Natalie of Good Girl Style joins us each month to share incredible desserts with Big Girls, Small Kitchen readers–desserts that are entirely gluten-free, but not like obviously gluten-free. That means no specialty flours or hard-to-find ingredients, just fruit, yogurt, and honey. Want even more low-impact desserts? Check out Natalie’s Baked Apples.
It’s time for some sunshine. This citrus and honey-infused recipe is a light and bright mix of flavors, like sunshine on a platter.
The pomegranates give a nice pop of crunch and bright red color. (Don’t be intimidated by a pomegranate, just score around the middle, pop it open, and break the sections apart a little. Then turn each half over into the palm of your hand and hit the back of the fruit with a wooden spoon over a bowl. The seeds will fall into your hand and into the bowl. That’s all there is to it!) Citrus, pomegranates, and honey have so many delicious vitamins and healing properties to help you fight off cold season and keep your healthy New Year’s resolutions. Plus, this is delicious with crispy bits of caramelized sugar right on top.
This dish, while sweet enough to be dessert (obviously!), is also a worth addition to any brunch table. You might then use up extra citrus rind in candied grapefruit, and the extra juice for cocktails. The French technique of “supremeing” the fruit makes beautiful slices without the pesky membrane. Once you get the hang of the technique, you might find yourself making these fancy citrus slices for everyday eating, too. Finally, the sauce is a perfectly creamy balance to the citrus, while the honey flavor adds sweetness.
**Recipe**
Bruléed Grapefruit with Honey-Yogurt Sauce
By Natalie Wise
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large grapefruit, ruby red or gold
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1 cup vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 to 1 teaspoons vanilla (if using plain yogurt, use 1 tsp; if vanilla, use half)
2 teaspoons milk or half and half
Start by prepping the fruit: wash the grapefruit and use a knife to slice down the sides of the fruit to get the majority of the rind off. Then, using a smaller knife, trim the extra rind. Slice into the sections of fruit on each side of the separating membranes, taking out only the fruit sections, one piece at a time, working your way around the fruit. Lay the slices close together on a serving platter in rows or in a concentric circle. (If you don’t have a brulée torch, arrange the stuff on an ovenproof dish or a baking sheet.)
Next, wash the pomegranate and score around the middle. Break into two halves with your hands, then slightly “crack” open the sections of each half to loosen the seeds. With your hand over a bowl, place half a pomegranate open-side-down on your palm. Hit the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon until all of the seeds fall out. Repeat with the other half.
Gently and evenly sprinkle the sugar over the fruit on the platter. Using a brulée torch (or a few seconds under the broiler), evenly melt the sugar until it slightly caramelizes.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, honey, vanilla, and milk or half-and-half to make a smooth and silk sauce. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the bruleed grapefruit and drizzle generously with sauce. Serve immediately.
