Oranges In Cointreau Dessert Food

CHESTNUTS IN COINTREAU & ORANGE SYRUP

Steps:

• To peel the chestnuts, cut a nick in each one on the flat side. Put 6 on a plate and microwave for 1 min on High. Then, wearing rubber gloves, peel off the outer skin and inner brown membrane. Continue until all the chestnuts are peeled. (If you don't have a microwave, you can roast the chestnuts in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 15-20 mins.) Put them in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 mins. Drain well.
• Pare thin strips of zest from the orange using a vegetable peeler. Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways. Put the orange strips, vanilla pod, sugars and 400ml water in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for about 15 mins until syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cointreau.
• Pack the prepared chestnuts into sterilised jars (see below) and pour over the syrup to cover. Seal the jars. The chestnuts will keep in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

STRAWBERRIES WITH COINTREAU

Steps:

• Peel wide strips of zest without the pith from orange and cut into very thin strips. (Put aside rest of orange for another use.).
• In small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water; bring to the boil over high heat.
• Add orange zest; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let syrup cool; stir in liqueur.
• Put berries in bowl.
• Add syrup and orange zest; set aside for 2 hours.
• Whip cream and sweeten to taste with powdered sugar.
• Serve strawberries topped with whipped cream and garnished each serving with a whole strawberry.

ORANGE COINTREAU CAKE

Steps:

• For genoise: Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Lightly butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
• Beat eggs and sugar in large, heatproof bowl until well-blended.
• Place bowl over low heat and whisk mixture by hand 40 times (about 1 minute).
• Return bowl to mixer and beat until cool and quadrupled in volume.
• Gently fold in flour, then butter, do not overmix.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and top feels springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes.
• Invert onto rack and let cool.
• For custard: Finely grate zest off the 2 oranges; reserve oranges.
• Blend yolks, sugar, cornstarch and flour in medium bowl of mixer until smooth and lemon-coloured.
• Scald milk.
• Whisk thin stream of hot milk into yolk mixture and pour custard back into saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.
• Add peel.
• Place plastic wrap directly onto surface and cool completely.
• To assemble: Cut cake into 3 even layers using a long, serrated knife.
• Brush each layer with some of the Cointreau.
• Set 1 layer on a cake plate and spread with half of custard.
• Repeat with second layer.
• Add third layer.
• Frost top and sides with whipped cream.
• Thinly slice and remove membranes from sections of reserved oranges.
• Try to make attractive pieces.
• Decorate top of cake with these if desired.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

BRANDIED ORANGES

Steps:

• Peel oranges leaving no white pith.
• Slice crosswise into thin slices, or cut into segments and place in a serving bowl.
• Stir sugar and water together over a low heat until disolved and then boil for 2mins.
• Cool, add Brandy and Grand Marnier or Contreau.
• Pour over prepared oranges.
• Serve at room temperature with whipped cream and/or ice cream.
• Can be made ahead, (I have done this 2 - 4 days ahead) and stored in fridge. Bring to room temp to serve or if preferred serve chilled.

VANILLA PANNA COTTA WITH CARAMELISED ORANGE

Steps:

• Place the gelatine and milk in a pan, then leave it to one side to soak. Meanwhile, place the orange zest, vanilla pods and sugar in a pan. Add 800ml of the cream, then bring to the boil. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by one-third. While the cream is reducing, remove the gelatine from the milk, set aside, then warm the milk. When it is warm, add the soaked gelatine and stir until completely dissolved. Add to the warm cream, pass through a sieve, then leave to cool.
• Lightly whip the remaining cream, then fold into the setting mixture. Pour the mixture into a 1-litre pudding bowl, then place in the fridge to set for at least 5 hrs.
• While the panna cotta is setting, make the sauce for the orange salad. Tip the sugar into a non-stick pan, then place on the heat to cook down to a caramel. Pour in the Grand Marnier and orange juice - this will make the caramel harden, so just simmer on a low heat, stirring, until it's dissolved to a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat.
• Take the panna cotta out of the fridge, slide a knife around the edge of the bowl and dip very briefly in hot water to loosen. Tip the panna cotta into the middle of a plate, then arrange the orange segments around it. Spoon the orangey sauce over the panna cotta and oranges, then scatter over the zest.

COINTREAU MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH CAKE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, orange juice and Cointreau.
• Beat well for 10 minutes.
• Pour into lightly greased bundt pan.
• Bake at 350 for 45- 60 minutes until done.
• Let stand 10 minutes.
• Turn out of pan.
• While cake is baking, boil sugar, butter, orange juice and Cointreau for roughly 5 minutes.
• Pour over cake while cake is still warm.
• To serve, top each slice with fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of orange peel.

ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE WITH CITRUS MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Boil two of the oranges (whole) in water, with the lid on the pan, for about 1 hour or until squidgy. Drain and leave to cool.
• Butter a springform cake tin, 23cm/9in wide and 7cm/23⁄4in deep. Add 1-2 tablespoons of polenta, tip the grains around until the tin is coated, then knock out the excess. Set aside.
• Whizz the flaked almonds to a grainy powder in a food processor, then mix in a bowl with the polenta and baking powder. Set aside.
• Halve the cooked oranges and remove any pips. Remove zest from the third orange. Whizz the zest and the orange halves (with skin on) to a smooth purée in the food processor. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Using a mixer or electric beaters, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar for a good 5-7 minutes until the batter looks like a very thick milkshake.
• Quickly beat in the almond mixture, then the purée until just blended. Pour the batter into the tin, leaving at least 1.5cm/5⁄8in at the top.
• Bake the cake in the middle of the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 150C/ Gas 2/fan oven 130C, bake for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 140C/fan oven 120C for a further 30 minutes (if you have a gas oven, cook at gas 4 for 10 minutes, then at gas 2 for 11⁄4 hours until done without reducing the temperature further). The cake is ready when it has risen, is golden-brown and the centre is just firm - don't panic that it still feels fragile.
• Leave the cake to cool in its tin (it will sink a little), then run a palette knife around the edge before releasing the sides. Only attempt to transfer it from the metal base to a decorative plate or stand if you have a proper cake lifter.
• Whisk the liqueur and marmalade into the mascarpone. Serve the cake in thick wedges with the mascarpone dolloped on top.