Brie Torta Food

MUMMY-WRAPPED BRIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 14-in. square. Cut off corners to make a circle. Spread jam into a 4-1/2-in. circle in center of pastry. Place Brie on top; fold pastry over cheese, trimming as necessary, and pinch edges to seal. Beat egg and water; brush over pastry., Place on an ungreased baking sheet, seam side down. Roll remaining pastry into a 14-in. square. Cut four 1-in. strips; cut strips in half crosswise. Wrap strips around Brie, trimming as necessary. Discard scraps. Bake 10 minutes; brush again with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes more. For eyes, cut two circles from apple slices; place on top of Brie. Top each circle with a dried cranberry. Serve warm with apple slices.

PESTO BRIE TORTA

Steps:

• Combine cream cheese and pesto until well blended.
• Using a sharp knife split brie wheel in half horizontally. Place one half cut side up on round serving plate. Spread with cream cheese mixture pressing down firmly. Top with second half cut side down. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least three hours.
• To serve let torta come back to room temperature and garnish with basil leaves. Cut wedge to show layers.

SWISS TORTA

Steps:

• Warm milk. Add sugar, salt and bread.
• When this mixture is cool enough, add slightly beaten eggs, melted butter, ground chocolate, lemon rind, raisin and citron; mix thoroughly.
• Pour into 9 x 8-inch greased pan. Bake in 325 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• (When cool, sprinkle red or green sugar or cake decorations for a holiday treat.)

BAJA SHRIMP TORTA

Steps:

• Directly over the flame of a gas burner, or in a cast iron pan set over high heat, char the poblano until the skin is completely blistered. Place pepper in a zip top bag and allow to steam for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together crema, lime zest, and salt. Once pepper has steamed, remove skin and seeds and finely chop. Stir into crema mixture and set aside.
• In a small airtight container, stir together spices. Place shrimp in a large bowl. Toss with 2 T. spice rub and set shrimp aside to marinate 10-15 minutes. Store remaining spice rub for another use.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together lime juice and olive oil. Add cabbage, cilantro leaves, and scallions to the bowl and toss to thoroughly combine. Season with salt to taste and set aside.
• Heat a grill pan over high heat. Lightly brush with oil and grill shrimp, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Toast buns alongside shrimp, about 1 minute, until desired color is achieved.
• To serve, spread poblano crema on top and bottom of buns. Divide shrimp among sandwiches and top with cabbage slaw and cilantro leaves.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND PESTO TORTA

Steps:

• Beat together cream cheese and butter in food processor (or beaters).
• Add the onion.
• Line a 2 cup margarine tub, or bowl, with plastic wrap.
• Spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of the bowl.
• Top with ½ of the pesto and tomatoes.
• Repeat layers.
• Top with cream cheese mixture.
• Spread layers to the edge of the bowl, so they will show through when unmolded.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Unmold onto serving plate.
• Serve with baguette slices or your favourite crackers.

TORTA BAROZZI

Steps:

• Making Almond Powder: Combine the almonds, the 2-1/2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar and the 1/4 cup cocoa in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the almonds are a fine powder.
• Blending the Batter: Butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with the 1 tablespoon of butter. Cut a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan. Butter the paper with 1/2 tablespoon butter and line the pan with it, butter side up. Use the 3 to 4 tablespoons flour to coat the entire interior of the springform, shaking out any excess. Preheat the oven to 375 F, and set a rack in the center of the oven. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed 8 to 10 minutes, or until almost white and very fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times during beating. Beating the butter and sugar to absolute airiness ensures the torta's fine grain and melting lightness. Still at medium speed, beat in the peanut butter. Then beat in the egg yolks, two at a time, until smooth. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and beat in the melted chocolates, the dissolved coffee, and the rum and vanilla. Then use a big spatula to fold in the almond powder by hand, keeping the batter light.
• Whip the egg white to stiff peaks. Lighten the chocolate batter by folding a quarter of the whites into it. Then fold in the rest, keeping the mixture light but without leaving any streaks of white.
• Baking: Turn the batter into the baking pan, gently smoothing the top. Bake 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven heat to 325 F and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few streaks of thick batter. The cake will have puffed about two thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Cool the cake 10 minutes in the pan set on a rack. The cake will settle slightly but will remain level. Spread a kitchen towel on a large plate, and turn the cake out onto it. Peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely. Then place a round cake plate on top of the cake and hold the two plates together as you flip them over so the torta is right side up on the cake plate.
• Serving: Torta Barozzi is moist and fudgy. Just before serving, sift the tablespoon of cocoa over the cake. Then top it with a sifting of the confectioner's sugar. (Or for a whimsical decoration, cut a large stencil of the letter "B" out of stiff paper or cardboard. Set it in the center of the cake before dusting the entire top with the confectioner's sugar. Carefully lift off the stencil once the sugar has settled.) Serve the Barozzi at room temperature, slicing it in small wedges.
• Wine Suggestion: In Vignola, homemade walnut liqueur (Nocino) is sipped with the Barozzi. Here, the black muscat-based Elysium dessert wine from California does well with the cake's intense chocolate.

BRIE, APPLE & ONION TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a large baking tray (leave it on the paper from the pack). If the edges are not straight, trim them with a sharp knife. Score a border, about 1cm in from the edge. Score a criss-cross pattern over the central piece of pastry (this will prevent it from rising too much) and around the border, if you like. Bake for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 mins until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the vinegar, bubble for 1 min more, then add the Dijon mustard and thyme, season well and set aside. Slice the apple thinly through the core so a few slices have a nice star in the middle, and remove any seeds. Toss the slices in a splash of vinegar to prevent them from browning.
• The pastry should be puffed and starting to colour. Push down the centre, then spread over the onions. Add blobs of cranberry sauce, then top with the apple slices and brie, overlapping them to cover the tart. Add a few more thyme sprigs, drizzle with a little oil, then put back in the oven for a further 25 mins until the cheese is bubbling and the apple slices are soft. Serve warm or cold.

STEAK TORTA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill over medium heat. Spread the refried beans and butter on the bread, and put it on the grill to get toasty, 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan heat half of the oil over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms, jalapenos, onions and tomatoes.
• Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper and grill to desired temperature, about 5 minutes.
• Layer the cheese, ham, avocados, cooked vegetables and steak onto the sandwich. Then spread the chipotle mayo on top and cut in half to serve.

BRIE AND PROSCIUTTO TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, process pecans until finely chopped. Add flour and sugar; cover and pulse until blended. Add butter; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk, water and mustard. While processing, gradually add egg yolk mixture until dough forms a ball., Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 14x4-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 18-22 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack., In a large skillet, saute shallots in oil until tender. Add spinach; cook 1-2 minutes longer or until wilted. Remove and set aside to cool., Meanwhile, in the same skillet, cook prosciutto over medium heat until slightly crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings. Spoon spinach mixture into crust; pour egg mixture over top. Top with prosciutto and cheese., Bake 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with thyme. Serve warm.Freeze option: Before topping with thyme, securely wrap and freeze cooled tart in plastic wrap and foil. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap quiche; reheat in oven until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Sprinkle with thyme.

BRIE TORTA

Steps:

• Chill the Brie well.
• Spray cheese knife with non stick spray.
• Divide Brie into three layers.
• Place rind top layer rind side down.
• Drizzle half the olive oil, then top with.
• half the prosciutto, then
• half the basil, pepper to taste, then
• half the Parmesean cheese.
• Top next layer of Brie and repeat toppings.
• Top with last layer of Brie.
• cut off outer rind.
• press parsley onto outer sides.
• seal tightly in plastic wrap.
• chill several hours or overnight.
• unwrap, cut off top rind.
• spoon tomato pesto over top.
• Serve with sliced Baguette.
• cooking time is chilling time.