These great desserts showcase tasty chef-style combinations

All of us go a little crazy from time to time when planning an extra-special dinner or dessert. When I’m in that mood, time and effort makes no difference — I just want to produce a thing of beauty, as delectable to taste as it is to look at. If you’re that way too, here are some exceptional ideas to play with for your next such occasion. Enjoy!

When the first sweet, ripe strawberries are ready, take the time for this unforgettable offering.

White Chocolate

Strawberry Mousse

½ cup pure cane sugar

¼ cup cold water

4 large egg whites

½ pound white chocolate, chopped

½ pint heavy cream

1 cup strawberry sauce (recipe follows)

Fresh strawberries (and mint leaves if available) for garnish

In a small heavy saucepan combine the sugar and water; bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees or soft-ball stage, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl with electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks.

With the mixer running on high, slowly add sugar syrup in a stream and continue to beat for 2 minutes.

Beat in three-fourths of the chopped chocolate a little at a time until melted and incorporated. Fold in remaining chocolate.

In another bowl use mixer to beat the cream until it holds soft peaks; fold into the chocolate mixture, cover and chill for 2 hours before serving. Make sauce.

Strawberry Sauce

1 pint fresh ripe organic strawberries, hulled, rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

2-3 tablespoons cane sugar, or to taste

Puree strawberries until fairly smooth; pour into a bowl and stir in lemon juice and sugar.

At serving time, spoon a thin layer of strawberry sauce into 8 dessert glasses (wine glasses are great) spoon mousse equally into glasses and garnish each with one perfect, beautiful ripe red strawberry and a mint sprig.

For a final statement of elegance (and your cleverness) tuck a rolled almond tuille into each glass. Here’s how.

Almond Tuilles

4 large eggs

1 cup cane sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup finely ground blanched almonds.

Preheat oven to 300. In bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, flour and ground almonds until well combined.

Spoon 1½ tablespoons of the batter onto well-buttered non-stick baking sheets to form 6-inch circles, and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden-brown but still soft. Let cool about 10 seconds and with a spatula remove from sheet while still hot.

Working quickly, roll each cookie into a cylinder about ½-inch in diameter; let cool on a plate until hardened before adding to mousse.

This (pictured) pie is worth every step you take to create it!

Lemon

Macaroon Pie

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cake flour

1 tablespoon pure cane sugar

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted real butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling:

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups cane sugar

1 ¼ cups shredded coconut

1 cup chilled whipping cream

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

8 thin lemon slices

For crust:

Mix flour, cake flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in processor or mixer bowl.

Add chilled butter and shortening and cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add 3 tablespoons ice water and process/mix until moist clumps form. If dough is too dry add more water by teaspoonfuls.

Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350 and place rack in bottom third of oven. Butter 9-inch glass pie dish.

Roll out dough on slightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Place in prepared dish. Trim crust edge, leaving ½-inch overhang. Decoratively crimp overhang, place in freezer 15 minutes.

Line crust with foil and weight with dry beans or pie weights; bake until crust is set and rim is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights; cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:

In mixer, beat eggs, yolks and salt in large bowl to blend. Add 1¼ cups sugar and beat until mixture is thick and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in coconut, ¼ cup of the chilled whipping cream, lemon juice, melted butter, lemon peel, 1½ teaspoons vanilla and almond extract.

Pour filling into crust; bake until filling is golden and set, about 40 minutes. Cool on rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours. To serve, beat remaining whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining vanilla extract in large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Dollop whipped cream around border of pie; garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.