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Add half the red wine caramel sauce to a 10-inch cast-iron or regular ovenproof skillet. Place the apple halves, cut side up, making sure the apples are snug. Cover the top of the pan completely with the puff pastry by overlapping the two sheets. Snip off the extra dough with scissors to create a circle that just fits inside the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the puff pastry has risen and is golden brown.

Let the tarte rest in the pan for 15 minutes; then place your serving platter on top of the pan, and carefully flip it over. Lift the pan away from the tarte; the beautiful apples will now be on top. Decorate the dessert plates with the remaining sauce, add a slice of the tarte, and garnish with the thyme.

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake

with Almonds

1¾ hours

You will need a nonstick Bundt pan to make this awesome cake. Store it in an airtight container and you can snack on it for a week.

Serves 12

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1¼ cups sour cream

4½ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup blanched almonds, toasted

Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy With the mixer on low, slowly add the eggs until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and 1 cup of the sour cream. Add the flour gradually and mix until a smooth batter is formed.

In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining ¼ cup sour cream. Scatter the toasted almonds in the bottom of the Bundt pan. Pour half of the cake batter over the almonds, then spread the brown sugar mixture evenly on top. Carefully cover with the rest of the cake batter. Insert a table knife or spoon into the pan and swirl the brown sugar mixture into the batter. Be careful not to disturb the almonds or touch the bottom of the pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.

Blue Cheese Soufflé with Chamomile-Fig Compote

Blue Cheese Soufflé with

Chamomile-Fig Compote

1 hour

Photo

Cheese for dessert is very European and a nice change from an overly sweet indulgence. This savory dessert puffs up so high it’s gorgeous; make sure folks are around when you take it out of the oven. An after-dinner experience.

Serves 4

Blue Cheese Soufflé

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the ramekins

¼ cup sugar, plus more for the ramekins

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk, warmed

5 eggs, separated

Pinch of salt

Ground white pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Pinch of cream of tartar

Chamomile-Fig Compote

1 cup sugar

1½ cups water

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 chamomile tea bag

12 dried figs, halved

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare four 8-ounce ramekins by greasing them with softened butter and then coating them with sugar, tapping out any excess.

Make a thick béchamel sauce base by melting the 3 tablespoons of butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour with fat and remove the starchy taste; do not allow the roux to brown. Add the warm milk to the mixture and continue to whisk until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese until incorporated evenly. Chill the mixture while whipping the egg whites.

In a separate clean bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar just until soft peaks form. Fold one third of the beaten whites into the béchamel mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins and place on a cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes. The soufflé is done when it has puffed