Portuguese Orange Torte Recipes

ORANGE DREAM TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until syrupy. , Fold in 3 cups whipped topping; set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth; gradually beat in milk. Fold in remaining whipped topping., Grease the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Arrange ladyfingers around edge of pan. Set aside 1-1/2 cups of the orange mixture. Alternately spoon the cream cheese mixture and remaining orange mixture into pan. Spread reserved orange mixture over top. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. , Remove sides of pan. Garnish with mandarin oranges.

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.

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 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.

PORTUGUESE CHOCOLATE TARTS

Steps:

• Dust a surface with flour and roll out your pastry to a bit bigger than an 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of paper. Brush with the egg yolk and scatter the rest of the ingredients over, being subtle with the allspice and cinnamon. Roll the pastry up tightly like a Swiss roll to make a long sausage shape. With a knife, cut across the sausage into 1-inch (2 1/2-centimeter) pieces. Take 8 pieces aside, and freeze the rest of the pastry for a rainy day.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C/gas 6).
• Turn all the pieces of pastry swirl-side up and flatten them slightly. Dust the surface of your pastry with flour, then roll each piece out into a thin circle (around the size of a teacup saucer). Even I don't have proper pastry molds at home, so I just grease and flour the outsides of 8 of my glass tumblers. Then, I place a circle of pastry on top of each tumbler, pleating, pinching and hugging the pastry around them.
• Place the tumblers on a baking tray, pastry at the top, and put in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, around 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, take a tea towel and pat the slightly raised top of the pastry back down on to the flat bottom of the tumbler ? giving you a flat base again. Allow to cool, and carefully remove the pastry cases from around the tumblers.
• Fill your pastry cases with the chocolate filling: Place the double cream, sugar, and pinch of salt in a pan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture has boiled, remove from the heat, and add the butter and chocolate. Stir until it has completely melted. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, stirring in the cold milk until smooth and shiny. Sometimes this mixture looks like it has split. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit more, and whisk in a little extra cold milk until smooth. Scrape all the mixture into the cooked pastry shells. Shake to even it out and allow to cool for around 1 to 2 hours, until it is at room temperature. Dust with the cocoa powder. Ultimately the pastry should be short and crisp and the filling should be smooth and should cut like butter.