A Fruity Dessert for Wintertime
20 November 2007
It is only mid November, but here in Munich it definitely feels like winter. We had first serious snowfalls over the past two weeks and the air outside is freezing and crisp. Just the right type of atmosphere for some wintery smells and tastes. My kitchen filled with a lovely scent of caramelised sugar, cinnamon and oranges while cooking the dressing for this seasonal fruit salad. The oranges for the salad were filleted, so they would best absorb the aroma of the juice. And though very rich in taste, this dessert has a very refreshing touch to it, just the right thing after an abundant main course.
Juicy Orange Salad
| serves 4 |
| 6 oranges |
| 20g brown sugar |
| 4 teaspoons of apricot jam |
| 1 cinnamon stick |
| 1 bottle cap of cointreau |
Melt the brown sugar in a pot at moderate temperature. Meanwhile squeeze two of the oranges and once the sugar has caramelized (i.e. is liquid) add the orange juice. Do not worry if the caramel first gets solid when getting in contact with the cold orange juice – it will melt again once the juice heats up. Stir in the apricot jam until all lumps have dissolved. Add the cinnamon stick and a dash of cointreau (I usually take about a bottle cup full) and let it simmer lightly for about 15 minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it cool down until lukewarm.
In the meantime fillet the remaining four oranges and place the slices in dessert dishes (or just a large bowl).
Pour the lukewarm orange juice over the fresh oranges, cover them and let them rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Take them out again some time before serving; this dessert tastes best when not eaten too cold. The orange salad is very tasty by itself, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream is also an excellent match.