Portuguese Orange Torte Recipes

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS (PASTEIS DE NATA)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video.
• Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
• Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
• Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
• Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
• Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.

PORTUGUESE ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Generously grease and flour (make sure you include the sides) of a 15x10x1 inch jellyroll pan.
• With a mixer set at high speed, beat together the eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes, or until it is completely smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
• Stir in orange juice, rind and cinnamon.
• Pour into pan, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles into hills and valleys, and the top is slightly brown in places.
• While torte is cooking, spread a clean kitchen towel (slightly larger than the torte) on the counter and sprinkle the 1/2 cup sugar over the towel.
• When the torte is done, remove from oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Quickly turn it out onto the sugared towel and use the towel to roll it up from the shorter side.
• Let stand, covered by the towel for about 3 hours, or until slicing and serving.

TORTA DE LARANJA ( ORANGE TORTE )

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to hot, 425°F Line the bottom of a 13" X 9" baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Butter the wax paper generously and also the pan sides; sprinkle 2tbsp of flour over the wax paper, then tip the pan from side to side and back and forth to coat both the wax paper and the pan sides with flour. Rap the pan lightly against the counter, then tip out the excess flour; set the pan aside.
• With an electric mixer set at high speed, beat the 1 1/8 cup of the sugar with the eggs & butter for 5 minutes until the colour and consistency of mayonnaise.
• As soon as the sugar-egg mixture is fluffy-light, stir in the orange juice, rind, and cinnamon. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes until the surface is richly browned. As it bakes, the batter may billow into alarming "hills and valleys" but this is perfectly normal.
• While the torte bakes, spread a clean dishtowel across the counter so that one of the short sides faces you. Now sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup sugar over the towel to cover an area slightly larger than that of the your pan.
• The instant the torte is done, remove from the oven and loosen around the edges with a thin-bladed knife or small spatula. Quickly invert the pan on top of the sugared towel and, wasting no time, gently pull off the wax paper.
• With a sharp knife dipped in hot water, quickly trim off any crisp edges around the torte.
• To roll the torte, lift the front end of the towel up, letting the torte roll up on itself, jelly-roll style. Leave the torte wrapped up in the towel for 3 to 4 hours (the torte will make its own jelly-like filling), then carefully unwrap.
• To serve, slice the torte about 3/8in thick and slightly on the bias. Allow 2-3 slices per serving.

PORTUGUESE ALMOND TORTE (BOLO DE AMêNDOA)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the paper. Coat the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
• Blend the almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor until very, very fine. Keep blending till it has the consistancy of fine corn meal. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yolks on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the zest, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Blend in the almond mixture and vanilla.
• In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy then slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites form soft peaks. Add a big spoonful into the almond mixture and stir to lighten. Carefully fold in the remainder of the whites until no streaks show. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
• Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 5 minutes before releasing the cake from the pan. Cool completely before serving. The middle will collapse some -- per Chef Leite, "that is as it should be"!

ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• For orange curd: Mix juices with cornstarch in saucepan until dissolved.
• Whisk in butter, sugar, eggs and yolk until smooth.
• Place over low heat and stir until mixture is thickened to consistency of thin yoghurt, 15-20 minutes.
• DO NOT LET BOIL.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and cool, then refrigerate overnight; if butter begins to separate, whisk to reblend.
• For cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F.
• Line bottom of 2, 9 inch round cake pans with parchment.
• Combine yolks, 3 tblsps sugar, liqueur, hot water, vanilla, orange zest, cardamon and almond extract in large bowl and beat about 8 minutes.
• Beat whites in a separate bowl, with clean beaters, adding a pinch of salt and another of cream of tartar, until soft peaks form.
• Add remaining 8 tblsps sugar, one at a time, and beat until meringue is quite stiff and glossy.
• Resift flours together.
• Gently fold ¼ of meringue mixture into yolks.
• Scrape yolk mixture over remaining meringue with spatula, then sift ¼ of flour over top and fold in.
• Repeat until all flour is folded in, being careful not to deflate mixture or allow any lumps to remain.
• Drizzle butter over and gently fold in using 3-4 strokes.
• Pour into pans.
• Bake until tops spring back when touched, 20-25 minutes, rotating cakes once.
• Cool.
• To assemble: Loosen cakes from pans and peel off paper.
• Turn right side up.
• Using long, serrated knife, halve cakes horizontally to make 4 layers.
• Arrange 1 layer, cut side up, on platter.
• Sprinkle with 1 tblsp liqueur; spread with 1/3 of curd.
• Repeat 2 more times.
• Top with last layer, flat side up.
• Press gently to align.
• Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Whip cream with 2 tblsps icing sugar and 2 tblsps liqueur to stiff peaks.
• Reserve 2/3s cup cream.
• Spread remaining cream smoothly over top and sides of cake.
• Spoon reserved cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe decoratively around sides of cake.
• Garnish with candied orange peel, if you wish and serve at room temperature.