food
home cooking
Walnut Cake with Caramel
Whipped Cream
p r e p
25 min,
b a k e
35 min.
o v e n
325°F
1
cup walnut halves or pieces
%
cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1
cup sugar
1
medium orange
y*
tsp. salt
7
eggs, separated
Vz
tapi cream of tartar
1
recipe Caramel Whipped Cream, below
1
recipe Simple Caramel Sauce, page 210
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In food processor combine
walnuts and flour. Process until nuts are finely
ground; set aside. Set aside 2
Tbsp.
of the sugar.
2
. Finely shred peel from orange and juice the
orange. In a large bowl combine the remaining sugar,
1
tsp. of the orange peel, Ly cup of the orange juice,
the salt, and egg yolks. Beat on high with an electric
mixer for 3 to 5 minutes or until very thick and pale,
3. In another large, dean, dry bowl using clean, dry
beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until
soft peaks form when beaters are lifted. Gradually
beat in the 2 Tbsp. reserved sugar until egg whites
are stiff lilt not dry.
4. Spoon about a quarter of the egg whites over yolk
mixture. Add nut mixture. Fold together with a. large
rubber spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and
fold to combine. Scrape batter into an ungreased
10
-inch tube pan with removable bottom; spread
evenly in pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is
golden brown and springy to the touch and toothpick
inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake
upside down in pan by inverting cake pan over a
bottle with a long neck,
5. By the time the cake is cool, most will have pulled
away from sides of pan; rap sides of pan sharply on
counter to release any portion of cake that is still
attached. Run a skewer or long thin spatula around
tube to detach; lift to remove cake. Slide a thin spatula
around bottom of cake to detach bottom.
6
. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut cake into two
layers. Fill layers with Caramel Whipped Cream.
Serve with Simple Caramel Sauce. Makes 12 servings.
EACH SERVING
(WITH CARAMEL WHIPPED
CREAM AND SAUCE)
541 ml,
31
gfat, 171 mg Ckolr
152 mg sodium, 62gcarbo> 2 g fiber, 9 g pro.
Caramel Whipped Cream
s t a
r
t
t o
f i n
i s
h
35 min.
r
Vz
cup water
1
cup sugar
%Vt
cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1
cup whipping cream
1* Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper;
set aside.
2. Place water in a 2-quurt
saucepan.
Four sugar in
a thin stream in center of pan to form a low mound
Don’t stir; use your fingers to pat sugar mound
down until it is entirely
moistened.
Any sugar
touching edges of pan should be below
the water
line.
Cover
and cook over medium heat for a few
minutes without stirring until sugar is dissolved
and syrup looks clear.
3* Uncover and conti nuc to cook without stirring
until syrup begins to color slightly. Swirl pan gently
(rather than stirring) if syrup is coloring unevenly.
Use a skewer to drop a bead of syrup on a plate from
time to time. When a drop looks pale amber, add the
nuts. Using a silicone spatula gently turn nuts until
they are completely coated with syrup.
4* Continue to cook, gently pushing nuts around
if syrup is coloring unevenly, until a drop of syrup
looks golden amber on the plate (about 30 minutes
total). If syrup gets too dark, it will taste bitter.
Immediately scrape mixture onto lined baking
sheet and spread it out as well as you can.
5, While Still warm but cool enough to handle, break
into pieces. Transfer to rcsealable plastic bag. Keep
airtight until needed, so they will not become sticky.
6
* When ready to use, break caramel into smaller
pieces; chop medium fine or pulse in food processor.
In a large chilled bowl, beat cream until it holds soft
peaks. Fold in chopped caramel. Makes 3 cups.
Caramel Sandwich Cookies
“You can serve the cookies freshly made for the
most contrast of texture— tender crunchy cookies
with gooey filling— or wait until the caramel and
cookie have merged happily into a soft sandwich
cookie,7
' Alice says.
p r e p
45 min.
CHiLL2hrs.
b a k e
10
m in.
o v e n
350UF
Vz
cup sugar
Vi
tsp. flaky sea salt or rounded Vi tsp. fine salt
Vi
cup pecan pieces
16
Tbsp. (S oz.) unsalted butter, slightly
softened
2
tsp. pure vanilla extract
2
cups unbleached alLpurpose flour
Shortcut Caramel Filling, page 215
6
os. white chocolate baking squares with cocoa
butter or white baking pieces
1. Pulse sugar and salt in the dry bowl of food
processor until fine and powdery. Add pecans; pulse
until finely ground. Add butter in large chunks and
the vanilla. Pulse until butter is smooth. Add flour;
pulse until soft dough begins to form around blade.
Transfer to bowl; knead briefly to evenly mix.
2. Form a rectangular log about 12 inches long and
2l/zxV/z
inches. Wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate at
least
2
hours, or overnight.
3. Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 350° F.
Cut log into slices less than Vi inch thick. Place at
least one inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10 to
12
minutes or until edges arc golden
212
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