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By Root 4204 0

Set a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl; pour in the puree and strain, making sure any solids are left behind.

Whisk in the remaining ½ cup sugar. Then whisk in the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Pour into the soufflé dish over the hardened sugar. Take the boiling water off the heat.

Set the soufflé dish in a deep roasting pan or baking dish. Place in the oven and pour in the hot water at the larger pan’s corner until the water level comes about halfway up the outside of the smaller baking dish.

Bake until set, until the flan barely moves at its center when the dish is jiggled, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer the hot dish to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, covering with plastic wrap when cool—or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To unmold, run a small knife around the inner rim of the dish, then set a serving platter over it. Invert, let the flan fall out, then remove the soufflé dish, letting the sauce run over the flan. Serve by slicing the flan into wedges like a pie.

Variations: Spice the flan by adding ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, and/or ¼ teaspoon ground mace with the vanilla. Or reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons liqueur with the remaining milk—whiskey, Cognac, rum, hazelnut-flavored liqueur like Frangelico, or coffee-flavored liqueur such as Kahlúa.

Fig and Honey Clafouti

A clafouti is fruit baked in a thickened custard. Ours is sweetened with honey for a rich dessert that needs no other fandango—except, perhaps, Sweetened Whipped Cream. Makes 8 servings

Unsalted butter for greasing the baking dish

8 ripe figs, preferably Black Mission figs, stemmed and halved

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

¾ cup regular or low-fat sour cream (do not use fat-free)

1/3 cup honey

¼ cup whole or low-fat milk (do not use fat-free)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Lightly butter a 9-inch square pan. Lay the fig halves, cut side up, in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks, sour cream, honey, milk, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Gently scrape and pour the mixture over the figs in the prepared pan, taking care not to dislodge them.

Bake until lightly browned, until a knife inserted into the cakelike custard without touching a fig comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Variations: Substitute 8 plums, pitted and halved; 8 apricots, pitted and halved; or 4 large peaches, pitted and quartered, for the figs.

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Frozen Custards

A frozen custard is richer than ice cream or gelato. The former doesn’t have as many egg yolks; the latter, little to no cream. Frozen custards taste best right out of the ice cream maker—or if frozen hard, when allowed to sit out on the counter for 10 or 15 minutes.

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Vanilla Frozen Custard with Hot Fudge Sauce

This is a no-holds-barred, over-the-top, don’t-give-it-another-thought treat. Makes 1½ quarts

9 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1½ cups sugar

2 cups whole milk

2¼ cups heavy cream

1½ tablespoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe follows)

Beat the yolks and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick, pale yellow, creamy, and doubled in volume, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles pop up around the pan’s inner rim.

Beat about half the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture in a small, steady stream until smooth; then beat this combined mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining egg yolk mixture.

Set the pan over low heat; if you’re cooking with an electric stove, use a second burner just now turned to low. Cook, whisking