Sozzled Oranges with Vanilla Biscuits
Chilled sweet oranges marinated in ginger syrup and Cointreau are a decadent but light dessert treat.
The oranges are served with Vanilla Butter Biscuits for that extra bit of Easter richness.
If you have younger family members or guests who don’t drink alcohol, simply leave it out the Cointreau. You can even prepare the oranges and divide them into two bowls so you have both options.
The oranges can be made and kept in the refrigerator up to a day in advance. The biscuits will keep for 2-3 days in an air tight container.
Perfect for when you already have a busy Easter kitchen.
Method
Serves 6
Makes 30 biscuits (store the extra in an airtight container
Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 20 mins plus chilling time
Pre-heat the oven to 190c, 170c Fan, Gas Mark 5
You will need two large square baking sheets.
Begin by preparing the oranges.
On a chopping board, cut the tops and bottom off the oranges. With a sharp knife, cut away the peel and the white pith. Cut into segments on a chopping board.
Take care to remove all the pith as well as any membrane on the segments. This can be a bit fiddly but if you don’t do it, the oranges will be chewy and not very pleasant.
Place the orange segments in a bowl. You will find quite a bit of juice comes out of the oranges as you chop and peel them. Pour this through a sieve into the orange bowl.
Continue until you have peeled and chopped all the oranges.
Mix in the Cointreau, ginger syrup and lemon juice and add to the bowl. Check the flavour and adjust if necessary.
If you don’t have time to make the ginger syrup yourself, you can use the syrup from a jar of crystallised ginger.
Cover the oranges with cling film and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.
Whilst the oranges are chilling, make the biscuits.
Next, in a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until it lightens in colour and becomes fluffy. Mix in the vanilla bean paste.
Sieve in the flour mix. Mix together until combined and there are no lumps of butter but don’t overwork it. I find a wooden spoon works better than electric beaters for this stage.
Lay out your baking sheets. Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon, scoop off small balls of dough and drop on to the sheet (a teaspoon will work too if you don’t have a measuring scoop). If the dough gets stuck, then use the handle of a teaspoon to ease it out.
When you have used all the dough, gently roll the dough into balls. Space them out aiming, for fifteen per sheet. Finally, push them down gently with the back of a fork.
Place in the oven to bake for 18 - 20 minutes. You will need to turn them 180 degrees half way through and also swap shelves to ensure an even bake.
They should be light golden brown when they come out. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
When you are ready, serve the oranges straight from the fridge with the biscuits.
Ingredients
Marinated Oranges
1.5kg oranges
2 tbsp Homemade Ginger Syrup
80ml Cointreau
1 tbsp lemon juice
Vanilla Butter Biscuits
225g unsalted butter (room temperature)
100g caster sugar
275g plain flour
1tsp vanilla bean paste
