Tangelo Dreams

I didn’t want a tangelo tree.  I wanted an orange tree.  But somehow my gardener mistook “tangelo” for “orange” and so I have a young, burgeoning citrus tree laden with tangelos.  Believe me, my extensive library of cook books hardly recognizes this fruit.  And my sous chef thinks tangelo is something performed on Dancing with the Stars, not something edible.

So I was overjoyed that the Los Angeles Times Food Section on February 2, 2012 had a recipe for Tangelo Pudding. Simple ingredients, easy preparation and only 123 calories – what’s not to like!  Plus, now the tangelos in the backyard are fodder for something other than local vermin.

This recipe results is a lusciously light, creamy non-dairy delight.  Well, that is if you exclude the Armagnac Whipped Cream I used as a topping.  My sous chef, who takes great pride in being a critic, exclaimed that the dessert was “Heavenly.”  Enough said.  It will brighten the winter doldrums, and if you live somewhere like me where it is already pushing 90 degrees, you will find it refreshing enough to squelch the heat.

For the recipe:

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook-rec3-20120202,0,4621982.story

Tangelos, Cornstarch, Butter, Sugar, Honey and Orange Flower Water 

Zest the Tangelos, and juice until you have two cups

Crush zest with the sugar to bring out the oils and aromatics of the zest

Add zest/sugar mixture to cornstarch with a little tangelo juice to create a slurry

Tangelo slurry

Add remaining juice and whisk until smooth, bring to boil and add butter, honey and orange flower water

Place in glasses or champagne flutes and chill for two hours until set

Two hours later - Tangelo Pudding topped with Armagnac Whipped Cream