Petite Orange And Raspberry Pochettes Food

PETITE NUTELLA POCHETTES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and creamy. Add the flour slowly until the dough forms. Do not over-mix! Shape the dough into a ball and cover. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a lightly-floured surface, using a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Form the scraps into a ball and reroll to make more circles.
• Fill each dough circle with a small spoonful of the chocolate-hazelnut spread. Dip your finger in tap water and spread on the edge of half the circle to help create a seal. Fold the dough over to create a crescent. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool, then sift the confectioners' sugar on top and serve.

LACE COOKIES WITH ORANGE-MASCARPONE FILLING AND RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• For the Lace Cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line an 18 by 12-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place the pecans and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the butter, flour, molasses, cream, and vanilla and process until well mixed and the nuts are finely chopped. Transfer the dough to a bowl.
• Place heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough on the foil-lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies far apart and leaving lots of room to expand¿makes only 6 cookies at a time.
• Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until bubbly all over and golden brown. Watch the cookies carefully, as they turn from brown to burned very quickly; the baking time may need to be adjusted according to your oven. Remove from the oven and place, still on the foil, on a cake rack to cool completely. Continue to bake the cookies in batches until all the dough is used. (Make extra cookies, as they are very fragile and break easily.) Once they are cooled, very carefully peel the foil away from the back of the lace cookies; it is very easy to break the cookies. If holding the cookies for any length of time, place in an airtight container.
• For the Orange Mascarpone Filling:
• Place the cream in a small bowl and whip by hand or with an electric mixer until fairly stiff. Using a whisk, stir in the mascarpone, liqueur, sugar, and orange zest until the mixture is smooth. Be careful not to over mix, because the mascarpone might separate. Use immediately, or set aside and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
• To assemble, place 1 lace cookie on a dessert plate. Spread 1 tablespoon of the filling gently over the cookie, or pipe, using a pastry bag. Place 4 raspberries, equally spaced, on the filling. Place a third cookie on top of the raspberries and top with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
• Garnish each dessert with 3 or 4 raspberries and a mint sprig. Serve immediately.