Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup milk, warmed 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
• Confectioners' sugar
• Marinated Berries or Glazed Apples and Pears, recipes follow
• Serving suggestion: Maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with a knife and reserved
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with a knife and reserved 
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 1 cup water 
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 1/2 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, tops trimmed, halved or quartered, if large
• 3 small Granny Smith apples or other tart baking apple (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• Grated zest of 2 oranges, plus their juice  
• Two 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, Apple Jack, or brandy (optional)