6 eggs
8 oz. of chocolate
1 cup of sugar
7 oz. of unsalted butter (14 Tbsp)
3/4 cup of powdered almonds
1/2 tsp of baking soda
3 Tbsp of cornstarch

• Butter a 9 inch mold and sprinkle with sugar.
• Preheat oven at 400°F.
• Soften butter at room temperature.
• Mix all dry ingredients (almonds, baking soda, corn starch).
• Separate the eggs.
• Beat egg yolks with sugar until it forms the ruban.
• Melt chocolate with 2 Tbsp of water in a double boiler and add to the egg yolks.
• Add the dry ingredients.
• Add the softened butter.
• Beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage (with a pinch of salt)
• Fold gently in the chocolate mixture.
• Fill 3/4 of the mold and cook at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
• This cake must cook quickly to keep the center moist.  Leave in the mold for a while.
• Unmold and cool completely before glazing.

Glazing

6 oz of chocolate
3/4 cup of whipping cream

• On a small pan melt the chocolate in the cream and bring to a boil.
• Let cool to lukewarm before using.

Glace royale

1/2 cup of confectioner sugar
1/3 of a egg white
drops of lemon

• Combine the sugar, egg white and lemon juice in a small bowl.
• Work the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy enough to form a ribbon.

• The cake is first glazed with chocolate then decorated with the glace royale (icing) while the glazing is still soft.
• Place some icing in a paper cornet.
• Cut the tip and draw lines on the surface of the glaze.
• Stoke the lines with the blade of a knife.

Serves 6 to 8.  Requires a round cake mold 8″ in diameter, 1-1/2″ deep or a baking dish about the same size.

6 oz pitted prunes
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp of rum
1 stick of butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup of cornstarch
1 small teaspoon of baking powder

• Combine prunes, water and sugar in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add the rum, cover and cool completely.
• Drain and reserve the liquid.
• Quarter the prunes.
• Cream the butter (smear with the heel of hand until very smooth).
• Beat the eggs for one minute in the electric mixer then dribble in the sugar and continue beating until pale yellow.
• At low speed, beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time.
• Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled.
• Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder together.
• At low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the batter.
• Fold the prunes into the batter with a rubber spatula.
• Butter the mold and pour the batter into it.
• Tap on the counter to level the mixture.
• Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-60 minutes at 350°F.
• The top of the cake should be gold and the sides should pull away from the pan.
• Cook the reserved prune liquid until it thickens to a syrup.
• When the cake is baked and unmolded, brush the syrup over the cake.

A Patricia Wells recipe.  Try to purchase your pears a few days before you decide to do this recipe, so that they will have a chance to ripen.  Serves 10 to 12.

1/2 cup of pear eau-de-vie or brandy
6 ripe pears – but not soft
6 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 Tbsp of vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
confectioner’s sugar

• Pour the pear brandy into a shallow bowl large enough to hold the pears when cut.
• Peel and core each pear, then cut each into 16 even slices.
• As they are cut, place the pear slices into the bowl and gently stir to coat the slices with the brandy.
• When all the pears are cut stir again, cover and let marinate for 1 hour.
• Turn the pears from time to time, so they do not darken.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Butter and sugar a 10-1/2 inch porcelain baking dish.
• Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until frothy.
• Slowly add in the flour, cream and salt.
• Drain the pears and add the marinade liquid to the batter. Mix until well blended.
• Arrange the pear slices in a spiral in the prepared baking dish.
• Pour the batter over the pears.
• Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake until the top is golden, about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool.
• Sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

6 large eggs
1 cup, minus 2 Tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of all purpose flour and 1/2 cup of cake flour
2 cups of apple sauce

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water.
• Beat for 1 minute.
• Beat in the mixer at high speed for 7 minutes.
• Place both flour in a sifter.
• Fold, 1/3 the amount at a time, in the egg mixture.
• Stop mixing as soon as all the flour is blended.
• Prepare a roll cake pan 17 x 11 x 1 lined with wax paper.
• Pour the mixture into it.
• Cook for 10 to 11 minutes on upper third part of the oven.
• Unmold on a prepared towel (sprinkled with confectioners sugar).
• Slightly wet the wax paper before removing it.
• Immediately roll the cake with the towel and let cool until ready to fill.

Crème patissière

3 Tbsp of flour and 3 Tbsp of cornstarch
2/3 cup of sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 cup of milk
1 Tbsp of Grand Marnier

• Mix flour, cornstarch and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• In a small bowl beat the egg yolks slightly with a fork.
• In a saucepan bring the milk to a boil.
• Pour some of it in the flour bowl and mix until smooth.
• Add the egg yolks and blend well. Then, add the rest of the milk.
• Cook, stirring continuously, until thick. Add liqueur.

Chocolate buttercream

¼ lb of butter, soften
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp confectioners sugar
2 oz. of chocolate, melted

• Beat egg yolks one at a time and sugar (alternate) in the soften butter until creamy.
• Slowly add melted chocolate.

Assembling the bûche

• Unroll the génoise and spread the crème patissière.
• Also spread the apple sauce.
• Roll the génoise.
• Decorate with the chocolate buttercream.

Mushrooms

3 egg whites
Syrup: 1-1/3 cups of sugar and 1/3 cup of water boiled to soft ball stage (238°F)

• Beat egg whites at moderate speed and incorporate the syrup in a small stream.
• Pipe on a cookie sheet and cook at 200°F for 1 hour.

4 Tbsp butter
1 package of yeast dissolved in 3 Tbsp warm water in a large mixing bowl
2 Tbsp of granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• Melt the butter and let cool to tepid.
• Add the sugar to the dissolved yeast and break the eggs in. Blend well.
• Beat in the flour and add the tepid butter.
• Knead the dough by lifting it, slapping it and pulling it vigorously against the side of the bowl (add more flour if the dough is too sticky ‑ add beaten egg if too firm).
• Dough will stick to your hand for about one minute of kneading.
• Finish the kneading on the table.
• When you can roll it out a foot in length and twist it without breaking it, the kneading is done.
• Form the dough into a ball and place in a mixing bowl.
• With scissors cut a 2 inch cross one inch deep on top of the dough.
• Sprinkle with flour and let rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or double in bulk.
• Butter a round mold.
• Spread the dough evenly by pressing lightly.
• Let rise until 1/4 inch over the rim.
• Bake in middle of oven at 375°F for about 15 to 20 minutes.

The sugar syrup

Both baba and syrup should be lukewarm. 

1 cup of water + 1 cup of orange juice
 zest of orange and lemon.
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of dark rum

• Bring 1 cup of water to the boil with the sugar until clear and limpid.
• Remove from the heat and add second cup of orange juice and rum.
• Arrange the baba in a dish just slightly larger than the baba.
• Prick top and side with sharp‑pronged fork at 3/4 inch intervals.
• Pour the lukewarm syrup over the baba and keep basting it for 1/2  hour.
• Drain on a rack before decorating.

Decoration

1/2 cup of apricot jam
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp of rum
Cherries, almonds, pineapples

• Force the apricot jam through a sieve then boil with the sugar.
• Sprinkle more rum over baba and paint with apricot glaze.
• Decorate.