This recipe was originally supposed to be submitted to the Food52 pudding contest, but today, while I was making the Candied Orange Peel, I realized that 12am on 2/25 actually meant last night and not tonight. So here I am, a day late, having missed the contest completely. Oh well!  I will learn to tell time eventually. I am still enjoying this creamy, very sunny pudding that is reminiscent of the long, hot summer days. I have to credit Ari for coming up with the idea for the Creamsicles. They are his favorite treat at the beach, being the perfect combination of vanilla and orange, creamy, cool and refreshing. Sand optional.

We have oranges on the mind and there has been a lot of discussion between us about Orange Julius’ lately too. (Remember those?) We have been snacking on orange citrus fruits of all varieties this entire month. They’ve been incredibly sweet, juicy and really, just beautiful to look at right now versus all the grey we have been seeing lately. It’s a glimpse of summer in hopes that it comes soon.

The idea of a Creamsicle is a vanilla center surrounded by orange. But we have reversed it and layered the orange pudding between two layers of vanilla pudding and topped it with fresh whipped cream and slices of candied orange peels. The candied orange peel recipe has been adapted from Jacques Torres, Dessert Circus.

 

Candied Orange Peel

This recipe takes about three hours to prepare, so plan accordingly.

Ingredients

2 Navel Oranges or other thick skinned citrus (grapefruit, lemons, limes)

1 cup Sugar

Water

Method

Using a sharp knife or a citrus stripper cut strips from the orange’s peel about ¼ inch wide. Try to make them the same lengths if possible and leave some of the white membrane on the peels but no fruit.

In a small saucepan, add enough water to cover the peels by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and let the water come to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and drain the water. Return the peels to the saucepan and add enough fresh water to cover the peels by about 1 inch. Boil again. Repeat this process four times.

While it seems like a lot of work to boil and drain four times, it really goes fast and is very important as the process removes the bitterness from the peels.

After the fourth boil and drain, return the peels to the pan and add enough water again to cover by at least 1 inch. Add the sugar and stir to mix.  Reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 2 hours then remove from heat and let cool.

You will now have a thick syrup filled with translucent, tender peels..

You may now keep them in the syrup and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

When you are ready to use them, they can be served either in the syrup or drained of the syrup and rolled in granulated sugar to coat them. You can use them as garnish either in strips or cut into small pieces. Once they have been rolled in sugar, they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Creamsicle Pudding

For the Vanilla Pudding:

Ingredients

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten, in a bowl set aside

1 ½ tsp butter

1 vanilla bean

Method

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in the milk.

Cook, constantly stirring over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce the heat and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Temper the egg yolk by adding a little of the hot milk into the  bowl with the egg yolk, stirring constantly so as not to cook the yolk. Pour the yolk and milk mixture back into the pan and return to medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and add in the butter and the vanilla bean and it’s seeds. Continue stirring and remove from the heat.

Cool for 10 minutes and spoon into your dessert dishes about 1/3 the way up for three layers. Cover the saucepan with the remaining pudding as well as the dessert dishes and refrigerate for one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the orange pudding.

For the Orange Pudding:

Ingredients

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg yolk, slightly beaten, in a bowl set aside

1 ½ tsp butter

¼ orange juice concentrate, defrosted

Method

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in the milk.

Cook, constantly stirring over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce the heat and cook another 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Temper the egg yolk by adding a little of the hot milk into the  bowl with the egg yolk, stirring constantly so as not to cook the yolk. Pour the yolk and milk mixture back into the pan and return to medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and add in the butter and the orange juice concentrate. Continue stirring and remove from the heat.

Cool for 10 minutes and spoon (or use a piping bag) into your dessert dishes that already have one vanilla layer. Cover the saucepan with the remaining orange pudding (you won’t need this but save it to eat alone!) as well as the dessert dishes and refrigerate for another hour.

When the orange layer is set, you can use the remaining vanilla pudding to spoon (or pipe with a pastry bag) on top of the orange layer.

To serve, top with fresh whipped cream and diced candied orange peels. You can use either the sugared or non sugared peels.

 

Enjoy!