Jaffe Cakes

Some of you may be familiar with the bitter orange British snacks cakes, and others may be in the dark...chocolate. Picture hostess style cakes, in lunch boxes all over the nation. Change the country and flavors and you have Jaffe Cakes. Traditionally you will bite into a vanilla sponge with bitter seville orange dipped in chocolate. Never one to stay on the straight and narrow I took the Jaffe Cake concept and sent it straight into kumquat land. Kumquats were poached gently in syrup and through trial and error, the centers were removed, while keeping the shell tear free. The whole process was an intense game of Operation. Once the kumquats were gutted, I filled them with almond financier seasoned with orange oil and vanilla. Baked in little cubby holes, the kumquats maintained their original shape. Their insides were now transformed into little treasures of brown butter and almond. Instead of dipping everything in a straight up chocolate flocage, I decided on a fudgey glaze that maintained it's integrity with the addition of manjari and gelatin. This cake treats are quite a bit of work, but definitely worth it in the end. Let your mouth water a bit and then get into the kitchen and get to surgery and chocolate!