Glaceed Fruits Recipes

Steps:

• Line large baking sheet with foil. Wipe fruits clean. Insert 1 skewer halfway into each fruit (excluding grape clusters).
• Combine sugar and water in heavy medium 4-inch-deep saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Add corn syrup and ginger. Increase heat and bring to boil, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to saucepan. Boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber color and candy thermometer registers 340°F, swirling pan occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
• Holding skewer, carefully dip 1 fruit into hot caramel, coating completely. Hold fruit over pan, allowing some of excess caramel to drip off. Place fruit, still on skewer, on foil-lined sheet. Repeat dipping with remaining fruits and caramel. Hook stem end of each grape cluster in tines of fork; dip into caramel to coat. Place on prepared sheet. If necessary, carefully tilt pan to submerge fruits in caramel. (Can be prepared ahead. Cranberries, strawberries and orange segments can stand at room temperature up to 6 hours. Kumquats, dried apricots and grape clusters can be refrigerated uncovered overnight.)

Steps:

• Leaving peel on, cut oranges into 1/4-inch rounds, then cut each round into a half-moon.
• Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a large pot, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Wash down sides of pot with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add orange slices to boiling syrup; reduce heat. Cover with parchment, and gently simmer until orange slices are soft and glazed, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer peel to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Let dry until just slightly tacky, about 5 hours. Store in an airtight container for 2 days.

Steps:

• Make the cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, then line with parchment. Butter parchment, and dust pans with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cream butter and 1 cup granulated sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla seeds.
• With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. (Scrape down sides as needed.)
• Whisk whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. (Do not overbeat.) Whisk 1/3 of the whites into batter, then carefully fold in remaining whites.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake until testers inserted in centers come out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, and let cool.
• Make the brandy simple syrup: Bring granulated sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in brandy. Let cool.
• Make the mincemeat: Combine everything except the Cognac in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dried fruits are soft and beginning to break down, about 30 minutes. Stir in Cognac, and cook for 5 minutes more. Let cool.
• To assemble the cake: Whisk 1 1/2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Trim tops of cakes to create flat surfaces. Slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 layer on parchment, cut side up, and brush with simple syrup. Spread with 1 cup cooled mincemeat and 1 cup whipped cream. Top with another cake layer, cut side up. Brush with syrup, and top again with mincemeat, then whipped cream. Repeat layering, ending with a cake layer, flat side up. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
• Whisk remaining 2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream. Decorate with glaceed fruit, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15 1/2x10 1/2x1-inch baking sheet. Line with waxed paper; butter and flour paper.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until mixture falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted butter, molasses and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, spices and salt over yolk mixture; fold in gently. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions. Spread batter evenly in prepared sheet.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cut around baking sheet sides to loosen cake. Lay kitchen towel on work surface; dust with powdered sugar. Turn cake out onto towel; peel off paper. Brush cake with brandy. Starting at 1 long side, roll up warm cake together with towel jelly-roll style. Cool cake in towel.
• For filling:
• Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Unroll cake. Spread with filling. Roll up cake only (not towel). Place seam side down on long platter and refrigerate.
• For frosting:
• Stir brown sugar and cream in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Place in freezer until cold, about 15 minutes. Beat butter, powdered sugar and spices in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in cold brown sugar mixture. Spread frosting all over cake. Chill until set, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.)
• For caramel:
• Stir sugar, water and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing pan sides with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using teaspoon and working quickly, drizzle caramel over cake. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead; chill.)
• Serve cake with fruits, if desired.

Steps:

• Combine fruit juice and cornstarch in a 2 cup microwave-safe measuring cup.
• Stir in sugar and crushed fruit or rind.
• Microwave for 2-2 1/2 minutes at High, stirring once, until thickened.
• Stir in flavoring.
• Cool.
• Serve.