Did you know that oranges are a fruit not found in nature?  I didn’t.  Apparently they are a manmade creation – a hybrid of pomelo and mandarin, cultivated since antiquity.  Knowing this inspired me to cook with the seemingly ordinary fruit with a secret sordid past.

But what to make in the middle of winter with citrus?  I’ve long been a fan of homemade orange sorbet, but that is decidedly a summer treat.   Caramel encapsulates the warm decadence of wintertime, but orange ice cream laced with caramel tastes too saccharine.  

Then the brilliant idea to caramelize sugar with orange peel popped to mind.  The barely burned caramel infused with citrus zest paired with cream is the perfect combination of tart and smoky sweet.  And thus, burnt orange ice cream was born!  Whip up a batch of your own to serve with your favorite soup during our latest cold spell.  xx tt

FINISHING TOUCHES…

t+tDECOR: bring citrus from your ice cream dish to the table by creating an orange leaf garland. Here are instructions.  If you are looking for something less time-intensive with a similar aesthetic cut citrus leaves from their stems and place them in piles on your table, then arrange oranges amidst the leaves.  You won’t be able to reuse it, but it will save you time fussing with all that wire.