Clementine Cake, Bitter Orange Ice Cream Recipes

Dec. 27, 2002 -- The holidays are not over yet, but if you are over the holiday cooking, sin-sational chef Nigella Lawson has a super-fast dessert for ushering in the New Year in a delicious way.

Clementine Cake

• 4 to 5 unpeeled clementines (about 1 pound total weight) • 6 eggs • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar • 2 1/3 cups ground almonds • 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

1. Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours.

2. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.

3. Then chop everything finely — skins, pits, fruit — in the food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter and line an 8-inch spring form pan.

4. Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

5. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning.

6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it any time.

* Variation: I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges, and with lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cups and slightly anglicize it, too, by adding a glaze made of confectioners' sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.

Recipe used with permission. From How to Eat by Nigella Lawson.

Bitter Orange Ice Cream

• 3 Seville oranges or 1 eating orange and 2 limes • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream • wafers to serve (optional)

1. If using Seville oranges, grate the zest of 2 of them. Squeeze the juice of all 3 and pour into a bowl with the zest and sugar. If you're going for the sweet orange and lime option, grate the zest of the orange and one of the limes, juice them and add to the sugar as before. Stir to dissolve the sugar and add the heavy cream.

2. Whip everything until it holds soft peaks, and then turn into a shallow airtight container (of approximately 2 quarts) with a lid. Cover and freeze until firm (from 3 to 5 hours). Remove to ripen for 15 to 20 minutes (or 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator) before eating. Serve in a bowl, in cones, with wafers — however you like. Serves 6.

Recipe used with permission, from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.