Happy New Year everyone! Ok, I know I’m “fashionably late”. But getting into the swing of things after the holiday period (or better said after eating enough food to feed the Walton family) is a bit difficult. I’m already suffering from gym aches and pains. So I thought I’ld start 2008 with on a slightly lighter note. If you’re watching your figure, like me at the moment, you can omit the chocolate. Otherwise ideally I would serve this (slightly warmed) with a generous helping of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Spiced marinated oranges

150g sugar
150ml water
Juice of 1 orange
2 oranges
2 sticks of cinnamon
2 star anise
3 pods of green cardamom, crushed
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon
Dark chocolate shavings for decoration

Zest the two oranges. Place the zest with all the rest of the ingredients except the orange flesh and chocolate into a pot. Simmer over a gentle hint until the sugar has dissolved. Peel the skin off the orange, ensure you remove all the white skin aswell. Cut into slices (remove any pips). Combine the oranges with the sugar syrup and leave to chill overnight. Serve either with some chocolate shavings or warm gently and serve with some vanilla or chocolate ice cream.