Grand Marnier French Orange Flavored Liqueur
Grand Marnier is a French, orange-flavored liqueur
When looking for gourmet cooking and baking ingredients, some are unparalleled. One of these is Grand Marnier, a French, orange-flavored liqueur made of cognac and bitter oranges. It is a unique ingredient in many French desserts, including tart fillings and soufflés. The recipe for Grand Marnier dates to 1880, when French businessman Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle combined oranges and cognac; the recipe remains unchanged.
If you want to know how to say Grand Marnier correctly, this brief YouTube video on the pronunciation will help you out.
Using Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur in Desserts
For most desserts, orange liqueur can be used anywhere from one teaspoon to several tablespoons. A liqueur is a sweetened and flavored alcohol or spirit. As with other liqueurs, only a very light amount of the alcohol content is left after baking.
Combining Grand Marnier with Other Flavorings in Baked Goods
Mixing Grand Marnier and orange oil can boost the overall orange flavor of a cake or other baked good.
You can also enhance the orange flavor of baked goods by combining equal parts Grand Marnier and grated orange zest. To make orange zest, use a microplane grater or a zester kitchen tool. Before zesting oranges, wash, rinse, and dry them. Shave off the orange-colored peel with the grater or zester, and avoid the white pith, as it can impart off flavors.
Other flavorings that work well with Grand Marnier in breakfast rolls and coffee cakes are vanilla and rum extract.
Grand Marnier pairs well with almonds. You often find an orange liqueur in classic French Tarte aux Amandes or Almond Tart recipes. You can try my almond tart recipe that uses Grand Marnier.
Orange Liqueur for Dessert Toppings
When you mix streusel-type toppings, add some Grand Marnier. Dampen the Streusel mix with some of the liqueur, along with rum extract. This adds a subtle hint of orange and depth of flavor. For a coffee cake recipe with a streusel-type topping using Grand Marnier, try my After Dinner Dessert - Orange Coffee Cake recipe. This recipe also uses liqueur and other flavorings in the dough.
Fancy Desserts
When looking for a fancy dessert recipe idea, you can often add Grand Marnier to flavor your dessert and impress your guests.
