Three Madame Benoit recipes

Madame Jehane Benoit was such a great cook. 

Here are two of her recipes that I have made dozens of times - simple and they come out beautifully: 

Madame Benoit's Chocolate Sauce 

Combine 2 oz unsweetened chocolate with ½ cup water. Microwave uncovered 3 minutes and stir until creamy. Add ¾ cup sugar and stir until well mixed. Heat 2 minutes. 

Add 4 tblsp butter, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla.  Makes 1 1/3 cups. Serve over ice cream or cake.

Madame Benoit's Cherries Jubilee Sauce 

Drain 1 can pitted cherries and pour liquid into measuring cup. Add enough water to make 1 cup. Combine 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, pinch salt, and cherry liquid, and cook 3-6 minutes until thick and clear. 

 Stir in 1 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp lemon juice and cherries. Heat 2 minutes. 

Makes about a cup. Serve over ice cream, cake or biscuits.

And here's a third Benoit recipe I just found online, so I'm looking forward to trying it -- the advantage here is, no corn syrup!

Madame Benoit’s Butter Tarts 

(12 medium or 20 small tarts) 

Cream 3 Tbsp butter and gradually add 1 cup brown sugar until similar to a light cream. 

Beat 1 egg and add to the sugar cream gradually, stirring all the while. Sprinkle on ½ tsp salt.

While stirring, add ¼ cup raisins, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts and ½ tsp vanilla. 

Use a generous Tbsp of mixture for each tart. 

Bake for 8 minutes in a 400 oven, reduce to 375 and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the filling sets and the pastry begins to colour.