September ’10 – Week 4 – Thursday Dinner/Dessert

Dulce de Naranja, literally sweetness of oranges, has roots all over the Latin community, but this particular recipe is Cuban. This dessert is what happens when you make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. This is a great way to use up orange rinds from oranges that have been juiced that day! Taking peeled orange halves after the insides have been eaten and the membranes removed, boil them in sugar water until candied and eat on toast, crackers, or with a delicious salty cheese. You could even dice them and use them in holiday baking in place of other candied fruits. If you like the dry sweetness and delicately bitter tang of marmalade, you’ll love these. Because they take up to 4 hours to make, I have adapted this recipe for the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

10-12 Fresh oranges, peeled of JUST the orange part, leaving white pith behind, halved, with pulp and juice removed
A few peels, reserved
4 C Sugar

Directions:

Place oranges and sugar, along with a few of the peels, in the slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover orange halves. Allow to cook for 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low, or until oranges are yellowy-orange and translucent.

Slice and serve any way you like, save aside cooking syrup for use in cooking, drizzle over ice cream or sweeten tea with it.

Note that this can be done with any citrus fruit!

September ’10 – Week 2 – Thursday Dinner/Dessert

Guava cake is ubiquitous to most island nations. There are recipes for it that come from Hawaii, Polynesia, and even the Caribbean. This specific recipe hails from Puerto Rico and makes a beautiful tropical confection perfect for any festivities. This recipe calls for Guava Paste, which can be found in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores, usually refrigerated near cheeses and tortillas.

Ingredients:

2/3 C Butter
1 C Sugar
2 C Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg
1/4 t Salt
2 Eggs
1 lb Guava Paste, cut into 16 slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a small bowl beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time and incorporate. Spoon half the batter into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Top with the sliced guava paste and cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.