Chico Hot Springs Flaming Orange Dessert

A creative concoction of whimsy and wildness sure to keep guests returning to your table time and again

A rustic Montana retreat awaits you in Montana. Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa welcomes visitors ready for a truly Western experience, complete with geothermic hot springs soaks, gorgeous lodging, outdoor adventures and nourishing meals. 

Seabring Davis and her husband bought the property in 2015, and they infuse the experience with care, calm and cool. Davis, author and publishing industry vet, has a new cookbook inspired by Western cooking and Chico Hot Springs. The Western Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from Montana’s Chico Hot Springs Resort features mountain cuisine sure to keep your friends and loved ones returning to your table time and again. 

The Flaming Orange, served since the late 1970s, is dramatic dessert and an original recipe from Chef Larry Edwards. It is a creative combination of whimsy and wildness; the childhood experience of a Creamsicle partnered with a fascination for fire.

The result is a pleasing concoction that elevates ice cream to new heights. When preparing this flashy dessert, it is essential that you use high-quality ice cream; Chico uses locally made Wilcoxson’s from Livingston.

INGREDIENTS

ORANGES
8 large oranges
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate

FILLING
4 cups high-quality vanilla ice cream (Wilcoxson’s is made right in Livingston, Montana)
½ ounce Grand Marnier
½ ounce Triple Sec
½ ounce vodka
½ cup sour cream
1 ounce frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

MERINGUE TOPPING
4 egg whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cups granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract

FLAMBÉ
8 ounces 151 rum

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE ORANGES

Cut the tops and bottoms from the oranges, making the top cut about a 1/4-inch slice and the bottom about a 1/2-inch slice. Save the bottom slice. Hollow out each orange by running a grapefruit spoon halfway between the skin and the pulp on the top, leaving only the rind as a kind of shell for the filling.The inside of the oranges should be clean of any pulp. Set the remaining bottom slice of rind inside the shell to act as a stopper for the filling (must also be cleaned of pulp).  Set aside.

Melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Using a small ladle, spoon melted chocolate inside orange rind; with a soup spoon smear it until all white surfaces are coated.  Repeat with each orange, then place oranges into a baking dish and freeze until chocolate has hardened (about an hour).

PREPARE THE FILLING  

Let ice cream soften slightly so that it is easy to scoop, but not runny. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. If mixing by hand, use a stiff plastic spatula.  Add remaining ingredients, then mix or stir until it is the consistency of a thick milkshake. Remove chocolate-lined oranges from the freezer and fill with the ice cream mixture, being careful not to overfill. Return oranges to freezer for about an hour.

PREPARE THE MERINGUE TOPPING  

Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar a little at a time until stiff peaks form; add almond extract. Using a pastry bag with a rosette tip, pipe domes of meringue on the frozen oranges and return them to the freezer.

TO ASSEMBLE

When ready to serve, remove oranges from freezer and let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. Warm eight heat-safe plates in a 400°F oven for about 5 minutes. Place on another cool plate for serving, then place oranges on hot plates. Pour 1  ounce of rum over the top of each orange and bring the dessert to the table. Carefully light with a match. The flambé will brown the meringue while softening the ice cream and chocolate inside. Let the flame burn out entirely before taking the first bite!