Orange Poppy Seed Wafers Food

SESAME WAFERS

Steps:

• Toast the sesame seeds in a large skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, salt and baking powder and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour and 1/4 cup of the toasted sesame seeds and beat until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and butter the parchment or foil. Form teaspoonfuls of dough into small balls, then roll in the remaining 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds, pressing to coat. Arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until dark golden around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 1 minute on the baking sheets, then carefully remove the cookies with a thin metal spatula and transfer to racks to cool completely.

ORANGE-POPPY SEED BREAD

Steps:

• Mix all bread ingredients in large bowl for 2 minutes at high speed of electric mixer.
• Pour into greased and floured pans (either Bundt or 2 loaf) and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. LEAVE IN PAN!
• Mix all glaze ingredients in small bowl.
• While bread is still hot, poke holes all over in bread with skewer or other implement.
• Pour glaze over hot bread. Let sit until hardened.
• This sets up with a hard, crunchy sugar glaze on the outside.
• Can use lemon as well, if preferred.

WAFERS

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Allow to stand for at least 3 hours. Butter some heated wafer irons (these are not waffle irons), by rubbing them with a small knob of butter wrapped in a piece of muslin. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter on to the lower plate of the irons and close the upper plate tight. Cook the wafer on both sides for a few minutes over hot charcoal or over a low gas flame. When cooked, remove carefully from the irons.

ORANGE POPPY SEED WAFERS

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Combine flour, poppy seeds, and allspice in a bowl and set aside. Butter 2 heavy, large cookie sheets and set aside.
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove all the zest from the orange (only remove the orange part, not the bitter white pith). Save orange for another use. Place the granulated sugar and zest in a food processor. Process until peel is finely minced, about 2 minutes. Transfer the sugar-zest mixture to an electric mixer. Add 1 cup butter and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Add the flour mixture and mix slowly until combined into a soft dough.
• Using a small cookie scoop, place 1-inch high mounds 2 inches apart on cookie sheets and press cookie down using a spatula dipped in water.
• Bake until edges are light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and cream in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the cookies and then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let stand until glaze is hardened and not wet. Store in an airtight container.

LEMON-GINGER WAFERS

Steps:

• Finely grate the ginger into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press with the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice (you'll need 1 tablespoon juice); set aside. Whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the vanilla and ginger juice. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; form into two 1-by-9-inch logs. Wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Unwrap the logs and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the edges are golden, about 13 minutes. Let cool5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Put the remaining 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl; stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, a little at a time, until the icing is spreadable. Spread on the cookies and top with crystallized ginger; let set 30 minutes.

ORANGE AND POPPY SEED QUICK BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 6 cup loaf pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In another small bowl, combine milk, juice, and zest. In a large bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 min.).
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed.
• Add the flour mixture and the juice mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, scraping and stirring with a rubber spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter.
• Gently fold in the poppyseeds and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes our clean.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.