Prrofiteroles with Cranberry Cream & Chocolate Sauce

From Mike Szabo's cookbook

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 cup of water
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

For Filling:

• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of cranberries
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

For Chocolate Sauce

• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 4 tablespoons corn syrup

Method:

• In saucepan, combine water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil. Add flour all at once, while stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until dough cleans itself from sides of pan. Remove from heat.
• Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Add eggs one at a time while beating with a wooden spoon, until dough becomes smooth but not runny. Using a tablespoon, drop spoon-sized balls onto a greased baking sheet or try using a piping bag to form the balls. Bake at 400-degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For Filling:

• SautŽ cranberries with 1 tablespoon sugar just until soft and slightly caramelized. Cool berries. Whip cream with vanilla and remaining sugar. Fold in the cooked berries. Cut the profiteroles in half and fill with cream mixture.

For Chocolate Sauce:

• In a double boiler, melt chocolate, butter and corn syrup, stir together and serve immediately.

Desserts

Per serving (excluding unknown items): 1000.6g Calories; 82.8g Fat (71.2% calories from fat); 14.0g Protein; 61.2g Carbohydrate; 404mg Cholesterol; 577mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 15 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Maple-Flavoured CrŹme Caramel

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of milk

Method:

• Preheat oven to 300ˇF.
• Butter soufflŽ dishes.
• Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and melt until golden brown.
• Pour into soufflŽ dishes.

For the Custard:

• Whisk the maple syrup, yolks and egg in bowl until blended.
• In a saucepan, combine the cream and milk and bring to a boil.
• Gradually whisk cream mixture into egg mixture.
• Divide custard into dishes.
• Set into water bath and cover with foil.

Bake for 55 minutes or until centre has set. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Pear Flan

Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of sour cream
• 1 large egg beaten
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 5 whole peeled, sliced ripe pears (or canned pears)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 ˇ.
• Grease 9-inch pie plate.

Crust-Crumble Mixture

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Cream butter in an electric mixer. Blend in sugar and vanilla.
• Gradually add flour mixture until approximately 2/3 is added. Add remaining ingredients by hand until mixed. Mixture will have a crumble like consistency.
• Save 2/3-cup crumble mixture for flan topping.
• Press the remaining mixture into a pie plate.
• Place sliced pears into the prepared piecrust.

Sour Cream Mixture

• Mix sour cream, egg, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Pour the sour cream mixture over pears.
• Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top of flan.
• Bake for 40-55 minutes or until golden. Serve at room temperature.

Chef Sabo's wine suggestion: Tokay Hungarian Ice Wine.