Mandarin Orange (or Clementine) Cake

 

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Last weekend, we were at the Jersey Shore hanging out with my husband's college buddies. What did we do there? A little beach time, some boardwalk-ing. Lots of eating, drinking, and discussing the end of America as we know it — which led to more drinking and eating. Everyone brought food and beverages and our lovely hosts made it all work together seamlessly into a splendid holiday.

One of the things I tried for the first time, was an orange-flavored cake with only 5 ingredients, by Nigella Lawson. But of course I ended up putting my own spin on it. The recipe calls for almond flour — it's naturally gluten-free! — but I didn't have any almond flour, so instead I used a combo of half Bob's Red Mill hazelnut flour and half grain-free paleo flour. The recipe is also dairy-free. And, lastly, I switched out the sugar for Erythritol (alternative sweetener sold under the brand name Swerve) so I could eat it.

You can do an optional glaze using lemon or orange juice and confectioners sugar, but I think it's intense enough as it is. Perhaps a chocolate drizzle is in order? Other changes I made to original recipe were the inclusion of ground coriander, cinnamon, and mace. The original recipe said to use a springform pan, but I opted for a parchment-lined square pyrex dish and it cooked perfectly. I left the edges of the parchment paper tall so I could use it to lift the cake out of the pan. Here is my recipe, but please note this can be experimented with and certainly improved. Say ... with the always sexy tangerine, or lemon or lime or grapefruit. Note: the amount of sugar you use will need to be adjusted depending on the citrus.

Ingredients
5 whole mandarin or clementine oranges (total 375 grams)
220 grams Swerve granular sugar substitute
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
125 grams hazelnut flour
125 grams Paleo grain free flour
1/4 teaspoon mace (you can substitute nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander

Procedure
Put the oranges in a pot, cover with water, partially cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for two hours. Keep an eye on it, as the water has a tendency to boil off. Drain and let cool. Cut the oranges in half and remove any seeds. Spray a glass pan with baking spray, line with parchment, spray again, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375.

Place the oranges into a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse till you have a purée, then add everything else. Scrape batter into pan and bake 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes in pan before lifting out. It's better the next day — but who can wait? I'm thinking a little salted caramel ice cream on top might be fabulous.

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Seasonal Recipe of The (maybe soon-to-be-over?) Pandemic
I find that some flourless chocolate cake recipes can be a bit persnickety and the results often disappoint me. They can be too dense or the texture ends up grainy or mushy. This recipe avoids all those pitfalls and I swear it comes out perfectly every time! It's a good jewish holiday recipe as well as a great make-ahead dessert. If you want to WOW your guests, give this one a try. For garnish, I like some berries and a light sprinkle of confectioner's sugar, but some bourbon whipped cream never hurt anyone!

Ingredients
12 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup Frangelico
1 cup finely ground hazelnut flour
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder

Procedure
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch diameter springform pan. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil.

Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and Frangelico in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and espresso powder. Transfer batter to prepared pan and tent loosely with foil.

Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up side of the springform. Place in oven and bake until cake is set in the center and the top is dry to touch, about 1 hour to 70 minutes (top of cake will remain shiny). Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours. Remove from springform before serving.

Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

The Classics We Enjoyed this Holiday Season

Seasonal Recipes of the Week
Yes, I still hate Christmas, Chanukah, New Year's Eve (because everyone always fails at having fun), and even Kwanzaa. What can I say? I'm an equal-opportunity Grinch. I hate the stressful over-shopping, the insanity in parking lots, the parents lamenting about their materialistic kids (“I learned it by watching you, Dad!”), and the required overindulgences. BUT! I do love the getting together with friends and sharing a meal or a cocktail. So here are three recipes I made this year to share with neighbors and friends. They are all classics and can be served anytime. So sit back, watch the yule log burn on TV, and relax. Don't worry, it's almost over.

Crème Brûlée

Ingredients
1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a bowl, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch, but not boiled. Now slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur, mix to combine, then pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch (or under the broiler — watch it!) until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Tiramisù

Ingredients
2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons rum
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Madeira
1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 crisp Italian ladyfingers
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Procedure
Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and rum in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then set aside to cool. Beat egg yolks, Madeira, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined. Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13 × 9 × 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit as necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan. Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Hazelnut Linzer Tart cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for decorating
3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts, finely ground in processor (about 1 1/2 cups ground)
jam filing of your choice (I like to mix raspberry and apricot)

Procedure
In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and citrus zest until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions, then beat in nuts. Gather dough into ball, then flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using 2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Using 3/4-inch round cutter (or a shape that's about the same size, like I did), cut out the centers of half of the rounds to make rings. Transfer rounds and rings to prepared sheets. Gather dough scraps, chill, and re-roll to make more cookies. Repeat until all dough is used.

Bake cookies until golden, reversing sheets after 10 minutes, about 22 minutes total. Cool completely on sheets.

Arrange cookie rings on work surface. Sift powdered sugar over. Spread 1 teaspoon jam on each cookie round. Press rings onto jam on rounds. Can be assembled 1 day ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

Do ahead: Before filling, you can store baked cookies airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 weeks.

La Côte Basque's Dacquoise

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a magnificent thing. It has three parts which can be made ahead of time and assembled when you have time. Did I mention it's magnificent?

Ingredients for the meringues
2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/3 cups finely ground hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds
9 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Ingredients for the ganache

1 cup heavy cream

3 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped



Ingredients for the buttercream

2 cups granulated sugar

5 egg whites, room temperature
1 lb. unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
3 tbsp. coffee extract

2 cups sliced almonds, toasted



Procedure
For the meringues:
Preheat oven to 250°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw three 8-inch circles on paper. Sift together powdered sugar, hazelnuts, and almonds into a medium bowl, pushing lumps through sieve, then set aside. Put egg whites in the clean bowl of a standing mixer and whisk on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and whisk whites to soft peaks, about 2 1/2 minutes. Gradually add sugar while continuing to whisk, then increase speed to medium-high and whisk until whites form medium-stiff peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer whites to a large bowl and carefully fold in  1/3 of nut mixture at a time with a rubber spatula. Divide meringue between parchment circles and gently spread out evenly. Bake in middle of oven, rotating positions hourly, for 4 hours. Remove and let cool completely.

For the ganache:
Heat cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add milk and bittersweet chocolates, and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth and set aside until thick enough to spread.

For the buttercream:
Combine  1/3 cup water and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it reaches 250° on a candy thermometer. Put egg whites in the clean bowl of a standing mixer and whisk on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and whisk whites to soft peaks, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar while continuing to whisk, then increase speed to medium-high and whisk until whites form stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour syrup into whites, whisking until cool, about 10 minutes. Add butter, bit by bit, whisking constantly until buttercream is shiny and fluffy, about 8 minutes. (Mixture may curdle, but will eventually come together.) Whisk in coffee extract and set aside.

To assemble:
Spread  1/3 of buttercream over each of 2 meringues. Spread ganache over remaining meringue. Layer meringues, placing the one with ganache in the middle. Spread remaining buttercream on sides of cake, then cover cake with almonds and refrigerate at least 5 hours. Then just stand around and take some pride.

Bosc Pear and Roasted Hazelnut Tart

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This is a delicious, non-altitude-affected fruit tart which should be in your repertoire. The tart can be made in stages: the tart shell can be prepared in advance and frozen, and the filling can be made a day ahead. This makes assembly and baking a breeze!

Ingredients for tart crust
1/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons ice-cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice-cold solid vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon ice water

Ingredients for filling
½1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 firm but ripe Bosc Pears
2 tablespoons pear brandy, kirsch, or cognac
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Procedure for crust
Combine the hazelnuts, flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and water, and process for a few seconds, just until a ball of dough begins to form. Do not over-process. (To make the dough by hand, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and use a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture. Add the sour cream and ice water, and mix just until it comes together and forms a mass.) Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, gathering all the loose bits, and form into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Dust the work surface and dough with a little more flour, as necessary, to keep the dough from sticking. Roll the dough around the rolling pin, lift it over the tart pan, and unroll the dough over the pan. Adjust to center the dough, then press it into place. Trim the overhang to half an inch and fold in to reinforce the side. Freeze the tart shell for 20 minutes. (The tart shell can be made up to this point and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Line the tart shell with foil and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake just until the side of the pastry begins to color, about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and foil, and bake until the base of the shell is golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Procedure for filling
Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the egg yolk, egg, and heavy cream, and process to blend thoroughly. Scatter the ground nuts and flour over the butter mixture, and process just until blended. Refrigerate while preparing the pears. Halve and core them and cut vertically into 1/8-inch slices.

To assemble: Spread the cream filling evenly over the bottom of the prepared tart shell. Arrange the pears over the filling in overlapping concentric circles, starting from the outside edge and working toward the center. Brush the pears with the pear brandy. Sprinkle the 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.

Bake the tart in the center of the oven until the pastry is brown and the pears begin to caramelize, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack. When ready to serve, center one hand under the bottom of the tart pan and slip off the rim with the other hand. Set the tart on a round serving plate and cut into wedges.

Two Great Cookie Doughs: Hazelnut Shortbread and Spritz

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here are two great do-ahead cookie doughs that are pretty darn handy to have at the ready during this crazy holiday season. Once you prepare them you can do your own "slice and bake" game and take fresh sweets to all your holiday parties!

Spritz Cookie Dough

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups A.P. flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer butter, cream together Crisco and sugar. Gradually add yolks and extracts. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and very gradually add to creamed mixture. This mixture is best used through a manual cookie gun or an electric cookie shooter (I bought mine for $6.00 on Ebay — what a smart shopper!) Great with a candied cherry in the middle or sprinkles. These bake at 350 on a lined cookie sheet for about 5 minutes or till the edges just turn brown

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookie Dough

Ingredients
8 ounces (1 Cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces( 2 1/4 cups ) A.P. flour
1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted and ground in a food processor very fine

Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine butter sugar and salt and mix on low with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes. Add flour and ground hazelnuts and don't forget to scrape down the dough stuck to the sides of the bowl. Mix just till dough holds together. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate till ready to bake. I like to form little half moon shapes and bake them at 350 for about 7-9 minutes depending on their size. Then when cool, I dip one end in chocolate.

Hazelnut Crisps

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Whenever Lexi is here, I feel I have to make healthier things, so here is an easy recipe for Hazelnut crisp from Local Flavors by Debra Madison, who never lets me down. And you can make the dough ahead, freeze it and slice and bake to order. She notes in the recipe, and I confirm, a little chocolate drizzle on top of these cookies doesn’t hurt!

Ingredients
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups A.P. flour

Procedure
Grind the hazelnuts in food processor with sugar till fine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and salt till fluffy then add vanilla and egg yolk. Stir in hazelnut and flour. Roughly shape dough into log and wrap in plastic. Now you can roll it further and make it thinner about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably longer. To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350. Cut log into 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet or on sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave 2 inches between cookies. Bake till lightly browned on top, 12-15 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container. Don’t forget the optional chocolate drizzle on cooled cookies!