Best Homemade Candied Angelica For Cakes Bakes And Desserts Recipes

SICILIAN CASSATA: RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• Place the ricotta into a fine mesh sieve and nestle this over a bowl, place into the refrigerator overnight to allow the excess moisture to drain out before proceeding with the cassata recipe.
• Place the ricotta into the bowl of a mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until the curds smooth out. Mix the drained and beaten ricotta with 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, chocolate chips and half the candied fruit. Set aside.
• Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan with canola oil. Slice the sponge cake very thinly so that the springform may be lined with it in an even layer. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with the sponge cake. Pour the ricotta filling into the cake-lined pan. Place a final layer of cake over the ricotta filling; this now creates the bottom to the cassata. Before serving, the cassata will be inverted onto this cake bottom. Refrigerate the cassata overnight to firm the filling.
• Invert the springform pan on a wide platter. Open the hinge and remove the springform sides and bottom.
• The cassata may now be finished by either covering with a heavy coating of the remaining powdered sugar or may be coated with a thin layer of green marzipan. Either way, the remaining candied fruits should be used to decorate the finished cassata. Slice thinly and serve.

MAKE YOUR OWN CANDIED ANGELICA!

Steps:

• Working in dry weather, start with about 2 pounds young, tender angelica stalks and stems. Cut them into even lengths and put them into a glass or ceramic bowl.
• Bring 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and pour over the angelica, weighting with a plate so it's fully submerged. Cover and let soak 2 hours.
• Drain the angelica, peel off and discard the stringy outer celery-like layer, then rinse under cold water.
• Make sugar syrup by bringing 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to a boil.
• Simmer the angelica in the syrup for 20 minutes, or until tender and transparent. Remove and drain, reserving the syrup. Spread the angelica in a single layer on a wire rack and leave to drain and dry for 4 days.
• Boil the angelica in the syrup again for 10 minutes, adding water if the syrup is too thick, and drain on a wire rack for 4 days longer.
• Dust with granulated sugar and store in an airtight container, cutting into decorative bits as needed. This recipe may also be used to candy fennel stalks.

CANDY CANE ANGEL CAKE

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position (remove other racks). Heat oven to 350°F. In extra-large glass or metal bowl, beat cake mix and cold water with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute.
• Pour about 3 cups batter into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan. Into small bowl, pour about 3/4 cup batter; stir in food color and peppermint extract until blended. Carefully spoon red batter over white batter in pan. Carefully spoon remaining white batter over red batter and swirl with knife.
• Bake 40 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or bottle. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Loosen cake by running long metal spatula along edge of pan. Place serving plate upside down on pan. Turn plate and pan over; remove pan.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk; stir in enough remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cake; top with crushed candies.

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine well the glacéed fruits, the raisins, the currants, 1/2 cup of the cherries, 1/2 cup of the angelica, and 3/4 cup of the rum and let the fruits macerate, covered, overnight.
• Line the bottom of a well-buttered 9 1/2-inch springform pan with a round of wax paper and butter the paper. Into a small bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the nutmeg, and the ginger. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Drain the fruit mixture in a sieve set over the batter and beat the juices into the batter. Pat the fruits dry between several thicknesses of paper towels and in a bowl toss them with 1/3 cup of the flour mixture. Stir in the remaining flour mixture into the batter, one fourth at a time, stir in the fruit mixture, the ground almonds, and the walnuts, stirring until the mixture is just combined, and turn the batter out into the prepared pan.
• Put 2 loaf pans, each filled with hot water, in a preheated 300°F. oven and put the springform pan between them. Bake the cake for 1 hour, brush the top with the remaining egg, beaten lightly, and bake the cake for 1 hour more. While the cake is baking, in a saucepan melt the apricot jam with the remaining 1 tablespoon rum over moderate heat, bring the mixture to a boil, and strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, remove the side of the pan, and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan bottom and the wax paper very carefully, invert the cake onto another rack, and let it cool completely. Arrange the additional cherries and angelica decoratively on the cake, brush the top of the cake with some of the apricot glaze, reserving the remaining glaze for another use, and store the cake, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. The cake keeps, covered, for 6 months.