Cornucopia Of Summer Fruits Crowd Size Recipes

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Using an electric mixer and paddle, add all the butter and mix on lowest speed until mixture resembles cornmeal.
• Add water in a continuous stream and blend only until the mixture forms a mass. Divide dough into two portions, and wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
• When the dough is chilled, roll each portion into a 12-inch by 14-inch rectangle, about one-quarter-inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap, separating each layer with a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper.
• Form a cornucopia shape using aluminum foil: Start with a piece 12 inches by 22 inches and make a cone shape 12 inches long and six inches wide at the open end. Then cut four or five pieces of 24-inch by 12-inch foil. Stuff each piece into the cone-shaped mold until it is solidly filled.
• Place one layer of the pastry on a floured board and cut into 24 to 28 three-eighth-to one-half-inch strips, 14 inches long. Place 22 of the strips on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet.
• Using the remaining strips, begin to weave each strip into the strips on the table, creating a tight lattice and leaving no space between the strips. (Eighteen strips by 22 strips makes a 12-inch-by-14-inch woven square.) Chill the woven square until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Cut the remaining layer of pastry into 24 to 28 strips, three eighths-inch wide.
• Prepare an egg wash with the eggs and heavy cream, and set aside.
• Place aluminum-foil cornucopia diagonally across the woven square, with the open end pointing toward the bottom left hand corner of the woven pastry square and the tip of the cone pointing toward the upper right corner.
• Fold the top left corner of the woven pastry square over the aluminum cone and toward the bottom right corner.Continue to roll toward the bottom right corner, tucking in the ends of the pastry as you go.
• Let the covered foil cone rest on the edge of the pastry sealing it, it should be completely covered.Tuck any loose ends at the tip end of the cornucopia underneath it. Moisten fingers with water to help seal the ends into the woven body.To finish the open end, fold the loose ends back on top of the cornucopia and crimp the edge. Chill until firm, one-half hour or more.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Use a narrow brush to paint the egg and cream glaze on the cornucopia. Bake till golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Let the cornucopia stand until completely cool. Pull out each piece of aluminum foil from inside the foil mold. When the mold is empty, pull the foil mold away from the pastry and gently collapse the mold inside the cornucopia. Slowly work it out of the pastry.
• To serve, fill with summer fruit - red raspberries, yellow raspberries, strawberries, blueberries.

Steps:

• To make tempered chocolate, chop the chocolate into pieces and place 3/4 of it in a small glass bowl in a microwave for 20 seconds exactly. Stir the chocolate and continue to microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and shiny. Add the remaining 1/4 of the chocolate and stir until smooth. The chocolate should register 87 to 89 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Secure the mold halves together with the bulldog clips.
• Place the tempered chocolate in a measuring cup and pour half of it into the mold. Swirl the chocolate around to make sure all areas are covered and no air bubbles are visible. Pour any excess chocolate back into the measuring cup. Place the mold in the refrigerator, right side up, standing on the bull dog clips as feet, and allow to harden for one minute.
• Repeat and process, and pour the rest of the tempered chocolate back in the mold and swirl it around to coat into an even layer, pouring any excess chocolate back into the measuring cup. Place the mold back in the refrigerator, right side up, until it hardens and looks opaque, about 10 minutes. (Do not leave the mold in the refrigerator longer than 10 minutes or the chocolate will crack.)
• Meanwhile, fill 3 acorn and/or leaf molds with the extra chocolate, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to harden.
• Unmold the cornucopia. Using the remaining chocolate (which by now will be thickened) "glue" the acorn and/or leaf molds to the edge of the cornucopia and allow to set for a few minutes. Fill the cornucopia with truffles, chocolate dipped cashews or chocolate dipped fruits.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 17x14 inch (or lager) cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
• Tear off a 30x18 inch sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Fold it in half to 18x15 inch. Roll diagonally to form a hollow cone, about 18 inches long with a diameter of 5 inches at the widest end (Cornucopia opening). Fasten end with clear tape. Stuff cone with crumpled regular foil until form is rigid. Bend tail of cone up then down at end. Spray outside of cone with non-stick cooking spray. Place on cookie sheet.
• Beat the egg with the water to make a glaze. Open and unroll the first can of breadstick dough on work surface. Separate breadsticks. Begin by wrapping one breadstick around tip of cone. Brush end of next breadstick with Glaze and press to attach to end of first breadstick. Continue spiral-wrapping cone, slightly overlapping dough until there are 3 breadsticks left.
• Pinch one end of the 3 breadsticks together, then braid. Brush bread around opening of cornucopia with glaze. Gently press on braid. Brush entire cornucopia with glaze.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until bread is a rich brown. (If parts start to darken too much, cover them with pieces of foil.)
• Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet on a wire rack. Carefully remove foil when cool. (If freezing, leave foil in bread for support. Remove when thawed.)

Steps:

• Mix flour and salt thoroughly in large bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives. Beat 2 eggs and 1/3 cup cold water; add to flour mixture. Mix with fork until flour is moistened (1 to 2 tablespoons water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball; divide into fourths. Keep pastry wrapped until ready to use.
• To make mold for cornucopia, loosely crumple squares of aluminum foil into balls. Stack balls in center of 20-inch sheet of foil; bring ends up, wrapping tightly. Press into shape of cornucopia, about 10 inches long and 5 inches high at opening. Spray mold generously with cooking spray.
• To make base of cornucopia, roll one-fourth of pastry on floured cloth-covered surface with floured rolling pin into triangle shape about 1 inch larger than base of foil mold. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. Place foil mold on pastry base.
• To make cornucopia, roll one-fourth of pastry into an oval, about 15x10 inches. Cut pastry oval lengthwise into 1-inch strips, using scalloped pastry cutter. Mix 1 egg and 2 teaspoons cold water. Brush 1 short strip with egg mixture; place strip, egg mixture side out, around tip of mold, forming a point. Starting with shorter strips, brush one at a time with egg mixture and carefully drape over mold, egg mixture side out, overlapping preceding strip 1/4 inch and allowing excess pastry to lie on base. Roll and cut additional one-fourth of pastry into oval, 15x10 inches. Using longer strips, continue until mold is completely covered (do not trim any excess pastry at this point). Do not cover opening with pastry. Be sure all strips are pressed securely onto preceding strips and that there are no gaps.
• Divide remaining one-fourth pastry into 3 parts. Divide 1 part in half; roll 1 half into rope, about 24 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Flatten rope with rolling pin to about 1/2-inch-wide strip. Cut strip lengthwise in half, using sharp knife. Twist halves together gently and loosely into braid. Brush outer edge of opening of cornucopia with egg mixture. Place braid around opening; pinch ends to secure. Brush braid with egg mixture. Make additional braid with remaining half of 1 part dough. Brush egg mixture around base of cornucopia over the overhanging strips. Place braid around base, pinching ends to secure. Trim any excess pastry showing under braid; discard trimmings. Brush braid with egg mixture.
• To decorate cornucopia, shape 1 part of remaining pastry into vines and grapes; roll and cut remaining 1 part pastry into leaves. Attach to cornucopia, using egg mixture. Brush entire cornucopia with egg mixture. Cornucopia can be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 24 hours, or wrapped carefully and tightly and frozen up to 1 month.
• Heat oven to 425°F. Bake about 10 minutes or until set; remove from oven. Brush with milk; sprinkle generously with sugar. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown. (If necessary, cover tip and front edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.) Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes; loosen with large metal spatula and carefully slide onto wire rack. Cool at least 40 minutes. Carefully remove foil from cornucopia. Cover loosely and store in cool, dry place (do not refrigerate).

Steps:

• Wrap 1 sugar cone in a paper towel and place in microwave. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, or until the sugar cone is soft and pliable. Working quickly and carefully, shape the end of the cone upwards into a cornucopia shape and hold it there until the cone re-hardens, about 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat this process with each cone.
• Place white chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until chocolate is melted, stirring often. Place the candied ginger in a small wide bowl. Take one of the shaped cones and dip the top of the cone into the melted chocolate, and then into the candied ginger. Set cones on a wire rack to allow the chocolate to set.
• Fill each cone with grapes. Place the cones on a serving platter and sprinkle any extra grapes around the cones.