Orange Supremes With Fresh Vanilla Bean Food

ORANGE VANILLA BEAN ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the sugar to a food processor and blend until the sugar is super fine, about 1 minute. Reserve half (about 3/4 cup) of the sugar and set aside.
• Add the cake flour, the remaining sugar (about 3/4 cup), and the salt to a medium bowl. Sift into another medium bowl. Sift the mixture back into the original bowl. This helps get rid of any lumps and creates a very fluffy light texture in the cake.
• In a large bowl, add the orange zest, cream of tartar and egg whites. Slice the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds out with a knife, and add the seeds to the bowl with the egg whites. Using a hand mixer, begin to beat the egg white mixture on medium-high speed. While mixing, slowly stream in the remaining sugar. Beat the mixture until it holds medium peaks, this could take up to 10 minutes.
• Set the mixer aside and sift a light dusting of the flour mixture on top of the egg white mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour into the egg white mixture, this is done by slicing through the middle of the mixture and folding up and over along the side of the bowl to incorporate the flour. Keep sifting and folding until all the flour mixture has been incorporated.
• Carefully spoon the mixture into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a knife to swirl around the pan 2 times to release any unwanted air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool upside down on a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 1 hour before removing the cake from the pan and cooling completely.

ORANGE PANNA COTTA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let soak 10 minutes (do not stir).
• Meanwhile, heat the cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. As soon as it simmers, turn off the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. (If the gelatin doesn¿t completely dissolve in 3 minutes, return to the heat and warm gently until dissolved.)
• Strain the mixture into a pitcher to remove the vanilla bean and orange rind. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 ramekins or dessert cups, or into 1 larger dish. Chill, uncovered, at least 3 hours.
• To unmold, dip the cups in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn the panna cottas out onto dessert plates (or, simply serve in the cups or by the spoonful). Shave some chocolate curls onto the top of the panna cottas and serve with the orange supremes.
• Notes about the recipe: I love panna cotta because you can combine milks and creams to make it sweeter, more tart, or creamier. And then the flavor can be anything you can imagine goes well with dairy¿raspberry, citrus, coffee, tea, what ever! So it's one of those really flexible desserts that you can tailor to fit the flavors in the rest of your menu, and "flexible" almost never happens when it comes to a dessert recipe. Also, you can vary the container you make it in and turn it out to serve it or leave it in. Try using eggcups, demitasse cups, a hollowed out clean eggshell, shot glasses, anything will do. These are ingredients you might already have in your kitchen, too, so it cuts down on shopping, which is key for me. When I want to cook, I want to get right to it and not have to make a trip to the grocery just to get my hands into some dessert!

VANILLA BEAN HONEYBELL ORANGE TART WITH CHOCOLATE-SPICED CITRUS MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whip the egg yolks until thick. Add the condensed milk and slowly add the juice and vanilla bean and mix well until blended. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked shell and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Once the pie is ready let cool and set aside in refrigerator.
• To make the meringue, dissolve the egg whites and sugar together over a double boiler. Whip on high speed until volume increases and meringue has medium peaks. Add the cocoa and the spices and fold until all ingredients are well incorporated.
• To serve, top the pie with the meringue and torch the meringue or place in broiler to slightly brown the top.

ORANGE SUPREME GRATINEE WITH TANGY SABAYON SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler on low.
• Place the oranges in a medium ovenproof dish, or divide among 4 ovenproof custard dishes. Spoon the Tangy Sabayon Sauce over the top (a couple tablespoons over each if using the individual dishes). Sprinkle with brown sugar. Place on a baking sheet, place under the broiler, and cook until golden to dark brown. Watch very closely for burning! Serve immediately.
• Place the egg yolks, sugar, and wine in a metal bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making a double boiler. Whisk the mixture constantly until it foams and then becomes creamy and doubles in size, about 5 minutes. Mixture should be uncomfortably warm to the touch, but not burning. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sour cream.

ORANGE-VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, and orange zest until pale and fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.
• Combine cream, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Sift togetherflour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, addflour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with cream mixture, ending with flour; beat until just combined.
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until testers inserted in the centers come out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 1 day (or frozen for up to 2 months).
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of each cupcake to make level. Using an offset spatula, frost tops of each cupcake with some buttercream. Place a candied citrus slice on each cupcake. Fit a pastry bag with a small plain tip, and fill with remaining buttercream. Pipe dots around edges of orange slices. Cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.