​makes one 9” tart
 
Chocolate  Cookie Crumb Crust

2  cups chocolate cookie crumbs 
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons melted  butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cookie crumbs, salt, melted butter and vanilla. Toss to combine. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" tart pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Bake in  a preheated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes just until set.  Cool before filling.
 
Bittersweet Chocolate filling-
 
⅔ cup (2 oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used 60%) coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 
In a large heavy saucepan, whisk together cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks.  Add ½ cup of the milk, whisk to a smooth paste. In a separate saucepan, heat the remaining milk and heavy cream over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Gradually whisk a few tablespoons of the hot milk/cream into the cocoa/egg yolk mixture. Gradually add the remainder of the hot milk/cream, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until pudding begins to thicken and bubbles form around the edges. Stir an additional minute then add the chopped chocolate, stirring to melt. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla and the butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool completely.
 
Blueberry Conserve-
 
2 cups frozen wild blueberries+ 1 cup fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons good quality maple syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon zest
 
 Toss the wild blueberries with the maple syrup, cornstarch and lemon zest. Reserve the fresh blueberries. Pour the wild blueberry mixture into a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries and the liquid thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cup of fresh blueberries. Cool before serving.
 
Whipped Cream-
 
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
 
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a hand-held mixer until the cream thickens.  Chill  until  serving.

​(adapted from A. Medrich)
 
makes one 9” tart
 
¾ cup hazelnuts, skins removed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cardamom
zest of 1 large mandarin
11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup homemade rhubarb jam (recipe follows)
 
Lightly butter and flour a 9” tart ring with removable bottom. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, place the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cardamom and zest. Pulse until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg yolk and almond extract and pulse a few times until the yolk is incorporated into the dough. Carefully turn the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, shape into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. When the dough has chilled, retrieve it from the fridge, pinch off ¼ of the dough, wrap it in plastic and return it to the fridge. (This will become the top of the tart.) On a sheet of parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with flour, roll out the remaining dough into a circle about 12” in diameter and transfer the dough to the tart ring. (The dough is soft and somewhat sticky; flour your fingers for ease of patting the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.) Trim the edges and add any scraps to the package of dough in the fridge. Refrigerate the tart shell while you prepare the rhubarb jam.
 
Rhubarb Jam
 
10 oz. of trimmed rhubarb, (leaves and tough ends removed) rinsed and sliced into ½” pieces (you should have a generous 2 cups of rhubarb pieces)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons mild honey
½ vanilla bean, split in half with a sharp paring knife
zest of 1 large mandarin
1 tablespoon mandarin juice
 
In a heavy bottomed non-reactive (no aluminum!) pan, place the rhubarb pieces, honey, vanilla bean, zest and juice. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Remove the vanilla bean from the pan and use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds back into the mixture. Use a slotted spoon to remove just the rhubarb from the pan, leaving the liquid behind, and place the cooked fruit in a bowl set over ice, stirring it occasionally until it cools. Cook the syrup in the pan over low heat, until it thickens and reduces by half. Scrape the reduced syrup into a small bowl and set it in the fridge to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
 
To assemble the tart, place the chilled tart shell on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, spread 2 tablespoons of the cooled rhubarb syrup over the bottom of the tart, leaving a 1” border. Spread the cooled rhubarb filling over the syrup. Retrieve the excess dough from the fridge and crumble it evenly over the rhubarb filling. Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top (to prevent overbrowning) and bake for an additional 15-20  minutes, until the tart is golden brown and the filling bubbles slightly in the middle. Cool on a rack completely before carefully removing the outer rim of the tart pan. Serve with fresh yogurt and the remaining rhubarb syrup. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
 

​​makes one 9” pie
 
Pastry Dough for one single 9” crust
 
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons ice cold water
 
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, coating with the flour mixture. Gradually add the ice cold water, tossing with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture forms a shaggy dough. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, knead gently once or twice and shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Retrieve the dough from the refrigerator. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a 12” round circle, about ⅛” thick.  Trim and crimp the edges. Place the pie shell in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the aluminum foil and beans (or weights) and return the pie shell to the oven for an additional 5-7 minute, just until the edges are lightly brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
 
Granny Smith Jameson Custard filling- (adapted from Jill Van Cleave)
 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ pounds of Granny Smith apples (3 apples) peeled, cored and thinly sliced (4 cups sliced)
¼ cup sugar, divided
3  tablespoons Jameson Irish Whiskey, divided
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
⅔ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, 1 tablespoon of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the Jameson. Stir and cook over medium heat until the apples soften, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove from the heat. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons Jameson, heavy cream, cornstarch and vanilla. Transfer the apples slices and their juices to the pie shell. Pour the custard mixture over the apples. Place the pie on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of the 350 degree F oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet, carefully place a sheet of parchment paper over the pie and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes, until the custard is set. Set the pie on a rack to cool. Garnish with the Pub Crawl Crunch.
 
Pub Crawl Crunch- (adapted from Holly Ricciardi)
 
3 ounces pretzel sticks
1 ounce salted peanuts
1 ounce salted cashews
½ teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
 
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, toss together the pretzels, peanuts and cashews. Whisk together the salt, melted butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour the butter/sugar mixture over the pretzels and nuts. Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Place on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, rotating and stirring the mixture halfway through. Cool completely then break into large pieces. Store in an airtight container until use.
 
 

makes one 11” pastry
 
For the pastry-
 
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, room temperature (do not use whipped cream cheese)
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dark cocoa
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons puréed beets (I used a 2 oz. roasted beet but you can certainly use jarred or canned beets, or the prepared ones available in the produce section at Trader Joes.)
 
Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Gradually add the sugar and orange zest, mixing on low. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa and poppy seeds. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/cream cheese mixture, alternating with the beets. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure the beets are well incorporated. Lightly dust a sheet of plastic wrap with flour, turn the pastry out on to the plastic wrap, lightly dust it with flour and shape into a disc. Wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Retrieve the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Place the dough on the parchment paper and roll it into a 14” round circle, ⅛” thick. The dough is sticky so add a bit of flour as you go, but use a pastry brush to remove any excess. Cover the circle of dough with a sheet of plastic wrap and slide the parchment with the dough to a baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough while you prepare the filling.
 
Cherry filling-
 
3½ cups frozen sweet cherries, (I use the 16 oz. bag from Trader Joes)
½ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons cornstarch (4½ teaspoons)
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
¼ teaspoon almond extract
 
egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, milk or cream
 
Place the frozen cherries in a strainer set over a bowl and let them thaw for about 15-20 minutes. Discard any excess ice/water from the cherries. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and orange zest. Place the cherries in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture and the orange juice. Cook over medium heat until the cherries begin to thicken. Don’t overcook them; you want them to retain some of their plumpness. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Scrape the filling into a bowl and refrigerate until chilled. (If you’re in a hurry, you can set the bowl of filling over a bowl of ice and stir it occasionally until it cools.)
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Retrieve the baking sheet with the pastry circle from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Spread the chilled cherry filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 3” border. Dust your fingertips with flour and encase the filling in the dough, bringing two  sides of the dough together, overlapping them slightly so they create the top of the triangle, then bring the bottom portion of dough up to partially cover the filling. Use your hands  and the edge of a ruler (careful not to tear the dough) to give the triangle some definition.  Seal the edges and brush with egg wash.  Place the baking sheet with the pastry back in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before baking. (Chilling the dough before baking helps the pastry hold its shape in the oven.) Bake the Esthertaschen on the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The pastry will be deeply golden and the filling should bubble slightly. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

makes one 9” pie
 
Pie Pastry for one double crust 9” pie
(from Nick Malgieri)
 
2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 oz. unsalted butter, chilled, cut into ½” pieces
2 large eggs
 
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Use a bench scraper or your fingertips to incorporate the butter pieces throughout the flour. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add them to the flour/butter mixture using a fork to incorporate until you have a shaggy dough. Gather the dough together, divide it in half and shape each half into a disc. Gently flatten each disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.
 
Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll the dough into a circle about 12” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Transfer the dough to a 9” pie plate, fold the edges under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate. Retrieve the second disc of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a circle about 10” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Cut into 1” strips using a pastry cutter. Slide the parchment paper with the lattice strips on to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
 
Fresh Pineapple Filling- (adapted from Allison Kave)

(Allison's recipe calls for granulated sugar and fresh lime.  I substituted dark brown sugar because I always associate pineapple with  pineapple upside down cake.  The fresh orange zest and juice pairs  beautifully with the  pineapple and  rum; truth be told, I was lime-less in Maplewood.)
 
4 large eggs
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark rum
½ stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1 large pineapple will do the trick, with leftovers)
 
egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice and rum. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and flour until smooth. Add the butter/flour mixture to the eggs/brown sugar mixture whisking to incorporate. Stir in the pineapple. Retrieve the bottom crust and lattice strips from the refrigerator. Pour the pineapple filling into the pie shell then place the lattice strips on top of the filling. (You can make a full-fledged woven lattice or simply place the strips on top of each other, working from the center of the pie out; place one strip in the middle of the pie, then add another perpendicular to the first, then additional strips parallel and perpendicular until you have covered the filling.) Tuck the edges under, sealing the top crust to the bottom, crimping decoratively. Brush the lattice strips (not the edges) with the egg wash. Place the pie back in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill the crust. Place the chilled pie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pie halfway through. After 20 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and move the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. (You can insert a small paring knife in the center of the pie; it should test clean.) Place the pie on a rack to cool completely before slicing. Serve this pie with vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.