DAY Recipe

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in yolk and vanilla, then gradually add espresso mixture, beating until combined well. Add flour and salt and mix at low speed until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in an ungreased 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake in middle of oven until top puffs slightly and sides pull away from edge of pan, 16 to 22 minutes. (Watch carefully toward end of baking; base can burn easily.)

While base is baking, melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Spread chocolate over warm base and immediately sprinkle with cashews. Cool completely in pan on a rack, then cut into 48 bars. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.

Cooks’ note:
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper and chilled in an airtight container, 2 weeks.

* Available at supermarkets and some supermarkets.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Boil sugar, butter, honey, and cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until creamy and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and orange peel (batter will be thin).

Drop level 1/2 teaspoons of batter about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (Batter will thicken as it cools; you may need to reheat for last few batches.) Bake in batches in middle of oven until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cookies will look runny at this point.) Cool cookies on sheets on racks until firm enough to be lifted, about 2 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. (These cookies are very delicate; if they become too brittle to lift easily, return to oven to soften, about 1 minute.)

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.Dip about one third of each cookie into chocolate, then transfer to a parchment-lined tray. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

Cooks’ note:
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper (do not overlap) and chilled in an airtight container, 1 week.

* Available through Fauchon (866-308-5919) or The Baker’s Catalogue (800-827-6836).

DIRECTIONS

Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar. Add dry ingredients and beat until well blended.

Gather dough into ball; divide into 3 equal pieces. Place 1 dough piece close to each end of 1 prepared sheet. Place third piece in center of second prepared sheet. Using moistened fingertips, press each dough piece to 7-inch-diameter round. Using small sharp knife, mark each round into 8 wedges. Press fork tines around edge of each to make notched design. Bake shortbread 12 minutes. Reverse sheets. Bake until shortbread looks dry and feels firm to touch, about 12 minutes longer. Cool on sheets on racks. Cut shortbread into wedges along marked lines. Transfer wedges to work surface.

Place white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Place bittersweet chocolate in another bowl set over same simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

Fit 2 pastry bags with 1/8-inch plain tips; spoon white chocolate into 1 and dark chocolate into other. Or, spoon chocolate into 2 small plastic bags (cut off 1 tip from each bag). Pipe chocolates decoratively over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight in single layers between sheets of waxed paper.)

DIRECTIONS

Make pudding cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Whisk together yolks, milk, zest, and juice and add to dry ingredients, whisking until combined well.

Beat whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks, then gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating, and continue to beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Whisk about one fourth of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart gratin or other shallow baking dish and bake in a hot water bath (see Tips, page 166) until puffed and golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Make syrup while cake is baking:
Cook sugar in a dry 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted and turns a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully add cranberries and water (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, then pour syrup through a very fine sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing hard on solids. Serve pudding cake with syrup.

Cooks’ notes:
• Syrup may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Toast pecans in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven, shaking occasionally, until fragrant and a few shades darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss immediately with 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a well-seasoned crêpe pan or an8-inch nonstick skillet. Blend milk, eggs, flour, remaining1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender until smooth. Pour in melted butter, leaving a film of butter in skillet, and blend until well combined.

Heat skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Half fill a1/4-cup measure with batter and, holding skillet off heat, pour in batter, immediately swirling and tilting skillet to create a thin even layer. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly. Next crêpe will be better.) Return skillet to heat and cook until crêpe is golden around edges and dry in center, about 45 seconds. Flip crêpe carefully and cook until golden, about 15 seconds more. Sprinkle crêpe lightly with sugar.

Make more crêpes with remaining batter, stacking them as cooked and lightly sprinkling each with sugar.

Preheat broiler and butter an 8-inch round flameproof shallow baking dish.

Heat dulce de leche paste and cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Fold crêpes into eighths and arrange in baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, then broil about 6 inches from heat until edges are crispy, about 45 seconds.Serve with sauce and pecans.

* Available in Latino markets and most supermakets.