Best 8 Opera Recipes

OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until soft peaks form. Slowly add white sugar and whip on high speed until the whites are stiff and glossy.
• Beat almond flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a separate bowl for 3 minutes. Add flour and beat on low speed until combined. Gently fold egg whites into the almond mixture until combined. Divide batter between the jelly roll pans; spread evenly.
• Bake cake layers in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks and peel off parchment paper; let cool.
• Make coffee syrup while cake is cooling. Combine boiling water, sugar, and coffee powder in a small bowl; stir until dissolved.
• Stir 2 tablespoons boiling water and coffee powder together for the buttercream. Set aside.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup water, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture reaches 255 degrees F (124 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, beat egg and egg yolk in a stand mixer on high speed until pale and foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup carefully down the side of the mixer bowl, mixing continuously until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch.
• Beat butter in a separate bowl until creamy. Add butter gradually to the egg mixture, beating until frosting is fluffy. Add the dissolved coffee mixture and beat until well incorporated.
• Place dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring milk and cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter until ganache looks smooth and creamy. Let cool.
• Cut cooled cake layers in half crosswise. Place 1 piece on a rectangular serving plate. Sprinkle some coffee syrup on top. Add an even layer of buttercream. Repeat with a second cake layer, more coffee syrup, and another layer of buttercream. Spread 1/2 of the ganache on top. Repeat with remaining, cake layers, coffee syrup, and buttercream. Top cake with remaining ganache.

OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
• Mix sugar and cream together in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Add butter, and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Let cool 2 hours. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in vanilla. Using your hands, begin to pull and press the mixture. Keep pulling and kneading mixture until it lightens in color, loses its shine, and no longer sticks to your fingers, 15 to 45 minutes. Roll mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm and cold, about 10 minutes.
• In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate and food paraffin, stirring until smooth and well combined. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate mixture, and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until fudge is chilled and chocolate has set, about 30 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

OPERA CAKE

Steps:

• Make sponge cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Butter baking pan, then line bottom with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on short sides, and generously butter paper. Dust pan with cake flour, knocking out excess.
• Beat whole eggs in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until eggs have tripled in volume and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add almond flour and confectioners sugar and mix until just combined. Resift cake flour over batter and gently fold in.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until whites just hold soft peaks. Add granulated sugar, then increase speed to high and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• Fold one third of whites into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in butter, then pour batter evenly into baking pan, spreading gently and evenly with offset spatula and being careful not to deflate (batter will be about 1/4 inch thick).
• Bake until very pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Loosen edges of cake with spatula, then transfer cake (on paper) to a cutting board. Cut cake into strips and squares. Trim outside edges slightly, then carefully peel paper from strips and squares and set back on paper.
• Make coffee syrup:
• Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved. Bring sugar and remaining 1/2 cup water to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer syrup, without stirring, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cognac and coffee mixture.
• Make coffee buttercream:
• Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved. Bring sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage; see cooks' note, below).
• While syrup boils, beat yolks in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed 1 minute.
• Add hot syrup to yolks in a slow stream (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), beating, then add coffee mixture and beat until completely cool, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thickened and smooth.
• Make glaze:
• Melt butter and all but 2 tablespoons chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate until smooth, then cool glaze until room temperature but still liquid.
• Assemble cake:
• Put 1 cake square on a plate, then brush generously with one third of coffee syrup. Spread half of buttercream evenly over top with cleaned offset spatula, spreading to edges.
• Arrange both cake strips side by side on top of first layer (any seam will be hidden by next layer), then brush with half of remaining coffee syrup. Spread half of glaze evenly over top, spreading just to edges.
• Top with remaining cake square and brush with remaining coffee syrup. Spread remaining buttercream evenly over top, spreading just to edges. Chill cake until buttercream is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Reheat remaining glaze over barely simmering water just until shiny and spreadable (but not warm to the touch), about 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon glaze over top layer of cake and spread evenly just to edges. Scrape remaining tablespoon glaze into sealable plastic bag and twist bag so glaze is in 1 corner. Snip a tiny hole in corner and decorate cake (leave a 1/2-inch border around edges). Chill cake until glaze is set, about 30 minutes, then trim edges slightly with a sharp serrated knife.

OPERA CREAMS

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Cook to soft ball stage (238 degrees F on candy thermometer), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and add maple flavoring and vanilla. Pour into a large bowl and beat with a mixer until creamy. Add pecans. Drop by teaspoonsful onto buttered waxed paper. Let cool for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

OPERA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom of two 10x15 inch pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat 12 egg whites, gradually adding 3/4 cup sugar, until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat together 10 eggs, ground almonds, confectioners' sugar and pastry flour until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Fold in beaten egg whites. Spread batter evenly in prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, or until center springs back when lightly touched. Invert cakes onto wire racks and remove parchment. Let cool completely.
• For the buttercream, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/8 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• While the syrup is heating, begin beating the 3 egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed. When syrup is ready, increase mixer speed to high, and pour syrup into egg whites in a thin stream. Continue to beat until mixture is room temperature. Beat in butter, a little at a time, and coffee extract until smooth.
• For the ganache, bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over chopped chocolate and stir until all is melted. Let cool in refrigerator.
• To make the coffee syrup, combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 minute more. Stir in instant coffee until dissolved.
• To assemble the dessert: Cut each sheet of cake in half. You will use 3 halves for the layers of the Opera -- reserve the fourth for another dessert. Place one cake layer on a flat plate. Soak with half of the coffee syrup. Spread with half the ganache to make an even layer about as thick as the cake layer. Top with another layer of cake, soak it with coffee syrup, and spread an even layer of buttercream over that. Top with third cake layer. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
• To finish, heat remaining ganache in a double boiler over simmering water until liquid. Place Opera on a rack over parchment paper and pour ganache over top, completely covering surface, using a spatula to spread if necessary. Chill in refrigerator until ganache is firm, then trim sides of Opera and cut into 8 slices to serve.

OPERA FUDGE 3- VERSIONS

Steps:

• 1. Butter the sides of a heavy 2 quart saucepan. In it combine the first 4 ingredients. Cook and stir over medium-low heat till mixture boil. Cook to soft ball stage(238^), stirring only to prevent sticking(mixture should boil gently over entire surface). Remove from heat;add butter and vanilla but do not stir. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP. Cool, without stirring, to lukewarm(110^), about 55 minutes. Then beat fast about 10 minutes or till mixture loses its shine. Spread in a buttered loaf pan 8x4-inch. Score while warm; cut when firm. --- Cherry Opera Fudge: Make as above, except stir in 1/4 cup or more chopped candied cherries,before spreading into loaf pan. --- Almond Opera Fudge: Prepare as above ,except add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract with vanilla; stir in 1/3 or more chopped toasted almonds before spreading into loaf pan.

MARTIMMY -- OFFICIAL DRINK OF THE SOAP OPERA PASSIONS

Steps:

• Combine liquid ingredients together, mix well. Serve chilled with a slice of orange.
• *****Personal note: Sadly, Joshua Ryan Evans who played Timmy passed away on August 5, 2002. In a strange twist of art imitating life, the character Timmy was to give the character Charity a heart transplant. Joshua died on the same day the episode aired due to complications with his heart during routine testing. Joshua suffered from achondroplasia, a genetic condition that restricts cartilage growth and physical development. He was only 3'2" tall although he was already 17 years old when he started on the show, hence his role as a doll. All said of him that what he lacked in stature he made up for in heart. He was 20 years old. Other film credits included "Ally McBeal", "7th Heaven", "Baby Geniuses" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." *****.

EASY OPERA FUDGE

Steps:

• Drain maraschino cherries on paper toweling.
• In saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Stir in dry pudding mixes and milk. Cook aand stir till mixture comes to boiling; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla; beat in powdered sugar till smooth. Stir in walnuts and cherries. Pour into buttered 10x6x2-inch baking dish. Garnish with walnut halves, if desired.
• Chill before cutting.