Blood Orange Pavlovas With Grand Marnier Food

BLOOD-ORANGE PAVLOVAS WITH GRAND MARNIER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Cut oranges into segments. Toss with 3 tablespoons liqueur; refrigerate.
• Make meringue: Put egg whites, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until sugar is melted and mixture is hot.
• Fit mixer with whisk attachment; beat egg-white mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise speed to high; beat until cool, and stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.
• Using a rubber spatula, mound meringue into twelve 3-inch-wide rounds on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Swirl edges and make a well in center of each meringue. Bake until crisp and just set in center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack. When meringues are cool enough to handle, peel off parchment. Let cool completely.
• Make custard: Stir together yolks, juice, remaining 1/4 cup each sugar and liqueur, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thickened and a spoon leaves a wake, about 4 minutes. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Beat cream to soft peaks; fold into custard. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours (rewhisk before using).
• Just before serving, mound custard in each meringue. Top custard mounds with orange segments and their juices.

ORANGE CURD-FILLED PAVLOVAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Use a 3-inch bowl to trace 6 circles on each of 2 sheets of parchment paper. Transfer each sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet tracing-side down.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar in 3 additions, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Gently fold to combine.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip, about 5/8 inch in diameter. Pipe a mound of meringue in the center of each of the circles. Use the back of a spoon to create an indentation in the center of each mound. Transfer baking sheets to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake until firm and dry to the touch but not browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues cool for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make curd: Combine yolks, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Let mixture come to a rapid simmer and cook, continually scraping sides of pan, for 2 minutes. If desired, strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and very firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 1/2 weeks.
• Make topping: Whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Top meringues with a dollop of curd and whipped cream and if desired, serve with orange segments.

ALMOND AND BLOOD ORANGE CURD PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225*F.
• Place 1/4 cup of flaked almonds on a small baking tray and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes or until toasty, tossing them once or twice so they don't burn.
• Using a 9" plate or the removable base of a 9" cake tin, trace a circle on a piece of parchment paper. Turn the parchment over (so that the ink is facing down and doesn't come into contact with the food) and place on a baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, miix the granulate sugar and cornstarch together. In a small bowl, mix the the almond extract and vinegar together.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites on low until completely foamy. They should look like good cappuccino foam! About 2 minutes.
• Add a pinch of fine sea salt and slowly add sugar mixture a few tablespoons at a time, letting each addition become incorporated for about 20-30 seconds before adding more. While you're adding this in increments, gradually increase mixer up to high. Mix until forms stiff peaks 4-5 minutes. It will be glossy and shiny and ripply thick. It shouldn't look foamy at all and it shouldn't look dry or clumpy. Now add the vanilla and vinegar mixture and mix on medium until completely integrated, about 1 minute.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrap all of the gorgeous meringue onto your baking sheet covered with parchment. Put it right in the middle of that circle you drew. Using an off set spatula, working from the middle of your meringue mound, gently press the meringue down and outwards until it almost reaches your traced circle. I tend to give the top of the meringue a few swoops with the offset spatula, but you flatten it all the way or give it lots of swoops! Whatever you like.
• Put the meringue in the preheated oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours. At this point check the meringue. The outside should be hard and crisp. If it isn't keep baking the meringue in ten minutes increments until the outside is hard and crisp. If it is, insert a toothpick in the middle. When you remove the toothpick, it should be sticky and marshmallowy. When the meringue has reached this stage, turn off the oven and leave the meringue to cook for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the curd. Place the cup of blood orange juice in a small sauce pan over medium low heat and reduce to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally.
• Boil about 2" of water in a medium sauce pan and reduce to medium low. In a heatproof bowl that fits over the medium sauce pan, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Make sure that the water is low enough so that the bowl does NOT touch the water at all! Place the bowl in the sauce pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved into the yolks. Stir in the blood orange juice, the salt and butter. Continue stirring until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back the wooden spoon, about 15-20 minutes. I test it by dipping my spoon in the curd and then running my finger down the back of the spoon. If the line stays, the curd is done. Carefully remove the bowl of curd from the saucepan. Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap down onto the top of the curd and allow it to cool. This will keep it from developing a skin as it cools. Once it's cooled, keep it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble your pavlova.
• Whip up the heavy cream and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl until soft and lightly whipped. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
• When you're ready to put it all together, place your meringue on a serving dish. Spread a nice layer of curd over the top, leaving a about inch all around so it's not dripping off the sides. Dollop your whipped cream over the top and spread so that it covers the curd. Layer your cut citrus over the top of the cream. Top the citrus with flaked almonds. Serve and be thankful for winter citrus!

MARTHA'S PAVLOVA WITH PASSION FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Draw four 4-inch circles or one 8-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer parchment, traced side down, to a baking sheet.
• Whisk egg whites and a pinch of salt with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With machine running, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Sprinkle in vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla; whisk until just combined.
• With a rubber spatula, mound meringue onto parchment in center of circle or circles. Evenly spread meringue toward edges. Transfer to oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 200 degrees. Bake until meringue lifts off parchment easily, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn off oven. Let meringue cool completely in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once meringue is cool and completely dry, scoop out passion fruit over tops. Garnish with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

BLOOD ORANGES WITH GRAND MARNIER SABAYON

Steps:

• Finely grate enough zest from 1 orange to measure 1/2 teaspoon. With a sharp knife cut peel from oranges, including all white pith, and cut sections free from membranes. Squeeze enough juice from membranes to measure 2 tablespoons. Divide sections among 4 stemmed glasses.
• Have ready an instant-read thermometer in a measuring cup of hot water. In a metal bowl whisk together zest, yolks, orange and lemon juices, sugar, and liqueur until combined well. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook mixture, whisking constantly, until tripled in volume and thermometer registers 140°F., 3 to 5 minutes. Cook sabayon, whisking, 3 minutes more, or until thickened enough so that strokes leave a clear path.
• Spoon sabayon over orange sections and garnish with pistachios.

GRAND MARNIER WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together whipped cream and orange liqueur; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

BLOOD-ORANGE PAVLOVAS WITH GRAND MARNIER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225°F. Cut the oranges into segments. Toss with 3 tablespoons liqueur; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the meringue: Put the egg whites, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot.
• Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise speed to high; beat until cool, and stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in the vinegar and vanilla.
• Using a rubber spatula, mound the meringue into 12 3-inch-wide rounds on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Swirl the edges and make a well in the center of each meringue. Bake until crisp and just set in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on the sheet on a wire rack. When the meringues are cool enough to handle, peel off the parchment. Let cool completely.
• Make the custard: Stir together the yolks, orange juice, remaining 1/4 cup each sugar and liqueur, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thickened and a spoon leaves a wake, about 4 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Beat the cream to soft peaks; fold into the custard. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours (rewhisk before using).
• Just before serving, mound custard in each meringue. Top the custard mounds with orange segments and their juices.