Chocolate Tangerine Cutouts Recipes

TANGERINE CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water, combine egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, tangerine zest, juice and salt. Beat on medium speed until mixture is thick, frothy and holds a ribbon and a thermometer reads 160°. Remove from heat; whisk in melted chocolate and vanilla. Quickly transfer to a bowl; place in ice water and refrigerate 15 minutes or until completely cool, stirring occasionally., In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into six freezer-safe dessert glasses or dishes. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight., Just before serving, top with sweetened whipped cream and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE SNACKING CAKE WITH TANGERINE GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan and line with parchment paper, letting the two long edges hang over the sides by at least 2 inches.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Or you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water on the stove, stirring well. Whisk in hot coffee.
• Whisk together flour mixture, coffee-chocolate mixture, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla. Scrape into baking pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely before glazing.
• When cake is cool, make the glaze: Whisk together tangerine zest, tangerine juice and lemon juice, then whisk in confectioners' sugar. Taste, and if it's too sweet, add another drop or two of lemon juice. Pour glaze onto cooled cake, and spread to the edges. Let glaze set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE TANGERINE CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
• Heat in 30-second intervals until melted.
• Add cocoa powder and tangerine oil; mix until smooth and cool.
• Cream together remaining 1 cup butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add cocoa mixture; mix well.
• Add egg yolks, vanilla and zest until combined.
• Gradually add flour, scraping down sides of bowl, as necessary, until combined.
• Divide dough in two and place each piece on large sheet of plastic wrap.
• Flatten into 1/2-inch thick discs, wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
• Place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets; bake 10 to 12 minutes until firm and edges are beginning to brown.
• Remove to a cooling rack; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in bowl of electric mixer, on low speed beat together powdered sugar, egg white powder, juices, zest and tangerine oil until moistened.
• Beat 2 to 3 minutes more on high speed.
• Adjust with more juice or powdered sugar to desired consistency; add food coloring, if desired.
• Frost cookies and decorate with sugars, as desired.
• When frosting is set, store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Chocolate: I use 60 percent cocoa mass pistols.A variety of percentage contents are on the market today. Usesomething that is 58 percent to 72 percent for a bittersweet.They have a great bittersweet sensation and it's relatively easyto find this percentage of cocoa mass in solid chocolate atgourmet grocery stores. They're also easier to cut-out andhandle. Milk chocolate (34 percent) will work but is alwayssofter and doesn't handle so easily. White chocolate will worktoo but faces the same handling problems as milk chocolate. Besure to chill these in refrigerator.
• All chocolate for these cut outs will have to be tempered by the user. Even if it has been tempered (which it will have been by the manufacturer for packaging), the act of melting the chocolate will require the user to re-temper it. Use a brand of chocolate that is high quality, tastes great, and fits your budget. Oil based food dye: Find these at specialty baking supply stores, or easier, on-line. Try www.chefrubber.com, or www.inidatree.com for oil and acrylic based dyes. Cookie cutters: Use metal cookie butters and quickly heat the cutters over a gas flame to easily cut through the chocolate. DO NOT dip in hot water, as chocolate and water do not mix, even if the chocolate is solid. Melted chocolate should never come in contact with water or else the chocolate will seize. Stencils Parchment paper X-acto or sharp paring knife Sheet pans Digital thermometer Double boiler Measure out the quantity of chocolate desired. Melt 2/3 of total chocolate over a double boiler over low heat and the water just steaming (this will be a slow process). Test the temperature with a digital thermometer (do not go over 110 degrees F). Remove bowl from the heat and, bit by bit, add the remaining 1/3 non-melted chocolate to reduce temperature to 89 to 91 degrees F. Spread chocolate out on parchment paper and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Lift the paper and gently tap it on the counter to even out the chocolate and get rid of any air bubbles. Place the paper with the chocolate on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is solid. Chill or leave on counter until hardened. I recommend leaving it on counter until it sets, then chill to make super hard for cutting with cookie cutter. Cut out shapes in the chocolate with cookie cutters, using shapes without close corners where the chocolate would get stuck easily. To make your own shapes, create a stencil using poster board and trace around it with a sharp knife. For bright colors use white chocolate and tint it with oil based food coloring. After you have cut out the shapes attach them to a frosted cake with a little melted chocolate.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE TANGERINE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment. Butter parchment. Dust pan with flour. Melt butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, eggs and ground nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with very moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on rack (cake will fall and crack).
• Release cake pan sides. Turn out cake onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Cut off outer 1/2-inch edge of cake. Clean cake pan. Reattach cake pan sides; brush sides of pan with vegetable oil. Set cake in center of pan (there will be space around cake that will be filled in with mousse). Refrigerate cake.
• For Mousse:
• Boil tangerine juice and sugar in heavy large saucepan until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice in small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to soften.
• Add gelatin mixture to tangerine juice mixture and stir to dissolve. Add 14 ounces white chocolate and whisk over low heat just until melted. Whisk in sour cream. Pour into large bowl. Chill mixture until cool and thickened but not set, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Beat chilled whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold into white chocolate mixture. Pour mousse over cake in pan, covering top and sides completely. Refrigerate cake overnight.
• Using vegetable peeler, shave 9 ounces white chocolate into thin curls (if white chocolate is too hard to shave, place briefly in warm place to soften slightly). Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Place cake on platter. Sprinkle chocolate curls over top of cake. Press more chocolate curls around sides of cake, covering completely. Place cocoa powder in fine sieve. Dust cocoa very lightly over chocolate curls. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Garnish cake with raspberries and mint sprigs. Serve cold.

CHOCOLATE TANGERINE ROULADE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 400° F. Butter a 15- by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and line with wax paper or parchment paper. Butter and flour paper, knocking out excess flour.
• In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and remove double boiler or pan from heat.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat yolks, sugar, zest, and salt until thick, pale, and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Beat in melted chocolate until just combined. In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites until they just hold soft peaks. Stir one fourth whites into chocolate mixture to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into jelly-roll pan, spreading evenly with a spatula, and bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until cake is springy to the touch. Cool cake in pan, covered with a dampened kitchen towel.
• With a sharp knife cut peel and pith from tangerines or oranges and cut sections free from membranes. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with liqueur until it just holds stiff peaks and fold in fruit sections until just combined.
• Assemble roulade:
• Put a large sheet of foil (about 20 by 15 inches) on a work surface and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Invert cake onto foil and gently peel off paper. Spoon cream mixture evenly onto cake. Beginning with a short side and using foil as a guide, roll up roulade jelly-roll fashion and transfer to a platter, seam side down.
• Lightly dust roulade with cocoa powder. Roulade may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered.

JUMBO CHOCOLATE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Beat shortening and cocoa until blended. Beat in molasses, sugar and eggs. Beat in coffee. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves; gradually beat into molasses mixture. Dough will be very soft. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a well floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake until edges are set, 14-16 minutes. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE-TANGERINE SORBET

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the water and sugar, stirring often, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat; add in chocolate and whisk until it is melted.
• Whisk in the tangerine juice.
• Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze in ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions; consistency will be soft; may transfer sorbet to freezer container and place in freezer for a firmer sorbet.

CHOCO-DIPPED TANGERINES

Steps:

• Dip half of each tangerine segment in the melted chocolate, then put on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Keep in the fridge for 1 hr to set completely, or overnight if you prefer.

EASY BAKER'S CHOCOLATE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Place chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Pour onto waxed paper-covered baking sheet; cover with second sheet of waxed paper. Use rolling pin to lightly press chocolate into 1/8-inch-thick layer.
• Refrigerate 5 min. or until chocolate is set. Peel off top layer of waxed paper. Cut chocolate into desired shapes with 2-inch cookie cutters. Store in refrigerator until ready to use as a dessert garnish.

CHOCOLATE TANGERINE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals until melted. Add cocoa powder and tangerine oil; mix until smooth and cool.
• Cream together remaining 1 cup butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add cocoa mixture; mix well. Add egg yolks, vanilla and zest until combined. Gradually add flour, scraping down sides of bowl, as necessary, until combined. Divide dough in two and place each piece on large sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into 1/2-inch thick discs, wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheets; bake 10 to 12 minutes until firm and edges are beginning to brown. Remove to a cooling rack; cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in bowl of electric mixer, on low speed beat together powdered sugar, egg white powder, juices, zest and tangerine oil until moistened. Beat 2 to 3 minutes more on high speed. Adjust with more juice or powdered sugar to desired consistency; add food coloring, if desired. Frost cookies and decorate with sugars, as desired. When frosting is set, store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper for up to 1 week.