Orange-Champagne Cakes
PREP: 30 MINUTES BAKE: 30 MINUTES STAND: 10 MINUTES
COOL: 1 HOUR
1 1/2 cups polenta cornmeal or yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup orange juice
3 cups finely ground almonds
1 Tbsp. finely shredded orange peel
1 1/2 cups champagne, or sparkling wine
1/4 cup sugar
Finely shredded orange peel
 Preheat the oven to 325[degrees] F. Grease and flour two angelette pans  or twelve 4-inch muffin cups; set aside. In a bowl combine polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat buffer with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar; beat until well combined. Add eggs, beat until combined. Beat in orange juice (mixture may appear curdled). Beat in polenta mixture just until combined. Fold in ground almonds and orange peel. Spoon batter into pans (about 2/3 cup batter each). Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
 Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine champagne and the 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Remove cakes from pans. Transfer cakes to a large platter, placing cakes bottoms-up. Prick cakes with wooden toothpick.
Carefully spoon or brush champagne syrup over cakes. Immediately cover cakes with plastic wrap; cool completely. Serve cakes at room temperature. Garnish with additional orange peel. Makes 12 cakes

You can substitue a baked regular pie shell for the Almond Crumb Crust if you like:
COCONUT CREAM PIE WITH ALMOND CRUMB CRUST
Almond Crust [You can substitue a baked regular pie shell for the Almond Crumb Crust if you like]:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 cup finely ground blanched almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
5 TBL butter, melted
1/4 tsp almond extract
Combine all ingredients & pat the mixture evenly onto the bottom & up the sides of a greased 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.
Filling:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup + 1 TBL cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 TBL vanilla
1 TBL butter
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
Scald the milk in a large saucepan. Mix together the sugar, cornstach & salt in a small bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the heated milk. Cook over low heat just until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks & stir to combine. Return to the suacepan along withe the vanilla, butter & coconut. Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes, stirring.
Remove from heat; cover the mixture with a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap placed directly on the surface so the filling won't form a skin. Cool, then chill 2 hours or more. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar
Combine the cream, vanilla & sugar. Whip until the mixture forms soft peaks. Spread over filling.~~