Caramelized Cobwebs And Licorice Spiders Food

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment paper. Butter lining. Dust bottom and sides with flour; tap out excess.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together chocolate, coffee, and boiling water in a separate bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add sour cream; beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture.
• Whisk chocolate mixture again; add to batter. Beat until smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared sheet. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack.
• Invert cake onto a rimless baking sheet; peel off parchment. Halve widthwise. Spread half of buttercream on top of one layer. Top frosted layer with second cake layer; coat cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 12 squares; garnish each serving with a caramelized cobweb.

CARAMELIZED COBWEBS AND LICORICE SPIDERS

Steps:

• Lightly butter two large sheets of parchment paper; set aside. Prepare a large ice water bath; set aside.
• Pour 3 tablespoons water into a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming. Let syrup boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is medium amber.
• Immediately remove from heat; set pan into ice-water bath to stop the cooking.
• Working quickly, drizzle caramel with a spoon onto buttered parchment paper, forming cobwebs. If the syrup is thin and runs too quickly, let it cool a bit longer. Alternatively, if the syrup is thick and slow to drizzle, reheat it gently. Garnish with small licorice spiders if desired.
• To make the licorice spiders, cut licorice into twelve 1/2-inch pieces; split horizontally. On each end, cut out two triangles, forming an M. On each side, cut out one triangle from middle. Use caramel to stick to webs. Let stand until hardened and cooled.

GLACEED ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• Leaving peel on, cut oranges into 1/4-inch rounds, then cut each round into a half-moon.
• Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a large pot, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Wash down sides of pot with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add orange slices to boiling syrup; reduce heat. Cover with parchment, and gently simmer until orange slices are soft and glazed, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer peel to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Let dry until just slightly tacky, about 5 hours. Store in an airtight container for 2 days.

CARAMEL-DIPPED HAZELNUTS

Steps:

• Gently insert pointed end of a long wooden skewer into the side of each hazelnut. Place a cutting board along the edge of a countertop; place newspaper on the floor,directly under cutting board.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Heat sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Stop stirring; cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to boil, gently swirling occasionally, until medium amber. Plunge pan into ice bath to stop the cooking; let stand until thickened, about 10 minutes. (To test: Dip a skewer in caramel and lift a few inches; if a thick drip slowly forms and holds a string, the caramel is ready.)
• Dip a skewered hazelnut into caramel, letting excess drip back into pan. When dripping syrup becomes a thin string, secure opposite end of skewer under cutting board. Repeat with remaining hazelnuts. (If caramel hardens before all hazelnuts have been dipped, rewarm it over low heat.) Let stand until caramel string has hardened, about 5 minutes; break each string to desired length. Carefully remove skewers. Candied hazelnuts should be used the same day; store, uncovered, at room temperature until ready to serve cupcakes.

CARAMEL SYRUP

Steps:

• Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and comes to a boil. Continue cooking, brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush but without stirring, until mixture becomes golden amber in color.
• Immediately remove from heat and add 1 cup water. Return to heat and continue stirring until mixture becomes liquid. Transfer to a heatproof container and let cool completely before using.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND CIDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large, heavy ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until edges start to caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes. Add sugar, and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar. Scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in cider, stock, cinnamon, bay leaf, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add cabbage, arranging in a single layer. Bring to a boil. Cover; transfer to oven. Braise until cabbage is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Transfer cabbage to a serving platter using a slotted spoon; discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring remaining liquid in saucepan to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes (you will have about 1 cup sauce). Spoon sauce over cabbage.