🍊 ORANGE-shaped dessert recipe by CEDRIC GROLET

Ingredients

• 250 ml Fresh Orange Juice (for gel and ganache)
• 150 ml Water (for gel and neutral glaze)
• 180 g Granulated Sugar (split between gel and neutral glaze)
• 2 g Agar Agar Powder (sets the orange gel quickly)
• 300 g White Chocolate (high‑quality, 45% cocoa butter)
• 200 ml Heavy Cream (for ganache, full‑fat)
• 2 sheets Gelatin Sheets (softened in cold water)
• 30 g Candied Orange Peel (adds texture to marmalade)
• 150 g Orange Pulp (fresh) (finely chopped for marmalade)
• 30 g Lemon Pulp (adds brightness to marmalade)
• 50 g Glucose Syrup (helps neutral glaze stay glossy)
• 5 g Pectin (stabilizes neutral glaze)
• 2 g Citric Acid (balances sweetness in glaze)
• 30 g Cocoa Butter (for chocolate coating, gives snap)
• Few drops Fat‑Soluble Food Coloring (orange) (optional for visual effect)

Instructions

1. Make Orange Gel

   Combine the orange juice and water in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, mix the granulated sugar with agar agar powder. Add the sugar‑agar mixture to the saucepan, whisk constantly, and bring to a boil.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: Medium heat, bring to boil

2. Cool Orange Gel

   Remove the saucepan from heat and let the orange gel cool to room temperature, then transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes).

   Time: PT10M

3. Prepare Gelatin for Ganache

   Place gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water and let them soften for 5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

4. Heat Cream and Melt Chocolate

   Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it almost boils (just before a rolling boil). Remove from heat and add the white chocolate, stirring until fully melted and smooth.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Just below boiling

5. Incorporate Gelatin and Orange Juice

   Squeeze excess water from the softened gelatin and add the sheets to the hot cream‑chocolate mixture. Blend with an immersion blender until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the remaining orange juice and mix well.

   Time: PT5M

6. Chill Ganache

   Cover the ganache and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or overnight) until firm.

   Time: PT0M

7. Prepare Citrus Marmalade

   Peel the orange and lemon, weigh the pulp (about 180 g total), and finely chop. Blend the set orange gel until smooth, then fold in the chopped citrus pulp and candied orange peel. Lightly blend with an immersion blender for a uniform texture.

   Time: PT15M

8. Freeze First Half of Marmalade

   Spoon half of the marmalade into the 4 cm semi‑sphere mold, smooth the surface, and place in the freezer for 1 hour until firm.

   Time: PT1H

9. Complete Marmalade Sphere

   Add the remaining marmalade to the frozen half, smooth, and freeze until completely solid (1–1.5 hours).

   Time: PT1H30M

10. Pipe Whipped Ganache

    Whip the chilled orange ganache until light and airy. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the ganache into a 6 cm semi‑sphere mold, filling it completely. Freeze for 2–3 hours until solid.

    Time: PT3H

11. Assemble the Sphere

    Place the frozen marmalade sphere onto the frozen ganache sphere, gently press to adhere, and return to the freezer for 4–5 hours to set the layers together.

    Time: PT5H

12. Prepare Neutral Glaze

    Mix the granulated sugar with pectin in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat water with glucose syrup until just simmering, then add the sugar‑pectin mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in citric acid, and let cool to room temperature.

    Time: PT10M

    Temperature: Bring to a boil, then cool

13. Trim and Shape Pastries

    Remove the fully frozen spheres from the molds, trim any excess with a hot knife, and shape them to resemble whole oranges.

    Time: PT10M

14. Make Chocolate Coating

    Melt the remaining white chocolate with cocoa butter over a double boiler. Add a few drops of orange‑colored fat‑soluble food coloring. Cool the mixture to 27–28 °C, then transfer to a food‑grade spray gun.

    Time: PT10M

    Temperature: 27–28°C

15. Apply Final Glazes

    Spray the chocolate coating evenly over each pastry. Immediately after, heat the neutral glaze to a boil and quickly spray a thin layer over the chocolate coating for extra shine. Return pastries to the freezer briefly to set.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: Boil for glaze, 27–28°C for chocolate

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Protein

2 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

12 g

Fiber

1 g