Orange Blossom Almond Pastries Recipes

ORANGE BLOSSOM AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 6″ cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a 2 cup measuring cup, stir together the milk, half and half, orange blossom extract, almond extract, and vanilla bean paste (or extract). Set aside.
• In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about three minutes. Scrape the sides if needed.
• Add in eggs, one at a time, being sure to mix in completely before adding in another. At least 30 seconds between eggs.
• Add in the dry ingredients in three parts, adding in some of the milk mixture in between additions of flour. Scrape the bowl to ensure everything is mixed together and the batter is smooth.
• Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
• Fill the cake pan 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack, starting for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to test doneness. If it requires additional time, bake in 5 minute intervals until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the cake rest on a wire rack in the pan for 5-10 minutes, before removing from the pan. Run a knife along the edges to ensure that it hasn't stuck, and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
• In a clean stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure all the butter is creamed and smooth.
• With the mixer on low, add in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until it is fully incorporated. When all the sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl, to ensure it is all mixed in correctly.
• Add in the orange blossom extract, almond extract, and vanilla and salt. Turn the mixer on, working your way up to medium and allow the frosting to whip for about five minutes.
• Scrape the bowl every couple of minutes to make sure there is no dry frosting on the bottom. The buttercream will look soft, and then will continue to stiffen as it is beaten and increase in volume.
• Use right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

ORANGE BLOSSOM TRIFLE

Steps:

• Stir together orange juice, eggs, and sugar in a small saucepan. Place over low heat, and stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is very thick. Once thick, strain mixture into a large bowl, and stir in butter cubes until melted. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Fold whipped cream into cold egg mixture until smooth. Recover and refrigerate for 3 hours.
• To assemble, place half of the cubed angel food cake into the bottom of a trifle bowl. Spoon on half of the whipped cream mixture, and sprinkle with half of the Mandarin oranges. Create a second layer with the remaining angel food cake, whipped cream mixture, and Mandarin oranges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

ORANGE BLOSSOM ALMOND PASTRIES

Steps:

• For Pastry:.
• Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and rub with figertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add enough ice water by tablespoonfuls just to bind dough, tossing mixture with fork. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Lightly dust dough with flour and flatten each piece into rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Filling:.
• Finely grind almonds in processor. Add almond paste, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, egg and 1 tablespoon orange blossom water. Process until smooth. Transfer to small bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F Roll out pastry rectangle on lightly floured surface to 13x15 inch rectangle. Trim to 12 inch square. Cut into sixteen 3 inch squares. Place 1 teaspoon filling 1/2 inch from 1 corner to 1 pastry square. Beginning at same corner, roll corner of dough tightly over filling and continue rolling as for jellyroll. Pinch ends firmly to seal in filling. Gently shape into crecent. Place crescent on large baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough squares and filling. Roll, cut, fill and shape remaining pastry rectangle. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
• While pastries are still warm, brush lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons orange blossom water. Turn pastries 1 at a time in powdered sugar to coat. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature.

ORANGE BLOSSOM

Steps:

• Crush the slices of orange in the bottom of a highball glass, mixing them with the almond syrup.
• Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour the gin. Stir.
• Complete with the grapefruit juice and Angostura.
• Garnish with slices of orange. Serve with a straw.

ALMOND & HONEY PASTRIES WITH ORANGE CREAM

Steps:

• Set aside a quarter of the almonds. Put the rest in a food processor with the icing sugar, half the butter, orange blossom water, cinnamon and egg yolk. Whizz to a paste. Scrape into a bowl and stir in most of the remaining chopped nuts.
• Unroll one sheet of brik pastry at a time, brush all over with melted butter and halve into 2 semi-circles. Shape 1 heaped tbsp of the nut mixture to look like a thin wedge shape along half the pastry edge you've just cut (leaving 2.5cm border on the rounded side), so it looks as if you're cutting the semi-circle of pastry into pieces like a cake. Roll up like a pastry cone, sealing the nut mixture inside, then brush all over with more butter and fold over the open, wide end to seal. Sit on a baking tray, end flap side down to help it stay closed, and repeat until nut mixture is used up. Cover with cling film and chill. Put zest, yogurt, cream and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Cover and chill.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, put the pastries in and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Just before they're ready, beat together the yogurt mixture until thick. Pile pastries onto a serving dish, drizzle with honey and scatter with remaining nuts. Serve with the orange cream and Honeyed orange & grapefruit (see 'Goes well with').