Recipe: Rosemary pain perdu (bread pudding) with sauteed apples, Chantilly cream and Armagnac caramel sauce

Total time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Note: From Amy Scattergood. Published Dec. 6, 2006. Reserve extra caramel sauce and Chantilly cream for another use.

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4 egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream, divided (keep 1 cup very cold)

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla, divided

Kosher salt

4 slices day-old rosemary bread, cut into slices about 3/4 -inch thick and into rounds about 3 1/2 inches wide

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

2 tablespoons ( 1/4 stick) butter, divided

1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/4 -inch wide (use a tart, firm apple such as Granny Smith, Arkansas Black, Fuji, etc.)

2 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup Armagnac caramel sauce, warmed if necessary (See basic caramel sauce and variations)

Fresh rosemary leaves for garnish

1. In a wide bowl, whisk together the yolks, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of kosher salt. Place bread rounds into the custard, coating the slices. Let stand 30 minutes, turning over occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, make the Chantilly cream. In a standing mixer or with a whisk in a large bowl, whip the remaining cream (make sure it is cold), the remaining one-fourth teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.

3. In a large saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. When it foams up in a few minutes, add the apples, sugar, lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to coat the apples and cook until the apples are soft and beginning to caramelize, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and reserve, keeping warm.

4. In a clean, large saute pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Wipe any excess custard from the rosemary bread and cook until golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. You can do all rounds at once or cook them in batches, depending on the size of your saute pan. Remove and blot on a paper towel.

5. Place one round of pain perdu on a plate, arrange one-fourth of the sauteed apples on top of the round, then add about a tablespoon of Chantilly cream on top. Spoon a tablespoon of caramel sauce around the pain perdu and sprinkle with rosemary leaves. Repeat for the other plates and serve immediately.

Each serving: 402 calories; 5 grams protein; 39 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 25 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 346 mg. cholesterol; 192 mg. sodium.

Grapefruit curd tartlets

Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes, plus 1 hour freezing and 3 hours refrigerating

Servings: 6 servings

Note: From Sarah Carter, Times Test Kitchen intern. Published January 21, 2004.

Crust

1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into half-inch pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon finely chopped

red grapefruit zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed

grapefruit juice

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter and sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.

2. Add the egg yolk, zest and juice to the bowl and pulse until combined. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Flatten the dough to one-fourth-inch thickness and wrap in plastic. Freeze for at least 1 or up to 24 hours.

3. Remove the dough from the freezer and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature until it is pliable but still very cold. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough to a one-eighth-inch thickness. Lightly spray 6 (4-inch) tart pans with removable bottoms, and cut out 6 (5-inch) circles. Press the circles of dough into the pans and trim the dough to fit.

4. Line the tart shells with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crusts until the edges are pale gold, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and return the tart crusts to the oven. Bake until the crusts are golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Filling

4 large eggs

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated

grapefruit zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed

grapefruit juice

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons butter, cut into

1/2-inch pieces

Whipped cream (optional)

Candied grapefruit peel

(optional)

1. Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, zests and juices in a bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a double boiler and begin heating at a medium-low temperature. Do not let the mixture become too hot, or the eggs will start to scramble. Stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, cook the mixture until it thickens enough to mound on itself, about 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place the butter in a bowl. Strain the egg-grapefruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the same bowl. Stir to melt and incorporate the butter. Pour the filling into the cooled tart crusts. Refrigerate the tarts for at least 3 hours before serving.

3. At least 20 minutes before serving, bring the tarts out of the refrigerator. Garnish with whipped cream and candied grapefruit peel if desired.

Each serving: 706 calories; 10 grams protein; 89 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 36 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 427 mg. cholesterol; 53 mg. sodium.