With no eggs or cream, this light fruity dessert is based on Portocal Peltesi, a Turkish recipe I tasted in Istanbul. You can make it with any fruit juice –lemon, tangerine, grape, pomegranate etc. You can also use the fruit ‘cream’ as filling for a pre-baked tart shell. I like to serve it with cakes, as well as with Sweet Orange and Pistachio Couscous
Photo by Anastasios Mentis from my ‘Mediterranean Hot and Spicy’
Serves 6
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 1/4 cups sugar, or more to taste
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup sweet white wine, preferably Samos
6 slices dried orange (recipes follows), to decorate
In a bowl mix the zest with the sugar and let stand for 1-2 hours at room temperature, stirring every now and then.
Pour 1 cup water over the sugar, add the cornstarch and stir to dissolve it. Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and cook stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Add orange juice and wine and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
Pour in 6 individual glasses, let cool and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Top with the dried orange slices and serve.
Dried Orange Slices
With a special citrus knife, or a good serrated knife cut one or more oranges in half, and each half in very thin slices. Spread the slices on a baking dish lined with parchment paper and place in a very low oven (about (180º F). Let the slices dry for about 3-5 hours, depending on their thickness. Let cool, and store in a bag in the freezer.
