I make this sauce with blood oranges when they’re available because I like the deep, vivid color their juice adds. One of my favorite and simplest of desserts is a platter of chilled navel and blood orange slices scribbled with this tangy-sweet sauce and sprinkled with chopped pistachios. But this sauce is also good drizzled over a neat slab of Gâteau Victoire (page 32) or a serving of Ricotta Cheesecake with Orange and Aniseed (page 55).

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 cup (250 ml)

　　1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (230 g) sugar

　　1/3 cup (80 ml) water

　　A pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice

　　3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

　　

Step 1

Spread the sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan. Pour the water over the sugar to dampen it, but don’t stir. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and add the cream of tartar or lemon juice. Continue to cook, without stirring, but swirling the pan if the sugar clumps or begins to brown unevenly. When the caramel turns dark amber in color and begins to foam a bit, remove from the heat and immediately add half of the orange juice. The caramel will bubble up vigorously, then the bubbling will subside. Stir with a heatproof utensil until any hardened bits of caramel completely dissolve. Let cool for 3 minutes, then stir in the remaining orange juice. Serve the sauce at room temperature.

　　

Storage

Step 2

This sauce can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Before preparing this recipe, see Caramelization Guidelines, page 265.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.