Last weekend, I spent my Saturday afternoon making orange-inspired dishes and learning creative ways of incorporating this Vitamin C-rich fruit into my meals as part of the Sunkist Brand Moments Blogger Event.
It was a very fun and engaging hands-on cooking workshop. We made sangria, a baked salmon with orange salsa, and ended the session with a cook (or rather, bake) off challenge! And yes, we used Sunkist Oranges in all of them. I never knew that there were four kinds of Sunkist oranges – Cara Cara, Navel, Moro Blood, and Valencia Oranges. They vary in taste, appearance, and nutritional value. However, we only used Cara Cara and Valencia in our cooking session. I can’t wait to experiment with more!
Before the cooking session started proper, we were given the chance to make our own sangria. I don’t have the exact recipe but it was really simple! Two to three wedges of freshly squeezed Sunkist Valencia orange, some red wine, and Sprite. It was a delightful and refreshing concoction!
For the main dish, we made baked salmon and orange salsa. The dish was well complemented with an appetizer, caramelized Cara Cara orange with prawn and cream cheese. I think the dishes were quite professionally plated! *Pats self on the back*
The highlight of the day, for me, was the “Mystery Box Challenge”! We were given a box of random ingredients and told to create something out of our imagination within 45 minutes. Given the tight timeline, we had to think and work fast. I remember becoming silent for a good minute while everyone stared at me for answers since I was the only baker in the group. How stressful. Since time was of the essence, I thought we should make something that is simple yet photogenic.
Here’s a description of what we created: Tropical orange-vanilla cupcakes topped with meringue and caramelised Sunkist Cara Cara orange dipped in bittersweet chocolate. I got a glimpse of what it’s like to take part in MasterChef! I think we did well despite the time constraint. Eventually, my team was crowned the winner and we walked away with Grub dining vouchers. Well done everyone! :)
A group shot with my team!
Without further ado, here’s the recipe. Try it, it’s really simple!
Recipe for Orange-vanilla Meringue Cupcakes:
Orange-Vanilla cupcake – I don’t have the recipe for this, but you can use your favourite vanilla cupcake recipe and add in a tablespoon of orange zest.
Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually stream in the 1/2 cup sugar and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag filled with a star nozzle.
Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup cooking cream
1 tablespoon butter
Boil cream. Semi-melt chocolate in a microwave. After cream has boiled, stir it into the melted chocolate. Mix well. Lastly, add in the butter and mix well to combine. Use the chocolate immediately, before it sets!
To assemble:
While waiting for the cupcakes to cool, caramelize the sliced oranges with a kitchen torch. Be careful! Dip the oranges in the chocolate glaze. Place the dipped oranges on a sheet of parchment paper to set. After the cupcakes are cooled, pipe a dollop of meringue on each cupcake and top with the chocolate-dipped oranges. Enjoy! :)
Before I end the post, I’d like to share a vlog done by Felicia that encapsulates the experience very well.
It was a great and memorable way to spend my weekend afternoon. Special thanks to Sunkist Singapore, Edelman Singapore & Cookyn Inc for having me!
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