Grapefruit Brûlée (Broiled Grapefruit Dessert)
Easy, peasy, grapefruit squeezy.
Well hello! It’s been a while, and I apologize for that. I did not cook much this fall which was VERY WEIRD but we were on an extended family trip/adventure and we were maximizing fun and minimizing kitchen time. It was good for me to have a break from being focused on cooking nutritious delicious meals every day in addition to work and life, and now I know for a fact that we can survive and even thrive when I’m not making three home cooked elaborate meals a day (I know, shocking, right?!), AND ALSO I’m so happy to be back in our kitchen and mixing it up. Sometimes it’s great to put more effort in, too—it’s been great to have that permission/reminder that it’s perfectly acceptable to have pasta or sandwiches or nachos on any given night and we will be just fine. Upon our return to a busy winter in full swing, I’m attempting to have somewhat of a balance with most things, including balance itself, and keeping some grace with it all has been so refreshing.
Which brings me to this “recipe.” It’s one of those brilliant recipes that’s not really a recipe, it’s just a genius idea that someone had once and now it’s a thing. Or at least it was when I was a kid, and I’m going to do my best to bring it back, because it’s so easy and yummy and fun and exciting. My mom used to do this every once in a while and it stood out to me as something special and fun and unique whenever we had it for dessert.
Grapefruit? With sugar? Under the broiler? For dessert? Yep, that’s it! When I remembered this dish and made it the other night, our kids were so excited to have something familiar turned upside down, and they loved watching the sugar melt through the oven door. When it had cooled off a bit, they were silent for a full five minutes while eating, delighted with the hands-on nature of eating grapefruit and the unexpected mix of sweetness and warmth that makes it special. My pics here are not the best, but I assure you it’s gorgeous and fun to deliver, and next time I might experiment with an ala mode ice cream situation just to really get wild. :). So, next time you find yourself with a few leftover citrus beauties hanging out and getting a little peaked since your last big shop, give it a try. I hope you enjoy!
Two ingredients. You call this a recipe?!
Putting sugar on fruit blows kids’ minds. And some adults too!
GRAPEFRUIT BRULEE (Broiled Grapefruit, For Dessert)
One grapefruit serves 2 people
INGREDIENTS
—one grapefruit for every two people
—2 T brown sugar per each grapefruit
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the broiler in an oven or toaster oven.
Slice each grapefruit in half across the equator to make two equal pieces. Use a small sharp knife to go around each half-section to loosen the pulp from the membrane so that they can be eaten with a spoon.
Sprinkle 1 T brown sugar across the top of each grapefruit half, spreading it across the surface evenly. Add more if you’d like.
Place grapefruit halves under broiler, a few inches from the heat source, and watch like a hawk until the sugar begins bubbling and turns golden brown and begins to caramelize.
Remove halves from the oven, place each in a bowl, and serve soon, after letting them cool just slightly as the sugar will be molten hot when they first come out.
Don’t forget to squeeze the empty half and drink the juice!
The excitement builds!!!
