Strawberry Scones with Blood Orange Icing

Scones resemble biscuits, and indeed might be considered their British cousins. They are common-place on the tea table but being inherently rebellious, people from other countries find them inviting on the breakfast table as well. Scones are simple to put together. They are generally heavier than biscuits, and often are studded with fresh and dried fruits, ginger or made from nutritious oats. A hot scone eaten as the British do, with a dollop of crème fraîche or Devonshire cream and some chunky berry preserves, is a taste treat not to be missed on either side of the Atlantic.

A Glimpse at Recipes of The Past: Gateau Grand Marnier - Orange Liqueur Cake

Gateau Grand Marnier - Orange Liqueur Cake
recipe from A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Pride 1965

This unfrosted cake, saturated with orange juice and orange liqueur, is a special favorite, marvelous with tea or coffee. This recipe came from a little inn in Lorraine, a province of France noted for its fruits and liqueurs, and where the rum-saturated cakes known as babas were invented.



Ingredients for cake:

• 1 cup butter + one more tsp for greasing a pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp Grand Marnier
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients for topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Direction:
1. Preheat oven to moderate 350F.
2. Cream butter with sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg yolks, one at the time.
4. Add Grand Marnier.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
6. Add dry ingredients to butter, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing until smooth.
7. Stir in grated rind of orange and chopped walnuts.
8. Beat until stiff egg whites and fold into batter. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
9. Bake in the moderate oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done.



Topping:
Combine sugar, orange juice and Grand Marnier. Pour over hot cake while it is in pan. Sprinkle with almonds and let cake cool before removing from cake.

Carrot Creme Brulee with Blood Orange Reduction

Adapted from Amuse-Bouche book by Rick Tramonto

Ingredients:

• 3 3/4 cups blood orange juice
• 1 1/4 cups carrot juice
• 1 3/4 plus 2 tbs. chilled heavy cream
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, trimmed, and coarsely grated
• 2 tbs. granulated sugar
• 7 sheets gelatin
• granulated sugar for creme brulee effect

Direction:

Put 2 1/2 cups of the blood orange juice in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the juice is reduced to 2/4 cup.

Strain the reduction through fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Put the carrot juice in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minuts or until the juice is reduced by half.
Remove from the heat.



Put all but 3 tbs. of the heavy cream in a large saucepan with the grated carrots, the 2 tbs. granulated sugar, the carrot reduction, and the blood orange reduction and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat.



Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water. Gently drop the gelatin sheets into the cold water, several at a time, until all are submerged. Let soften and bloom for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the carrot mixture to a blender and puree. Strain it through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
Using your hands, lift the gelatin sheets from the water and squeeze them gently between your fingers. Transfer the sheets to the still-warm carrot mixture and stir gently until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.



In a chilled bowl with a chilled whisk, whip the remaining 3 tbs. cream until firm peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the carrot mixture.
Lightly coat a small jelly-roll pan, or other rimmed metal pan about 9 by 12 inches, with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon in the carrot mixture. Smooth the surface and refrigerate, uncovered, for about 4 hours or until set. When the flan has set, cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to use.



Put remaining 1 1/2 cups of the blood orange juice in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 35 minutes or until the juice is reduced to 1/4 cup.
Strain the reduction through a chinois or fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.



Using a small cookie cutter, cut the carrot flan into shapes. Dip the shapes in the coarse sugar. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer's instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface until the sugar melts and lightly browns.
To serve, put 2-3 of the shapes on a small plate and drizzle with a little orange reduction.