Almond Sunset by Sue McCown of Coco la ti da

Almond sunset
Pastry Chef/Owner Sue McCown, Cocoa la ti da
Seattle, Washington

Serves 6

Almond Chocolate Orange Pound Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Amaretto liqueur
zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a dozen 2-inch stainless steel demi-sphere molds and reserve. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Add Amaretto and mix. Pour batter into molds, filling them not quite halfway. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Cool 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely. Cover cakes in plastic wrap until needed.

Amaretto Charlotte Custard
4 sheets of gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
12 large egg yolks
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2 cups sour cream
1 cup almond butter

Soak gelatin in cold water to bloom (about 10 minutes) and reserve. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat on low until sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks until pale in color. Melt white chocolate. Continue to cook sugar over high heat without stirring until syrup reaches soft ball stage (240ºF). When sugar reaches temperature, add syrup to yolks, a little at time, while yolks are whisking on low speed. Heat gelatin to melt and add to yolk mixture. Add melted white chocolate. Add sour cream and almond butter. Mix until combined. Reserve.

Amaretto Syrup
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

In a small saucepan, bring ingredients to a boil. Allow syrup to cool before using.

Orange-Scented Marzipan
12 ounces marzipan
dash orange flower water
yellow food coloring, preferably natural or organic
orange food coloring, preferably natural or organic

Knead a dash of orange flower water and food coloring, a drop of each color as needed, into marzipan until it resembles the color and scent of an actual orange. Divide into 6 equal portions (2 ounces each) and store in an air-tight container until needed.

Green Marzipan Leaves and Stems
marzipan
green food coloring, preferably natural or organic

Knead a drop of food color into a small amount of marzipan to get a light green shade. Shape marzipan into six small leaves and stems and store in an air-tight container until needed.

Assembly
white buttercream

Using a melon baller, carefully make a hole in the flat part of the demi-sphere; remove and discard center. Brush round sides of cake with Amaretto syrup. Fill center hole with Amaretto Charlotte Custard and press the two halves together to form an orange-shaped ball; repeat with remaining cakes. Refrigerate until set.

Using a small offset spatula, cover the outside of each sphere with a thin layer of white buttercream (crumb coat twice). Freeze until buttercream is solid. For each sphere, roll out 2 ounces of Orange-Scented Marzipan into a round circle, then roll and wrap each cake ball in marzipan, keeping the surface smooth and even. Roll each ball on a box grater to create a texture effect similar to an orange. Garnish the top of each “orange” with a green marzipan leaf.

Almond Micro Green Salad
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon orange zest
dash champagne vinegar
pinch salt
1 cup micro greens, preferably arugula or fennel fronds
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Whisk first four ingredients together to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Dress greens and almonds just before serving.

To Serve:
Arrange a small amount of salad just off center and place orange in center of each plate. Serve immediately.

Golden Almond Fruit Cake
Pastry Chef/Owner Melissa Murphy, Sweet Melissa Patisserie
Brooklyn, New York

Makes one loaf

2 1/2 ounces (1/4 cup) of marzipan, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup of dried fruit (apricots, golden raisins, pineapple, sour cherries), diced
1/4 cup of brandy *
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest, grated and finely chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of almond flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of almonds, roughly chopped

Glaze
1/4 cup of brandy*
2 tablespoons of sugar
*You may substitute apple or orange juice if desired.

Place oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ºF. Cut marzipan into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch dice and freeze. Lightly butter and flour a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan and reserve.

In a saucepan, combine dried fruit with 1/4 cup brandy. Cook fruit over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the liquid comes to a simmer, remove from heat and cover, allowing fruit to absorb the brandy. Continue to stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the almond and vanilla extracts. Mix until combined. At this stage, the mixture will appear slightly broken.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. With the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until the flour is just incorporated.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dried fruits along with their soaking liquid. Fold in 2/3 of the roughly chopped almonds and then the frozen diced marzipan. Pour batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of almonds on top.

Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate pan and reduce oven temperature to 325ºF. Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

After removing the cake from the oven, make the glaze by gently warming 1/4 cup of brandy with the 2 tablespoons sugar until the sugar dissolves. Brush the brandy glaze over the fruitcake while it is still warm. Glaze the cake at least once, but if you want more, simply wait for each layer to soak in before you proceed to the next. (The more you glaze the boozier your fruitcake will be!) Let cool and serve at room temperature.

This cake keeps very well, especially when tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated.

Marzipan donut Holes
Kat Guy-Hamilton, August 2006 graduate of The French Culinary Institute's Classic Pastry Arts program

15 grams of fresh yeast
25 grams of water
250 grams of bread flour, sifted
35 grams of lavender sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 1/2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
125 grams of unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
200 grams of marzipan
oil for deep frying

Glaze
200 grams of confectioners' sugar, sifted
40 grams of lavender sugar
2 ounces of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of lavender flowers, plus a few more pieces for garnish
1/4 teaspoon of lemon zest
sliced almonds, crushed

Begin by making a brioche. Bloom yeast in tepid water. Combine yeast mixture, flour, sugar, zest, and eggs in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, mix until dough is smooth but not tough. Cover and allow dough to proof for about half an hour. Using the paddle attachment, mix in the cold butter and salt until incorporated. Remove the dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic, and chill overnight.

Divide the brioche into 25 gram pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Portion marzipan into 10 gram pieces and roll into balls. Encase marzipan in brioche and, on a lightly floured surface, roll the brioche into a ball. Proof the donuts for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Fry in 360°F oil until golden brown and cooked through.

To make the glaze, heat the lemon juice with lavender flowers and steep for 30 minutes. Strain. Combine sugars, steeped lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk until smooth. Add more liquid (equal parts steeped lemon juice and water) if necessary. Dip top halves of donut holes into glaze and decorate with crushed sliced almond and a lavender flower.