I wasn’t sure what would be best to make; but I started with an orange curd using a couple of the navel oranges. I started with a yuzu curd recipe that I got from Extraordinary Desserts, and just kind of improvised. It could probably stand some improvement, but as it stands it tastes a bit like an orange julius with more eggs mixed in.

The orange curd is meant to be baked — the recipe I have for the yuzu curd has you bake it in some puff pastry with almonds — but if you use pasteurized eggs, you can use the unbaked curd as a glaze or sauce, too. I’ve now got a whole bowlful, and I’m not sure what to put it on.

Chilled orange curd

Here’s what I did:

• * Juice enough oranges to get about 1/2 cup of juice. For me this was one and a half oranges.
• * Slice off the peel from another orange, then dice up the rest of the orange, and add it all to the same container.
• * Zest a lemon into the same container.
• * Cut a stick of butter (1/2 cup) into cubes and set aside.
• * Add 1 cup of sugar and 4 eggs (preferably pasteurized) to a medium saucepan; mix together, then add in the orange juice/zest/orange mixture.
• * Whisk it around in the saucepan over low heat; the orange chunks will cook down a bit and juice; feel free to smush the orange chunks and juice them a bit more.
• * Keep whisking until the mixture starts to visibly thicken, between 5 and 10 minutes. You really can’t time it, you just have to watch it. Make sure it doesn’t get too hot and curdle.
• * Once the mixture is thick enough, drop in the butter. Continue whisking until the butter is melted.
• * As soon as the butter is all melted, take the mixture off the heat.
• * Strain the mixture through a wire strainer; you’re going to have to help it through with the whisk, moving around and pressing on the orange chunks and pulp to get the curd through.
• * Chill it in the fridge for an hour or two, and you’re done!

The curd can be used as a topping if you used pasteurized eggs, or added to pastries and baked (it comes out with a texture similar to the cheese in a cheese danish).

I’d also recently found a recipe for homemade Oreo-style cookies, and gave the filling part a try. A couple of years ago I’d had a mocha at Hash House a Go Go that was a special — an “oreo mocha” where the mocha itself tasted exactly like Oreo creme filling. I’d wanted to replicate that for a while now, and after a few practice runs (hint, don’t add too much vanilla extract), I’ve got something close, though it still doesn’t match the actual filling of Oreo cookies. I’ll have to experiment more; I’m not yet to the point of buying a pack of Double-Stuf Oreos just to scrape out the filling into a bowl, but I might if I can’t get it right.

So, the other day, I combined the two joys!

First, I whipped together some of the creme filling. I used the recipe for the filling from the King Arthur Flour site above, but left out the gelatin and water. I combined the shortening and sugar along with the vanilla (scraping the mixture off of the whisk a LOT), then added a tiny bit of cold water as it mixed to bring its consistency together. That mostly worked.

Then, I did up the pots-de-creme. That was reasonably easy if a bit involved. I’m not 100% clear on reposting recipes, so the closest recipe I’ve found to what I was using was Oprah’s pots-de-creme — the only difference being that the recipe I was using has you add the milk and creme mixture to the eggs first, then reheat it to custard-ize the mixture and then pour that over the chocolate bits. (Also, for those who know what I’m talking about, I think the stuff that gets strained out of the pots-de-creme in the final step is the same thing that forms pudding skin.)

Next, assembly! I started with some of the creme filling crumblies in a little plastic container:

I took a second container and mashed it down on the crumblies in the first one, trying to compress it into a kind of cake. I’m not yet clear on what exactly holds it together and how to improve it, but this seemed to work, even though some of the resulting cakes came apart later. (It’s still tasty.)

After working it loose in the first container and setting it atop the second, you get this:

Next, I filled a bunch of the same containers about half-full of the pot-de-creme mixture, and put them in the freezer for a few minutes to harden up:

Then the cake goes on top:

And fill the rest with more chocolate pot-de-creme:

You can just see the creme filling cake on the side there.

I brought a bunch in to work, and everyone seemed happy with them; I got a suggestion to add some kind of crunchy something to the mix, which I’ll have to experiment with — I’m wondering if that should be something cookie-like or if I should try cocoa nibs.

The next recipe will be for the pavlovas I made with the egg whites leftover from this recipe. Happy desserting!

INGREDIENTS:
2 and a half cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (Nila wafers, for example)
1 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for coating
1 cup finely chopped nuts
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup (or more; the danger comes from the full cup of brandy Gerri uses)
3 Tablespoons corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Mix vanilla wafers, sugar, nuts, and cocoa. Add corn syrup and brandy.
Mix well with hands or whatever’s convenient. Roll into 1 inch balls, then roll around in powdered sugar to coat.

Notes:
* 1 cup crushed graham crackers can be substituted for vanilla wafers, if desired. Never tried this variation, though.
* Balls may be rolled in granulated or superfine sugar instead of powdered sugar — Gerri prefers them rolled in granulated sugar.
* Wafers, nuts, sugar, and cocoa can be put through a grinder or food processor to make them as fine as possible.

This recipe is entered here as received, including the exclamation at the end. The only thing I would probably add is that the frosting is more of a glaze.

CAKE (Do not follow the instructions on the box of cake mix)

• 13″ x 9″ pan
• 1 – box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
• 1 – 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp. almond extract

Cake: Grease and flour pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pie filling, almond extract and eggs. Stir “gently” until mixed. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes out clean in center. 25 to 35 minutes.

FROSTING

• 5 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips (6 oz. package)

Frosting: Combine sugar, butter and milk in saucepan. Boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Pour over warm cake.

Smaczniego!

For the filling, you will need:

• 2 large (or 12 – 14 small) zucchini, peeled, seeded (if seeds are large), quartered or halved length-wise, and cut into 1/4″ slices
• 2/3 c lemon juice
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg

Cook zucchini slices in lemon juice until tender; add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, simmer and then allow to cool.

For the crust and topping you will need:

• 4 c flour
• 2 c sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c margarine/butter/butter-flavored crisco

Combine flour, sugar and salt; mix well. Cut in the butter with a fork or other tined instrument, and mix until crumbly. (Side-note: this usually makes more crust mixture than I end up using, but I guess the originator of this recipe may have made a thicker crust than I do. Play with it.)

Fold 1/2 cup of the crust mixture into the filling mixture. The result should look and taste like apple pie filling. Press 1/2 the remaining crust mixture into a 9″ x 13″ pan; bake this crust at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Pour zucchini over this new crust. Add 1 t cinnamon to remaining crust mix and sprinkle over zucchini. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Slice into bars and serve!

I just rediscovered Gelato Vero after about ten years — a bit scary, but I’ve not done much exploring in Mission Hills.

Located at the corner of Washington and India streets (past the 5-north on-ramp if you’re driving up India St.), Gelato Vero is a tiny cafe that serves coffee drinks, twelve flavors of gelato at any one time, and combinations thereof.

I’m not exactly a gelato connoisseur, but what I had was good — a small cup of Caramel with Brownies gelato, along with a medium mocha, for about 6 bucks. Definitely good for a dessert.

The cafe has a small inside seating area, seating along the street for the smokers, and (possibly? check this) a second floor patio where you can take your food.

Best part (aside from the yummy gelato)? Free wi-fi! I’m actually typing this in the cafe, waiting for some friends to finish with their evening classes.