It was also one of my daughter’s favorite snacks throughout her childhood. She ate hers generously sprinkled with sugar and loved it so much she even had her own grapefruit spoon. I recently found myself with some exceptionally large navel oranges and thought, “Why not give the oranges the same splendid treatment of a halved grapefruit?” This recipe answers that question with a “Please do it!” »
Get the recipe: Grilled oranges with cardamom
You start by cutting an orange like you would its larger, tarter cousin – in half crosswise, then around each segment to make them easy to taste and eat. Following the dinner idea, you can serve them as is, simply garnished with a cherry, as a meal starter or as part of a brunch spread.
But a few sweet flourishes take the orange halves into luscious dessert territory. Here, each half is spread with a mixture of honey and ground cardamom, then toasted until bubbly and golden. (While cardamom is ideal because it amplifies the floral essence of honey, cinnamon would work well as an alternative.)
Each of these warm, caramelized orange halves is then topped with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, an extra pinch of cardamom and a sprig of mint for an absolutely delicious dessert. Flavored by spices, sweet oranges are made juicier under the grill, and their heat and caramelized tops contrast with the refreshing mounds of ice cream.
It’s a quick and healthy dessert, inspired by nostalgia, but focused on today’s pleasure.
Get the recipe: Grilled oranges with cardamom
