Chocolate French Silk Pie Filling 1 cup heavy cream, chilled 3 large eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons

water 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 32 pieces and softened 5. For the Filling: Whip cream to stiff peaks with electric mixer on medium-hig h speed, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate.

6. Combine eggs, sugar, and water in large heatproof bowl set over medium saucep an filled with inch barely simmering water (don t let bowl touch water). With elec tric mixer on medium speed, beat until egg mixture is thickened and registers 16 0 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat egg mixtu re until fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

Fresh Strawberry Pie (adapted from Cook s Illustrated, May/June 2011) Ingredients: For the filling: 4 pints (about 3 lbs.) fresh strawberries, gently rinsed and dried, hulled* cup sugar 2 tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes** Generous pinch table salt 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 baked 9-inch pie shell For the whipped cream: 1 cup cold heavy cream 1 tbsp. sugar *This is 10 more ounces of berries than will be used in the pie, to account for any imperfect strawberries. **Be sure to use Sure-Jell for low- or no-sugar recipes (pink box) and not regul ar Sure-Jell (yellow box), otherwise the glaze will not set properly. Directions: To make the filling, select 6 oz. misshapen, underripe or otherwise unattractive berries, halving those that are large, about 1 cups. In the food processor, pro cess the berries to a smooth puree. You should have about cup puree. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell and salt. Whisk to combine. Stir in the berry puree. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, s tirring constantly, and bring to a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan constantly. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in th

e lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, pick over the remaining berries and measure out 1 pound, 12 ounces of the most attractive ones; halve only extra-large berries. Add the berries to t he bowl with the glaze and fold gently with a spatula until the berries are even ly coated. Scoop the berries into the pie shell, piling into a mound. If any c ut sides face up on the top, turn them face down. Refrigerate the pie until chi lled, about 2 hours. Serve within 5 hours of chilling. Make the whipped cream just before serving. Whip the cream and sugar on medium speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed and contin ue beating until medium peaks form. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with whip ped cream.

Quickest Puff Pastry Makes about 1 1/2 lbs of dough 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , about 9 ounces 20 tablespoons unsalted butter (or 2-1/2 sticks) , cold, cut into 1/2-inch dice (4 tablespoons kept separate) 1 teaspoon table salt 6 tablespoons cold water , plus a tablespoon more, if necessary (I ended adding 2 tablespoons more) Place flour in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade; add the 4 ta blespoons butter; pulse until butter is absorbed, about 10 to 12 pulses of 1 sec ond each. Add remaining butter; pulse once or twice to distribute. Dissolve salt in water and add to flour mixture; pulse 3 or 4 times, until dough just starts to form a rough ball - do not over process. If mixture remains very dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time and pulse again. Turn dough onto floured work surface and shape into rough rectangle, then place on top of sheet of well-floured plastic wrap measuring at least 12-by-18 inches. Lightly flour top of dough and cover with another sheet of wrap. Press dough wi th rolling pin to flatten, then roll back and forth several times with rolling p in to make 12-by-18-inch rectangle of dough. Peel away plastic wrap and invert dough onto floured work surface, long side fac ing you. Peel away second piece of wrap. Fold top third of dough down and bottom third up to make 4-by-18-inch rectangle, then roll up dough from one end (like a jelly roll). Press dough into square, cut in half and wrap each half in plasti c and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. You could also freeze the dough at this point. For use later: make sure to defrost the frozen dough in the fridge ove rnight. To make the French apple tarts: Roll out the cold puff pastry dough to about 1/ 8-inch thickness and cut in to desired shape. [I cut mine with a large rectangl e cookie cutter.] Slide on to a cookie sheet and refrigerate for about 45 minut es. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prick dough all over with a fork. Place a few sli ces of peeled, cored Granny Smith apple on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or un

til dough is puffed and golden brown. Brush with melted apple jelly to add a bi t of sweetness and give the tarts a nice shine.

7. Add chocolate and vanilla to cooled egg mixture and beat until incorporated. Beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Using spatula, fold in whipped cream until no streaks of white remain. Scrape filling into pie shel l and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve.