Dear SOS: I need a recipe from Café O'Lei in Kihei, Maui.

We had the best Kona coffee crème brulee and would kill for this recipe. Would you be able to get it?

Laurie Selwitz
Irvine

Dear Laurie: Café O'Lei was happy to share their recipe for this smooth custard with rich coffee flavor. These desserts are perfect for company; bake them ahead and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, then brulee as needed. Mahalo!

Servings: 6

Note: Adapted from Café O'Lei restaurants in Maui. To make the coffee syrup, simmer 2 cups brewed coffee until reduced to one-quarter cup, about 7 to 10 minutes.

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for bruleeing
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup coffee syrup (reduced from 2 cups brewed coffee, preferably Kona)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat the cream and vanilla bean over medium-high heat until the cream almost comes to a boil.
2. While the cream is heating, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until blended.
3. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the eggs to temper, until all of the cream is incorporated. Discard the vanilla bean.
4. Stir the coffee syrup into the custard, then strain, removing any lumps.
5. Divide the custard among 6 (5-ounce) ramekins and place the ramekins into a large baking dish. Fill the dish with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Gently place the baking dish in the oven. Loosely cover the top with a sheet of foil and bake until the custards are set (they will form a skin and jiggle slightly when tapped), about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
7. When the ramekins are cool enough to handle, place the custards in the refrigerator to chill completely. The custards will keep for 2 to 3 days, refrigerated.
8. Place a little sugar on top of each custard and brulee with a torch before serving.
Each serving: 433 calories; 4 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 37 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 298 mg. cholesterol; 20 grams sugar; 43 mg. sodium.

Source:  Culinary S.O.S. LA Food Times

Fresh strawberries team up with blueberries and bananas for a triple-layered ice cream treat. The big surprise? Crushed waffle cones are the secret ingredient in this fun crust. For super-sharp slices, remove the frozen pie from the spring-form pan, and place on a cutting board. Using a large chef’s knife, cut the pie in half; cut each half into the desired number of slices, and serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 1  (7-ounce) package waffle cones, broken into pieces
• 6  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  granulated sugar
• 2  (1-quart) containers premium vanilla ice cream, divided
• 1  (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries (1 quart), stemmed
• 1/4  cup  powdered sugar, divided
• 1  pint fresh blueberries
• 2  ripe bananas
• Garnishes: waffle cone pieces, fresh whole strawberries, fresh blueberries

Preparation

Process first 3 ingredients in a food processor until finely crushed. Firmly press mixture onto bottom of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Let vanilla ice cream stand at room temperature 20 minutes or until slightly softened.

Process strawberries and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar in a food processor until pureed, stopping to scrape down sides; remove strawberry mixture, and set aside.

Process blueberries and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar in food processor until pureed, stopping to scrape down sides; set aside.

Mash bananas with a fork in a large bowl; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Set aside.

Place 1 quart of ice cream in a large bowl; cut into large (3-inch) pieces. Fold strawberry mixture into ice cream until blended. Place in freezer until slightly firm.

Divide remaining quart of ice cream in half, placing halves in separate bowls. Stir blueberry mixture into half and mashed banana mixture into remaining half. Place bowls in freezer.

Spread half of strawberry mixture evenly into prepared crust in springform pan. Place pan and remaining strawberry mixture in freezer. Freeze 30 minutes or until strawberry layer in pan is slightly firm. Spread banana mixture evenly over strawberry layer in pan; return pan to freezer, and freeze 30 minutes or until banana layer is slightly firm. Repeat procedure with blueberry mixture. Spread remaining strawberry mixture over blueberry layer in pan, and freeze 3 hours or until all layers are firm. Let pie stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Southern Living, APRIL 2005

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
1  (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1  cup  powdered sugar
1  (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1  baked Butter Cookie Crust or
baked Pretzel Crust
4  cups  assorted fresh berries, pitted cherries, or sliced fruit
1/2  cup  seedless blackberry jam
1/4  cup  orange liqueur
Preparation
1. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Fold in whipped topping and vanilla; spoon into prepared crust. Cover and chill 8 hours.

2. Arrange fruit over cream cheese filling. Stir together jam and liqueur; drizzle over fruit.

Mascarpone Pie: Substitute 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese for cream cheese, 1/4 cup granulated sugar for powdered sugar, 2 cups whipped cream for whipped topping, and 1 baked Chocolate Butter Cookie Crust for Butter Cookie Crust. Prepare recipe as directed.

Sandee Kay Downhour, Columbus, Ohio, Southern Living, JUNE 2008

Ingredients

• 21  cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/2  cup  unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/4  cup  butter or margarine, melted
• 3  pints chocolate ice cream,softened
• 8  (1.6-ounce) packages peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped
• 1  (8-ounce) jar fudge sauce
• 1/4  cup  strong brewed coffee
• 2  tablespoons  coffee liqueur (optional)

Preparation

Process cookies and peanuts in a food processor until finely crumbled. Add melted butter, and process until blended.

Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pieplate, and freeze 15 minutes.

Stir together chocolate ice cream and chopped candies; spoon into piecrust. Freeze at least 6 hours. Remove from freezer, and let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Heat fudge sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in coffee and, if desired, coffee liqueur. Drizzle over pie.

Southern Living, OCTOBER 1998

More pictures and stories from the French chef>>>

Servings: 4-6

The GMA news anchor, who says she never travels without her "world-famous recipe," was happy to share it."

Here it is:

Ingredients

Cooking Directions

Mix above ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Add salt and pepper to desired taste.

Source:  GMA

Servings: 6-8

Savannah restaurateur and Food Network star Paula Deen joined "Good Morning America" to whip up a few of her favorite home cooking recipes from her book, "Deen Family Cookbook."

"Whip up a bowl of this light and refreshing beauty anytime you want to make salad a little more special than just plain greens. It's just so perfect for brunch on a hot summer day, it'll perk you right up!" she said in the book.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook; Simon & Schuster 2009.

Ingredients

Cooking Directions

To make the dressing, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon juice, shallot, and tarragon. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, coat the greens with all but 1/4 cup of the dressing. Arrange the greens on individual serving plates.

Cut off the top and bottom of each orange, just exposing the flesh. With a sharp knife, follow the curve of the fruit to cut away the peel, completely removing the white pith. Slice out each segment of the fruit, cutting along the membrane. Divide the oranges, strawberries, and dates among the greens.

Drizzle each serving with the remaining dressing.