Fresh citrus fruits pulled straight from the tree can be celebrated in the kitchen in so many ways.

Recipes and Styling Natalie Homan | Photographs Brendan Homan

Jaffa hot chocolate with orange marshmallow and dehydrated orange
makes 2

for dehydrated orange
3-4 small oranges

for orange marshmallow
¾ cup water
6 tsp powdered gelatine
¾ cup orange juice
1 orange, zest only
2⅓ cups caster sugar
1 tbsp glucose
½ cup icing sugar, sifted
½ cup cornflour

for hot chocolate
4 tsp cornflour
5 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 cups full cream milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
50g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 nips orange liqueur (optional)
whipped cream to serve

Preheat oven to 90C. Thinly slice the oranges with a sharp knife. Place in a single layer on a baking paper lined baking tray. Bake until dehydrated (3-4 hours) turning the slices over every now and then. Allow to cool before storing in the pantry in a sealed container. Orange slices should last indefinitely if thoroughly dehydrated.

Place ½ cup water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle over gelatine and set aside to bloom. Place remaining water, orange juice and zest, sugar and glucose into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over med/high heat. Swirl to dissolve the sugar. Boil until a sugar thermometer registers 120C. Set aside for 1 minute to settle. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl containing the gelatine mixture, while whisking on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and whisk until white and tripled in volume, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a 20x20cm baking tin with clingfilm. Scrape the marshmallow into the tin and level out with a spatula. Combine the icing sugar and cornflour in a small bowl then sprinkle over the surface of the marshmallow. Allow to set overnight. Lift out of the tin and portion into squares, tossing in the icing sugar mixture to coat. Store in a well-sealed container for up to a week.

Place cornflour and cocoa into a small bowl, pour over ½ cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Place remaining milk and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Lower to a simmer and pour in cocoa mix, stirring continuously. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat, add chocolate pieces and stir until melted through. Stir through liqueur, if using.

Toast marshmallows under the oven grill or with a blow torch.

Serve hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, toasted marshmallows and a wheel of dehydrated orange.

 

This recipe first appeared in the July 2022 issue of SALIFE magazine.