I’ve made this tart several times recently and the response has been rapturous, so I’ve decided to share the recipe.

First, the crust: sift 200 grams of pastry flour, cut 120 grams of butter into small pieces, add 75 grams of powdered sugar, 25 grams of almond powder, 12 grams of unsugared cocoa and a pinch of salt. Mix together with the palms of your hands until the dough has a sandy texture. Add one egg and mix but don’t overwork the dough. Roll it, put it in a mold and leave in the fridge for an hour. Make sure to butter and lightly flour the dish before you lay the dough in it. Take a fork and put holes in the dough so it doesn’t rise. Put wax paper and weights on top and cook for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

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I’ve been experimenting with this recipe for several months, and the last iteration at a dinner party last weekend was the best of the bunch. Take an 8 ounce goat cheese log, 8 ounces of ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, one egg yoke, a pinch of salt, pepper, dill or parsley, and mix in a food processor to a creamy smooth consistency. Use a round 4 inch container, coat with butter, put one sun dried tomato and a sprig of parsley at the bottom, then fill ¾ of the container with the mixture. Put on a tray with an inch of water and bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes. Let it cool and take out of the container when it’s time to serve. A Coulis de Tomate (tomato without the skin or seeds) forms a colorful base for the goat cheese, garnished with homemade croutons and fresh parsley on top. It’s light and delicate, with a subtle taste that whets the appetite for the meal to come.

My love for cooking is closely allied to my love for giving dinner parties. It’s one of the joys of life to invite several couples to join my husband and I for an evening of delicious food and sparkling conversation. Last Saturday night was just such an evening. The preparation starts by setting a stylish table. In this case I’ve strewn the table with fall leaves, mini white pumpkins and white flowers (cyclamens.) The dinner service is Limoges and the wine and water glasses are colored antiques I’ve collected for many years. The menu started with a goat cheese and tomato confit salad, followed by Boeuf Bourguignon, with a wicked chocolate tart for dessert. We sat at table for hours, relishing the food and the fellowship. With all the electronic gadgets that clutter our lives and vie for our leisure time, there’s nothing more enjoyable to me than a night spent around an elegant table with fascinating friends.

This is one hors d’oeuvre that disappears quickly without fail. I do many varieties, but they all start by hard-boiling eggs. Then immerse the eggs in ice-chilled water, making it easier to unpeel the shells. When the eggs are cold, unshell them, cut them in half, and separate whites and yolks. Now mash the yolks and get creative. Last weekend I added a coulis de tomate (tomato puree without seeds and skin) and Dijon mustard to the mashed yolks. The more conventional option uses a mix of herbs (chives, parsley and tarragon) and just a touch of mayonnaise. Put the yolk mixture into the whites—if you’re fancy use a pastry bag and squeeze the mix artfully into the whites. It’s easy, quick and addictive.

Crème Brulee is one of my favorites. I love making it, serving it and eating it. So I should definitely share my recipe. Combine 2 cups of heavy cream, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, a vanilla bean (split with the small seeds scraped free) and a cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and transfer to a measuring cup. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Lightly beat 5 egg yokes in a medium bowl placed with the bath. Slowly add the cream in a steady stream, whisking all the while. Cool the bowl for about 30 minutes. Fill 6 small 4-inch wide ramekin dishes with the custard, and place in a large pan. Fill the pan with warm water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 300-degree oven. Remove, let cool and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight. Prior to serving combine 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the sugar over each custard. Brown the tops with a kitchen blowtorch (my favorite part).

I wanted to create a visually dramatic dessert for a recent dinner party and the result was this multi-level treat. Using ready-made Pepperidge Farm puff pastry cut 2 pieces per person (3″ x 4″ each) and place on a buttered tray with wax paper on top. Bake in a 355 degree oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden. Clean and dry one pound of fresh strawberries and cut in slices. Mix with the juice of one lemon and a quarter cup of sugar, and put in the fridge. For the sauce puree one pack of frozen strawberries with a quarter cup of sugar. Add a tablespoon of water as needed to give a smooth consistency. Put through a sieve to drain impurities. Finally take 1/3 cup whipping cream, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and beat firmly. As in the photo, build with pastry, then berries, then cream, then repeat with the sauce on top. The height, color and texture give the dessert the requisite drama, and my guests said it tastes good, too.

This is an interesting and, according to my guests last weekend, delicious variation on Tiramisu. Crush a package of Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies into a powder and blend with 1 soupspoon of melted butter. Pour into a 15-inch round openable cake mold and tamp down. Then add 2 teaspoons of un-flavored gelatin to 2 tablespoons of cold water and let sit. In another dish combine 6¾ oz of light cream with 2½ oz of sugar, beat like eggs and add 4¼ oz of mascarpone. Mix well and keep on the side. Now put 3¼ oz of milk in a pan with a vanilla bean and add the gelatin mix. Bring to a boil and let cool. Take out the vanilla bean, slit to remove the grains and insert them back into the mix. Now add the vanilla mixture to the cream and pour over the crushed cookie powder. Put in fridge. Next warm 6¾ oz of light cream, add 2¼ oz of dark (70%) chocolate plus another gelatin/water mixture as above, blend until smooth and pour over the cream mixture. Keep in the fridge overnight. Delicately remove from mold and serve. The result is irresistible-or so I’ve been told on good authority!

Another great recipe from Decadent Desserts, by Countess Christina de Vogue, owner of  a spectacular chateau near Paris. This recipe was given to the Countess by the fashion designer Givenchy, who created stunning desserts as well as evening gowns. Melt 2 sticks and 2 tablespoons of butter and 9 ounces of 70% dark chocolate. When the mixture is smooth add 9 ounces of superfine sugar. In a separate bowl mix a tablespoon of flour with 4 eggs and beat as for an omelette. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture. Then dress a deep cake pan with parchment paper. Pour in the mixture and cook for 45 minutes in a bain-marie. Take out the pan and serve cold with vanilla ice cream or melted chocolate. For best results make the cake the night before and store in the fridge. I served covered with colorful chocolate hearts and raspberries.

Marooned at home during a blizzard I tried a recipe from Decadent Desserts, a ravishing book by Countess Christina de Vogue, owner of the magnificent Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte.  The Spice Cake is easy and quick and received my husband’s seal of approval: Pour 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. ground aniseed (I substituted cinnamon) into a bowl and mix. Make a well. Pour 6 tbsps milk, one half stick butter, 6 tbsps. superfine sugar and one half cup honey into a saucepan and mix. Warm over a low heat for several minutes, stirring constantly. When mix is smooth and even add to the flour gradually, stirring constantly. When this mix is smooth pour into a greased cake pan. Allow to rise for an hour, then cook for 45 minutes in a 250 degree oven. Take out of the pan when cool. I served with strawberry jam and butter, which made for a sinful but comforting late afternoon tea as we watched the snowfall.

My Christmas dinner party this year was a largish affair for me, with close to 30 guests. As usual, I put in significant overtime on the desserts. In the photo the perennial Apple Tart is in the center. Upper right is the Sivabelle chocolate cake, an exceedingly moist concoction. Beneath are chocolate truffles, some rolled in cocoa and some in hazelnut. Lower left are the Orangettes, slivers of orange peel covered in chocolate. There is much to do to tenderize and flavor the peel, but the taste is very delicate. Upper left is a tray of three kinds of cookies—oatmeal chocolate, chocolate Saltines and French macaroons. Now that the holiday season is over, I don’t think I’m the only one who has rededicated to clean, fat free living for the foreseeable future. It’s either that or a new wardrobe, God forbid.