Whip the cream to soft peaks. Beat the cooled vanilla custard slightly to loosen it, then fold in the cream and the creme de peche to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Pipe or spoon the vanilla cream into each pastry sh.e.l.l, top with mixed fresh berries, and dust with a little confectioners' sugar.

Blackberry sorbet with shortbread fingers This blackberry sorbet takes minutes to make: Lightly poach blackberries in syrup, puree, strain, cool, and churn. While waiting for the sorbet to freeze, you can use the time to make shortbread fingers. Leftover shortbread will keep for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.

SERVES 68, 68, WITH EXTRA SHORTBREAD FINGERS WITH EXTRA SHORTBREAD FINGERS Blackberry sorbet: 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 pound blackberries (about 3 heaped cups) 2 tablespoons lemon juice Shortbread fingers: cup (1 stick) unsalted b.u.t.ter, softened to room temperature scant cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 extra-large egg, beaten 12/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted with teaspoon fine sea salt cups all-purpose flour, sifted with teaspoon fine sea salt

First, make the sorbet. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat slightly and simmer for a few minutes. Tip in the blackberries and simmer for 23 minutes longer.

Transfer the blackberries and syrup to a blender and blitz until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Stir in the lemon juice and let cool completely. If you have time, chill the mixture for about an hour.

Put the sorbet mixture into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and churn until almost firm. Transfer to a suitable container and freeze until solid.

For the shortbread, beat the b.u.t.ter and sugar in an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in the egg. Turn the machine to the lowest setting and mix in the flour, a spoonful at a time, until the dough just comes together. Press the dough together into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let it firm up.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Roll out the dough to -inch thickness. Trim the edges to form a neat rectangle. With the help of a rolling pin, transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Mark out -inch by 3-inch rectangles using a clean ruler and a long knife. p.r.i.c.k each rectangle a few times with a fork and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake until the shortbread is a pale golden color, 2025 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 30 seconds, then cut along the scored lines to separate the fingers. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Remove the sorbet from the freezer 510 minutes before serving to let it soften slightly. Scoop into chilled serving gla.s.ses and serve with the shortbread fingers.

chocolate and coffee When I worked in Paris, as a humble commis chef at Guy Savoy, helping out in the pastry section, I took every opportunity to improve my pastry-, chocolate-, and cake-making skills. To begin with, I got the simpler tasks: rolling hundreds of handmade chocolate truffles to serve with teas and coffees, for example. After several months of proving my apt.i.tude and determination, I was finally allowed to make fantastic desserts on my own, many of which were exquisite chocolate creations.

Baking with chocolate is similar to cooking with wine. You get out what you put in. It always pays to use good-quality chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids-for bittersweet chocolate this should be between 65 and 72 percent-particularly if chocolate is the dominant flavor in a dessert. Even if a recipe calls for semisweet or milk chocolate, spend a little more on buying the best quality.

Chocolate swirl cheesecake Double chocolate parfait Chocolate chip pancakes with orange-brandy sauce Sticky date and chocolate pudding Chocolate and coffee pots Black Forest cake Dark chocolate marquise Coffee and almond crunch cake Chocolate roulade with chocolate-chestnut creamChocolate swirl cheesecake This New York-style cheesecake is rich and creamy, and made a little more decadent with swirls of melted dark chocolate. To cut through the richness, serve with a fresh fruit compote-blueberry or a mixture of berries, or other soft, tart fruit.

SERVES 810 810 1 cups crushed graham crackers 3 tablespoons ground toasted almonds 4 tablespoons ( stick) unsalted b.u.t.ter, melted 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids), roughly chopped cup sugar 1 cup sour cream 1 pounds cream cheese (about 2 cups) 2 extra-large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325F and b.u.t.ter a 9-inch-diameter springform cake pan. Use a food processor to mix the graham crackers with the almonds. Add the melted b.u.t.ter and pulse until the mixture comes together. Tip the mixture into the pan and press down with a spatula to form an even crust. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 1015 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 275F.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is smooth, then remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the rest of the ingredients using a hand-held electric mixer. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and tap the pan gently to level the mixture and remove any large air bubbles. Swirl the melted chocolate into the filling.

Bake until the filling is set around the sides but still wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan, about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool slowly, preferably overnight. The filling will continue to set as it cools, and taking it out of the oven too soon may cause it to crack.

Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and slide onto a serving plate. Best served chilled.

Double chocolate parfait Rich and luscious, this French-style parfait will tempt any chocolate-lover. As I hardly need to tell you, be sure to use top-quality chocolate for both layers.

SERVES 8 8.

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids), chopped 5 ounces semisweet (or milk) chocolate, chopped 1 cups double cream, lightly whipped 2 cups raspberries for serving (optional) Mousse base: cup sugar cup water 5 extra-large egg yolks

First, prepare the mousse base: Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat to dissolve, then increase the heat and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is thick and syrupy, 710 minutes. The temperature should reach about 230F on a candy thermometer (the thread stage).

While the sugar syrup is boiling, beat the egg yolks until smooth and fluffy. Carefully and slowly trickle in the hot sugar syrup, beating vigorously until the mixture is thick and glossy and has tripled in volume. Continue to beat until the mixture has cooled and the sides of the bowl no longer feel hot, about 5 minutes longer. Set aside.

Put the bittersweet and semisweet chocolates into separate large heatproof bowls. Melt one at a time, setting the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Divide the mousse base between the two bowls of melted chocolate and fold through until evenly combined. Finally, fold half the whipped cream into each chocolate base.

Line a large loaf pan or terrine with plastic wrap so that plenty of wrap hangs over the sides. Spread the bittersweet chocolate mousse evenly over the bottom of the pan, filling in the corners. Making sure the pan is level, freeze until firm, about 2 hours. In the meantime, keep the semisweet chocolate mousse in the refrigerator.

Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the semisweet chocolate mixture on top of the frozen bittersweet mixture to fill the pan. Fold the excess wrap over the top to cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the parfait from the freezer 510 minutes before serving to let it soften. Unmold onto a clean cutting board and peel off the plastic wrap. Cut into thick slices using a warm knife. Serve each slice with a scattering of raspberries, if you wish.

Chocolate chip pancakes with orange-brandy sauce For even more luxury, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each serving of warm pancakes and brandy sauce. Or, for a special breakfast treat on a child's birthday, serve the pancakes with maple syrup instead of brandy sauce.

SERVES 56 56 Chocolate chip pancakes: 2/3 cup all-purpose flour cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder pinch of fine sea salt 2/3 cup b.u.t.termilk cup b.u.t.termilk 2 extra-large eggs, separated cup cold water b.u.t.ter for frying heaped cup semisweet chocolate chips Orange-brandy sauce: 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips cup semisweet chocolate chips cup light cream 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon brandy or Grand Marnier/Cointreau 2 tablespoons orange juice orange sections for garnish (optional)

To make the pancake batter, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. In another bowl, whisk the b.u.t.termilk, egg yolks, and water together, then pour into the well. Gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid ingredients to make a smooth batter. Beat the egg whites to firm peaks, then fold into the batter.

Cook the pancakes in batches of two or three: Heat a wide, nonstick frying pan with a small piece of b.u.t.ter. Pour a small ladleful of batter into the pan for each pancake, then drop a few chocolate chips over the top of each. Fry until golden brown underneath, about 1 minute, then flip over and cook the other side for 4560 seconds longer. The pancakes should puff up as they cook. Keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the rest, adding more b.u.t.ter to the pan as needed.

For the sauce, combine the chocolate, cream, and sugar in a small saucepan. Set the pan over low heat and stir until the chocolate and sugar have melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the brandy and orange juice, then pour into a warm pitcher.

Pile the pancakes on warm plates and drizzle the sauce over them. Garnish with orange sections, if you wish.

Sticky date and chocolate pudding I can't resist a pudding like this. For me, it is the perfect ending to a meal on a cold, wintry day. It pays to use Medjool dates here, as their rich, sweet flavor adds depth to the pudding.