Vanilla Orange Syrup Food

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES WITH VANILLA-ORANGE SYRUP

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter an 8- by 2-inch square metal baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment or wax paper, then butter paper. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined well. Whisk in flour and salt (batter will be thick).
• Beat whites with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks.
• Stir about one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites in 2 more batches, gently but thoroughly.
• Transfer batter to baking pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack (cake will shrink from sides of pan). When cool, run a sharp knife around side of cake if necessary and invert onto rack, then remove paper.
• Make strawberries in syrup:
• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of sharp knife into a small saucepan, then add pod. Add sugar, water, zest, and juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and boil 1 minute.
• Transfer to a bowl and chill 30 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into another bowl and discard solids. Gently stir in strawberries and let stand 15 minutes.
• Make cream:
• Beat together cream, sugar, and sour cream until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
• Assemble shortcakes:
• Cut 4 rounds from cake with cookie cutter.
• Generously brush both sides of each round with syrup from strawberry mixture and arrange, darker sides up, on plates. Spoon strawberries onto rounds and let stand 5 minutes to allow more syrup to soak into cake. Top rounds with dollops of cream and drizzle with remaining syrup.

VANILLA ORANGE TART

Steps:

• In a food processor, process the vanilla wafers to crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.
• Press the crumbs into a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan to line the bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, mix the gelatin with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepot, combine the milk with another 1/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla bean. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
• A ladleful at a time, slowly pour the heated milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to temper the yolks. When half of the milk has been added, pour the hot egg mixture back into the saucepot, whisking constantly. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbles start appearing on the surface.
• Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the custard. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps or overcooked yolks.
• Pour the strained custard into the tart shell and refrigerate for 1 hour, until set.
• In a small saucepot, bring the orange juice and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add the dried orange slices and simmer until syrupy, 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; the orange slices will continue to soften.
• Remove the tart from the refrigerator and decorate with the orange slices in a fan pattern. Drizzle the tart with some of the orange syrup.
• Place the tart back in the refrigerator for another hour, or until the candied oranges are set.

FRUIT SALAD WITH ORANGE-VANILLA SYRUP

Steps:

• Place the sugar, 1 cup water, orange zest, juice and vanilla bean in a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes to thicken. Set aside to cool.
• Prepare all the fruit in a large bowl, pour the cooled syrup over the top and toss together. Decorate with mint leaves and chill until ready to serve.

ORANGES IN SYRUP

Steps:

• Place orange segments in a decorative glass dish and chill in refrigerator.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally while boiling until mixture is the consistency of a thin syrup. Remove from the heat. Add rosewater and stir to combine.
• Pour syrup over the orange segments and chill until ready to serve.

VANILLA SYRUP

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean. Place the seeds, pod(s), sugar and water in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minute.
• Remove from the heat and pour the syrup and pod(s) into a sanitized heatproof jar. Let cool to room temperature, close the lid and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

VANILLA ORANGE SYRUP

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Bring the syrup to a simmer, and then let it simmer for about 10-20 minutes, until it reduces to 1/2 to 3/4 cup of syrup.
• Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
• Store leftovers in the fridge in covered contained until needed. Use within 1 week (if refrigerated).