Name: Pennies from Heaven
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/2 cup juice; 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; Salt and pepper; 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Why This Recipe Works

Pennies from Heaven is a Depression era dish of orange-flavored, glazed carrots with apricots and cinnamon designed to look like newly minted pennies. It sounds promising but most recipes gave us washed out flavors, chewy bits of apricots, and sticky-sweet glazes. We found that simmering the carrots in orange juice infused them with orange flavor throughout. We then added the apricots to the simmering liquid for two reasons: They plumped in the orange juice as the carrots cooked, and they lent the final glaze a pleasant apricot flavor. Finally, we added just enough sugar to glaze the carrots but not enough to make them overly sweet.

Before You Begin

We like to use a rasp-style grater to zest citrus fruits.

Instructions

Bring carrots, orange zest and juice, apricots, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon to boil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are nearly tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove lid, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sugar and butter and cook, stirring frequently, until carrots are tender and glaze is thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.