Orange and caramel is a classic combination for a reason. The tart and sweet flavors bring out the best in each other.
All you need is:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- spices (in the winter,
I add anise seed, cloves, and cinnamon; you can also scrape in some
vanilla bean) - 2 firm oranges (peeled and
sliced into thin rounds) - 3 tbsps of orange
liqueur (Grand Marnier) or orange blossom water
You’ll need the caramel to be more liquid so that it coats the oranges easily, almost like a syrup.
1. Make a light caramel syrup by melting the sugar, spices and water in a saucepan. Stir well until all sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil. Take off heat before it takes on too deep of a color and still has a bit of liquidity.
2. Take out the star anise, if you used it, and stir in the liqueur/other flavorings into the caramel.
3. Pour syrup over the orange slices and serve hot or cold.
I first tried this dessert at a small Italian restaurant in London and it was a lovely finishing touch to the meal.