citrus Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Blood Orange Old-Fashioned Donuts

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 07:14:31 +0000

Yossy Arefi’s (from Apt 2B Baking Co.) new cookbook is out today, and I’d just like to begin by saying it’s so gorgeous. I’ve been a fan of Yossy’s work for quite some time and have been eagerly awaiting this release. The book focuses on all things fruit, and is filled with stunning photographs, unique flavor combinations, and recipes that work. ‘The recipes in this book range from simple, five-ingredient affairs to more complex and involved baking endeavors like laminated pastry dough and composed tarts. My hope is that you’ll find something that’s just your speed, and that these recipes show the wide range of desserts you can make that highlight fresh, season fruit all year.’ I’m of the opinion that you can never have too many baking books, and highly recommend adding this gem to your collection. Also, you can check out the beautiful book trailer here. Blood Orange Old Fashioned Donuts Old-fashioned donuts are humble and unassuming, craggy and cracked. But the addition of a blanket of pink blood orange glaze turns these old-fashioneds into beauty queens. If you’ve never made fried donuts before, this style is a great place to start because the dough comes together a […]

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Homemade Lemon Curd (with variations!)

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 20:04:19 +0000

I was never crazy about lemon curd until I made it for myself. It took me a few tries to get it just right, but I discovered that while I like my curd very yolky, I do prefer the addition of one whole egg. I leave out the zest for a smooth, not-too-tart curd, but you can add some to ramp up the lemon flavor. I’ve included some variations for you, too; lemon-lavender, lime, and grapefruit!

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Citrus Bundt Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 04:11:49 +0000

‘What we call the beginning is often the endAnd to make an end is to make a beginning.The end is where we start from.’ – TS Eliot, Four Quartets Somehow we’re back to blood oranges. A year ago I made doughnuts with them, and quick bread. I’m not quite sure where the time went – months have flown by, with so many changes, yet somehow it is all a blur. This citrus Bundt cake is adapted from Yossy’s beautiful book (affiliate link) Sweeter Off the Vine (the doughnuts mentioned above are found among its pages, too). I find myself taking far too many trips to the refrigerator to sneak another sliver; the sweet, tart flavors and pieces of citrus flesh scattered throughout the cake (Yossy describes them as ‘jammy pockets’) are worth any extra indulgence on my part. If you don’t have Sweeter Off the Vine, I highly recommend it. It’s a stunning collection of recipes and photographs, and everything turns out delicious. NOTE: My changes from Yossy’s cake were to use blood oranges instead of Meyer lemons in the cake. I also added 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not noted in the recipe here). I store this in the fridge because I […]

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Buttermilk Cake with Blood Orange Frosting + a book

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 13:50:34 +0000

If you follow along on my instagram account, you may have noticed I’ve been baking quite a bit since September (well, quite a bit more than usual, if that’s possible). The reason is that I have been recipe testing like a mad woman, working on my first book. I’m still pinching myself about the whole thing. I spent all middle school and junior high writing short stories, novellas, and poems in the free time I had, dreaming that maybe one day my work would make its way to book form. So while ‘cookbook’ was never in my plans (I was always working on some Nancy Drew enters Narnia with Sweet Valley High make-out scenes type book), I am so excited to have this opportunity. I still have a lot more work to do, but my cookbook will be coming out Fall 2016, and is being published by Avery in the US and Penguin in Canada. It will be a book focused on baking with a handful of favorites from this space, but will mostly contain new recipes. I will also be photographing the entire book. So, how about cake to celebrate? I’m enamored with blood oranges, and decided to top […]

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blood orange pie

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:51:00 +0000

So, I’m on this blood orange kick. I keep buying bags of them, cutting them open one by one, just to see their pretty purple pieces stare back at me. I’ve eaten so many, hoping for inspiration, something new I can make with them. And then the idea came one afternoon, as I was scrubbing purple juice off my hands: blood orange pie. I am crazy about key lime pie – could I just trade some orange juice and zest and make some sassy dessert? Yes, yes I could. And when I took my first bite, my mind immediately went to humid summer evenings, where my sister and I were tucked downstairs in the only corner of our house that was cool. There, stashed in the freezer, was a box of orange dreamsicles; our perfect summer treat. We would eat them slowly, the cold ice cream helping us momentarily forget our friend’s air conditioned homes where sleep came easy. Blood Orange Pie This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for Key Lime Pie. I tweaked it a bit – added vanilla and, of course, blood oranges. You could use regular oranges as well, if you can’t find […]

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no-churn blood orange ice cream

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:24:00 +0000

One bite of this blood orange ice cream, and my mind immediately goes to humid summer evenings when I was young. My sister, brother, and I would tuck ourselves downstairs in the only corner of our house that was cool. There, stashed in the freezer, was a box of orange Creamsicles ice cream bars, our summer treat of choice. We would eat them slowly, the cold pops helping us momentarily forget the July sun and our friends’ air-conditioned homes were sleep came easy. This no-churn ice cream is infused with blood orange juice, which is slightly more bitter than that regular oranges. But the bitter note offsets the sweetened condensed milk nicely. And no ice cream maker is needed to make! Heavy cream is simply whipped until stiff peaks appear, and combines with the sweetened condensed milk to make a delightful ice cream.

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Blood Orange Loaf Cake

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:13:00 +0000

I’m sort of obsessed with blood oranges, as you may have guessed after seeing my Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Blood Orange Icing. As I am immersed in gray winter days, the shock of bright purple segments hiding under that rusty orange peel brings light and warmth into our little home. This loaf cake is the perfect vessel for these oranges. It’s crammed full of zest, has a tender crumb, and is brushed with a blood orange glaze. The oil keeps the loaf light and moist, and the orange flavor is perfectly sweet-tart. There is some sun in this snow country after all. This recipe is adapted from my first book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book, it is a variation of the Lemon Bread on page 96. I like to use regular orange juice in the bread base, and blood orange juice in the icing so it turns a pretty pink shade, but you can mix and match as you see fit. More Blood Orange Recipes:

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flavored sugars

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:32:00 +0000

I’ve been using flavored sugars in everything. I got hooked when I started making vanilla bean sugar last spring, and started experimenting with other flavors recently. Lemon zest, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and of course, vanilla bean, are among my favorites. The little jars, stashed on my shelf, make me so happy with their tiny flecks of color. I use them a lot – sprinkled on muffins or scones, in pancakes and pie dough, even stirred into my coffee. They are perfect little holiday gifts as well – place them in tiny jars and pass them out to the neighbors. Flavored Sugars Pumpkin Pie Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cloves Place sugar and spices in the jar, seal lid and shake to combine. Lemon Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar zest of one lemon Place sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 6 or 7 times until zest is broken down into sugar. Transfer to a mason jar, seal lid. Cardamom Sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cardamom 5 cardamom pods, crushed Crush cardamom pods lightly with the back of a spoon or side […]

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Key Lime Pie Bars

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:34:00 +0000

My family is now torn between two desserts. Dessert one is classic chocolate cake; those of us with Fall and Winter birthdays always request it. But some people, those with spring and summer birthdays, beg for dessert two: key lime pie. Their hearts are not lulled by warm, dark chocolate, instead, they insist on cool, tart citrus. The first time I made a key lime pie, years ago, I didn’t think anyone would get crazy about it. It sounded refreshing: a perfect dessert for a hot summer night. I brought it to a family event and it was gobbled down in record time. A week later I was asked to make it again, and it now it has become a cult classic. I’ve traded housework and yard work for this pie. It’s a serious dessert. This version of Key Lime Pie is in bar form, with mint whipped cream. But if you want it to be classic, bake it instead in a 9 inch [23 cm] pie plate and omit the mint extract and creme de menthe from the whipped cream. More Pie Bar Recipes: Note: The lime zest and juice will lightly color the bars green, but if you want a […]

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