When I need to de-stress, I pull out one of my Jacques Pepin books. There's something calming about Pepin's recipes. They're elegant without being pretentious and always come together perfectly. Some are quicker than others, and this one of the quickest. It's called Orange Bavarian Cream, and despite the fancy name, it's incredibly easy. The base is made with three ingredients -- melted vanilla ice cream, instant pudding mix and half & half. Whisk together in minutes and chill until serving time.
Vanilla Bavarian Cream With Orange Topping
One interesting thing about Jacques Pepin's Orange Bavarian Cream is that the cream itself isn't orange flavored. The "orange" comes from a topping of fresh orange segments and a drizzle of Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur. As you see there are no orange segments in this photo because I make it with whatever berries we have -- blueberries, in this case. The creamy vanilla base works with almost any fruit, so you can easily adapt it depending on the season or what you have on hand.
Why This Recipe Works
The shortcut combination of melted vanilla ice cream and instant pudding mix creates a silky, mousse-like Bavarian cream texture. The combo isn't fancy, but the texture and flavors are better than you'd expect for a dessert that takes less than 10 minutes to assemble. I also love that the servings are naturally light and elegant. Spoon the cream into martini glasses, bourbon glasses or small dessert cups and top generously with fruit and whipped cream.
An Easy Small Batch Version
Another great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to scale down. The full recipe makes 6 to 8 small servings, but if you want a quick dessert for two, you can make a quarter batch using:
- ¼ cup half & half
- 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix or 4 teaspoons for sugar free
- ½ cup melted premium vanilla ice cream (100 to 114 grams)
Top with berries or orange segments and finish with a splash of Grand Marnier, Cointreau or another favorite liqueur. Note: Sugar-free pudding mixes have less volume, so you only need about 4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon plus a teaspoon) for the quarter batch.
Recipe
Jacques Pepin's Orange Bavarian Creme
Ingredients
- 1 cup half & half (240 grams)
- 1 box instant pudding mix, 4 serving size (95 grams)
- 1 pint best quality vanilla ice cream, melted (100 to 114 grams)
- 1 large seedless orange or your choice of fresh berries
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Mandarin Orange Liqueur
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the half & half and instant pudding mix until smooth. Do not use cook-and-serve pudding mix.
- Whisk in the softened vanilla ice cream until fully blended and creamy.
- Divide among 6 to 8 small dessert glasses or martini glasses.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes or until set.
- Top with orange segments or fresh berries. Drizzle lightly with Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur and add whipped cream if desired.
Notes
This dessert also works beautifully with blueberries, strawberries or raspberries.
Sue K says
That is fascinating! I wouldn’t have guessed that those ingredients would yield something that turns out that good. I haven’t made it but will definitely consider it!