• Let the puff pastry defrost according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Unroll the pastry on a piece of parchment paper. If it has cracked during the unrolling process, gently press it back together and roll it with a rolling pin to smooth any creases. If desired, use a sharp paring knife to cut the pastry into a heart shape (or any other shape you’d like!)
• Gently cut a border all the way around, about ½-inch from the edge of the pastry. Don’t go all the way through the pastry—just a small cut on the surface will do. Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Transfer the pastry on the parchment onto a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake in the 400 degree oven until puffy and golden brown. Let cool completely.
• Spread the Nutella over the cooled pastry. Wash and dry the berries, and cut the strawberries in half. (You can also cut them into heart shapes, if desired!) Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, and transfer it into a piping bag or a plastic bag with a hole snipped into the corner. Drizzle the melted white chocolate all over the Nutella.
• While the chocolate is still wet, press the berries into the top of the pizza. Cut into slices and served! This dessert is best enjoyed on the day it is made.

To Make the Chocolate Espresso Sauce:

• Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, and place over medium heat. Heat the cream until it is almost boiling, and bubbles appear all along the sides of the pan.
• Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and let it sit for a minute to soften the chocolate. Add the hot espresso, and whisk everything together until your sauce is shiny and smooth. Use it right away, or if you’re saving it for later, press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the chocolate sauce. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• If the sauce has been refrigerated, microwave it in short bursts and whisk until it is once again liquid, shiny, and smooth.

To Make the Puff Pastry-Wrapped Pears:

• Use a small paring knife to core the pears from the bottom, removing the core and seeds. Leave the stems attached. Peel the pears. If your pears are hard, proceed to the poaching step. If they’re very ripe and soft, skip the poaching and go straight to the puff pastry step.
• To poach the pears: combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla, and lemon slices in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir while the sugar dissolves, and bring the mixture to a low boil. Add the pears, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Poach, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes, until the pears are tender but not mushy. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and let them cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set the pears on the baking sheet in evenly spaced intervals. Lightly flour your work surface, and carefully unfold a sheet of puff pastry, pressing any cracks back together with your fingertips. Use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to cut the pastry into ½-inch strips. Whisk the egg in a cup or small bowl.
• Start at the bottom of a pear, and wind a strip of pastry around the base. When the strip ends, brush a little bit of beaten egg on the end, and press a new strip on top of it. Continue winding strips of pastry around the pear, covering it completely, until you get to the top. Repeat with the remaining pears and puff pastry. If you have extra pastry, you can use a small leaf cutter to cut out pastry leaves, and glue them to the tops of the pears with egg wash.
• Brush the pears all over with the egg, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, and if you notice the tops of the pears are getting dark, place a small tent of foil on top of each pear to prevent the tops from burning. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the sides of the pear are golden brown. Let the pears cool slightly, until they’re warm but not hot, and serve with a generous drizzle of warm chocolate syrup on top.

• Defrost the puff pastry according to the package directions, and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
• Cut the apples into quarters around the core. Slice each apple section into very thin slices, around 1/8-inch thick or less if possible. Save any misshapen slices or end pieces for another use. Place the water in a medium saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the apple slices and simmer them for 3-5 minutes. You just want to cook them slightly so they’re pliable and can easily bend—do not let them get overly soft or mushy.
• Strain the apples out of the water and place them on a baking sheet covered with a paper towel to drain. Let them cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 425 F, and spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry to a 12×12-inch square. (Leave the other sheet in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.) Cut the square into six long strips.
• Use a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer to slice the cheese into paper-thin slices. Give the cranberry sauce a few good stirs to break up any clumps.
• Brush the bottom of one strip of puff pastry dough with the beaten egg. Start laying apple slices along the top of the puff pastry strip, with the rounded part sticking above the dough. Overlap the slices slightly as you lay them down, and leave a small margin uncovered at the end of the strip.
• Spread a little cranberry sauce on the apples. A little goes a long way, and if you overfill it will spill out the top of the pastry and look messy, so try to go lightly on the cranberry! Add the cheese slices on top of the apples, and roll the puff pastry up. Brush a little egg onto the uncovered margin at the end of the strip, then press the pastry roll closed. Pinch the excess dough at the bottom of the pastry together—the egg wash will help it hold together.
• Place the puff pastry rose in the prepared baking sheet, and repeat until all of the roses are made. Bake at 425 F for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. If the apple slices start to get too dark or burn along the edges, cover the pan loosely with foil. They’re done when they’re puffed and they look golden brown along the sides.
• These pastries are best enjoyed a bit warm on the same day they were made.

To Make the Pie Crust:

• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a large food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
• Add the cold cubed butter and shortening, and pulse in short bursts until they’re cut into the dry ingredients and the mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs. Add half of the cold water and pulse in 5-second bursts, adding the rest a little more at a time just until the dough starts to come together. You may not need to use all of the water—stop when the dough starts to come together, and don’t overwork it!
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it just enough to incorporate any dry patches of flour. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for an hour to chill. The dough can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Make the Filling:

• Combine the cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and orange juice or water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the berries, stirring occasionally, until they all “pop” and you have a thick, bubbling mixture. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have a thick, jammy texture.
• Transfer the cranberry mixture to a bowl, press a layer of plastic wrap on top, and refrigerate until it is no longer warm. The cranberry filling can be made up to a week in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Assemble:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 12×16-inches. Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the dough into 16 rectangles, about 3×4-inches each. (These are approximate sizes, and you can vary the measurements to get a different number of pies, if you desire.)
• Crack the egg into a cup and whisk it with a spoonful of cold water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash around the edges of 8 of the rectangles. Fill these 8 rectangles with 2 tablespoons of cranberry filling, and a tablespoon of chopped white chocolate.
• Top each of the filled rectangles with another rectangle of pie dough, and press along the edges to seal the dough together. Crimp the edges with a fork, or use a fluted pastry wheel to cut a decorative pattern into the edges. Use a sharp paring knife to cut two air vents into the top of each pie. Transfer the pies to a parchment-covered baking sheet, and brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar.
• Bake the pies for 15-17 minutes, rotating halfway through, until they are puffed and golden brown on top. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you want to decorate them, melt the 1/4 cup white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring frequently to prevent overheating. Transfer it to a plastic bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle white chocolate over the top of each pie. Crush a few freeze-dried cranberries, and while the chocolate is still wet, scatter a pinch of berries over the top of each pie. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set the white chocolate, then serve.

To Make the Fresh Mint Ice Cream:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and mint leaves. Place the pan over medium heat, and bring it to a simmer—bubbles should appear around the sides of the pan, but don’t let it come to a full boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it with a lid, and let it sit at room temperature for one hour, to infuse the dairy with mint flavor. After an hour, taste the milk, and if the mint flavor isn’t as strong as you want it, continue to infuse it, checking regularly, until you get a flavor you like.
• Strain out the mint leaves from the milk, squeezing them over the pan to extract all of the liquid. Add the sugar and salt to the milk, and place it back over medium heat. Whisk occasionally, and while it heats up, place the yolks in a medium bowl and whisk them to break them up.
• Once the milk comes to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat and whisk the egg yolks while you slowly pour in about a third of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs heat up but don’t cook during the process.
• Now return the saucepan to the heat and start whisking the milk while you pour in the hot egg mixture. Continue to whisk as the custard cooks, and cook it until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. If you want to use a candy/deep fry thermometer, you’re shooting for 175 F (80C).
• Take the pan from the heat and strain the ice cream custard through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or container. If you want a deeper green color, add a drop or two of food coloring and whisk it in. Continue to whisk occasionally as it cools, and once at room temperature, press a layer of cling wrap on top of the custard and refrigerate it until it’s completely chilled. (To speed up the process, you can place the bowl over an ice bath and whisk it as it cools down.) The custard can be made several days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to churn it.
• Churn the custard according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once it has reached soft-serve consistency, add the semi-sweet chocolate pieces and mix them in. Scrape the ice cream into a loaf pan or other storage container, press a layer of cling wrap on top, and freeze for 2-3 hours, until the ice cream is firm.

To Make the Chocolate Profiteroles:

• Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder into a small bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and dump the flour/cocoa mixture in all at once. Stir immediately with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated and there are no dry lumps remaining. Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the dough comes together in a ball in the center of the pan and a thin film develops on the bottom of the pan.
• Scrape the hot dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Begin to beat on low speed to release some of the heat and steam. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each one is incorporated completely before adding the next. At first the dough might resist the eggs, but as you continue mixing it will gradually turn into a silky dough. You may not need to add all of the eggs, so after you have added four eggs, check the texture of the dough to see if it’s ready. My favorite way to check is to take a pinch of dough between your thumb and forefinger, and spread the fingers apart. If the dough stretches between the fingers instead of immediately snapping, then it is ready. You can also try scooping a little onto a spatula and then shaking it in the air above the bowl. If the dough easily slides from the spatula to the bowl, it is ready, but if it clings to the spatula, then it needs a little more egg. To add the additional egg, crack the fifth egg into a small cup and whisk it gently. Mix in half of the egg and test the dough again, and then add the remaining egg if the dough requires it.
• Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a coupler or large round tip. Hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet about a half-inch from the surface, and using consistent pressure, pipe out a circle of dough about an inch and a half in diameter. Don’t move the bag upward as you pipe—instead, keep it steady and allow the dough to expand around the bag. When finished piping one, stop squeezing the bag and then lift up quickly. Leave some room between each puff because they do expand while baking. You should get about 24-28 puffs from this recipe.
• Bake the puffs at 425 F for 12 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Because the puffs are a dark brown already, it can be difficult to know when they’re done. Look for them to feel very light, and sound hollow when you thump on the bottom. Once baked, carefully cut a slit in the side of each profiterole about a half-inch from the bottom to allow steam to escape. Turn the oven off, prop the door open, and let them cool completely in the cooling oven before using.
• To assemble, cut the profiteroles in half and fill each with a scoop of ice cream. Serve with warm chocolate sauce drizzled on top, and consume immediately.

To Make the Horchata Ice Cream:

• Combine the rice and cinnamon stick in a blender. Blend on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until the rice and cinnamon are finely ground. (It’s okay if your blender produces a coarser mixture—you just want to break them down a little.) Add the cup of milk and blend the milk with the rice until you have a thick, slushy mixture. Pour it into a large container and add the cream, condensed milk, salt, and vanilla. Whisk well, then refrigerate it overnight, or at the minimum 3-4 hours.
• Line a strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth, and pour the ice cream mixture through the cheesecloth to strain out the rice and cinnamon stick. Churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When it is finished it will probably have a soft-serve consistency, so place it in the freezer to firm up before scooping and assembling the sandwiches.

To Make the Churros:

• Sift together the flour and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and set aside for a moment.
• Combine the water, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, and once boiling, add the flour mixture all at once and stir it in quickly. It will be thick. Continue to stir until the streaks of flour are gone, and the whole thing comes together in a rough, shaggy ball in the middle.
• Transfer the hot ball of dough to the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Begin to beat on medium speed, and add one of the eggs. At first it won’t come together, but continue to beat until it’s incorporated and the mixture smooths out. Add the other egg and beat until your dough is combined and smooth.
• Fit a pastry bag with your star tip, and fill the bag with churro dough. Cover two baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Pipe the dough in a spiral shape into 3-inch circles, keeping the tip close to the baking sheet so the dough is in a very thin layer. You should get about 18-20 circles from one batch.
• Transfer the sheets to the freezer for 10 minutes to chill the dough and make it easier to handle. While the churros are freezing, heat the oil for frying. Pour the oil into a large skillet, so that it’s 1 1/2 – 2 inches deep, and turn the heat to medium. Insert a candy/deep fry thermometer and let the oil heat to 350 F (175 C). Line a baking sheet with several layers of paper towel, and toss the granulated sugar and remaining 3 tsp (1 tbsp) of cinnamon together in a shallow pie pan.
• Once at 350 F, slide a spatula under the frozen churros to release them from the pan. Transfer 2-3 churros to the hot oil and fry them, turning them occasionally so that they brown on all sides.
• When they’re finished, they will be puffed and golden brown on all surfaces. Transfer them to the paper towel-lined baking sheet using a slotted frying spatula, then quickly move them to the cinnamon-sugar bowl and toss them with the sugar until they’re coated. Let the oil come back up to 350 F before frying the next batch. If it gets too hot during the cooking process, remove it from the heat until it cools down again. The goal is to always keep it around 350 F.
• Continue to cook the churros in small batches until they’re all fried and coated with cinnamon sugar. While the churros can be made a few hours in advance, for the best taste and texture, they should be enjoyed on the same day they’re made. To make the ice cream sandwiches, top one with a scoop of ice cream, place another churro on top, and serve immediately!

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Allow the puff pastry to defrost at room temperature until it is supple but still cool. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour, and gently roll out the sheet of pastry until it is a rectangle approximately 12 x 16-inches. Periodically rotate and flour the pastry lightly, as needed, to prevent it from sticking.
• Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, so you have two 12 x 8-inch rectangles. Lightly score one rectangle in half lengthwise, then divide it into four sections widthwise, so you have the outline of eight rectangles, each about 4 x 3-inches. Brush the scored rectangle with a light coating of beaten egg.
• Slice the brie into thin pieces. Place the pieces of brie in a single layer in the pastry rectangles, leaving a clear space around the edges. Imagine you are making ravioli—you want to keep all of your filling in the center of the rectangle, and leave a border around the edges of the pastry.
• Top the brie with a few raspberries and a pinch of chopped dark chocolate. Once all of the rectangles are layered with cheese, berries, and chocolate, gently transfer the second pastry rectangle on top. Press down gently but firmly along the edges and in between the rows and columns. The beaten egg on the bottom sheet will help the pastry stick together. Make sure you have a good seal along the edges of each rectangle, then use a pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut them apart.
• Transfer the pastry squares to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and freeze them for 15 minutes, or until firm. Brush the tops with the beaten egg, and place the pastries in the preheated 375 F oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the pastries are puffed and have a beautiful golden brown crust on top.
• Let cool slightly before serving, but do serve them warm from the oven, so they are still crunchy out the outside and melted on the inside. They can be served plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

For Root Beer Funnel Cakes with Root Beer Syrup:

• Whisk together the egg, root beer, and oil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is incorporated and all of the lumps are gone. Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a round tip, or a zip-top plastic bag. If using a plastic bag, cut a hole in the corner no larger than 1/2-inch. To prevent the batter from spilling out, clamp the hole closed with a clothespin or binder clip when you’re not piping the cakes.
• Pour the frying oil into a medium saucepan so that it’s 2 inches deep, and insert the candy thermometer. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 370 F (188 C). Hold the bag of batter directly above the oil, and remove the clamp. Pipe the batter into the oil, holding it close to the surface, and quickly move it in a wiggly, circular pattern to create an irregularly shaped blob of dough about 6″ across. To ensure that your funnel cakes hold together, make sure that the tip of your bag is close to the surface of the oil, and that you criss-cross over the dough several times when piping the cake.
• The cake will cook quickly–a minute or less for the first side, and closer to 30 seconds for the second side. Once the cake is puffed, crispy, and golden brown, remove it from the oil using a frying skimmer or slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the rest of the batter, making about 6 cakes total. Watch the temperature of the oil and keep it between 370 -380 F. Remove it from the heat if it gets too hot, or let it warm up in between batches if the temperature drops too much. Before serving, brush with the cake's root beer syrup. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and more root beer syrup drizzled on top.

For the Root Beer Syrup:

• Pour root beer into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the syrup reduces down to about 1/3-1/2 cup (the measurement doesn’t have to be precise). This might take up to 30 minutes. Cool the syrup completely before using. It will thicken a bit as it cools, but will still be more of a liquid than a viscous syrup.

For Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:

• Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slit lengthwise down the front of the vanilla bean. Press the sides open so that the bean lays flat. Run the back of the knife blade (the not-sharp side) down the bean, scraping out all of the seeds.
• Combine the vanilla seeds, cream, milk, sugars, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl nearby and whisk them gently. Bring the milk/cream mixture to a simmer, then when it just starts to come to a boil, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the egg yolks while you slowly pour in about a third of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs heat up but don’t cook during the process.
• Now return the saucepan to the heat and start whisking the cream while you pour in the hot egg mixture. Continue to whisk as the custard cooks, and cook it until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. If you want to use a candy thermometer, you’re shooting for 175 F (80C).
• Take the pan from the heat and strain the ice cream custard through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then continue to whisk occasionally as it cools. Once at room temperature, press a layer of cling wrap on top of the custard and refrigerate it until it’s completely chilled. (To speed up the process, you can place the bowl over an ice bath and whisk it as it cools down.)
• Once the custard is fully chilled, churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.