Perfect-for-fall desserts

Recipe courtesy of Sack's Cafe, Anchorage

Serves: Approx. 10

• 4 cups sugar

• 1 ½ cups water

In a skillet combine water with sugar and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Cook the syrup, swirling the skillet, until it is a deep caramel, pour it into 10 oz-size ceramic ramekins, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly, and let the caramel harden.

• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar

• 12 eggs

• 4 cups pumpkin puree

• 1 scant tsp salt

• 1 scant tsp ginger

• 1 scant tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• 4 cups cream

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla

Whisk the eggs with sugar, add the pumpkin puree, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and cream. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Bake at 350 degrees in a water bath for approx. 1 hour and 15 min. Run a smooth knife around the rim of ramekin, then put a plate upside on top of the ramekin and then flip it over. It should slide right out. (You may need to tap it gently.) Top with whipped cream and fresh mint.

Recipe courtesy of Lavelle's Bistro, Fairbanks

Yield: Approx. 75 wontons

• 7-8 bananas (depending on size)

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¾ cup pecans

• ¾ cup walnuts

• 1 ½ packages of wonton wrappers

Gently mash bananas. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon. Chop pecans and walnuts and add to mixture. Place approx. 1 Tbs of banana mixture on wonton wrap and seal with cornstarch and water mixture (consisting of equal parts cornstarch and cold water, mixed well). Be sure to get a good seal to close the wrap. Deep fry until golden brown and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*Can be served with a traditional crème anglaise

Recipe courtesy of Sugarspoon, Anchorage

Yield: 4-6 servings

Strawberry sauce

• 1 ½ cups whole strawberries (can use frozen)

• ¼ cup agave nectar

• ¼ cup lime juice

Heat the strawberries, agave nectar and lime juice to a mild simmer. Cook for 10 minutes on low. Puree if you like. Set aside.

• 3 ½ cups coconut milk

• ½ cup agave nectar

• ¾ cup small tapioca pearls

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of cardamom and nutmeg

• Toasted coconut for topping

Place coconut milk, agave nectar and tapioca pearls in a medium-sized pan. Stir over medium heat until semi-thick and pearls are mostly cooked. Stir in vanilla and spices. Serve by placing a spoonful of strawberry sauce in the bowl. Add warm tapioca, and top with toasted coconut.

Recipe courtesy of Spenard Roadhouse, Anchorage

Yield: 8 servings

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 cup rolled oats

• 1 cup butter, unsalted, cubed

• 6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

• 8 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced

• 1 cup cranberries

• 32 oz vanilla ice cream

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and rolled oats. Mix for 1 minute. Add butter while mixing and continue for 2 additional minutes or until well combined. (Mixture should be the consistency of wet sand.) Peel and cut apples and pears into small 1/4” pieces, remove the core, then slice along the short width of each 1/4” into five or six pieces. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until fruit is hot but not cooked through (10-15 min.). This step ensures that the fruit doesn’t shrink and leave the souffle half full. (Crisps should fill to nearly top of souffle dishes after final baking.) Mix cranberries into the fruit mixture. Lightly coat 8 large souffle dishes with pan spray avoiding top lip. Fill dishes 7/8 full with fruit mixture, then top with the rolled oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and fruit is tender. To serve, top with one 4 oz scoop of ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of Firetap Alehouse, Anchorage

Yield: 12 servings

• 1 cup butter

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 16-oz packages phyllo dough (also spelled "filo") (thaw if frozen)

• 1 large chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting (in layer and on top), cut into 3-inch square pieces (Any chocolate layer cake or even a frosted brownie would work)

• 6 cups ricotta cheese sweetened with 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

• 6 cups warm hot fudge sauce

Melt together the butter, sugar and water, and place in a spray bottle. Keep this mixture warm while assembling the purses. To build each purse, spread three pieces of phyllo dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the phyllo dough with the butter mixture. Place one square of chocolate cake on the phyllo dough. Top with 1/2 cup of warm hot fudge sauce, then top with ricotta cheese mixture. Lightly spray with butter mixture. Wrap the phyllo dough around the cake, cheese and chocolate, and twist the top to look like a flower. Spray the purse again before baking. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Top with hot fudge sauce and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of Two Sisters Bakery, Homer

Yield: Approx. 3 dozen

Bacon & Chocolate Filling

• ½ lb Applewood smoked bacon, cut into ½" pieces

• ½ cup brandy

• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

• 4 cups chopped semisweet chocolate

Brown bacon in a large non-reactive skillet until quite crisp. Strain off fat and set aside for use in coating. Crumble bacon. Reserve ¼ cup for the brickle topping and return the rest of the bacon bits to pan and deglaze over low heat with brandy. When most of the liquid has evaporated, add heavy whipping cream. Heat cream over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Strain this mixture into a large stainless bowl filled with semisweet chocolate. Whisk until well combined. Cover and chill overnight. Roll chilled chocolate into balls. Lay them on a parchment-covered sheetpan and freeze while you are melting the coating.

Coating & brickle topping

• 3 cups chopped semisweet chocolate

• ½ cup of bacon fat

• ¼ cup bacon bits

• ¼ cup turbinado sugar

• 2 Tbs water

For coating, melt semisweet chocolate and the bacon fat over simmering water until smooth.

For brickle topping, heat together bacon bits with sugar and water in a small heavy bottom saucepan. Boil gently until mixture is caramel colored and thick. Pour onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper and spread out to cool. When completely cool, cover with another piece of parchment and bash with a rolling pin to pulverize. Sprinkle liberally onto truffles while chocolate is still wet for maximum adhesion and crunch factor.

To finish, drop chilled truffles one at a time into chocolate mixture. Fish out with a large fork, tapping the sides of the bowl with the handle of the fork to remove as much excess chocolate as possible. Immediately dress the top with a little of the bacon sugar mixture. Chill flat on parchment paper and move to paper cups once they harden. Best enjoyed at room temperature, but keep refrigerated otherwise.

Recipe courtesy of Two Sisters Bakery, Homer

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen 2" cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 cups flour

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 Tbs lemon zest

• 1 cup of ground pistachios

• 1 cup of raspberry jam (seeded)

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add the flour, salt and lemon zest and mix until fully combined. Roll into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the ground pistachios. Place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and press your thumb into the center to make a well for the jam. Spoon a bit of jam into the dent and bake at 325 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan half way to ensure even browning. Cookies are done when edges are slightly browned. Let cool completely before eating.

Recipe courtesy of Glacier Brewhouse, Anchorage

Yield: 8-12 servings

• 4 apples, peeled, cored and diced

• ½ cup chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a dry sauté pan over medium heat lightly toast the chopped pecans until slightly fragrant (2 to 3 min.). Toss pecans with the diced apples. Set aside.

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ cup granulated white sugar

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ cup butter, softened

• 1 Tbs vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the butter and vanilla just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

• 8 eggs

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup half and half

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

• ¼ cup Yukon Jack liqueur (can leave out; if so, increase half and half by 2 oz)

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 1-lb loaves of sliced artisan bread, cut into ¾-inch strips

• 2 cups heavy cream

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, white sugar, half and half, vanilla, Yukon Jack, cinnamon and salt. Line the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish with a layer of bread. Top with a layer of diced apple pecan mixture. Pour about 1/4 of the custard over the layers followed by about 1/3 of the heavy cream. Sprinkle with some of the crumb topping. Repeat layers (apple pecan mixture, cream, crumb topping) until you are out of ingredients, ending with the crumb topping on top. Press down on the layers as needed to help them absorb the liquid. Cover the pan with parchment paper then seal with aluminum foil. Place another baking pan on top, or two dinner plates, to keep it from puffing while it bakes. Or place in individual baking cups if you prefer. Place the pudding onto a larger pan or cookie sheet with sides. Pour boiling water into the bottom pan until it is halfway full. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25 minutes. Pudding is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yukon Jack Sauce

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• ½ cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 3 Tbs Yukon Jack liqueur

• Pinch of grated fresh nutmeg

For the sauce, melt the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together over low heat, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in some of the melted butter, sugar mixture then return all to the saucepan. Whisk until the sauce is smooth, without boiling. Whisk in the Yukon Jack, grate in the nutmeg.

To serve, spoon the warm bread pudding onto dessert plates. Spoon the sauce over the top.