California Cranberry Torte Food

CHRISTMAS CRANBERRY, PEAR AND WALNUT TORTE WITH CREAM CHEESE-ORANGE FROSTING

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour waxed paper; tap out excess flour.
• Blend 2 cups walnuts and flour in processor until walnuts are finely ground. Add breadcrumbs, orange peel, spices and salt. Using on/off turns, process just until blended.
• Using electric mixer, beat eggs in large bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Continue beating until mixture is thick and triples in volume, about 6 minutes.
• Fold flour mixture and melted lukewarm butter alternately into egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (do not overmix or batter will deflate). Divide batter between prepared cake pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to racks; cool 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; cool completely. Remove waxed paper.
• Toss cranberries with remaining 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl to coat. Transfer berries to plate. Cover and freeze. (Can be prepared ahead. Wrap each cake layer separately in plastic. Freeze cake layers and sugarcoated cranberries up to 1 week.)
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of torte. Press remaining 3/4 cup walnuts onto torte sides. Arrange poached pears in concentric circles atop torte. (Torte can be frosted 1 day ahead. Cover torte; chill. Let torte stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.)
• Rewarm cranberry puree in small saucepan over medium heat. Brush some puree over pears. Transfer remaining puree to bowl.
• Garnish torte with frozen sugarcoated cranberries. Serve torte with puree.

CRANBERRY MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap foil around outside of bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan to catch drips. Spray bottom only of pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat all base ingredients except chocolate chips with spoon 50 strokes; fold in chocolate chips. Spread in pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until base pulls away from side of pan; do not overbake. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons water in 2-quart saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Spoon cranberry sauce and 1/2 cup sugar over gelatin. Heat to rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in orange peel. Cool at room temperature 20 minutes. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until mixture is slightly thickened.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cranberry mixture. Fold in food color. Spoon mixture over cooled brownie base. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until set.
• Meanwhile, in 1 1/2-quart saucepan, mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in cranberry juice concentrate. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Cool 20 minutes at room temperature. Pour sauce into small resealable container. Refrigerate about 1 hour 30 minutes or until chilled.
• To serve, spoon sauce over each serving of torte.

FROZEN GRAND MARNIER TORTE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE CRUST AND SPICED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• For crust:
• Finely grind cookies, chips, and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; blend until wet crumbs form. Set aside 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• For filling:
• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk vigorously until candy thermometer registers 175°F, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add spices. Using mixer, beat until thick and cool, about 5 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream, sour cream, Grand Marnier, orange juice concentrate, and grated orange peel in large bowl until peaks form. Add egg yolk mixture and fold together. Pour 2/3 of filling into crust. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture. Gently spoon remaining filling over. Cover; freeze overnight or up to 3 days.
• For topping:
• Whisk Port and cornstarch in large skillet to blend. Add sugar, honey, and spices. Bring mixture to boil over high heat, stirring often. Add 3 cups cranberries; cook until mixture boils and cranberries begin to pop but still hold shape, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 cups cranberries. Chill topping at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Release pan sides from torte. Transfer torte to platter. Spoon topping over filling. If desired, garnish torte with white chocolate curls.

CRANBERRY TORTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, pecans, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a 9-in. springform pan. , Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. In a bowl, combine the cranberries, orange juice concentrate, vanilla, salt and remaining sugar. , In a bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the cranberry mixture. Pour into the crust. Freeze until firm. , For topping, combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in cranberries and water until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until berries pop and mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes; cool. Let torte stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with topping.

CRANBERRY-WALNUT LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Combine the cranberries, three-fourths cup sugar, apple juice, one-half teaspoon cinnamon and cloves in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick like a jam. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine the walnuts, flour, cocoa, remaining one-fourth cup sugar, salt and remaining one-half teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl or a food processor. Add the butter, cut it in by hand or pulse it briefly in the food processor. Add the egg and water, mixing lightly to form a dough or, in a food processor, add the egg and water through the feed tube with the processor running.
• Gather the dough together and divide it into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Pat the larger part into a flattened circle and transfer it to an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom. Pat the dough evenly into the pan to cover the bottoms and sides up to about one-and-a-half inches high. Spread the cranberry jam into the pastry shell.
• Roll or pat the remaining dough into a rectangle about 8 by 5 inches. Slice it into about eight strips one-half-inch wide and arrange them over the cranberry filling in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends of the strips into the rim of the dough. Press a pattern into the rim of the dough with the tines of a fork.
• Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 25 minutes longer, until the dough is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
• Allow to cool, then dust with sifted confectioners' sugar before serving.

TUSCAN SUN ORANGE CRANBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8-in. round baking pan., In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, orange zest and juice until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, cream of wheat, salt and baking powder; gradually beat into oil mixture. Stir in cranberries., Transfer to prepared pan; sprinkle with almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes., Combine glaze ingredients; pour over warm cake. Cool 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with orange zest.

CRANBERRY CAKE WITH HOT BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13-by-9-inch glass baking pan.
• To make the cake, sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Add milk alternately with the dry ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in cranberries. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean.
• To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium low and
• cook 10 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring frequently. Pour hot over cake.