Pavlova with Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate

Most folks might associate pavlova with a big pile of summer berries, but they are just as nice with a citrusy kick instead. For this wintery pavlova I topped crisp and chewy pillows of meringue with Tartine Bakery's perfect lemon cream which is a sweet, tart, and buttery-rich riff on lemon curd. The whole thing is adorned with juicy slices of pink grapefruit and tart pomegranate arils. Llight and refreshing to the max.

A few things

- I recently updated my portfolio site, I'd love if you all took a look: yossyarefi.com 
- If you love meyer lemons and grapefruit too, check out this killer bundt cake recipe.
- I made some meyer lemon eclairs for Food52 last week. Check them out here.
- Thanks for all of your kind words on my last post!

Pavlovas with Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate
yield 6-8 individual or 1 large pavlova

In the photos above I made 6 6-inch "individual" pavlovas. This dessert is quite light and most people would probably be able to finish a pavlova that size, but for more modest dessert eaters try making 8 (or even 10) individual meringues. If you can't find meyer lemons for this recipe, go ahead and use regular lemons and if you can't find pink grapefruit, any sweet citrus fruit would be just great. I originally intended to make this with blood oranges, but couldn't find any. Also,  make sure to use room temperature egg whites and a very clean bowl and beaters.

Pavlova

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 220º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat

1. Whip the egg whites and the cream of tartar on medium speed until the egg whites are quite foamy. Turn the mixer up to high and very slowly add the sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time. Whip the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy.
2. Divide the meringue into 6-8 even dollops at least 2 inches apart and with the back of a spoon gently shape them into circles with indentations in the center (to hold all of the yummy filling). Alternately, spread the whole amount of meringue into one large circle about 10-inches wide.
3. Bake the meringue until it is crisp on the outside and set, 60-80 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop the door open, then cool the pavlova completely in the oven completely.

Meyer Lemon Cream
adapted from Tartine Bakery's Lemon Cream

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons meyer lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1.  Pour about 2 inches of water into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat
2. Combine the lemon juice, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl that will rest securely over the water without coming into contact with the water. (Never let the egg yolks and sugar sit together for more than a moment without stirring; the sugar will cook the yolks and turn them granular.) Place the bowl over the saucepan and whisk until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 180° F on a thermometer, about 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove the bowl from over the water and let the mixture cool to 140° F, stirring from time to time to release the heat.
4. Meanwhile, cut butter into tablespoon-sized pieces. When the cream is cooled transfer it to a blender and with the blender running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition until incorporated before adding the next piece. The cream will be pale yellow and opaque and quite thick.
Chill the lemon cream completely, then in a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream. Fold the half of the whipped cream (reserve the other half for garnish if desired) into the lemon cream and chill until ready to fill the pavlova.

To Serve

Supremed segments of 2-3 pink grapefruit (depending on size) arils from one pomegranate.

Stir the lemon cream to loosen. Fill each pavlova with a few generous spoonfuls of cream then top with grapefruit segments and pomegranate arils. Garnish with reserved whipped cream if desired. Enjoy immediately.

Grapefruit and Bergamot Jam

I've been known to go pretty citrus crazy this time of year, but due to our move and some other circumstances I scaled down my usual citrus extravaganza to more of a low-key citrus shindig this time around. Despite my late start to the season, I still managed to get my paws on a lone bergamot that I knew would be the perfect addition to Marisa's grapefruit jam that I had bookmarked last year. If you are a marmalade wimp like me, this jam will be right up your alley. The small amount of bergamot zest adds a bitter, floral note to this preserve which I admit sounds odd, but if you like earl grey tea you know what I am talking about.

Next year I am going to order some real-deal Seville oranges like Tim from Lottie and Doof.

Grapefruit and Bergamot Jam
adapted from Food in Jars
yield 2 pints
If you can't find bergamot oranges where you live don't let that turn you away from this recipe. This jam is super tasty even without the extra hit of bitter bergamot flavor.

8 grapefruit (approximately 4 pounds)
1 bergamot orange
2 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

1. Wash and dry the fruit and prepare your canning jars.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the bergamot being careful to avoid the bitter white pith, then slice the peels into very thin strips. Combine the zest strips with about 2 cups of cold water in a medium sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the zest strips until they are very soft, about 30 minutes then drain and rinse them quickly with cool water. Juice the bergamot and reserve it for later.
3. Supreme the grapefruit by cutting away the tops and bottoms of the fruit, then with a very sharp knife, cut the skin and white pith away from the outside of the fruit and discard it. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl. Save the membrane and seeds and place them in a cheesecloth bundle. You will use this bundle to add some natural pectin while cooking the marmalade.
4. Add the grapefruit segments, juice, cheesecloth bundle, and prepared bergamot zest and juice into a large, non-reactive pot. Stir in the sugar.
5. Put the pan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Cook the jam, stirring occasionally, until it comes to 220º or passes the wrinkle test. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and ladle the finished jam into prepared jars. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Blood Orangecello

Since we last met, P and have I traded apartment 2b for apartment #2, in a new neighborhood across the river. We spent our first six years in this grand city in a lovely and bright studio apartment near Central Park and I will spare you all the nostalgia trip that we went on while packing up that part of our lives, but I will share this extremely insightful pearl of wisdom: Moving is hard. Not just the packing and stacking and spackling and painting. It's the moving on that will get you.



Even though we were ready for the change, the transition was tough. I may have shed a few sentimental tears as we waved goodbye to our giant non-functional fireplace and exposed brick wall, but onward and upward. I mean, in our new place, we have a spice drawer (!) and a big huge window in the kitchen which seems utterly luxurious after cooking in this space for so long. We also have an entire room just for sleeping and a separate one for eating too. This is known to the rest of the world as a bed room and dining room respectively and these things are very exciting for a couple who lived together in one room for six years.

After the chaos from the move settled, I realized a bit too late that I had missed most of citrus season. I mean, I probably ate my weight in grapefruit, but I didn't really make anything (unlike last year's citrus bonanza), mostly because we didn't have any kitchen cabinets or counters for a few weeks, but that's another story for another day. For now, there's this blood orangecello and even though our new place is still a bit, ehem, rough around the edges, it's nothing that a little sip of something boozy and some more paint can't fix.

Blood Orangecello
adapted from Jammy Chicken
This is a variation on the ever popular Italian spirit limoncello. It tastes wonderful poured over a citrus sorbet or sip it as is. Just make sure it is very, very cold.

8 blood oranges
4 cups vodka
2 cups granulated sugar
Large glass jar with a tight fitting lid

Wash and scrub your citrus thoroughly. Use a Y peeler to remove the zest from the oranges, being careful not to get any of the white pith. Add the zest to the large glass jar. Juice the oranges and add the juice to the jar. Pour in the vodka and sugar, put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

Store the jar in a cool, dry place and shake it everyday for a week. Then after that shake the jar about once a week for at least 3 weeks and up to 6. After 3-6 weeks, strain the mixture into a clean jar to remove the zest, then strain again through a coffee filter.

Store the finished blood orangecello in the freezer and enjoy it very, very cold.

Orange Almond Upside Down Cake

I've been taking myself on more adventures lately. Nothing big or fancy, just a short jaunt every now and then to somwhere I've never been before.  I love this city, but the Northwesterner in me longs for more green stuff and fresh(er) air.

I had the afternoon free last Friday and a new camera to test out so I grabbed some film, a snack and hopped an uptown train to visit Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters at the upper tip of Manhattan. The Cloisters house a collection of medieval art and architecture including some damn fine unicorn tapestries and beautiful gardens full of trees and plants depicted in the art. Pretty neat stuff. 

It was cold and bright that day. When I got off of the train I noticed here were very few other people in the park, save a class of kids having lunch and a grounds keeper or two. The quiet was nice and I wandered through the park, following all of the stairways and paths I came across until I got to the museum. 

Admittedly, winter wasn't the best time to visit as there wasn't much going on, but there were signs of spring popping up in the form of crocuses and hyacinths spread throughout the enclosed courtyards. There were even a few citrus trees (maybe mandarins of some sort?) full of fruit in varying stages of ripeness.

It was a wonderful, inspiring afternoon and on my way back through Fort Tryon Park I walked slowly and savored a juicy Sumo Mandarin and let my mind wander a little bit. I'll be sure to visit later in the Spring and Summer when things are a bit greener and to see the fig, quince, and apple trees heavy with fruit.

With the scent of citrus oils on my hands, I thought all of the way home about baking something light and orangey. I knew this simple gluten free cake I spotted on Simple Bites a few weeks ago and was the perfect thing to cap off the day.


Orange Almond Upside Down Cake
adapted from Simple Bites

For the Topping

1 thinly sliced navel orange
2T butter
1/3c sugar

For the Cake

8oz soft butter
8oz sugar
8oz finely ground almonds
3 eggs
1t vanilla extract
2T lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
3oz fine cornmeal
1t baking powder
1/2t salt

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and line a 9'' cake pan with parchment paper. I obviously didn't line my pan and the cake stuck a bit, not too bad, but not good either. So don't be like me, line your pan.

For the Topping

In a medium skillet melt the butter then add the sugar. Over medium heat, cook for 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, then arrange the sliced oranges on top of the butter/sugar mixture in a single layer. You may have to slice your slices in half for this.

For the Cake

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3min. Add the almonds and mix thoroughly.
2. Add in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla, zests, and lemon juice.
3. Fold in the cornmeal, baking powder and salt making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that the batter is mixed well.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Slide into the oven and bake for 40-45min or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10min, then invert onto a plate or platter to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temp.

Notes:

- This blog is a great resource for fun day trips from NYC that are accessible by subway, train and car: nycitycures.com
- The Cloisters Gardeners keep a blog too: The Medieval Gardens Enclosed

Honeyed Grapefruit Granita

You'll have to excuse the me for publishing this recipe today, you're probably looking for something a little more heart shaped, red velvety or made of chocolate. Well I'm sorry to say that I can't offer you anything like that. What I do have is this bright, tart, and dead easy to put together dessert which is a nice way to top off a hearty meal like the one you may be cooking for your loved one(s) tomorrow. For this batch of granita I used grapefruit that were labeled pink, but as you can see the finished batch was decidedly pale yellow. Try using texas ruby red grapefruit or a splash of hot pink Campari in your granita if you'd like a more pink finished product.

Are you all cooking tomorrow? What are you making, I still need some ideas!

Honeyed Grapefruit Granita
yield about 1 1/2 pints

1/2c sugar
1/2c water
1/4c mild honey
2c fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
juice of one lemon
mint leaves and grapefruit segments to garnish (optional)
sparkling wine to serve (optional)

1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil to make a simple syrup. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and chill the mixture. Measure 2/3c of the finished chilled syrup, you may have a bit extra that you can save for a cocktail or to sweeten iced coffee.
2. In a medium bowl, add the simple syrup, honey, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice. Whisk well to combine. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Slide the dish into the freezer and chill for 1hr. Remove the dish from the freezer and scrape the granita with a fork to break up the mixture, cover and place back in the freezer. Scrape the granita every 30min or so until it is frozen and crystals have formed.
3. To serve: Spoon the granita into small dishes and top with fresh grapefruit segments, mint leaves, and a splash of champagne, cava or prosecco if you are feeling festive.

Notes:

-If you have an ice cream machine, you can churn this mixture into a delicious sorbet.

Rice Pudding with Old Fashioned Oranges

It's easy to hibernate in New York in the winter. It's cold and grey, the wind whips through the buildings straight to my bones, and the walk from my warm cozy apartment to the subway seems immeasurably long. This season, in an effort to spend more time together and keep ourselves from getting too lonely, some pals and I are going to make an effort to have a Sunday meal together a few times a month, a Sunday roast if you will. I don't know about you guys, but I will pretty much always show up when someone invites me for dinner, public transportation and weather be damned. Our inaugural dinner was a few weeks ago and I offered to bring along a sweet something to end the meal. I knew I needed something that was easy to transport and I wanted it to be both comforting and light, so I turned to the most comforting dessert I could think of then lightened it up with a healthy dose of citrus. Then, because it's winter, I put some booze in it. These chilled, boozy oranges are the perfect foil to creamy rice pudding and the perfect thing to share with friends, elbow to elbow, in someone else's warm cozy apartment. Now, getting up from the table and heading home is another story.

For the Pudding
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts

1c arborio rice
4 1/2c milk
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2c sugar
pinch salt
1 cara cara, navel or blood orange
3/4c heavy cream
1 egg yolk

1. In a medium bowl zest the orange directly in the sugar then scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds into the sugar mixture. Rub the sugar, zest and seeds with your fingers until it is all evenly distributed.
2. Supreme the orange over a bowl, and squeeze the membrane to extract as much juice as possible. Strain off the juice and reserve for later, you should have between 1/4-1/3c of juice. You will use the orange segments later as well.
3. In a medium saucepan combine the rice, milk, salt, sugar mixture and vanilla bean pod. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30min. Remove the vanilla bean pod, rinse it off and save it for another use.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolks and reserved orange juice. Slowly add the hot rice mixture while whisking constantly. Return the entire mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the mixture boils and thickens, about 10min. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving. This can also be served room temperature or chilled. If you find the chilled rice pudding is too firm, loosen it up by stirring in a few tablespoons of milk or heavy cream.

Old Fashioned Oranges (like the cocktail)
Adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert

4 cara cara, navel or blood oranges (plus the one from the rice pudding)
2/3c sugar
3T whiskey

1. Zest the oranges into a medium sized bowl. Use a sharp knife to cut away the tops and bottoms of the oranges then using a sharp knife, cut the white pith away from the fruit and discard it. Over the bowl with the reserved zest, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane and seeds, letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl, add the reserved orange segments and juices from the rice pudding. Add the whiskey, then arrange the fruit and juices in a shallow dish, something like a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Spread the sugar into a large, dry skillet over medium heat and cook without stirring until the sugar starts to melt into a clear syrup. Turn the heat down a bit and continue cooking the syrup without stirring, you may shake the pan a little to distribute the sugar evenly.
3. When the syrup begins to color, stir gently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to make sure it colors and cooks evenly. When the syrup is amber in color, remove it from the heat and stir until the syrup is a reddish amber color, the color of medium dark honey.
4. Immediately pour the hot caramel over the oranges, they may spit and sputter a bit. The caramel will harden when it comes into contact with the oranges. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 2 days. In that time the caramel will slowly melt into a syrup, perfect for drizzling.

To assemble:

Layer the rice pudding and oranges in small dishes and garnish with chopped pistachios, I forgot to add them in these photos.

Notes:

- The host made some chocolate espresso cookies that we served alongside the pudding and it was a fantastic combo.

Mixed Citrus Marmalade

Last year I added some booze to my marmalade which was a fun, easy way to step up a classic preserve, but in the process of consuming those jars I learned something important about myself. I am a bit of a marmalade wimp. I can't handle the thick cut rind found in most marmalade and I found myself picking around it. This year I played it safe, turning back to my favorite (and first) marmalade recipe from Marisa at Food in Jars. This style of marmalade only uses the zest of the fruit sliced in very thin strips which give the marmalade great texture and cuts back on some of the bitterness of the thick cut varieties. It takes a bit of time to prepare the fruit, but I can't think of a nicer way to spend a dark winter afternoon than to dive into a big pile of sunny citrus.

Mixed Citrus Marmalade
adapted from Food in Jars
yield about 24oz of finished marmalade

40oz (2.5lbs) mixed citrus fruit, I used 1 grapefruit, 2 tangelos, 1 tangerine and 2 meyer lemons (It was a real clean out the fruit bowl affair)
3c sugar
2c zest poaching liquid (you will make this in Step 1)
clean, sterilized canning jars and lids

1. Remove the peels from your citrus using a vegetable peeler, careful not to get any of the white pith. Cut the peels into thin strips with a sharp knife. The peels wil not reduce in size after you cook them so make sure to cut them very fine, 1/8''-1/4'' depending on your preference. I like to cut them as fine as possible. Combine your zest strips with about 4 cups of cold water in a medium sized saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the zest strips until they are very soft, about 30min.
2. While the zest is boiling away, get to supreming. Cut away the tops and bottoms of the fruit, then with a very sharp knife, cut the white pith away from the outside of the fruit and discard it. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl. Save the membrane and seeds and place them in a cheesecloth bundle. You will use this bundle to add some natural pectin while cooking the marmalade.
3. When the zest is finished, strain it over a large bowl, making sure to reserve 2c of the poaching liquid.
4. Grab your (non reactive) canning pot and dump in the fruit segments and juice, poached zest, poaching liquid, sugar, and the cheesecloth bag. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the hell out of it until it reaches 220º and passes the wrinkle test. You may have to cook the jam for a few minutes after it reaches 220º, it all depends on the mixture of fruit you use. I ended up cooking my marmalade for about 50min, but I would start checking it for doneness at about 30min. When the marmalade is finished, give the cheesecloth bag a good squeeze and discard it.
5. Ladle into clean, sterilized jars and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Notes:
- Some folks say that the wrinkle test is unreliable for marmalade, so if you are concerned I suggest you cook the mixture until it reaches 220º then ladle it into jars without testing.
- This recipe can easily be doubled
- If you'd like to add any flavorings to the marmalade, like some booze or vanilla, add it in the last five minutes of cooking.

Sunny Marmalade

It's been a cold wet winter in NYC, but I am trying my darnedest to not let it get me down. Part of my plan for success included buying a pair of honest to goodness snow boots that keep my feet warm and dry while trudging around the city. The other part has been really celebrating citrus which is the brightest, sunniest thing around this time of year. I've been buying grapefruit and lemons by the bag and crates upon crates of clementines to fill my fruit bowl, too many clementines in fact. I remembered a friend of mine mentioned on her blog that she gave homemade Clementine Whiskey Marmalade for Christmas gifts this year and that sounded like a delicious way to use up some of my surplus. She gladly shared the recipe with me and I got to work, switching it up a bit to include some of my very favorite citrus, meyer lemons.

Sunny Marmalade with Clementines and Meyer Lemons
Recipe Edited 3/6/2012

2lbs clementines and meyer lemons combined (I used 2 meyer lemons)
Juice of 2 large lemons
4 1/2c sugar
1 T whiskey (Use 2T and leave out the vanilla for a more pronounced Whiskey flavor)
1T vanilla extract

1. Finely chop clementines and meyer lemons, including their rinds. Remove any seeds. (Remember that the pieces of skin won't change in size in the finished marmalade. I prefer little strips of rind, rather than chunks so that's how I cut my fruit). Put the fruit in a large bowl and cover with 3c water, cover with plastic and refrigerate over night. The fruit should float freely in the water.
2. The next day, put chopped fruit and water in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes or longer until rind has softened.
3. Add lemon juice and sugar and cook over low heat until dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 – 30 minutes or until the mixture reaches 220ºF.
4. Stir in whiskey and vanilla. Pour into clean sterlized jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

This recipe will make about 5, 1/2 pints of marmalade