown paper bags or paper towel and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.  Store, tightly covered. This recipe makes an enormous quantity, so it can be halved if you wish, but do not divide the orange or vanilla extracts.

CUT-OUT COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp grated orange rind
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add beaten egg, then orange juice and rind.  In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well.  Chill dough.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness; cut into desired shapes.  Place on ungreased baking sheets. 

Bake cookies in 375 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned at edges.

Makes 48 cookies.

GINGER MOLASSES LACE COOKIES

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger

In a 1 to 1 1/2 quart heavy saucepan, bring sugar, butter, molasses and lemon juice to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, and boil 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and stir in flour, ginger and a pinch of salt until mixture is smooth.  Cool dough to room temperature. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

Roll level 1/2 teaspoons dough into balls and arrange 4 inches apart on baking sheets.  Bake cookies in batches in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, 10 minutes or until cookies are flat and golden.  Transfer parchment with cookies to racks to cool.  Cool baking sheets and line with fresh parchment between batches.

These cookies are easy to prepare and can be made in advance.  The batter keeps, covered tightly and chilled up to a month and the baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week.

PEARS IN WHITE WINE
Pere cotte al moscato

3 large Bosc pears
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup water
strip of lemon peel
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick


Peel the pears, cut into halves and remove the cores. Place the pears in a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, reserving 1/3 cup of the wine. Simmer over medium-low heat until the pears are tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pears, using a slotted spoon, and place them in a serving bowl. Add the reserved wine to the cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5-10 minutes, until the liquid reduced slightly. Discard the cloves and lemon peel and pour the liquid over the pears. Cool before serving.

Serves 6.