The Shamouti orange, a variety developed in Jaffa’s citrus groves in the late 19th century, garnered international acclaim for the local citrus industry — even today, Jaffa oranges are still well known around the globe. Nechama Rivlin, Israel’s late first lady, grew up among the citrus groves of the Sharon region, and she remained connected to those trees and their fruit throughout her life.
This Bavarian cream recipe is best served with a homemade orange peel jam, which is one of the best ways of preserving the fruit. The recipe consists of three additional elements: whipped egg whites, whipped cream, and a yolk mixture cooked over in a double boiler. The result is well worth the effort.
1 tablespoon / 10 gr powdered gelatin (1.5 packets)
1 cup / 200 grams sugar, divided
3 tablespoons / 45 ml rum
1 quart / 950 ml whipping or heavy cream (38% fat)
Pinch of salt
For serving (optional):
Grated orange zest
6 tablespoons orange jam
Preparation
Zest the peel of one orange into a medium bowl. Squeeze the juice from both oranges into the bowl with the zest.
Separate two of the eggs, reserving the third.
Place the gelatin in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons / 30 ml cool water and let rest for 10 minutes until the gelatin absorbs the water, softens, and expands.
Into the bowl with the orange juice and zest, add the cup of sugar, rum, one whole egg and the two egg yolks. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain marie or double boiler) and cook while whisking constantly, 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume, with a melted ice cream-like consistency. Add the gelatin and whisk for 2 more minutes until smooth; remove from the heat and set aside.
Whip the heavy cream with the remaining teaspoon / 4 gr of sugar in a bowl on medium-high speed until tripled in volume and the mixture holds soft peaks, 2-3 minutes.
Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a separate bowl on high speed until they’ve tripled in volume and hold firm peaks, 3-4 minutes.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture. Once evenly combined, slowly fold in the egg whites. Do not overwork the mixture, but make sure there are no small lumps of whipped cream or egg white.
Transfer into ten to twelve individual serving dishes or a single large serving dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a little grated orange zest or topped with homemade orange jam. The Bavaria cream will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
