Caramelized Orange Parfait Food

CARAMELIZED ORANGES

Steps:

• Place cold water in a heavy-based saucepan, add the sugar and bring SLOWLY to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• (The sugar must be completely dissolved before the liquid boils.) Once the sugar is boiling, DO NOT STIR.
• Continue to boil.
• Use a pastry-brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pan, until the sugar is a rich, dark, caramel colour.
• Remove from heat and CAREFULLY add the warm water to the caramel WHICH WILL SPIT AND SPLUTTER!
• Return pan to the heat and continue stirring to dissolve the caramel in the water.
• Set aside to cool.
• Peel all the oranges, setting the peel of one aside.
• (Remove as much of the white pith as possible.) Place the peeled oranges in a bowl and pour over the caramel sauce, gently turning the fruit to cover each with sauce.
• Chill well.
• Cut the served peel into matchstick-sized pieces and cook until tender in boiling water.
• Refresh in cold water and drain.
• Sprinkle half the cooked zest over the oranges in the bowl and stir.
• Serve each chilled orange with the sauce and garnish with additional zest.
• Serves 6.

CITRUS AND MASCARPONE PARFAIT WITH GRAPEFRUIT AND PROSECCO GRANITA

Steps:

• For the sugar cookie dough: Combine the butter, flour, sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse together, adding a few splashes of ice water to make it come together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut the rested dough in half and roll out each piece to about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the dough and lightly roll over it to set it in place. Cut out 8 shapes using a round cookie cutter. Place on a sheet tray and bake until light golden, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• For the sweetened mascarpone: Mix together the mascarpone, sugar and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl until smooth and silky. Place in a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the ruby red grapefruit and prosecco sorbet: Combine the grapefruit juice, prosecco and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed while carefully pouring in liquid nitrogen. Pour in enough nitrogen until you achieve a sorbet-like consistency. Place the bowl in the freezer until ready to use. Alternatively, pour the grapefruit mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer¿s instructions.
• Combine the satsuma, orange and grapefruit segments in a large bowl. Pipe some sweetened mascarpone into the bottom of 4 dessert cups. Top with the citrus segments and a scoop of the ruby red grapefruit and prosecco sorbet. Tuck two cookies in each glass and garnish with the mint.

CRANBERRY ORANGE PARFAIT

Steps:

• Add the yogurt to a coffee filter or doubled paper towels lined in a fine sieve. Let drain over a bowl for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the accumulated liquid on the bottom of the bowl. Add the drained yogurt to the bowl and stir in the marmalade. In a separate bowl, whip the cream with a beater until it begins to thicken. Add the vanilla and sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks just begin to form. Add the cranberry sauce to a medium bowl. Stir half of the cream into the cranberry sauce along with the orange juice and orange zest and mix gently. Add the other half of the cream to the bowl with the yogurt mixture. Layer the yogurt and the cranberry mixtures in 4 parfait glasses or wine glasses, and top with a sprinkle of chopped pecans. Chill before serving.

CARAMELIZED ORANGES

Steps:

• Squeeze enough juice from 3 oranges to measure 1 cup.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup around edges begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully add orange juice (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Cut peel, including all white pith, from remaining 6 oranges with a sharp paring knife and cut each orange crosswise into thirds.
• Heat one third of butter (1 teaspoon) in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 6 orange slices until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Sauté remaining orange slices in butter in same manner, wiping out skillet between batches if necessary. Return all orange slices to skillet along with caramel sauce and cook over moderate heat until heated through, about 1 minute.

FRY BREAD WITH CARAMELIZED ORANGES AND HONEY SYRUP

Steps:

• Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the sugar, half of the cinnamon, and salt. Mix together and then add the oil. Once combined, slowly add the water, a little at a time, and mix with your hands until a soft dough forms, (you may not need all of the water).
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and bounces back when poked with a finger, about 5 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll out into 1/4-inch thick disks. Let rest while you make the orange honey syrup.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oranges with the syrup and toss to coat with the butter. When the butter starts to brown just a bit, remove the pan from the heat and add the orange liqueur and the remaining cinnamon. Pour the honey over the oranges and heat just until the honey starts to foam, about 3 minutes.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F. Add the dough disks to the hot oil, in batches, until they are golden and have puffed up, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
• Cut the fry bread in quarters and arrange on a platter. Pour the orange mixture over the top and garnish with a generous amount of powdered sugar.

ORANGE PARFAIT (A LA BRIDGET JONES) - NOT MARMALADE!

Steps:

• In a medium sauce pan, combine the pudding mix and orange juice.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil.
• Remove from heat and place in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
• In a large bowl, combine the chilled pudding, orange zest, and low-fat yogurt.
• Place a spoonful of the mixture into a parfait glass OR Sugar Cage (see recipe #83770).
• Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of crushed cookies on top and continue layering the pudding and cookies until the sugar cage is full.
• Garnish with fresh berries and serve.

ALMOND NOUGAT PARFAIT WITH ORANGE COULIS

Steps:

• For caramelized almonds: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet and warm in oven for 10 minutes.
• In a large sauté pan, combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When sugar has dissolved, add warm almonds and, stirring constantly, cook until sugar crystallizes. Continue to cook until sugar melts again and coats almonds. Remove from heat and turn almonds onto a clean work surface, separating almonds to avoid sticking. Allow to cool, then crush or roughly chop, setting aside 1/4 cup for garnish.
• For nougat parfait: Whisk heavy cream until stiff, and refrigerate until needed. Place egg whites in bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Place honey in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Whisk egg whites until they start to thicken, then slowly drizzle in the hot honey, gradually increasing speed of mixer until it is at full speed. Continue to whisk egg whites until they are very thick and completely cool (bowl will feel cool), about 4 minutes.
• Fold in crushed almonds (except those reserved for garnish) and diced orange candy. Gently fold in whipped cream until blended. Place mixture in a gallon sealable plastic bag with one corner cut off, and pipe it onto a baking sheet in large mounds like meringues. Alternatively, it may be placed in a pastry bag with a large plain tip and piped into 12 1 1/2-inch stainless steel cylinder molds. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours, before serving.
• For orange coulis: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Over medium heat, cook until it becomes an amber caramel. Meanwhile, in a second small pan over low heat, gently heat orange juice. When sugar has reached correct color, remove from heat and slowly add orange juice. Return to heat and cook to dissolve any hardened bits of sugar. Continue to reduce until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
• To serve, if using molds, warm each mold with your hands to release it and place two unmolded parfaits on each plate. If using meringue-shaped parfaits, place two or three (depending on size and quantity) on each plate. Drizzle orange coulis around each plate, and sprinkle with reserved caramelized almonds.