Blend milk, eggs, flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt in a blender, scraping down side once or twice, until batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Let batter stand at room temperature 1 hour (this prevents tough cr pes). Stir together jam and brandy in a small bowl.Preheat oven to 250 F.Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to skillet and brush to coat bottom...

Preheat oven to 200 F.Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.Whisk together flour, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a large bowl. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, then add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition.Peel apples, then cut into 1/8-inch thick slices with slicer, rotating around core (discard core). Cut apple slices into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks and toss with lemon juice in a bowl...

Make souffl cake:Put a small roasting pan filled halfway with hot water in bottom third of oven (to provide moisture during baking). Position another oven rack in middle of oven, then preheat oven to 325 F. Butter springform pan and line bottom with a round of parchment or wax paper. Butter paper. Melt butter (2 sticks) and chocolate together in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, then remove from heat...

Make tart shell:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 F.Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into bottom and side of tart pan, then trim flush with top of rim. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with weights...

Make meringue layers:Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 200 F.Using the bottom of the springform pan as a guide, draw 2 (8-inch) circles on one sheet of parchment and a third (8-inch) circle on the second sheet of parchment. Turn paper over (circles will be visible).Beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks...

Make dough:Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated...

Make dough (rough puff pastry):Sift together flour, salt, and sugar into a chilled large metal bowl. Set a grater over flour mixture and coarsely grate frozen butter into flour, gently lifting flour and tossing to coat butter.Drizzle ice water evenly over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions...

Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor; blend 20 seconds. Transfer to medium saucepan; add 2 cups water and bring to boil. Remove pan from heat and let steep uncovered 20 minutes. Pour mixture into strainer set over heavy large saucepan; press on solids to release flavored liquid. Discard solids in strainer.Add milk and sugar to flavored liquid in pan; bring to boil. Stir in tapioca; return to boil...

Combine dates, walnuts, 3 tablespoons honey, orange peel, and cardamom in processor. Blend until paste forms.Preheat oven to 375 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. If using 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, place stack of 8 phyllo sheets on work surface. Halve stack crosswise, forming 16 sheets, each 12 1/2x8 3/4 inches; arrange in 1 stack. Or if using 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch phyllo sheets, stack 16 sheets on work surface...

For crust:Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Mix melted butter, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add flour and mix until well blended. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared dish; crimp edges decoratively. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 18 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack. Maintain oven temperature.For cocoa nib praline:Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper...

Bring rice, 3 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with a tight-fitting lid, 45 minutes (rice will be cooked but still wet)...

Make starter:Stir together sugar and warm milk in a bowl. Stir in yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn\'t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Stir flour into yeast mixture, forming a soft dough. Cut a deep X in top with sharp kitchen shears. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature 1 hour...

Peel ginger and halve crosswise. Cut pieces lengthwise into 1/16-inch-thick slices, then cut slices into 1/8-inch-wide julienne strips and transfer to a 2-quart heavy saucepan.Remove zest from 3 oranges in long wide strips with a vegetable peeler, removing any white pith from zest with a paring knife, and add to ginger in pan. Fill pan three-fourths full with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, then drain in a sieve...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour baking pan, knocking out excess flour.Pour boiling-hot water over dried fruit in a small bowl and soak 20 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl.Beat together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy, about 1 minute...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 F.Toast almonds in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, stirring once, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Leave oven on.Pulse flour, sugars, 1 teaspoon zest, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until combined, then add butter and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add yolks and vanilla and process until mixture begins to come together in clumps...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cream with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Reduce speed to low and beat in dulce de leche, banana, and lime juice until combined. Freeze until firm but not frozen hard, at least 45 minutes. Brush tortillas with butter on both sides. Spread out on a baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until golden, 12 to 16 minutes...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 F. Spread pistachios on a baking sheet and toast until nuts are fragrant but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Rub off and discard any loose skins (some will remain on nuts). Pulse nuts with granulated sugar in a food processor just until finely chopped. (Do not blend to a paste...

Mash papaya flesh with a fork until smooth or pulse in a food processor until coarsely pur ed. Add 5 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice and stir or pulse to combine. Add more sugar and lime juice to taste (papayas vary in sweetness and acidity).Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks, then fold in papaya mixture gently but thoroughly.Divide among 8 (6-ounce) glasses and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to develop...

Bring milk and salt to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat. Whisk together yolks and sugar in a bowl, then gradually add 1/4 cup hot milk, whisking. Add yolk mixture to milk remaining in pan in a slow stream, whisking, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is slightly thickened, coats back of spoon, and registers 175 F on thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes...

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325 F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. In electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed just until smooth. Add flour and mix at low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 disks. On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece dough to 1/4-inch-thick rectangle...

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with nonstick liner.Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup, and cream in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Add flour and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until batter is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in peanuts...

Make pastry dough:Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.Pulse butter, cream cheese, yolk, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth, then add flour mixture and pulse until dough just forms a ball.Halve dough and form each half into a roughly 6- by 2-inch rectangle. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 1/2 hours...

Make crust:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan (2 inches deep) and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, then blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size butter lumps...

Beat together all ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute.Increase speed to high and continue to beat until icing holds stiff peaks, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes with a handheld. If not using icing immediately, cover surface with a dampened paper towel, then cover bowl with plastic wrap...

For brownie: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Place pan on baking sheet. Combine cherries and 1/4 cup water in small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until liquid almost evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add kirsch and boil 1 minute. Standing back, carefully ignite kirsch. When flames subside, mix in preserves. Cook until preserves boil and thicken, about 3 minutes. Cool...