Orange Mascarpone Filling Recipes

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.

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.

ORANGE MASCARPONE FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Beat all ingredients except heavy cream, until smooth in food processor or mixing bowl. Gently fold in whipped cream. Can be refrigerated up to 3 days.