Barbara Tropps Pecan Ginger Torte Food

ROSELLA GINGER PECAN TORTE: WEDDING CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Steaming pears: In a medium saucepan add about 3 inches water, the sugar, cut lemon slices and the lemongrass (lemon serai). (The lemongrass is optional.) Bring the water to a boil. Fit a steamer basket over the boiling water, add the pears and steam until tender. Remove the pears, drain, and coarsely grate. Press out any excess liquid for one hour before using, or substitute very well-drained, grated canned pears. Set aside.
• Ginger Syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, simmer together until the sugar dissolves, cool completely, then add the ginger wine and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour 2 (10 by 2 inch) deep cake pans and line the base with parchment.
• Sift together the flour, powdered ginger, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
• Beat the butter, oil, vanilla, sugars, and treacle until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the remaining ingredients in the order given. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed using a stand mixer.
• Pour the batter into the pans that have been greased floured and parchment lined.
• Bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree F oven, remove and cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then pour over the ginger syrup. Turn out onto a cooling rack when almost cold.
• Assembly:
• Level cakes if necessary. Secure the wax paper to the cake board with royal icing. Place the meringue dacquoise on wax paper. Smooth on a layer of washed cream, chocolate ganache, and the ginger marmalade to the meringue disk. Top with one of the cakes. Repeat the layers of washed cream, ganache, ginger marmalade, and the second meringue disk, top that with washed cream, ganache, and ginger marmalade, then add the second cake. Trim the meringue disks if necessary. Coat the entire cake with washed cream, then strained ginger marmalade. Cover tightly and securely with plastic wrap for 24 hours. Chill in the refrigerator. Remove the wrap and cover with white chocolate rolled fondant.
• This cake can be made and assembled for decorating 5 days before a wedding; in fact the maturing process improves the combination of flavors.
• Draw 2 (10-inch) circles on parchment, place on an oven tray.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add the sifted powdered sugar in three stages mixing well between each addition then add the vanilla. Fold. Add the nuts followed by the sifted dry ingredients with a light hand. Spoon into the circles, level and bake 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
• Heat the first 4 ingredients gently in a double boiler. Puree in the food processor then strain. Add the ginger wine after completely cooling.
• Whip the sugar, butter, honey, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Remove the bowl from mixer. Cover with chilled water swirl and squeeze through the fingers for a minute, drain the water thoroughly and re-beat until light and fluffy. Repeat six times until the mixture is pure white and the sugar is totally dissolved. This keeps very well covered in a cool place for a day or two without refrigeration. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.
• Melt chocolate over hot, not boiling, water, add the cream, pecans, and ginger, last, after cooling add the ginger wine. Stir well and allow the mixture to thicken.
• For every 2 pounds of either commercial or homemade rolled fondant melt either 2 cups of high ratio cocoa butter white chocolate or chocolate couverture (compound) and pour into the rested fondant then knead until thoroughly incorporated. If flaking occurs, microwave in 5-second increments until the fondant warms then any rough shards will disappear. Leave to rest overnight before using. This results in a wonderfully soft easy to manage rolled fondant. Warm in the microwave for a few seconds before kneading to use. If using couverture add 1/2 cup sifted Dutch-processed cocoa to the melted chocolate and knead well. Roll out on sifted cocoa.

CHOCOLATE PECAN MERINGUE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Draw two 8-inch circles on a sheet of parchment paper and place it on a sheet pan, pencil side down.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed for one minute, until frothy. With the mixer on high, slowly add the 2/3 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and beat on high for 2 minutes, until it makes firm, glossy peaks.
• Divide the meringue between the two circles and spread into two flat 8-inch disks with a rubber spatula. Bake the meringues for one hour, turn the heat off, and leave the meringues in the oven for 2 hours. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature on the sheet pan.
• With a large flat spatula, carefully transfer one disk, rounded side up, to a totally flat serving plate. (It's okay if the top cracks a little.) Spread the chocolate pecan filling evenly on top. Place the second meringue, rounded side up, on top.
• Combine the heavy cream, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until it forms firm peaks. Spread the whipped cream on top of the torte. Decorate with the shaved chocolate and refrigerate for 2 hours or for up to a day and serve cold.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the pecans until finely ground. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk the mixture almost constantly, until it is 130 to 140 degrees and thickened like custard. Set aside to cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
• Set another bowl over the pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Put the chocolate and espresso in the bowl and heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and set aside to cool to room temperature. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth. Stir in the pecans. The filling can sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

BARBARA TROPP'S PECAN-GINGER TORTE

Steps:

• Lightly grease two 8-to-9-inch springform pans or two 9-to-10-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Line the bottoms with greased paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Toast the four ounces of pecans for 15 minutes in the oven, rotating the tray once midway. Let cool.
• Mince the pecans with a sharp knife or with an on-off food processor motion, until fine but dry.
• Beat the egg yolks until light. Add the sugar gradually, until the yolks turn very creamy and form ribbons on the beater.
• Add the lemon juice, ginger juice and pepper. Beat to mix.
• Add the minced pecans and matzoh meal. Beat until blended.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they are blended. Add salt and continue whipping until the egg white forms firm peaks but are not dry.
• Lightly fold the egg whites into the nut mixture, until well blended.
• Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans.
• Sprinkle the crystallized ginger, glaceed apricots or kumquats evenly over the top. Space eight pecan halves around the edges of each tart, putting a ninth in the center.
• Bake in the middle or the bottom third of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester in the center of the cake comes out dry.
• Let cool completely in pan. The cake tastes best baked a day in advance. Wrap air-tight overnight. Serve with a selection of seasonal berries. Or, if having a vegetarian seder, serve with Chantilly cream or Barbara Tropp's fresh ginger ice cream, the recipe for which is in ''The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking.''

PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 5-6 minutes. Combine pecans and bread crumbs; stir into yolk mixture with vanilla. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Divide evenly among three greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, combine milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until well blended. Add chocolate chips. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cool to room temperature. In a bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate mixture; beat until fluffy. Spread between cooled cake layers. Frost top and sides. Garnish with pecans if desired.

GINGERBREAD TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg at a time. Gradually beat in molasses. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Transfer to prepared pans., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove parchment. Cool completely., Beat cream cheese, butter and lemon zest until blended; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread or pipe 2/3 cup frosting between each layer. Top with remaining frosting. If desired, sprinkle with crystallized ginger. Store in refrigerator.

PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put egg yolks, granulated sugar, zest, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and thickened, about 4 minutes. Fold in pecans.
• Beat whites in a clean mixing bowl until stiff peaks form; fold into yolk mixture. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour (if top browns too quickly, tent with foil). Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with curd and berries; garnish with zest.

BARBARA TROPP'S CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk sugar, vinegar, mustard and ginger together. Whisk in oils, and season to taste with salt, pepper and more sugar and vinegar if needed. (Dressing should have a nice balance of sweet and tart.).
• In a large bowl toss lettuce with a few tablespoons of dressing until lightly dressed. Arrange around sides of a large serving bowl or platter.
• Toss chicken, celery, peppers and cilantro in a bowl with dressing until well coated. Arrange in center of serving bowl, and sprinkle with pine nuts and cilantro.