Vanilla Pudding

Thick enough to pipe and hold its shape, though I haven't tested how long it will hold its shape unsupported. Use as filling for cupcakes/ layers or served in a bowl when lightened with a touch of whipped cream.

500ml milk
160g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
13.5 g cornstarch
30g flour
1/2 vanilla bean/ 1 tbsp vanilla essence
50g butter

same procedure as standard pastry cream.

Double Chocolate Pudding

Creamy, thick, can be super intense if made with bittersweet chocolate or mild if made with milk chocolate. Works well as cupcake/ cake filling or just by itself, in a bowl. Adapted from Martha Stewarts recipe of the same name.

500ml milk
140g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 egg yolks
20g cocoa
25g cornstarch
1 tbsp vanilla essence
125g chopped chocolate
50g chopped butter

Whisk the yolks, cocoa and cornstarch together in a medium sized metal bowl with a splash of milk.
Combine remaining milk with sugar and salt and heat on medium till it simmers.
Temper the egg yolk mixture, then incorporate and cook till thickened, whisking well towards the end.
Simmer for 30 seconds to cook out the starch.
Place the vanilla, chocolate and butter in the metal bowl, pour the pudding over and whisk till chocolate is dissolved. Press plastic wrap and chill till cool. Thickens overnight.

Chocolate Cupcake

Moist chocolate cupcake without venturing into gummy, mushy territory. Also good as layers.  Heavily adapted from the Hersheys recipe thats so popular.

1200g sugar
135g dutched cocoa
636g flour
4.5 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vanilla essence
1 tbsp orange essence
1 3/4 cups oil
3 cups water
6 large eggs
500 ml milk

Place all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl and paddle till combined.
Add all the wet ingredients and paddle till batter is smooth.
Portion and bake at 350F.
Batter can be made and held up to 2 days ahead.

Vanilla Cupcake

A very good, basic vanilla cupcake that uses regular ingredients easily found. Results in a fluffy, light, not-overly-sweet cake with a medium crumb and almost no crust. Does not dome too much but that works well for frosting a cupcake or even stacking a layer cake. Developed at Cupcakes Amore.

8 large eggs
700 g sugar
1 tsp salt
570g flour
4.5 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup vanilla essence
1 3/4 cup water
2 cups oil


Whip the eggs and salt till foamy. Add the sugar gradually and whip till thick, fluffy and lightened in color.
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add half this mixture to the eggs and whip on low for 1 minute to develop structure.
Stream in the water and vanilla on medium just till incorporated. Stop and scrape the mixer bowl.
Stream in the oil steadily on medium.
Incorporate remaining flour mixture till combined, scrapping bowl as needed.
Portion and bake at 350F.

Balsamic Meringue

I don't know how I came up with this but it's a thought. Miro did it for his beet tasting, components of which are beet cake, chocolate sorbet, beet sorbet and balsamic meringue. perhaps I am missing out on some candied fennel seeds that he may have used as well. He said the meringue was "banging"! 

"Snickers" Bars

Here's the link to the recipe: "Snickers" Bars: bonappetit.com

Just going to copy and paste the recipe from the website, just in case the link expires

Ingredients

Base

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

3 1/2 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, or Lindt), chopped

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup puffed rice cereal

Peanut Nougat

1 large egg white

1/8 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/2 cup toasted salted peanuts, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream

4 tablespoons whole milk, diided

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (see above), melted

Chocolate Coating

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Base

Coat an 8x8x2" metal baking pan with nonstick spray; line with plastic wrap, pressing to smooth out any wrinkles. Place chocolate in a medium metal bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from saucepan. Stir in peanut butter, then cereal. Transfer to prepared pan; press over bottom in an even layer. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Peanut Nougat

Line a baking sheet with parchment; coat with nonstick spray. Place egg white in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add 1/8 teaspoon sugar; beat until peaks begin to form. Bring honey to a boil in a small saucepan. With mixer running, gradually add honey to egg white. Set aside.

Stir 3/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat; boil until mixture reaches 275°, 5–7 minutes.

Return mixer with egg white to medium speed. Gradually add syrup to egg white, allowing it to drip down sides of bowl. Beat until glossy and stiff, about 5 minutes. Fold in peanuts and salt. Spread nougat over prepared sheet into an 8" square (about 1/4" thick). Let cool for 1 hour.

Invert nougat over base in pan; peel off parchment. Spread over base in even layer.

Milk Chocolate Bavarian Cream

Place 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand to soften, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring remaining 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 cup cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks and sugar in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to same pan. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened and a thermometer registers 175°, about 3 minutes. Add gelatin; whisk until dissolved.

Place melted chocolate in another medium bowl. Pour cream mixture through a strainer into chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Beat remaining 3/4 cup chilled cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding just to blend between additions. Pour Bavarian cream over nougat, spreading in an even layer. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Chocolate Coating

Place chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Invert 8" pan onto a work surface; remove pan and peel off plastic. Turn over. Cut into 6 slices, then halve each slice crosswise. Transfer pieces to prepared baking sheet, base side down. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate over tops and sides of bars. Freeze to set, 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil; freeze. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate pate choux

I don't know why this is not done more frequently. But judging from the availability of the images, maybe I just haven't looked hard enough, earlier. I know someone filled theirs with chestnut cream, which sounds kinda nice, like a mont blanc. 

Hazelnut Frangipane and Stone Fruit Galette

Pie crust, frangipane made with hazelnut instead of almonds and pitted, sliced stone fruit (perhaps apricot, peach, maybe plum? or how about pear?)

Brush with cream, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake

         

Baked Alaska

                                                    
Why am I obsessed with this idea? Maybe for Christmas season, because of the fruitcake. I think it should work.

Frozen Nougat Ice-cream (david lebovitz: Room for Dessert)
Chocolate Fruitcake ( David Lebovitz: Room for Dessert/ King Arthur Flour website: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-cherry-berry-fruitcake-recipe)
Brown sugar Swiss meringue