Baked Ricotta mini doughnuts w/ maple glaze

From Instructables.com w/ some tweaks

FOR THE DOUGHNUTS

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese, Whole Or Part Skim
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a doughnut pan

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in dry ingredients and add in eggs, ricotta cheese, milk and vanilla extract  and blend with a hand mixer or with large spoon until combined.

Spoon batter into donut pan halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes until lightly brown and firm. Cool on a wire rack.

FOR THE GLAZE

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup Maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter and stir in powdered sugar. maple syrop and vanilla until smooth.

Dip doughnuts and let rest on a rack until glaze dries.

Frangipane au poires et chocolat (pear chocolate tart)

From http://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.com/

INGREDIENTS

3 ripe pears 
100g rich chocolat
1puff pastry sheet (Pâtte Brisée on this one)
2 eggs
100g soft butter
100g ground almonds
125g granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 220 °C (gas 7).


In a large bowl, mix the butter, ground almonds and sugar until smooth. Add 2 previously beaten eggs and mix well. 
Peel and slice pears


Put pastry on your bakin pan


Melt chocolate in double boiler (bain Marie) and cover the pastry with it . Then pour the almonds butter mix and arrange pears on top.


Bake in the bottom of the oven for about 30 minutes (keep an eye on the pastry so it does not burn).



Délicieux!

Rosca de Reyes

INGREDIENTS:
· 2 ¼ tsps dry yeast
· ¼ cup warm water
· ¼ cup milk
· ¼ cup sugar
· ¼ cup unsalted butter
· 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
· 1 tbsp of anise extract or agua de azar
· 3½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3 large eggs
· 1 tsp water
· candied fruit for garnish (acitron, orange, cherries)
For the sugar pasta:
· ½ cup sugar
· 1 egg yolk
· ½ cup flour
· 1/3 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes or until it starts foaming.
2. In a small pot warm milk and add sugar, butter, vanilla, anise and rum. Mix until it reaches about 105°F (40°C) (it will be warm to the touch)
3. Mix milk mixture with yeast mixture and add 3½ cups of flour, one at a time, and 3 eggs. Knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
4. Place dough into a bowl and cover. Let it sit until it doubles in size, about 1.5 hours, punch the dough, knead for 2 minutes and let rise again for 1.5 hours.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (175°C)
6. Turn the dough onto a slightly floured surface and using your palms roll it into a long rope and insert 3 plastic figurines. Shape it into a ring sealing the ends together (do not stretch it too much, no more than 14" diameter)
8. In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the pasta mixing them with a fork until they come
together. Using an icing knife or bag spread strips of pasta on the bread alternating with
candied fruit strips.
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes and serve with Mexican Hot Chocolate.