Cara Cara Orange Sherbet
Guys I feel like I've been neglecting something very important during this time of year. I've been blinded by sweet fragrant Meyer lemons and gorgeous blood oranges. Why has nobody told me about the Cara Cara Orange?!
I grabbed one the other day at the store just for fun. I needed an orange for a recipe-- it looked good-- and they were on sale. I did NOT expect to cut open the juiciest, sweetest, most gorgeously orangey-pink fruit. Less acidic than a naval orange, and incredibly juicy--to say it was life changing is a little dramatic, but it definitely added to my winter citrus obsession. I then promptly proceeded and bought a 5 lb bag of them at Costco, determined to make SOMETHING out of them (besides juice...and a snack).
I won't lie, there was a failure in here. I'm kind of regretting that I didn't snap a pic of it because it really fell apart. I am a lover of orange and chocolate, and so I had visions of a chocolate shortbread crust with an orange curd tart filling-- like a lemon bar, but orange and chocolate. Lots of stirring, temping, and baking later-- I ended up with a super weird dessert (that was overcooked) and tasted like....hot orange juice. It was so terrible. Into the trash it went.
Determined to put my five pound bag of Cara Cara's to good use, I decided to simplify things. I wanted something that was going to highlight the sweetness of the orange, but also satisfy my need for a dessert. Immediately (not sure why I didn't think of this earlier, probably because it's currently 34 degrees outside) sherbet popped into my head. A HUGE fan of push-up pops as a kid, orange sherbet always called to me from the freezer aisle in the store. Wrapped in Flintstones paper, I loved its creamsicle vibe. As a bonus, sherbet is painfully easy to make, and you get the satisfaction of a frozen dessert without the slightly fussier cooking that homemade ice cream requires.
I juiced enough oranges for 2 cups of the most beautiful orange juice you ever did see, and zested one of them for some added punch. At the very end I sprinkled in 4-5 drops of orange blossom water just to really kick up the orange a notch. The result was a dessert that came together in minutes, had incredibly clear, sweet orange flavor, plus a nostalgic kickback.
Cara Cara Orange Sherbet
Recipe slightly adapted from Serious Eats
Ingredients
2 cups cara cara orange juice, strained, plus the zest of one whole Cara Cara orange. (About 6-7 large oranges)
1 cup cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4-5 drops orange blossom water
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine juice, zest, cream, sugar, salt and orange blossom water. Whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved. Add to ziplock bag and place in ice bath for at least 30 minutes to chill base (Alternately, stick this in the fridge for up to one day). The colder the base=the creamier the pop.
Bust out the ice cream maker and frozen canister. Pour the base into the canister, pop in the paddle, and turn on. Spin until the sherbet is the consistency of softly whipped cream, about 10 minutes.
Pour the sherbet from the canister into a storage container or loaf pan and press a sheet of parchment on the top directly against the surface. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer for at least 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy!