Thursday, February 23, 2012

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:


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

12 comments:

  1. How bright and delicious! Tangelos are tops in my book.

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  2. We have a tangelo tree...gets added to our daily fresh OJ. These trees produce such sweet and juicy fruit...so juicy they are difficult to peel. Thanks for sharing this dessert and also the blogging tips site...I should read every one. About 15 years ago I did a "How to use your Citrus" workshop for Gilbert where 500 people came and received recipes, tastes, and other helps. Someone else did a class on citrus tree care, etc. I'd like to re-do my recipes and add some that I've learned about and tried over the past couple of years. This one from you looks so refreshing and is beautiful. Thanks for sharing, and yes, it is rather hot for soup.

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  3. That looks refreshing and delicious! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Wow - I would be absolutely giddy to have a citrus tree in my backyard. (Especially as I watch the snow falling this morning and then watch the wind blow it all over the place)
    This is beautiful - I've bookmarked it.

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  5. Oh my goodness that looks delicious! I'm given lots of grapefruit, but no tangelos. Maybe I need to check with friends!!

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  6. Beautiful dessert! I'll bet is was wonderful.

    The best advice I can give you about artichokes is give them lots of room - this one took over our entire 4' x 4' planter box. They grow tons of them in Camarillo, so we're definitely in the right climate for them.

    Have a great weekend!

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  7. This looks absolutely delicious - so sunny and cheery.

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  8. I am so jealous of your tangelo tree! I would love to have a citrus tree growing in my back yard!
    What a lovely pudding...sounds so delicious!

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  9. I've never heard of citrus pudding, but it sounds like a nice winter pick-me-up, especially here in the Northeast.

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  10. This looks excellent, and I love that it's so low in calories. Thanks for the recipe!

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