Catholic Recipe: Carmelized Oranges

Also Called: Naranjas en Azucar Acaramelado

The connection of St. Dominic with the orange makes this a wonderful dessert to serve for his feast day on August 8. Also think of the Spanish Franciscans, especially Junipero Serra, who brought the oranges to the California Missions.

What a pleasant sensation biting into this carmelized sugar glaze and finding a sweet orange underneath that suddenly explodes with juice. The coating, by the way, will stay hard for several hours, so these oranges can be prepared earlier in the day.

You may serve the oranges on their own, but they are also excellent served over raspberry puree or with a plain pound cake or orange cake.

DIRECTIONS

Divide the oranges into segments, keeping the membrane intact. Dry on paper towels.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly, until lightly carmelized, about 4 minutes. Slowly and carefully stir in the orange liqueur.

Working quickly before the sugar hardens (it can be liquefied by reheating), dip the orange segments in the carmelized sugar (keep fingers away since the syrup is very hot), and with the aid of a wooden spoon, coat on all sides. Place upright on a wire rack to dry.

If serving with raspberry purée, spoon 2 tablespoons of the puree onto each of 4 dessert dishes. Arrange the orange segments attractively over the sauce. Garnish with the mint leaves and fresh raspberries if you wish.

For Raspberry Purée (optional) Combine the raspberries, sugar, and liqueur in a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain.