Tangerine Prosecco gelatin and a scary movie

I am not very brave when it comes to horror films, but after watching the teaser for It I really wanted to watch the movie. My husband asked if I was sure this was a good idea, and I told him that I would be OK since I am not afraid of clowns.
A few minutes into the movie and I was scared as hell and with my eyes closed. :D To be honest I did not recall the 1990 movie being so scary. :S

As promised, I bring you today a recipe that calls for the tangerine juice left from making the financiers I posted yesterday – and the color of the gelatin reminds me of Beverly’s beautiful hair (I was impressed at how much the young Sophia Lillis looks like Amy Adams). I added Prosecco to the gelatin to make this an adult dessert, but if you don’t drink alcohol or want to make this for kids just replace the Prosecco with more tangerine juice.

Tangerine Prosecco gelatin
own recipe

1 ¼ teaspoons gelatin powder
1 ½ tablespoons water
200ml fresh tangerine juice, strained
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
100ml Prosecco
whipped cream, for serving (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the gelatin with the water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine the tangerine juice and sugar and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is lukewarm. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Prosecco, followed by the gelatin. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into four ½-cup capacity glasses. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set.
Serve with a dollop of the whipped cream.

Serves 4

Tangerine coconut financiers, videos and texts

I was talking to my husband the other day about why I still blog, after eleven years. I was telling him how people are drawn to videos nowadays and that everyone says that blogs are a thing of the past.

The conversation started because I wanted to read reviews about a hair product and all I could find was videos about it. I did not want videos, I wanted text, and there were hardly any. Until that day I used to tell my husband that I did not make recipe videos because I do not have time for them (which is true), but I suddenly realized that I actually don’t like recipe videos (with very few exceptions) – I prefer text whenever possible. I like to read people’s ideas, and it makes me happy when they read me too.

These financiers are a result of replacing almond meal with desiccated coconut, and such a tropical flavor paired beautifully with the citrus touch from the tangerines. This recipe goes to those of you who still feel that blogs are worth reading, and I hope you come back later this week: I will post another recipe using the juice of these very tangerines, since in the financiers you will only use the zest.

Tangerine coconut financiers
own recipe

3 tablespoons (30g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (67g) desiccated unsweetened coconut
½ cup (70g) icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
finely grated zest of 2 tangerines
3 egg whites (84g)
1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, coconut, icing sugar, salt and tangerine zest. Whisk in the egg whites. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter twelve 2-tablespoon capacity molds or mini muffin pans.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and risen – a skewer in the center should come out clean.
Cool in the pans over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and transfer to the rack, cooling completely.

Makes 12

Tangerine butter cake

Looking for a simple cake recipe, I found this golden and delicious cake - it is the perfect companion for a cup of tea; it was a great way to use up the sweetened condensed milk left from the cheesecake making, as well a a wonderful way to put to good use some tangerines I'd had in the fridge for more than one week.

Tangerine butter cake
slightly adapted from Dan Lepard's column at the Guardian

Cake:
2 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided use
100g unsalted butter, melted
125g condensed milk
finely grated zest of 2 tangerines
½ cup (120ml) tangerine juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Icing:
¾ cup (105g) icing sugar
finely grated zest of 1 tangerine
about 1½ tablespoons tangerine juice

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°C. Lightly butter a 22x12cm (9x5in) loaf pan, line it with baking paper and butter the paper as well.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until frothy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of the sugar then beat until a soft meringue forms. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, condensed milk, the remaining sugar, egg yolks, tangerine zest and juice and vanilla until smooth. Sift together the flour and baking powder over the batter and beat until smooth. Fold through the meringue quickly and evenly. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully unmold. Remove the paper and cool completely on the rack.
Icing: sift the sugar into a small bowl and stir in the zest. Gradually add the juice, stirring until a pourable consistency (add more juice or water if necessary). Pour over the cake and set aside for 30 minutes to set.

Serves 6-8

Tangerine-poppy seed chiffon cake

Up until a couple of weekends ago the only chiffon cakes I’d baked were layer cakes: they were delicious and perfect for birthday celebrations, but I wanted to make one of those tall, elegant chiffon cakes (baked in tube pans) I’d seen on some cookbooks and blogs. I chose this recipe because I love tangerines and the idea of a cake made with them sounded very refreshing, exactly what that very warm Saturday called for. The cake turned out fine – there was a bit of swearing during the unmolding moments, but nothing serious – and eating it felt like biting a cloud (not that I have ever bitten a cloud, but you get the picture), but unfortunately the tangerine flavor was too mild – maybe because I did not add the tangerine oil, I don’t know. Therefore, I have suggestion for you: make this cake using lemons or limes instead and go wild with the zest – I promise you I’m not being biased (at least not this time). :D

Tangerine-poppy seed chiffon cake
from the great The Art and Soul of Baking

Cake:
1¾ cups (210g) cake flour*
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (176g), plus ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup poppy seeds (optional)
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons flavorless vegetable oil
6 large eggs, separated
finely grated zest of 2 large tangerines
½ cup (120ml) strained freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure tangerine oil**
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

Icing:
1 ½ cups (210g) confectioners' sugar
1½ -2 tablespoons strained freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1/8 teaspoon pure tangerine oil**

Preheat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Have ready an ungreased 25cm (10in) tube pan with a removable bottom (I once made an angel food cake with a regular tube pan and it worked out fine – I just placed a ring of baking paper in the bottom of the pan).
Make the cake: sift the cake flour, the 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (176g) granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt into the large bowl. Add the poppy seeds and whisk to blend. Make a well in the center and pour in the oil, egg yolks, tangerine zest and juice, vanilla extract, and tangerine oil. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is very smooth. Set aside.
Make sure your whisk attachment (or beaters) and your mixing bowl are scrupulously clean. In the bowl of the stand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium just until frothy. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl. Add the cream of tartar and whip on medium-high until soft peaks form. With the mixer on medium, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup (50g) of granulated sugar and whip until the whites hold very firm peaks. (This cake requires stiff egg whites for its height and open texture, so don't be afraid to beat a few seconds longer than you normally would for firm peaks.) To check for firm peaks, with a spoon scoop bowl when the spoon was lifted should hold their shape.
Use the spatula to gently stir a mound of beaten whites into the bowl of batter. This step slightly lightens and loosens the mixture, making it easier to fold in the remaining whites without deflating them. Scrape the remaining egg whites into the bowl and gently but thoroughly fold them into the batter until no streaks of egg whites remain.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake has risen, the top is lightly golden and feels firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately invert the pan onto its feet or over the wine or soda bottle***. Allow to cool completely, at least 2 hours.
Invert the cake so it is right side up. Run the thin, flexible knife or spatula around the edges to loosen it from the pan. As you do this, gently press the knife into the side of the pan to avoid gouging the cake. Push the removable bottom upward to free the cake from the side. Run the same knife around the inside tube and along the bottom of the cake, if necessary, to finish loosening it. Place a plate on top of the cake and invert, removing the cake from the pan, then invert it again to set it right side up.

Make the icing: sift the confectioners' sugar into the medium bowl. Whisk in the tangerine juice and tangerine oil until the mixture is very smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

The cake will keep well at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap or under a cake dome, for several days. Once cut, press a piece of plastic wrap firmly against the cut surfaces to help keep it fresh

* homemade cake flour: 1 cup (140g) all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons corn starch

** I did not use the tangerine oil (I’ve never seen it here in Brazil) that could be the reason why the tangerine flavor in the cake and the icing wasn’t strong enough

*** I could not find a bottle that fit into the tube of my pan, so I inverted it onto a cooling rack

Serves 10-12

Tangerine chocolate marble cake with tangerine icing

I keep telling you about recipes that go wrong and how I do not give up on them. This cake is sort of an example: I made the chocolate orange marble cake from DH mag (#44) and it turned out miserable - an 8-cup capacity pan would not hold that much batter, but I insisted on trusting the recipe. I ended up tossing the whole cake. :(

I decided to make it again – I adore marble cakes – and used a slightly different recipe (same source, though) and a larger pan. Tangerines replaced oranges and went along with the chocolate batter. The cake turned out delicious.

Still on the “not-giving-up-mood”, I finished watching “In Bruges” – I cannot believe how wrong I was. The movie is great and went straight to my list. ;)

Tangerine chocolate marble cake with tangerine icing
slightly adapted from the always wonderful and foolproof Modern Classics Book 2

Cake:
250g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (278g) superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 ¼ cups (315g) all purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
¼ cup (23g) cocoa powder, sifted
finely grated zest of 3 tangerines
2 tablespoons superfine sugar, extra
1 tablespoon whole milk, extra

Icing:
1 cup (140g) icing sugar
1 tablespoon tangerine juice, more if necessary

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter generously a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan.
Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the butter mixture and fold through with the milk. Pour half of the batter into another bowl and add the tangerine zest. To the other bowl, add the cocoa, extra milk and sugar and stir to combine. Drop alternate spoonfuls of the two batters into the prepared pan, the swirl lightly with a butter knife to give the cake a marbled effect. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes then carefully unmold onto a wire rack (if using a silicone pan follow the manufacturer’s instructions). Cool completely.
Make the icing: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add the tangerine juice and mix until spreadable consistency. Spread over the cake.

Serves 10-12

Yogurt panna cotta with caramelized tangerine slices

A while ago I told you how much I was enjoying Twitter, but something changed some days ago – I haven’t felt that way anymore. It is probably my fault – I should follow other people, people I might have more in common with. :S

I think I need something sweet – I’ll go have another panna cotta. :D

Yogurt panna cotta with caramelized tangerine slices
from here and from Australian Gourmet Traveller

Panna cotta:
¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped with the back of a knife
¼ cup + ½ tablespoon (56g) caster sugar
2 leaves gelatin
250g skim milk yogurt – I used regular yogurt

Caramelized tangerine slices:
¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
1 ½ tablespoons water
½ teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon orange-blossom water
vegetable oil, for greasing
2 tangerines, thickly sliced horizontally

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it comes to a boil. Add the vanilla seeds and bean, stir, cover and let infuse for 30 minutes.
Add the sugar to the cream and reheat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, again just until it boils. Remove from the heat.
Soak the gelatin in a bowl of cold water until soft. Squeeze out the excess water and drop the gelatin into the hot cream mixture and whisk until dissolved. Add the yogurt and whisk until smooth.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, discard the vanilla bean, then divide between four ½-cup capacity (120ml) ramekins. Set aside to cool, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, or until just set.
Make the tangerine slices: combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then cook until dark caramel (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat, add butter and orange-blossom water (be careful as hot toffee may spit), then return to heat and stir until dissolved. Pour onto an oiled metal tray and set aside to cool. When cool, break into coarse pieces and process in a food processor until finely ground. Place mandarin slices on a baking tray, scatter with orange-blossom toffee, then caramelize with a blowtorch (or under a hot grill) until golden (2-3 minutes). Serve immediately with the panna cotta.

Serves 4 - this panna cotta is also delicious served with this blackberry lemon swirl

Tangerine meltaways

You know when something gets stuck on your mind and it’s impossible to let it go? After watching this movie – one of the most beautiful films ever – the soundtrack kept playing in my head for weeks.

The same happened when I saw Jen’s lime meltaways - I had to make those. HAD TO. But I was out of limes (and I swear I’d not used them for caipirinhas). :)
I did have tangerines, though, so my citrus meltaway craving had a happy ending.

I used this recipe and, even though the cookies turned out good, I thought they were better off without the icing.

Tangerine meltaways

Dough:
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (140g) icing sugar, sifted
zest of two tangerines
3 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups (245g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt

Glaze:
1 tablespoon fresh tangerine juice
3 tablespoons icing sugar, sifted
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
icing sugar, extra

For dough: sift together flour, cornstarch and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and icing sugar until smooth. Stir in tangerine zest, juice and vanilla. Add sifted ingredient and mix to incorporate. Divide dough in half; shape into logs, wrap in baking paper and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 160ºC/325ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Slice logs into ¼-inch (5-mm) slices and place on a prepared sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes and allow to cool – they won’t turn golden.

For glaze: Whisk together juice, icing sugar and melted butter. Pour glaze over cookies to cover and allow to set, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Makes about 24 – I got 32