Orange Sugar

As promised, here is the recipe for the orange sugar that I used in my Orange Sabayon. It's so simple to make that it shouldn't even count as a post this week. However, I'm really busy this week so it works out great for me. And you since you need this for the Orange Sabayon recipe!

 

My idea for orange sugar came about after seeing so many tips for what to do with vanilla beans after using the seeds in recipes. They say to put the bean in sugar so you can have vanilla sugar after about one month. I got to thinking that if you can do that, then why not add orange zest to sugar to enhance orange flavored recipes? {light bulb above my head moment}.

Of course, others have thought of the very same idea already but this recipe is my own. I've seen where they add orange essential oil and vanilla to make their orange sugar. But I wanted something simple and down to earth, just sugar and orange zest. No fancy essential oils or vanilla in my orange sugar.

It really does have a wonderful orange smell and flavor. Add a little honey, coconut oil, or olive oil and you can use it as a sugar scrub in the shower. That's how simple and versatile it is. Just back to the basics here.

You can also use this orange sugar for many recipes besides my Orange Sabayon. Just think of how delicious it will make your bread, cookies, or even coffee and tea (hot or iced) taste infused with this sweet orange sugar.

And it's easy to make too. You only need two ingredients and a food processor. Although if you don't have a food processor, a blender will work too. You can also try this with lemons and limes. I haven't tried those yet, so if you make a lemon or lime sugar, let me know as I always love to hear your ideas, recipes, and how things turn out for you.

I know, its crazy right since I love lemons that I didn't try lemon sugar before this orange sugar! Just plain crazy!

By the way, I finally found that commercial I was looking for on YouTube. If you want to check it out, here's the link to it - silly gender reveal commercial. And my co-worker agrees with me that the goofy guy resembles another of our co- workers.

Orange Sugar

Recipe by Julie Murphy

An aromatic orange flavored sugar to use in baking and cooking, to help enhance orange flavors. Can even be used as an orange sugar scrub in the shower.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 0
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup orange sugar
Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest from 1 orange

Directions

1. Wash orange and remove the outer layer of the orange. Being careful not to include the white pith as that adds a bitter taste.
2. In a food processor or blender, add sugar and orange zest. Pulse for 10-15 seconds x 3 to 4 times to help break down orange zest and blend with sugar.
3. Place in an airtight container and store in your refrigerator for up to 1 month.

*Helpful Hints*

- Save a few of the larger zest and place in the finished orange sugar.

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Orange Sabayon

If you love wine and summer berries, then this recipe is for you. Sabayon is the French name for a delicious Italian custard dessert that is also known as Zabaione, zabaglione, or zabajone. And it's best served over fresh summer berries.

I can't believe how well kept a secret this recipe is. Well, maybe not a secret, but I never even heard of Sabayon until this year. That's 29....um, yes, we will just go with 29 years, of going without this delicious topping for my berries. I just can't believe that out of all the times I've eaten berries, nobody has ever said, "you have got to try this over your berries."

So I'm sharing with y'all right now and letting you know that you have got to try this over your berries. You can use any berries - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or mix them all up like I did here. And you can use any sweet white wine you want. I used a Moscato wine, as it is one of my favorites, almost more than the pink Moscato! And it pairs well with the orange sugar and orange liqueur I added to enrich the flavor of this Sabayon.

Yes, I said O-R-A-N-G-E sugar. I will be sharing that recipe with y'all later this week!

Now most of the recipes for Sabayon call for a sweet white wine, but here in the near future, I'm going to try a rose or a red wine to see what deliciousness it creates. I'm thinking a red wine Sabayon over raspberries would be delicious! What do you think?

With berries just now coming into season, this will be a great way to serve them up. Orange Sabayon is wonderful as a brunch recipe or an evening dessert. Or if you're like me, anytime you want to enjoy your favorite wine over ripe summer berries!

Orange Sabayon

Recipe by Julie Murphy

A light Italian custard dessert made with egg yolks, orange sugar, orange liqueur, and a sweet white wine. Also known as zabaglione, zabaione, and zabajone.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 serving
Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup orange sugar
• 4 Tablespoons Orange liqueur
• 7 Tablespoons sweet white wine

Cooking Directions

1. Using a double boiler pan, add enough water so the top pan does not touch the water when placed on top. Or you can add water to a large pan big enough that a large heat proof bowl can fit over. Bring water to boiling.
2. Using the top pan of a double boiler pan or a large heat proof bowl, gently whisk together wine, orange liqueur, and orange sugar. Add in egg yolks.
3. Place pan with egg yolk mixture over boiling water. Turn heat down to medium to low and whisk ingredients together vigorously until they become frothy and can hold their shape. You can alternate between slow and vigorous whisking but if you need to stop whisking, remove the pan from the heat. If at all possible, try not to break the cooking cycle.
4. You know the sabayon is ready when the mixture becomes thick and when you lift the whisk, the sabayon can hold its shape.
5. Remove from heat and spoon the warm sabayon over fresh berries.

Inspired by David Lebovitz recipe ~ Sabayon.

 

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Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Just because the Holidays are over, doesn't mean you've seen the last of gingerbread recipes, no ma’am (or sir). After all, if foods were only allowed to be made during certain times of the year, we would all get pretty bored with eating.

And after you get a taste of this gingerbread cake, you'll agree with me.

I added a secret ingredient to this gingerbread cake to keep it moist. Well, not really a secret because I’m about to tell y’all right now…{whispering}…pumpkin. Yep, you heard right, pumpkin is my secret ingredient to help keeping this gingerbread cake moist.

Along with this scrumptious orange cream cheese frosting and a touch of candied ginger to top it all off, Oh My! You won’t ever think that gingerbread is only for December again.

The orange cream cheese frosting is light and pairs well with the gingerbread. While the candied ginger adds an extra zing to top it off.

Each of the flavors are delicious all by themselves, but layer them upon each other and it becomes a flavor party for your taste buds!

This gingerbread cake will soon become a favorite of yours, no matter what time of year it is!

Gingerbread Cake

Makes 1 and ½ loafs or one 9” x 9” cake

Ingredients

2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 and ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon allspice

2 large eggs

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup coconut sugar

¾ cup molasses

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup ginger infused hot water*

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Grease 9 ½” x 5 ½” x 3” loaf pan and a 5 ½” x 5 ½” x 2” dish with butter or a non-stick spray. Can also line pans with parchment paper. Or you can use a 9” x 9” square pan. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.

Combine eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, and butter into a large mixing bowl. Blend together until smooth.

Mix in ginger infused hot water.

Slowly add in dry ingredients, blending thoroughly.

Pour mixture into prepared pans. Leaving about ½” to 1” from the top.

Place into preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes for loaf pans, or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove loaf from pan and cool thoroughly on wire rack before frosting.

*For 9” x 9” square pan, bake for 35-40 minutes at 325F degrees and let cool in dish before frosting.

How to make Ginger Infused Water

Ingredients

2 and ½ cups water

2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

Directions

Add water and prepared ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for another 15-20 minutes, or until ginger softens.

Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1/4 cup ginger infused water

1/4 cup orange juice

4-5 cup powdered sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon orange extract

Directions

Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and using your whip attachment, whip until mixture gets soft to firm peaks. Refrigerate until gingerbread cake is thoroughly cooled.

Once cake is cooled, spread over top of loaf and serve.

*Helpful Hints*

- Recipe for how to make your own candied ginger at home is coming later this week.

- Orange Cream Cheese frosting can also be served as a dollop over individual gingerbread cake slices before serving.

Inspired by ~ Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake.

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 Shared with: Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #131, Sweet and Savoury Sundays #97

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

The sun is shining, the weather is warming up outside, which means spring is just around the corner. As with the changing of the seasons, the fruit selection in my local store is changing too. I’m seeing more fruit like strawberries, blueberries, and oranges. And I must say, the oranges caught my eye the other day and I just had to have them!

Now one thing I often do when going to the store is forget to bring in my glasses. Oh, I have a pair in my car but sometimes they get left behind. You’d think I would know better by now since I can’t read a thing without them! Anyhow, as I was looking at the orange selection, I knew I wanted a seedless orange but I couldn’t read the labels that were provided. So, I just grabbed a bag of Cara Cara oranges and hoped for the best!

I have never heard of nor have I ever ate a Cara Cara orange, but they looked good so that’s what got me to pick them. Much to my surprise when I got home, the Cara Cara oranges are a seedless orange. Yay, I got lucky! Those four leaf clovers are really showing their stuff!

I came across an orange creamsicle cookie recipe from Christy's website that these oranges will be great for, with orange zest and white chocolate chips, a little taste of both spring and summer.

As usual, I added my own spin to Christy's recipe by adding orange concentrate for more orange flavor and corn starch for more fluffy cookies.

 These cookies will definitely take you back to when you were a kid.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Ingredients

2 and ½ cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons corn starch

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, unsalted, softened to room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 Tablespoon orange concentrate, room temperature

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons orange zest

2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray 2 cookies sheets with non-stick spray, wipe off excess with a paper towel.

In a medium bowl, add flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars, vanilla, and orange concentrate. Blend in egg and orange zest.

Slowly add in flour mixture until thoroughly blended. If mixture is too dry, add in a little water at a time until all ingredients are combined.

Drop dough mixture by tablespoonful onto prepared cookie sheet. *Be careful not to flatten cookies as this will make them dry.

Place cookie sheet into preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. *Be careful not to brown cookies as this also dries out the cookie.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack where they can cool completely.

Can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes approximately 3 dozen (36 cookies). 

Shared with  Share it One More Time Party and featured at Share it One More Time Link Party April 12, 2014.
Shared on 06/12/2014 with Summer Celebration Link Party 06/12/2014
All content and images are property of Sweet and Spicy Monkey. Please do not reprint this content without my permission. If you wish to include this recipe on your site, please re-write in your own words and use your own photographs and link back to this post for the recipe.