Mandarin Bavarian Cream

Mandarin Bavarian cream is an elegant and refined dessert that carries the aroma and flavor of citrus fruits. Here is the recipe to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 250 ml of mandarin juice (about 8-10 mandarins, depending on size and juiciness)
• 200 ml of fresh liquid cream
• 100 g of sugar
• 8 g of sheet gelatin (fish glue)
• Grated zest of 2 mandarins
• Mandarins for garnish

Preparation

1. Start by soaking the gelatin sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes to soften them.
2. In the meantime, squeeze the mandarins until you get 250 ml of juice.
3. Pour the juice into a small saucepan, add the grated zest of 2 mandarins and the sugar, and heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
4. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin sheets and add them to the warm juice. Stir well until the gelatin is completely dissolved without bringing the juice to a boil.
5. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and, in the meantime, whip the cream until it is firm.
6. When the mandarin mixture is cool but not yet starting to set, gently fold in the whipped cream with movements from the bottom to the top to avoid deflating it.
7. Pour the obtained mixture into glasses or chosen molds and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, until the bavarian cream is well set.
8. Before serving, decorate with mandarin segments or as you prefer.

Curiosity

The Bavarian cream, which owes its name to the region of Bavaria, is a spoon dessert of French origin, despite the name might be misleading. The Mandarin variant is a fresher, more citrusy version compared to the classic vanilla or chocolate ones, and it is perfect as a dessert at the end of a meal, especially after an important dinner. The Italian touch is given by the use of local ingredients: mandarins, typical citrus fruits of the Mediterranean basin and very widespread in Italy, especially in the South.