Crisp-skinned Roast Duck With Mock Mandarin Pancakes
Ingredients & Directions 2 Ducks (5-to 6-pound), Long -Island (Peking), thawed if -frozen 1 c Boiling water 1/4 c Honey 1 tb Rice Vinegar Accompaniments Scallion brushes Hoisin sauce Mock Mandarin pancakes Rinse ducks inside and out and pat dry. Remove excess fat from cavities and truss ducks. On a metal rack set in a large roasting pan arrange ducks, breast sides up and several inches apart. Let ducks dry, uncovered and chilled, 3 days. In a small bowl stir together boiling water, honey, and vinegar and cool to room temperature. Brush ducks with some honey mixture, keeping them chilled, and brush again every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Let ducks dry at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce skin of ducks all over with a fork to allow fat to drain and help skin become crisp. Roast ducks in middle of oven until mahogany brown and a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 degrees, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let ducks stand 10 minutes. Discard string and carefully pour out juices from cavities. Cut around entire breast of each duck with a sharp paring knife, and carefully peel off crisp skin in large pieces. Cut skin into 2 1/2- by 1-inch strips. Cut away and discard any fat on breast meat and remove breast meat from bone. Slice breast meat diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter with crisp skin. Remove legs from ducks and arrange on another platter. Duck meat may be reheated and skin recrisped in a 350 degree oven just until hot. To assemble pancakes: Using a scallion brush spread some hoisin sauce on a pancake (whole or half) and top with the scallion brush, some breast meat, and some crisp skin. Roll up pancake to enclose filling. Make more pancakes with remaining scallion brushes, hoisin sauce, breast meat, and crisp skin in same manner. Serve duck legs on the side. Yield: 6 servings To make scallion brushes: 24 or 48 thin scallions Trim roots and green parts from scallions, leaving about 2 1/2 inches of stalk. Fringe ends of scallions by cutting slits about 1/2 inch deep all around both ends of each stalk, leaving about 1 inch of solid scallion in center, and spread fringed ends gently. Put scallions in a bowl of ice and cold water. Chill scallions 2 hours, or until fringed ends have curled. Drain scallions well. Mock Mandarin Pancakes: Twenty-four 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas 1/4 cup Asian sesame oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush one side of each tortilla with some oil and stack on a large sheet of foil. Wrap tortillas loosely in the foil and heat on middle rack of oven until warm, about 10 minutes. Serve pancakes whole or halved. NOTES : Cooking Live Yields 1 Servings
Hot Milk Cake
Ingredients & Directions 4 Eggs 2 c Sugar 2 1/4 c All-purpose flour 2 1/4 ts Baking powder 1 ts Vanilla extract 1 1/4 c Milk 10 tb Butter or margarine In a mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder; add to batter with vanilla and beat at low speed or until smooth. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally. Add to batter, beating until combined. Pour into a greased 13″x9″x2″ baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on a wire rack. From Yields 12 Servings
Orange Bowl Yeast Coffeecake
Ingredients & Directions 2 pk Yeast 1/4 c Warm water 1/4 c Sugar 3/4 c Margarine 1 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Milk — scalded 2 lg Eggs 1/4 c Orange juice 4 c All-purpose flour 1 c Packed brown sugar 2 tb Orange peel — grated 1 c Nuts — walnuts or pecans 1. Sprinkle yeast in 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water. Let stand 5-10 minutes to soften. 2. In mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup softened margarine, salt and scalded milk. Cool to lukewarm. 3. Whisk in eggs, orange juice and yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. You may not need all the flour. 4. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny. This should take 3-5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour. 5. Cream 1/2 cup margarine; add 1 cup brown (or white) sugar and orange peel. Set aside. 6. Roll out half of dough on floured surface to a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Spread with half of orange filling; sprinkle with 1/2 of chopped nuts. Start with 12-inch side and roll in a jelly-roll fashion. Cut into twelve 1-inch slices. 7. Arrange slices 1 inch apart on bottom and sides of well-greased 2-quart casserole or oven-proof mixing bowl. Place remaining slices in center of dough. Repeat with remaining dough to make second cake. 8. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 45 minutes. 9. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Invert immediately onto wire rack; let cool. Yield: 2 cakes. Yields 2 Servings
Ritz Cracker Cake
Ingredients & Directions 6 Egg whites 1 cn Fruit cocktail 2 c Sugar 1 c Chopped maraschino cherries 60 Ritz crackers, crushed 2 pk Dream Whip 1 c Broken nutmeats 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese 1 cn Pineapple tidbits Beat egg whites to from peaks, gradually add sugar, fold in crushed Ritz crackers. Add broken nutmeats. Bake for 25 minutes at 250 degrees in a well greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Cool. This is the bottom layer. Drain pineapple, fruit cocktail and cherries. Mix and set aside. Whip Dream Whip, add cream cheese at room temperature. Fold this mixture into the fruit. This is the second layer. Pour over cooled bottom. Let set in the refrigerator overnight. Randy Rigg Yields 3 servings
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients & Directions 1 1/2 c Sifted cake flour 3/4 ts Baking soda 3/4 ts Salt 1 c Sugar 6 tb Cocoa powder 1/2 c Buttermilk 2 Extra-large eggs, separated 1/3 c Vegetable oil Rum Syrup Chocolate Mousse Chocolate Ganache Chocolate Glaze 1 c Semisweet chocolate Shavings Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper or waxed paper. Butter and flour paper. Set aside. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, salt, 3/4 cup sugar, and cocoa in a mixing bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg yolks in a separate bowl. Alternately combine dry and liquid ingredients, small amounts at a time, to form a batter, beating with an electric mixer at high speed until smooth. Add oil and blend until shiny. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks, gradually adding 1/4 cup sugar. Fold beaten egg whites into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cake cool on wire rack. When cool, remove spring form. Carefully remove bottom and peel off paper. Slice horizontally into 3 layers. Fit a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and place the ring from a 9-inch springform pan on paper. Place 1 layer of cake into the ring. Brush and soak cake with Rum Syrup. Spread on about 1 1/2-inches of Chocolate Mousse, then cover with a second cake layer. Repeat procedure. Place final cake layer on top and soak with Rum Syrup. Tightly cover and place cake in freezer for at least 8 hours. Run a knife around the edges between the cake and the ring and put a hot towel around the outside of the ring to loosen the cake onto a serving platter. Totally cover the sides and top of the cake with Chocolate Ganache. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and completely cover ganache with Chocolate Glaze. Refrigerate again for 15 minutes or until glaze is set. When set, cover top of cake with chocolate shavings. Keep cold until ready to serve. ENTERTAINING AT HOME WITH DEAN FEARING SHOW #HE1A25 Yields 4 servings
Raspberry Chocolate Meringue Icebox Cake
Ingredients & Directions 4 lg Egg whites 1/4 ts Cream of tartar 1 1/2 c Sugar 2 3/4 c Heavy cream 6 oz Fine quality bittersweet -chocolate (not unsweetened) 1 1/2 ts Unflavored gelatin 3 tb Cold water 1 1/2 c Sour cream 1 ts Vanilla 3 pt Fresh raspberries 1. Preheat oven to 250F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and trace 3 8-inch circles onto the paper. 2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and add a pinch of salt until they just hold soft peaks. Add 1 cup sugar gradually, beating, and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4 inch plain tip and pipe onto circles, filling them in. Smooth meringues with a long metal spatula or knife. Alternatively, if pastry bag isn’t used, circles may be made by spreading meringues freehanded with spatula. 3. Bake meringues 30 minutes and switch positions of baking sheets in oven. Bake meringues 30 minutes more, or until pale golden and crisp. (If the weather is humid, cooking time may be longer.) Cool meringues completely and peel off paper. Meringues may be made 1 day ahead and kept in turned-off oven. 4. In a saucepan, bring 1/4 cup heavy cream just to a boil and remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir mixture until chocolate is melted completely. Divide ganache between 2 meringue layers and gently spread evenly, leaving 1/2 inch borders. Chill ganache until hardened, about 10 minutes. 5. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water and soften 1 min. Heat mixture over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved, and keep warm. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat remaining 2 1/2 cups heavy cream with remaining 1/2 cup sugar until it just holds stiff peaks and then beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add gelatin mixture in a stream, beating, and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks. 6. Arrange 1 ganache-topped meringue on a plate and spread it with 1 1/2 cups cream mixture, mounding it at the edge. Arrange 1 pint of raspberries over the cream mixture and top with the second ganache- topped meringue. Repeat procedure with about 1 1/2 cups more cream mixture and another pint of raspberries and top with the third meringue. 7. Transfer about 1 cup more cream mixture to a pastry bag fitted with the star tip and reserve for decoration. Frost top and side of cake with remaining cream mixture and decorate with reserved mixture. Chill cake for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Remove wax paper carefully and scatter remaining pint of raspberries around and on the cake. Cut into 12 wedges with a serrated or electric knife. Yields 12 Servings
Fudgey Pecan Torte
Ingredients & Directions 1 c Butter or margarine; melted 1 1/2 c Sugar 1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract 3 Eggs*; separated 2/3 c Cocoa 1/2 c All-purpose flour 3 tb Finely chopped pecans 1/8 ts Cream of tartar 1/8 ts Salt **ROYAL GLAZE**; recipe in ; directions 1 1/3 c Semisweet chocolate; broken -up 1/2 c Whipping cream Pecan halves; optional *Eggs should be at room temperature. Line bottom of 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil; butter foil and side of pan. Heat oven to 350 F. In large mixer bowl, combine melted butter, sugar and vanilla; beat well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in cocoa, flour and water; beat well. Stir in nuts. In small mixer bowl beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form; carefully fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until top begins to crack slightly. (Cake will not test done in center.) Cool 1 hour. Cover; chill until firm. Remove side of pan. Pour Royal Glaze over cake, allowing glaze to run down side. Spread glaze evenly on top and side. Allow to set. Garnish with pecan halves if desired. 10 – 12 servings ROYAL GLAZE In small saucepan combine the chocolate (chocolate chips work very well) and whipping cream. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture begins to thicken. Yields 10 servings
