Fresh Fruit Stroopwafel Tarts

Stroopwafels go by different names here (I've seen them called honey wafers), and have different fillings ranging from caramel to honey or hazelnut. Look for them at natural food stores for starters.
apples, pears, plum (or whatever seasonal fruit you'd like)
a small tub of mascarpone cheese
vanilla extract
sugar
honey (or agave nectar)
stroopwafel cookies

Place the stroopwafels under a broiler or in a toaster oven just until their fillings heat up.
Sweeten the mascarpone with a bit of sugar (or other sweetener of your choice). Stir in a small splash of vanilla (you could also explore different liquors at this step). Spread a layer of the mascarpone across each stroopwafel.
Slice half of the fruit into thin pretty pieces and arrange on top of each tart (see photo). Cut the rest of the fruit into smaller pieces and toss in a small bowl with a bit of honey. Arrange this on top of the slices. Drizzle with a bit more honey and enjoy.

Beeramisu

1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 eggs beaten (hs note: leave these out if you are worried about eating raw eggs, it's still tasty)
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
48 ladyfinger cookies (hs note: I used less, one 7 ounce package)
6 ounces (3/4 cup) Porter beer
1/2 cup brewed coffee, the stronger the better
1/2 cup cocoa
In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream. Set this mixture aside.
In a shallow dish stir together the Porter beer and the brewed coffee, Dip the ladyfingers cookies into the coffee mixture (hs note: if you are using regular non-Italian ladyfingers make it a quick dunk). Don't let the ladyfingers get soggy. Arrange them in a single layer in a glass casserole dish (hs note: 8x8 is prob. fine). Spread 1/2-inch layer of mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cocoa. Repeat this for the second layer. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
Serves 12

Amaretti Fritters (Amaretti Fritti)

generous 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon, brandy
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for frying (hs note: I used a small saucepan and clarified butter for the fry part - frying one at a time)
7 ounces amaretti
2 tablespoons rum (hs note: I used more)
confectioner's sugar for dusting
Prepare a soft batter with the flour, egg yolk, brandy, olive oil and as much water as required (hs note: I used between 1/3-1/2 cup water) and let rest for one hour. Stiffly whisk the egg white in a grease-free bowl and fold into the batter. Soak the amaretti in the rum (hs note: I gave them a quick dunk in a small bowl of the rum), then dip them in the batter. Heat the oil for frying in a skillet, add the amaretti and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioner's sugar.
Serves 4.

Tip Top Melon Sherbet

1 pound of juicy, extra-ripe, orange-fleshed melon
1/4 cup mild flavored honey (needs to be fluid, and you might use a bit less depending on the sweetness of the melon)
1/2 cup organic whole milk
generous pinch of salt
Cut the melon flesh from its rind into a medium bowl and puree with a hand blender. You will need 2 cups of puree.
Add the milk, and salt. Now you want to sweeten to taste. If your honey is in a solid or crystallized state you need to dunk the jar in a bowl of warm water until it is liquid again. This way it will mix easily with the rest of the ingredients. Start by blending in 2T. of the honey and taste. If you think the mixture needs to be sweeter, add more honey. Keep in mind you want the honey to bring out and complement the flavor of the melon, not overpower it.
Pour into an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Serves 4 to 6.

Caramel Apples

12 lady apples, washed and stemmed
2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Insert a 5-inch dowel or ice pop stick into the top of each apple. Place hazelnuts in a small bowl.

2. Place sugar, corn syrup, cream, and butter in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until the temperature registers 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Remove saucepan from heat, and briefly plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking. Dip one apple into the caramel, coat the top and sides using a spoon, and roll the bottom in the nuts. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining apples.
Makes 12.

Gateau Surprise Chocolat Pistache

270 g (2 C) flour
2 tsp baking powder (1 envelope)
1 tsp baking soda
150 g (2/3 C) butter, at room temperature
300 g (1 1/4 C) white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 C (3 x 125 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
60 g (1/3 C) chocolate chips
2 Tbsp pistachio paste
60 g (1/3 C) shelled pistachios, chopped

Ganache:
-120 g (3 oz) baking dark chocolate
-125 ml (1/2 C) whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 180�C (360�F). Grease a 25-cm (10-inch) cake pan, preferably nonstick with a removable bottom.

Prepare the chocolate batter. In a food processor, mix together half of the sugar and half of the butter until fluffy. Add in two of the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each. Add in half of the yogurts and all the vanilla extract, mix again. In a medium bowl, combine half of the flour with half of the baking powder, half of the baking soda and all of the cocoa mixture. Add the flour mixture into the food processor and mix again until just combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and reserve in the refrigerator.

Rince the bowl of the food processor, and prepare the pistachio batter: mix together the rest of the sugar, the rest of the butter and the pistachio paste. Add in the two last eggs, one at a time, mixing between each. Add in the rest of the yogurts and mix again. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the flour with the rest of the baking powder and baking soda, and all of the chopped pistachios. Add into the food processor and mix again until just combined.

Take the cake pan out of the fridge, and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the chocolate batter. Gently pour the pistachio batter on top, and smooth out the surface with a spatula. Put into the oven to bake for about an hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let rest for five minutes on the counter, then turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Prepare the ganache. Melt the dark chocolate with the whipping cream in a double boiler (or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water), stirring with a spoon regularly until completely melted and velvety. Let the ganache rest until it has thickened a bit, about 30 minutes, and frost the cake using a small spoon.

You can either wait until the ganache has cooled and set before serving, or frost the cake just before you serve it, but the cake itself needs to have cooled down completely, it tastes better that way.

hs notes: next time I am going to stir in a handful (or two) of chocolate chips into the chocolate batter just before pouring it into the pan. I'm also going to give the batters a little swirl with a skewer or knife, before placing in the oven, to get a pretty ripple going (more like Clotildes accidental swirl. I'm also going to undercook the cake just a shade...I prob. overcooked these cakes by 5 or 10 minutes, to get more of a moist texture. Forty minutes for the big loaf was too long.