Delightfully Bitter

Winter & oranges, like peas in a pod! Although I am not a big fan of oranges myself (you'll rarely ever see me eating or drinking them) but it just happens to be that the people around me are orange-ivors! And when I bake or cook, it's rarely for myself- I prefer sharing and giving! Especially around the holiday season!

So for this time, I made two desserts. One that's simple and a real crowd-pleaser, and the other (will post about it soon) is a bit more "sophisticated"- if I may put it that way...?

And here it is: orange-marzipan tarts, that tend to dissapear quite quickly let me warn you :-)

But these tarts require some work beforehand. And when I say work, it doesnt mean washing and slicing oranges. It means being terribly patient and waiting for a good 30 mins for the orange peels to become edible...and then waiting for them to cool down...before they can finally be used. All of that is explained in the recipe below.

Vitamin C!

Yet overall, these are easy to make and quick to bake, and definately should be eaten once out of the oven. They do have a bitter taste (which I personally like), but that can be covered up by simply adding more sugar to the recipe.

I usually associate marzipan to apple tarts, but with oranges the taste becomes even more interesting! When I had my first bite, I felt that the marzipan's almondness and texture brought in a serene edge which creates a contrast with the more vibrant sticky and bitter oranges. All of that with a gigantic puff-pastry crunch! At the very end, I also decided to sprinkle some cinammon...now wondering what it would had tasted like if I had sprinkled ginger instead...hmmm!

Anyway, here is the recipe for orange-marzipan tarts:

Ingredients:

• Puff-pastry (you can make it, or buy a ready made one)


• 3 big oranges


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 1/2 cup water


• A bar of marzipan


• Cinammon or ginger (optional)

How to make it:

1. Wash and slice oranges.


2. In a big pan, place the orange slices along with the sugar and water. Place pan on medium heat for about 30 minutes- once the orange peels become translucid and the slices become sticky. Then remove slices and place neatly on a plate. Let cool


3. Preheat oven to th7.


4. Take out puff pastry and cut into your preferred shape and place on a baking sheet & pan


5. Roll out the marzipan into your desired thickness, and place on puff pastry. Leave some empty space for the borders.


6. Arrange the orange slices on top of the marzipan.


7. Bake for about 10 mins.


8. Take out of oven. If you wish, you can sprinkle lightly with either cinammon or ginger. With or without, it's delicious either way! Eat hot and fresh to enjoy the fluffy crispy puffy pastry!

Note: if you don't like your oranges too bitter, you can add more sugar to step 2.