Orange Pistachio Divinity Recipes

ORANGE-PISTACHIO DIVINITY

Steps:

• Place egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line two 15x10x1-in. pans with waxed paper., In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 252° (hard-ball stage). Just before that temperature is reached, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form., With mixer continuing to run on high speed, slowly add hot sugar mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating constantly and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add orange zest and vanilla. Beat until candy holds its shape and begins to lose its gloss, 5-6 minutes. (Do not overbeat, or candy will stiffen and crumble.) Immediately fold in pistachios., Quickly drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. Let stand at room temperature until dry to the touch. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

ORANGE-PISTACHIO DIVINITY

Steps:

• Place egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line two 15x10x1-in. pans with waxed paper.
• In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 252° (hard-ball stage). Just before that temperature is reached, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
• With mixer continuing to run on high speed, slowly add hot sugar mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating constantly and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add orange zest and vanilla. Beat until candy holds its shape and begins to lose its gloss, 5-6 minutes. (Do not overbeat, or candy will stiffen and crumble.) Immediately fold in pistachios.
• Quickly drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. Let stand at room temperature until dry to the touch. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

ORANGE-PISTACHIO DIVINITY

Steps:

• Place egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line two 15x10x1-in. pans with waxed paper., In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until a thermometer reads 252° (hard-ball stage). Just before that temperature is reached, beat egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form., With mixer continuing to run on high speed, slowly add hot sugar mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating constantly and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add orange zest and vanilla. Beat until candy holds its shape and begins to lose its gloss, 5-6 minutes. (Do not overbeat, or candy will stiffen and crumble.) Immediately fold in pistachios., Quickly drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans. Let stand at room temperature until dry to the touch. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

ORANGE DREAM DIVINITY

Steps:

• Prepare orange pieces: In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the orange-colored white chocolate. When smooth and melted, remove from over double boiler and add orange oil (orange extract may also be used). Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and spread evenly. When cool, chop into medium small pieces. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, water, salt, and corn syrup in a 3-quart saucepan; cook over low heat stirring gently until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat up to medium and place lid on pan for 2 to 3 minutes to wash down sugar crystals. Uncover and continuing cooking without stirring until candy thermometer reaches hard ball stage (260 degrees F).
• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, just before sugar mixture is ready. Pour hot sugar mixture over egg whites in a thin stream while mixer is at high speed. Add vanilla and continue beating until candy starts to loose its gloss and hold its shape. Add nuts and orange pieces. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

ORANGE PISTACHIO CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolks and 3 tablespoon water with a fork and stir into flour (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, stir (or pulse) in 1 tablespoon more water. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and divide in half. Form each half into a 4-inch square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Cut off peel, including white pith, from orange with a sharp knife and finely chop. (Reserve fruit for another use.) Put peel in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then fill with water. Add salt and bring to a boil, then boil, uncovered, 10 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve.
• Bring granulated sugar and water (3/4 cup) to a boil in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Add peel to syrup. Gently simmer, uncovered, until peel begins to turn translucent and syrup is reduced to about 2/3 cup, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Drain peel in fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving 3 tablespoon syrup. Stir together peel, reserved syrup, and pistachios. Cool to room temperature.
• Makes cookies:
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle. Cut out 16 to 20 rounds with cookie cutter.
• Put a scant teaspoon filling on each round, then brush edge lightly with water and fold pastry over filling to form a half-moon. Press edges to seal. Shape each into a crescent by pushing a finger against middle of flat side.
• Bake 1 inch apart on baking sheet until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool 2 minutes. Toss warm cookies, a few at a time, in confectioners sugar to coat generously. Cool completely.
• Repeat with remaining dough (cool baking sheet and line with fresh parchment). Reroll scraps once for extra cookies if desired.

PISTACHIO-CRANBERRY DIVINITY

Steps:

• Line large cookie sheet with waxed paper. In medium bowl, beat egg white with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In 2-quart heavy saucepan, mix water, corn syrup and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Without stirring, cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until syrup reaches 250°F on candy thermometer.
• When syrup is 250°F, continue beating egg white on high speed while slowly pouring syrup into egg white. Beat 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture holds a soft peak and does not flatten when dropped from a spoon.
• Fold in vanilla, nuts and cranberries. Quickly spoon mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Let stand about 30 minutes or until completely set.

PISTACHIO ORANGE LACE COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse pistachios and sugar together in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped (but not ground), then stir together with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spread dough in a 12-inch-long strip on a large sheet of plastic wrap and, starting with a long side, roll up dough in plastic wrap (dough will be very soft). Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm but still malleable, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Roll dough into a 15- by 1-inch log, using plastic wrap as an aid. Halve log crosswise and chill halves, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Cut 1 half crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife and arrange about 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined large baking sheets. Flatten each cookie into a 1 1/2-inch round with the back of a fork or spoon, dipping fork in water and shaking off excess for each cookie.
• Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets (line sheets with clean parchment).