During the coldest months of the year, citrus is in the back of our minds but we should be tapping in to the fresh aromatic flavors of winter citrus. The vibrant colors and burst of flavors are what make winter citrus a true jewel this time of year. Oranges, grapefruits, lemon, limes, and kumquats are just a few of the seasonal flavors that are ripe, refreshing and perfect to add any menu.
Fresh squeezed juice and citrus syrups will brighten and sweeten any winter cocktail or mock-tail. A favorite cocktail of mine, French 75, is a classic menu item that I have modernized with a splash of grapefruit juice and sweetened with an herbal sage simple syrup. Whether you are mixing or drinking the juice fresh, sipping on winter citrus is sure to keep the cold weather blues away.
- 1 oz Gin
- 3/4 oz sage simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 3/4 oz grapefruit juice
- Champagne
- Shake the gin, sage simple syrup and grapefruit juice with ice until chilled
- Strain into a champagne glass and top with Champagne
- Garnish with a sage
- Sage Simple Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 6 sage leaves
- Combine sugar, water and sage leaves in a sauce pan and stir until sugar is dissolved
- Bring sugar and water to a boil until slightly thickened; remove from the heat
- Allow sage syrup to cool completely and strain leaves out through a fine sieve
- Store simple syrup in a air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week



- 2 small grapefruit
- 2 blood orange
- 2 navel orange
- 2 cara cara oranges
- 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tbsp mint leaves, chopped
- watercress, garnish
- Champagne Shallot Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tsp shallots, chopped
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- pinch of pepper (to taste)
- Peel all citrus, removing as much pith as possible
- Slice citrus into thin wheels, removing all seeds
- Layer the sliced citrus onto a serving platter
- Garnish the citrus with thinly sliced fennel, crumble goat cheese, chopped mint leaves and watercress
- Whisk together champagne vinegar, shallots, honey, salt and pepper
- Slowly add olive oil into vinegar mixture until fully combined
- Drizzle 4 Tbsp of dressing onto citrus salad (add more or less dressing to taste)
- Serve immediately



- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 Cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Cups Kumquats, sliced and seeds removed
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup whole milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 8” cake pan with oil or non stick spray
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter completely, but do not brown the butter
- Add brown sugar and honey to the butter and stir until fully combined
- Pour sugar mixture into the bottom of the 8” cake pan
- Arrange sliced kumquats to cover the entire bottom of the pan (it is ok to overlap)
- Prepare cake while fruit layer cools
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar
- Add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt
- Alternate flour and milk into mixing bowl and beat until fully combined (do not over mix)
- Spread cake batter over kumquats
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until baked through
- Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before flipping onto serving dish
- Enjoy!
This story was featured in The Dallas Morning News

Leave a Reply