Orange Anise Squares Food

ANISE-ORANGE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flours, anise, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Put sugar and zest into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium. Mix in juice and egg. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
• Working in batches, spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip (such as Wilton No. 1A). Pipe 3 1/2-inch-long lines onto parchment-lined baking sheets, making the ends slightly thicker than centers. Bake cookies until edges and bottoms are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer cookies to rack; let cool completely.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease 9-inch square cake pan.
• In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter with chocolate.
• Pour into mixing bowl and cool 10 minutes.
• Add eggs, sugar and marmalade to chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth.
• Stir in vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt, just until flour is no longer visible.
• Pour into prepared cake pan and bake until surface is shiny, approximately 30 minutes.
• Cool completely.
• Glaze:.
• Melt butter with chocolate and add corn syrup.
• Stir until incorporated.
• Spread glaze on cake.
• Sprinkle with orange zest.
• Let cake sit until glaze is fairly firm.
• Cut into 3-inch squares or pieces of desired size.

ORANGE ANISE SEED SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• *NOTE: The orange juice is my addition. You can add any proportion of milk and orange juice as long as the liquid equals 1 cup.
• Topping Number Two: To make the simple syrup, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange blossom water. Set aside.
• Cake: Grease and flour an 8" square baking pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
• Add the flour, baking powder, salt, milk, orange juice, anise seeds and nutmeg. Beat on low speeds just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Next, beat on medium speed until fluffy and blended, about another minute.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
• Remove from oven and while still cake is still hot spread the orange marmalade on top for Topping Number One. For Topping Number Two, poke holes in the top of the cake all over with a toothpick. Pour the simple syrup over the top.
• Cut into squares. Delicious with coffee!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE SQUARES

Steps:

• Baking pan or roasting pan at least 2 inches deep and large enough to hold the cake pan with at least 2 inches to spare on each side.
• Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with foil. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the bain marie when baking in the oven.
• Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Combine the 2 egg yolks with vanilla in a small bowl. Place the 3 egg whites in a medium bowl with cream of tartar. Set all 3 bowls aside.
• Combine the cocoa, flour and 2/3 cup sugar in a 1 1/2 quart heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in enough of the milk to form a smooth paste. Mix in the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, to prevent burning (especially around the bottom edges of the pot), until mixture begins to simmer. Simmer very gently, stirring constantly, for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture visibly thickens. Pour the hot mixture immediately over the chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Whisk in egg yolk mixture. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, beating at high speed until stiff but not dry. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in remaining egg whites. Scrape mixture into the cake pan and spread evenly. Set cake pan in baking pan and place on oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into the baking pan to come a third to halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
• Bake for exactly 20 minutes. The cake will only be about 3/4 inches tall. The surface will spring back when gently pressed but cake will still be quite gooey inside. Remove cake pan and water pan from oven. Remove the cake pan from the water and cool completely on a rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving. Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.
• After the truffle sheet is well chilled, lift the edges of the foil to remove the truffle sheet from the pan. Cut the sheet into 7 strips, each about 1 1/4 inches wide, using a long thin sharp knife dipping in hot water and wiped dry between each cut (the cake is very sticky) or cut with dental floss. Cut each strip into 7 squares. Transfer each square to a fluted paper candy cup and or arrange on a serving platter. If garnishing with raspberries, simmer the preserves for a minute or until thick and sticky. Touch the hot preserves with the bottom of each berry before placing it on the truffle square. Refrigerate until serving.

LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Lightly brush a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter. Beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix just until combined. Evenly press the dough into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool.
• For the filling: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, granulated sugar, flour, salt, eggs and yolks in a large bowl until thick and light. Lightly whisk in the citrus juices. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until set but still loose in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Cut into 2-inch squares and just before serving, dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

CARAMEL APPLE STREUSEL SQUARES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 3/4 cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
• ARRANGE apples over partially baked crust. Mix sweetened condensed milk and 1/2 cup caramel topping until blended. Pour evenly over apples. Add walnuts to reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over apple layer.
• BAKE 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool in pan on wire rack. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream and remaining caramel topping.

BLACK LICORICE SQUARES

Steps:

• Line a 9 x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a heavy pot, combine cream, butter, corn syrup, molasses, sugars and salt to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 260°F.
• Remove from heat and thoroughly stir in the flour, candy oil and food colouring if using.
• Quickly and carefully pour the candy into the pan.
• Allow to set for 10 minutes, then score with a bench scraper or sharp chef's knife and allow to cool completely before separating and wrapping the pieces.

ORANGE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, almonds, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1 tsp orange zest.
• Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Press into bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, orange juice, and extract.
• Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour and baking powder and add to sugar mixture, whisking to combine.
• Pour over crust.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until set.
• Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.
• Cut into squares to serve.