Desserts by the Yard

Desserts by the Yard begins with inspirations from Yard's childhood, such as My Favorite White Birthday Cake with Chocolate and Butter Fudge Frosting, and culminates in the spectacular creations she makes every year for the Academy Awards. Included here are some of Yard's most famous recipes: the slinky crème brulee she perfected when she worked at New York's Rainbow Room, the coffeecake that made Campton Place Hotel San Francisco's most popular breakfast spot, and the souffleed creme fraiche pancakes with strawberry sauce she learned in Vienna. Don't miss the chocolate caramel tart that Hugh Grant loves, former President Clinton's favorite oatmeal raisin cookies, or the treat that made actress Suzanne Pleshette exclaim, "You're gonna make me fat!"

Desserts don't get easier than Yard's No-Bake Cheesecake, more decadent than Chocolate Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Gelato, or more holiday-perfect than Triple Silken Pumpkin Pie. In sidebars to each recipe, Yard shares tricks and techniques along with hilarious anecdotes that show her pluck, determination, and generosity.

For more information, visit http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com.

Sherry's Secrets:

1. When lining baking sheets with parchment, first spray the sheets with pan spray, so the parchment won't slip when you spread it with batter.

2. Bake cakes in half sheet pans (12-x-17-inch rimmed baking sheets) instead of round cake pans: they'll bake and cool faster. The layers are automatically even because you don't need to split one cake into two or three rounds.

3. To transport cakes so they arrive in perfect shape, line a cake pan with plastic wrap, lightly spraying the pan to anchor the plastic. Leave a generous overhang. Assemble the cake in the pan, but don't frost it until it arrives at its destination, Cover it with the plastic and wrap it again.

4. When baking with frozen blueberries, toss them first in a very small amount of flour -- just enough to coat them -- to prevent them from "blueing" the batter.

5. Instead of adding spices with the dry ingredients as most recipes suggest, cream the spices with the butter and the sugar. This releases the fragrant spice oils.

6. To make your pears perfectly smooth and shiny for poaching, use a brand-new scrubby. Once you've peeled the pear, gently rub its surface with the scrubby to sculpt it.

You can freeze most plain layers of cake if you brush them lightly with sugar syrup. Double-wrap them in plastic, then seal in a freezer bag.

7. To cut chocolate into even pieces, place it on a plate or small cutting board and zap it in the microwave three times for 5 seconds each.

8. If you like your cookies flat and crispy, tap them down on the inside of the oven door before sliding them back in when you turn your baking sheets from front to back halfway through the baking. This will cause the rising dough to fall.

9. For inexpensive tools that give desserts a professional look, shop at a hardware store like Home Depot. Power painters make good spray guns for coating plates with chocolate, shower/tub liners are perfect for making templates, cement scrapers are useful cleanup tools, paintbrushes double as pastry brushes, and plastic scrapers are great for cleaning out bowls.

No - Bake Cheesecakes
Makes 24 Mini Cheesecakes

My mom had some decidedly unusual techniques in the kitchen. Up there with the wackiest of them was warming opened cans of vegetables on a cookie sheet in the oven. She figured, "Why dirty a pot if I don't have to?" I called it Popeye cooking. We would run downstairs to the pantry every night before dinner to collect that evening's canned vegetables. Green beans were a regular (though they were more often brown by the time Mom got through with them), and creamed corn was our favorite. By now you're probably wondering why I'm prefacing a recipe for cheesecake with a story about heating cans of vegetables in the oven. It's because of what happened the time Mom and I were making no-bake cheesecakes for Thanksgiving.

Mom told Dad to put the cans of vegetables into the oven, which he dutifully did. The only problem was, no one had opened the cans. Forty-five minutes later, the oven door burst open and out flew a can of creamed corn, heading straight for the plateglass sliding door. It flew past Grandma and the crudités, barely missing Mom and me and the cheesecakes. The cheesecakes were unharmed. Mom used whole vanilla wafers for these, but I've refined her recipe by making the little crusts out of vanilla cookie crumbs.

<1i> 2 vanilla wafer cookies <1i> 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature <1i> 1/2 cup sugar <1i> 2 tablespoons sour cream <1i> 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice <1i> 12 ripe strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered (depending on the size), or fraises des bois

1. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until you have crumbs. Line the cups of two mini muffin pans with paper liners and spoon a layer of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in the sour cream and lemon juice until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Spoon or pipe the filling into the cups. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, until set, or overnight.

4. Before serving, top each cheesecake with a strawberry piece or two.

Rainbow Cookies < /br> Makes 80 (1 1/2 - inch) squares or 120 (1 - inch) squares

These gems are the grown-up version of the cookies that we used to buy by the pound at Leon's Bakery. They are really like little petits fours, consisting of fine layers of almond cake colored green, red, and yellow. The layers are soaked in simple syrup. At Spago we cut them into 1-inch squares. We make our own raspberry and apricot jams to sandwich the layers, but a good commercial jam will do just fine. The cookies are topped with a rich chocolate glaze.

The recipe makes a lot of cookies, and it's worth it to make this many, as the recipe is time-consuming and the cookies freeze well. You'll need a large (2-quart) food processor for this. If yours is smaller, do the cake base in 2 batches.

For The Cake

12 ounces almond paste

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened

6 large eggs, separated

3/4 cup almond flour (available at whole foods stores or see Sources)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 drop red food coloring, or more as needed

1 drop green food coloring, or more as needed

2 drops yellow food coloring, or more as needed

1 1/4 cups Simple Syrup (see below)

3/4 cup apricot jam or Apricot Schmutz (see below)

3/4 cup raspberry jam

For The Chocolate Glaze

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons light corn syrup

11/2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1. MAKE THE CAKE: Place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, or if you have three racks, space them evenly. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 12-x-17-inch half sheet pans with pan spray. Line with parchment paper and spray the parchment.

2. Place the almond paste in a large food processor fitted with the steel blade and blend for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of coarse wet sand.

3. Add one quarter of the softened butter and pulse until it is blended with the almond paste. Blend in another quarter of the butter. Gradually add the remaining butter and blend until fluffy.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and pulse to blend. Pulse in the almond flour, then the all-purpose flour. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

5. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the batter.

6. Divide the batter among three bowls. Add the red food coloring to one bowl, the green food coloring to another, and the yellow food coloring to the third, and stir well to blend in each color. The batter with the red food coloring should be bright pink, the green batter should be a light green, and the yellow batter should be vibrant yellow; add a little more food coloring if necessary.

7. Scrape all of one colored batter onto one end of a prepared baking sheet and using a spatula, preferably offset, spread it evenly, turning the pan and scraping the batter off the spatula with your finger after each pass. It will take a while, but eventually the batter should be spread evenly over the baking sheet. Then slide your finger along the inside edge of the baking sheet to remove the excess batter from the edges. Repeat with the remaining 2 colored batters.

8. Place the pans in the oven (you may have to do this in 2 batches) and bake for 10 minutes. Switch the first two pans from top to bottom and rotate from front to back and continue to bake until the cake is firm to the touch, about 10 minutes more. Bake the third sheet on the middle rack, rotating from front to back after 10 minutes. The cakes should not brown. Allow to cool in the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

9. ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put an empty baking sheet in front of you, upside down. Spray lightly with pan spray and top with a piece of parchment (the spray will keep the parchment from slipping). Invert the yellow cake onto the baking sheet. Place a hot moist kitchen towel over the parchment on the bottom of the cake for a couple of minutes, then peel off the parchment. If it doesn't peel off neatly, then tear it off in strips. Using a pastry brush, brush evenly with one third of the simple syrup. Smear the apricot jam or apricot schmutz evenly over the cake. Top with the pink cake and remove the parchment on the bottom in the same way. Brush evenly with half of the remaining syrup. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top. Complete with the green layer, removing the parchment and brushing with the remaining syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (At this point, the cake can be stored wrapped airtight in the freezer for 3 to 4 weeks.)

10. MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Combine the chocolate with the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt at 50 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Stir in the corn syrup and the Grand Marnier.

11. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Pour the glaze over the top and using an offset spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the top, stopping just before the edges. Allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then, just as the shine disappears from the glaze, run a pastry comb or a fork in a squiggly motion over the top to make a decorative pattern (if you don't like the way it looks the first time, just run the comb or fork over the top again).

12. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, or until the glaze is set. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 11/2- or 1-inch squares, using a serrated or chef's knife dipped in warm water to heat it and wiped dry. Wipe the knife clean after each cut. (The cake can be frozen, wrapped airtight, for up to 2 weeks.)

*When lining baking sheets with parchment, first spray the sheets with pan spray, so the parchment won't slip around when you smear it with a thin layer of batter.

Simple Syrup
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

You can keep simple syrup in the refrigerator for a couple weeks, and it's convenient to have around. If you aren't going to use it for pastry, use it for sweetening iced tea, or add a little coffee to it and use it for your coffee. Or use it for mixed drinks like lemon drops and Pisco sours.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the water and sugar over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature; you can do this quickly over an ice bath. (The syrup can be stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

Apricot Schmutz
Makes 2 Cups

I use apricot schmutz as a filling for my Rainbow Cookies, on my Topfenknödel, and in many other desserts. You can substitute strained apricot preserves, but this tastes much more special. You can also swirl it into ice cream.

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 large oranges)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dry white wine (or omit, and use 3/4 cup water in all)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar (or omit and use 1/4 cup sugar in all)

1 1/4-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled

1. Combine the apricots, orange juice, water, white wine, sugar, vanilla sugar, and ginger in a medium heavy saucepan, place over medium heat, stir together, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the ginger. Put the mixture through a food mill while still warm, or process in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate. (It will keep for up to 2 weeks.)

Cafe Glace
Makes Six 4 - Ounce Servings Or Four 6 - Ounce Servings

When Wolfgang's son Byron was little, he would request only one dessert: coffee ice cream. We changed the menu at Spago often, and sometimes coffee ice cream wasn't on it. On one such day, Byron was in for lunch, and I came up with this solution to the problem: I mixed decaf espresso into my vanilla ice cream. Wolfgang, watching me do this, was reminded of a Viennese favorite and asked if he could have some "Viennese cafe glace" as well. Voilà! A great lunch dessert special, served complete with whipped cream, chocolate-dipped tuile cookies, and chocolate shavings, was born.

1 pint Seven-Bean Vanilla Ice

Cream or storebought vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1/2 cup cold brewed espresso

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to medium-stiff peaks

1 tablespoon finely shaved chocolate or thin chocolate curls

Chocolate-Dipped Tuiles (see below)

1. Place the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl and the beaters of a hand mixer, and six 4-ounce cups or glasses (or four 6-ounce cups or glasses) in the freezer for 30 minutes.

2. Spoon the ice cream into the ice-cold bowl and add the espresso. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, blend at low speed until smooth. Spoon into the frozen cups or glasses, top with the whipped cream, and sprinkle on the chocolate shavings or curls. Serve immediately, with the cookies, or place in the freezer for up to 4 hours.

HOW TO MAKE CURLED CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS< /br> Place an 8-ounce block of chocolate on a microwave-safe plate or a sheet of parchment. Microwave at 50 percent power for 10 seconds, just to warm it very slightly. Remove from the microwave and place on a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Place a chef's knife across the chocolate, parallel to the edge of your work surface, with the blade angled away from you at a 45-degree angle. With one hand on the handle and the other holding the tip end, pull the knife toward you, scraping off long curled shavings of chocolate as you go.

*Chocolate - Dipped Tuiles
Makes 36 cookies

Imake these ganache-dipped Viennese cookies to accompany Café Glacé. You've probably seen packaged versions, but these are the real thing.

FOR THE TUILES

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

FOR THE GANACHE

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

1. MAKE THE TUILES: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325-degree F. Line a 12-x-17-inch half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Don't overbeat, because tuile batter shouldn't be too aerated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle. Add the flour and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and mix for an additional 15 seconds. Add the egg whites one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each egg white is incorporated. Beat on low speed until the batter is smooth.

3. To form the paper-thin cookies, place three or four 1-tablespoon mounds of batter 3 inches apart on the silicone-lined baking sheet. Using a metal spatula, preferably offset, smear each mound in a 180-degree semicircle, like a windshield wiper. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees and smear the other side of the rounds 180 degrees using the same motion, to complete the circle, making 3-inch rounds.

4. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet from front to back and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. (Be careful not to bake the cookies too long or they will become dark and be difficult to shape.) Open the oven and place the cookie sheet on the oven door. Using an offset spatula, loosen all of the cookies from the silicone mat, then one by one, lift off the cookies with the spatula and roll up around the handle of a wooden spoon. If the cookies stiffen, return them to the oven for a minute to soften. If this is too difficult (the cookies are hot!), you can either leave them as they are or drape them over a rolling pin. Slide the cookies off the spoon handle. Repeat with the remaining batter. Allow the cookies to cool completely on racks.

5. MAKE THE GANACHE: Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl at 50 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Stir until well combined. Pour in the cream and whisk together quickly.

6. Dip the cookies into the ganache, covering them halfway, or fill using a piping bag. Place on racks until the chocolate stiffens, at least 1 hour, then serve. (The cookies will keep for up to 3 days, stored airtight.)

*When you make tuiles, it's important not to overbeat the batter, or the cookies will have too many air bubbles. The key is to add the egg whites last.

From DESSERTS BY THE YARD: From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills -- Recipes from the Sweetest Life Ever
by Sherry Yard
Houghton Mifflin Company 2007