I happened to go into the kitchen for something in the middle of working from home tonight when I had an idea … an icing-based filling consisting of mandarin oranges, cinnamon, and vanilla. I threw open the cabinets and began formulating the base. We were so successful with the lemon zest icing for the honey and lemon bee hive cake the other day, what’s stopping us from creating a whole range of flavors? Of course, the greatest thing to ever come out of the kitchen is the Cinnabon cinnamon roll recipe that took ten years to perfect. Coming up with a handful of those in a lifetime would be worth all the effort.
The mandarin orange, cinnamon, vanilla frosting or filling would need to go into some sort of chocolate cake with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, or alternatively, piped into a light vanilla cake and served with black coffee or hot tea … I’m not sure. I have no idea what I want to do with it, but there is something here … it’s good. Really good. The flavor profile is still too far on the front of the tongue, though … it needs a hit in the same space where cayenne pepper does to fill it out but I can’t quite decide what it’s missing.
I'm working on a mandarin orange, cinnamon, and vanilla icing or filling ...
Anyway, back to work. That was an interesting diversion. I’m going to figure this out in the next few days. Do I take it in a spring direction (light cake for dessert with friends dining alfresco?) or an autumn direction (like spiced mulled cider, rich and complex) … that is what I need to settle.
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Reader Comments (2)
Comments are presented chronologically, with replies indented beneath the comments to which they respond.
KansasKate
March 2, 2012
A couple of thoughts...
You don't say which type of Mandarin orange you're using, but in most cases the peak season is during Winter. If you incorporate your new creation into your late winter (Jan & Feb) repertoire of recipes, oranges like clementines and tangerines will be at their peak.
If you're not using it already, you might want to try the "Extra Fancy" Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's, which you can buy online or at their OP store on Santa Fe Dr, just a few doors down from The Tasteful Olive. As it says on their website: "It is so strong, that in most recipes it should be cut back by about a third, but it is perfect used full strength in any recipe where cinnamon is the main, delicious flavor." It really does make a difference.
Last year we went through a pantry upgrade. Living in a small town in a poor, rural county means that local choices for groceries are limited. Spontaneity ("lack of planning" is such an ugly phrase) caused many last-minute trips to the supermarket, and we found ourselves with a spice rack full of mediocrity. Though there are still a few replacements to be found, for the most part the situation has been remedied, thanks to regular trips to the city for provisions and also to a small local shop that now carries a few things like Nielsen-Massey vanilla and La Dalia paprika. Herbs and spices are not the place to scrimp, especially since they are used in such small quantities that the cost-per-serving difference is usually negligible.
Joshua Kennon
March 7, 2012
Replying to KansasKate
Great notes, Kate! Thank you, especially the tip about the cinnamon. I am definitely going to buy some of that to try in the kitchen. Tonight, we unboxed a new Panini maker and were trying different combinations of dressings, onions, and cheese.
P.S. I think you missed your calling as a writer of classic one-liners for sitcoms. The past few messages or posts I've seen from you are great; e.g., Spontaneity ("lack of planning is such an ugly phrase"), the industrial revolution quip, the open-minded prick line ... maybe you should script for television, or at least a YouTube channel. There are folks who make seven-figures a year doing it. You're just as good.