Preparation :

Set the milk to boil with the vanilla. Then remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. In the meantime, mix the yolks with the sugar and flour and then gradually add the milk that was warmed again. Set on heat, stirring continuously, until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat, add the butter and stir until the cream starts to cool.

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Stuffed cantaloupe( Pepene galben umplut)

Ingredients : 1 large cantaloupe, 2 large pear, 1 large apple, 2-3 peaches, 2-3 plums, 1 cup mixed white and red grapes, 1 cup wine, 1 cup rum, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons gelatine, 1 tablespoon vanilla

Preparation : Peel, seed and cube the apple and pear. Do the same for the plums and peaches. Wash the grapes well. Put all these fruits in a bowl and mix with a tablespoon of sugar. Cut a slice off the top of the cantaloupe and remove all seeds. Then fill with the other fruits, shaking the cantaloupe well for the fruits to settle and mix. Heat the wine and sugar to a boil, add the gelatine and mix with a spoon so that it dissolves well. Strain through a sieve and add the rum and vanilla. When the mixture is almost cold, pour into the cantaloupe to cover the fruits and then refrigerate. When serving, halve lengthwise and then each half in slices.

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Apple whip(Spuma de mere)

Ingredients : 1 lb/500 g apples, 2 1/2 cups water, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 oz/15 g gelatin.

Preparation : Wash and quarter the apples, remove seeds and boil until soft. Drain the liquid in another pot and sieve the apples. To the strained apple liquid, add gelatine, dissolve it, add sugar and return to heat for another boil. After it has cooled down, pour the apple liquid in a tall bowl, add the apple puree and whip until foamy. Pour in cups or glasses and serve. You can use other fruits to prepare this.

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Cake with marmelade (Prajitura cu marmelada)

Ingredients : 1 lb/500 g flour, 7 oz/200 g butter, 2 whole eggs, 3 tablespoons sugar, 3/4 oz/20 g yeast, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla or grated lemon peel, shortening for the pan, vanilla flavored confectioner's sugar; Filling: 1/2 lb/250 g ground walnuts, 4 oz/125 g granulated sugar, marmalade

Preparation : Mix the butter with the yeast and sugar, add the eggs, salt, vanilla, flour and knead to obtain a rather soft dough. Let rest for half an hour. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a sheet. Place a sheet into the buttered pan. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of marmelade over it. Sprinkle 1/3 of the ground walnuts and sugar. Then place another dough sheet. Repeat the procedure with the marmelade and walnut/sugar mixture for this 2nd and 3rd sheets. Finally, cover with the 4th sheet and bake at medium heat. When golden brown, remove from the oven, sprinkle with vanilla flavored confectioner's sugar and cut into squares or rectangles. It is desirable to use 3 different kinds of marmelade.

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Canoli with cream or whipped cream (Cornet cu frisca sau crema)

Ingredients : 4 oz/100 g butter, 4 oz/100 g confectioner's sugar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup wine, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons rum, flour as needed; Filling: 0.5 qt/0,5 l milk, 2 tablespoons flour, 3 eggs, 4 oz/100 g butter, 8 oz/250 g sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, egg for washing

Preparation : Cream the butter with the sugar and egg, then add wine, rum, oil and the flour at the end. Knead a medium soft dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Then roll into a 1/4 inch thick sheet, cut into strips and wind these strips around the special canoli molds. Wash with egg and bake. When the canoli are done, remove and let cool. When cold, fill with whipped cream or other fillings. For filling, set the milk to boil, then gradually add the eggs previously beaten with sugar and flour. Stir continuously until the filling thickens. When cooled, add vanilla and creamed butter.

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Figaro

Ingredients : 5 oz/150 g butter, 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, 4 eggs, 8 oz/250 g flour, peel and juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 5 oz/150 g sugar, 5 oz/150 g ground walnuts, 10 oz/300 g marmelade or preserves without syrup

Preparation : Mix the butter with 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar, add the yolks one by one. Mix well. Add juice and grated lemon peel, baking soda and vanilla and knead with the flour. Roll into a finger thick sheet and place in a pan. Bake at low heat until the sheet starts to rise and gets a crust. Then remove from the oven and quickly spread a layer of marmelade or preserves, topping with the whipped egg whites which have been mixed with 5 oz/150 g sugar and ground walnuts. Put in the oven again and bake. When done, let it cool in the pan. Then cut into squares or rectangles.

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Fruit basket ( Cosulet cu fructe)

Ingredients : 8 oz/250 g butter, 1 lb/500 g flour, 4 tablespoons slightly sweetened cold water, a little salt, 1 lb/500 g whipped cream, sugar, rum; Cream: 8 yolks, 2 cups milk, 8 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, 3 teaspoons potato flour, 4 oz/100 g butter; Seasonal fruits: 2 lbs/1 kg strawberries or wild strawberries, sour cherries, apricots, grapes

Preparation : Mix the water, flour and salt; roll a sheet the width of a pencil. Then spread the butter over it in an uniform layer. Fold envelope style and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Repeat the rolling and folding of the dough 3 times, refrigerating it each time for 20-30 minutes. Roll into a large circle and place this in a layer cake pan (with removable bottom) with the edges hanging outside. Bake at medium heat until golden. Remove from the oven and with a sharp knife, cut the dough that overhangs the rim of the layer cake pan. Then release the bottom and take out the baked basket. For the cream, boil the milk with the vanilla and sugar. After coming to a boil, cover and remove from heat. In a bowl, beat the yolks, gradually adding the milk mixture and stirring continuously until all the milk is used up. Then add the potato flour which was previously mixed with a little of the yolk and milk mixture. Pour everything into a double boiler and stir until it starts to resemble a soft paste. Remove from heat, add butter, mix well and refrigerate. 15-20 minutes before serving, spread the cream on the bottom of the basket and top with the washed and drained fruits, sprinkled with sugar and rum. On top of the fruits, put some whipped cream and garnish with a few fruits. The basket may be prepared 1-2 days in advance but the filling is placed just before serving.

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Assorted compote for winter(Compot asortat pentru iarna)

Ingredients : 4 lbs/2 kg sugar, 8 cups water, 2 lbs/1 kg cherries, 2 lbs/1 kg sour cherries, 2 lbs/1 kg apricots, 4 lbs/2 kg peaches, 2 lbs/1 kg plums, 2 lbs/1 kg pears, 4 lbs/2 kg fragrant grapes, 3 cups rum or vodka

Preparation : Set the water to boil with the sugar. Remove foam. After 4-5 boils, add the cherries. Let come to another boil and remove from heat. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and place on the bottom of a 10 qt glass jar. Add a cup of rum or vodka to the cherry liquid, mix and pour over the cherries in the jar. Tie the jar mouth with a clean cloth and then cellophace. Let sit in a cool and dry place, keeping it until the sour cherries come on the market. Choose ripe sour cherries and wash them. Untie the jar, drain the liquid in a pan and set to boil. When it starts to boil, add the sour cherries and let come to a single boil. Remove from heat, take out the sour cherries with the slotted spoon and place them in the jar, on top of the cherries. Pour the hot liquid in the jar over the fruits. Tie the jar mouth as before and keep until apricot time. Do this with all fruits. The apricots, plums and peaches are used whole. The pears are peeled, seeded, quartered and each quarter cut in half. The pears must be firm. The grapes are the last to be added. Remove each grape from the cluster and wash well. Untie the jar, remove all liquid and set it to boil. After the first boil, add the grapes and let come to another boil. Remove from heat, take out the grapes with the slotted spoon and place in the jar on top of the other fruits. To the hot liquid, add two cups of rum or vodka and pour in the jar. Tie the jar and keep cool until you use it. During the winter, the compote is taken out by ladle and served as needed. Retie the jar each time. It keeps quite well all winter.