Best of Bridge

Ingredients:

Combine Orange ZESTO, juice, maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger and oil. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate several hours in refrigerator. Line bottom of shallow baking dish with onions and arrange chicken pieces on top. Baste with reserved marinade. Bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.

Makes 4 servings.

FROZEN GRAND MARNIER SOUFFLE

8 ladyfingers, each about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide split in half horizontally

• 6 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp Orange ZESTO
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened imported cocoa

Fold a 24 - inch piece of wax paper in half lengthwise. Wrap the paper strip around the outside of a 1 - quart souffle dish to make a collar extending 2 to 3 inches above the top edge of the dish. Tie the paper in place with string, then shill the dish in the freezer until you are ready to fill it with the souffle.

Spread the ladyfinger halves, cut side up, in one layer in a shallow baking dish or platter. Sprinkle them evenly with 3 Tbsp of Grand Marnier and set them aside at room temperature while you prepare the souffle mixture.

Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they are thick and lemon-colored. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, Orange ZESTO and water and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil briskly without stirring until the syrup thickens and reaches a temperature of 230 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a few drops spooned into ice water immediately form coarse threads.

Immediately pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the egg yolks, beating constantly. Continue beating for 10 to 15 minutes longer until the mixture becomes a thick, smooth cream, Beat in the remaining 3 Tbsp of Grand Marnier.

In a chilled bowl, beat the cream with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until it is firm enough to form soft peaks on the beater when it is lifted from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg-yolk mixture and whipped cream together until no trace of white shows. Spoon enough of the souffle mixture into the chilled dish to fill it to a depth of about 11/2 inches. Arrange half of the ladyfingers evenly over the top trimming them to fit smoothly. Cover the ladyfingers with another inch of the souffle add the rest of the ladyfingers and then spoon in enough of the souffle mixture to fill the dish to the rim. Place the dish in the freezer and chill for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, refrigerate the remaining souffle mixture. Then fill the collar with the souffle mixture smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. About 15 minutes before serving, transfer the souffle to the refrigerator to let it soften slightly. Sift powdered cocoa on top to simulate the browned surface of a baked souffle and gently remove the paper collar. Serve at once.

To serve 6 to 8.

McINNES PLUM PUDDING

This old family recipe has that wonderful flavor that our early British settlers must have tried to duplicate. Although this very moist pudding holds together in a handsome mold, it will crumble somewhat upon cutting, because no flour is used.

• 2 cups (500 ml) fine fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) hot milk
• 3 oz. (75 g) ground suet
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (124 ml) molasses
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) strawberry jam
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Orange ZESTO
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) orange juice
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Lemon ZESTO
• 2 Tbsp (25 ml) lemon juice
• ½ tsp (2 ml) salt
• ½ tsp (2 ml) each cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) each lexia raisins and sultana raisins
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) each chopped dates and figs
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) halved red candied cherries
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) diced candied pineapple
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) mixed candied peel

In bowl, stir bread crumbs into milk; let cool. In large bowl, whisk together such eggs, sugar, molasses, jam, Orange ZESTO, orange juice, Lemon ZESTO, lemon juice salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk in bread mixture. Stir in lexia and sultana raisins, dates, figs, cherries, pineapple and candied peel, mixing well.

Spoon into 8-cup (2 L) greased heat proof pudding mold. Make wide pleat in large piece of waxed paper; place over mold. Cover with enough foil to press down side of mold; tie string tightly around mold.

Place on rack in large saucepan; pour in enough boiling water to come two-thirds up sides. Cover and simmer over medium heat, adding water as needed to maintain level, for about 4 hours or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Let plum pudding stand for 15 minutes. Remove foil and paper; unmold pudding onto serving plate.