Orange Creamsicle Fool

Name: Orange Creamsicle Fool
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges), reduced to 1/3 cup; Zest of 2 oranges; 3 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup sugar; Pinch salt; 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed; 1 tsp lemon juice or pinch citric acid; Whisper of orange blossom water (optional); 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold; 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste); 2 tbsp powdered sugar; 2 tbsp mascarpone; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; Zest of 1 orange, rubbed into the sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 tsp salt; Candied orange peel or thin orange slices (garnish); Extra orange zest

Orange curd folded through vanilla bean whipped cream and layered with buttery shortbread crumbles. A fool is one of those old desserts that takes almost no skill and still looks like you tried very hard.

Total time

25 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

play_circle Watch episode 278

As seen on Episode 278

The pantry

kitchen

Essentials · serves 6

1 cup fresh orange juice (about 4 oranges), reduced to 1/3 cup Zest of 2 oranges 3 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar Pinch salt 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed 1 tsp lemon juice or pinch citric acid Whisper of orange blossom water (optional) 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste) 2 tbsp powdered sugar 2 tbsp mascarpone 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar Zest of 1 orange, rubbed into the sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt Candied orange peel or thin orange slices (garnish) Extra orange zest

·

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The preparation

4 steps, about 25 minutes start to finish.

01
Shortbread: cream butter with powdered sugar and orange zest until fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix flour, cornstarch, and salt, stir in until just combined. Press into parchment-lined pan (1/2 inch thick). Bake 325F for 20-25 min until pale gold. Cool completely.
02
Orange Curd: reduce 1 cup OJ to 1/3 cup. Whisk yolks, sugar, zest, and reduced juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, to 170F. Off heat, stir in cold butter one piece at a time until glossy. Add lemon juice and orange blossom. Strain, press plastic wrap on surface, chill completely.
03
Vanilla Cream: whip cold cream with vanilla bean seeds, powdered sugar, and mascarpone to soft peaks, billowy, not stiff.
04
Build the Fool: dollop chilled curd into cream, ribbon through with big swoops (streaky, not smooth). Spoon into glasses. Top with curd swoosh, pinch of zest, candied orange. Serve with shortbread on the side.

lightbulb The chef's notes

“Reduce the orange juice all the way down to a third of a cup so the curd tastes deeply of orange, not watery. When you build the fool, ribbon the curd through the cream with just a few big swoops so it stays streaky rather than blending into one color.”

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Orange Creamsicle Fool

The preparation

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