Holiday Sweets : Satisfying the Urge to Splurge

This is the season to enjoy desserts, not avoid them as many of us typically try to do most of the year.

With this in mind, let us consider some festive desserts that are worth the splurge. The following trio of rich recipes work well together on a dessert buffet or individually as dessert following dinner. It’s a good idea to always serve fruit--as an option for those guests who can’t partake of the sweets even during the holidays.

The cranberry glazed pear tart boasts the best of home-style appeal with an invitingly subtle range of fruit flavors, layered over pecan cream.

Although the mouthwatering caramel-crackle cream-filled puffs look professionally perfect, they’re not that hard to make. But the various steps do take time, each minute worthwhile.

The chocolate-walnut decadence is easy to make, even easier to enjoy.

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Pastry, pecan cream and fruit all work together here in a most delicious way. Although this tart is best served the day it’s made, it holds up amazingly well without becoming soggy so it’s possible to make it a day ahead.

GLAZED CRANBERRY PEAR TART 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut in small pieces 3 tablespoons sugar 2 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons ice water 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 2/3 cups flour Pecan Cream Pear Filling Half-Candied Cranberries 1/4 cup currant jelly melted with 1 tablespoon butter

In food processor work bowl fitted with metal blade, combine butter and sugar. Pulse until butter is finely chopped. In mixing bowl, cut butter into sugar with pastry blender. Add egg yolks, water, vanilla and salt. Mix well. Add flour and mix just until dough clumps together. Do not overmix.

Transfer dough to large plastic food bag. Compress into ball, then flatten into disk. Place disk in freezer just until firm enough to roll. At this point dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month, wrapped airtight.

Place dough on floured board. If dough is too firm to roll, let stand at room temperature until pliable enough to roll out without splitting. Roll dough into circle 1/8-inch thick. Carefully fold dough into quarters. Place on 11-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom, centering point of triangle. Unfold dough. Gently press into bottom and sides of pan. Trim dough 1/4-inch above rim. Pinch edges to form decorative edge. Refrigerate or freeze briefly until pastry is firm. Pierce bottom with fork in several places.

Line pastry with foil and fill with dried beans or rice. Place tart on baking sheet for easier handling. Bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Pierce crust with fork. Continue baking pastry until lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Cool at least 30 minutes. Pastry can be pre-baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, or frozen up to 1 month, wrapped airtight.

Spread Pecan Cream on cooled tart shell. Arrange Pear Filling in spiral pattern. Spoon Half-Candied Cranberries evenly over pears. Use brush to gently spread over pear slices. Place tart on baking sheet for easier handling.

Bake until juices are bubbling around edges, about 50 minutes. Cover edges of pastry with strips of foil if they become too dark during baking. Immediately and gently brush pastry and fruit with warm currant and butter glaze. Serve at room temperature. Makes 1 (11-inch) tart, or 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 488 calories; 220 mg sodium; 145 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.35 grams fiber.

Pecan Cream 1/2 cup pecan pieces 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg Dash freshly ground nutmeg Dash salt

In work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, combine pecans, sugar, butter, egg, nutmeg and salt. Mix until as smooth as possible.

Pear Filling 3 large firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/3-inch thick slices 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon sugar

In bowl, put pear slices and toss with lemon juice. In small dish, combine flour and sugar and toss pears with mixture.

Half-Candied Cranberries 2 cups cranberries 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Dash salt

In 1-quart non-reactive pot, combine cranberries, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium high heat until about 1/2 of cranberries have popped. Remove from heat. Set aside.

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These are the ultimate puffs; crunchy, creamy and not too sweet. Once these puffs are topped with caramel, they must be served the same day. Keep them at room temperature.

CARAMEL-CRACKLE CREAM-FILLED PUFFS Almond Pastry Cream 1 cup coffee 1/2 cup unsalted butter Sugar Dash salt 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring 4 large eggs 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Prepare Almond Pastry Cream and cool thoroughly.

In 1 1/2-quart pan, combine coffee, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt. Cook until butter is melted and water is simmering. Remove from heat, add flour and stir into smooth ball. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until film develops on bottom of pan.

Transfer to work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Add maple flavoring. Turn on machine and add eggs, 1 by 1, through feed tube. Mix until smooth and shiny, about 10 seconds.

Use rounded tablespoon of batter for each puff, spacing 1/2 inch apart on greased baking sheet, sprinkled lightly with water. Wet fingers with water and smooth tops of puffs.

Place in 425-degree oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until deeply browned, about 25 minutes. Pierce each puff with small, sharp knife in inconspicuous spot. Turn off oven and let puffs stand in oven with door ajar 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Cool completely. Though more tender day they are baked, puffs can be made 1 day in advance and held at room temperature in paper bag.

To prepare caramel, in small heavy saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups sugar, water and corn syrup to boil over high heat, swirling pan to dissolve sugar. Cover and boil 3 minutes. Remove lid. Continue to boil until syrup is lightly colored and registers 310 to 315 degrees on candy thermometer. Set pan in larger pot of barely simmering water to prevent caramel from hardening.

Working quickly, use tongs to dip tops of puffs into hot caramel (be careful not to touch caramel) and set upright on wire rack. Let cool until caramel hardens.

To fill, cut puffs open, about 1/2 inch from bottom. Remove moist dough from center. Use about 1 tablespoon of Almond Pastry Cream to fill top of puff. Sandwich it with bottom. Serve immediately or keep at room temperature no more than 4 hours. Makes 28 to 32 puffs.

Each serving contains about:

142 calories; 35 mg sodium; 60 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.11 gram fiber.

Almond Pastry Cream 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch Dash salt 2 large egg yolks 2 cups milk 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 4 teaspoons dark rum 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

In heavy 1-quart saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add egg yolks, milk and espresso powder. Stir over medium heat until mixture coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rum and vanilla.

Let custard cool completely. If mixture is lumpy, whisk vigorously before using. Add toasted almonds. Stir to combine. Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap. Let come to room temperature before using.

Note : To toast almonds, spread nuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes, watching carefully so they do not burn.

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Here, dark chocolate flavors a moist, dense flour-less cake. Shavings of white chocolate create a luscious topping; they’re sprinkled on while the cake is still hot. This cake is best baked a day ahead and kept at room temperature; it takes at least six hours for the cake and white chocolate to cool sufficiently to be served.

CHOCOLATE-WALNUT DECADENCE 3/4 cup unsalted butter 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 6 large egg yolks 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla Dash salt 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 8 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 2/3 cup thinly sliced or shaved white chocolate 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Melt butter and chocolate with cocoa in microwave boiler at medium power, or in double boiler, stirring often to prevent over-cooking. Set aside.

In work bowl of mixer, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and egg yolks. Mix on high until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, syrup, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Stir in walnuts. Set aside.

In clean dry bowl, beat egg whites with clean beaters on low until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Increase speed to high. When egg whites begin to hold soft peaks, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, tablespoon at time. Allow each tablespoon to be fully incorporated before adding more. Stir 1/3 of egg whites into chocolate batter. When incorporated, fold in remaining egg whites. Transfer batter to well-greased 9-inch springform pan. Spread evenly.

Bake at 300 degrees until edges seem well baked and wood pick inserted into center comes out just barely moist, about 45 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake. Set on cooling rack.

Evenly sprinkle hot cake with white chocolate shavings. After 10 minutes, use sharp flexible knife to separate cake from sides of pan. Remove springform collar. Allow to cool completely, at least 6 hours. Cake is best made 1 day ahead and kept overnight at room temperature.

To serve, use long metal spatula to separate cake from bottom of pan. Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle powdered sugar through fine sieve to garnish cake. Cut into small wedges. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake, or 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

663 calories; 126 mg sodium; 255 mg cholesterol; 47 grams fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 1.75 grams fiber.