Fruity glazes made easy, from orange glaze recipe to more

Depending on the jam or fruit you are using, fruity glazes tend to use less sugar as compared to other glazes, like chocolate. From a basic fruit glaze to an orange glaze recipe, turn your basic fruits and fruit jams into a glaze to perfect that professional-looking mirror sheen, or fancy drizzles on your cakes and other baked goodies. 

1. The Basic Fruit Glaze

Ingredients

• 400 gm fruit (frozen or fresh, or 400 ml fruit juice)
• 200 gm sugar
• 240 ml water
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cornflour

Instructions

1. Wash, peel, and dice the fruits as necessary to make it easier for them to cook. Add them to a large saucepan with sugar, and lemon juice. 
2. Bring to a boil on high heat and make sure to stir well, frequently, while it comes to a boil. 
3. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. The fruits will soften at some point, use a spoon to turn them into mush and release their flavors into the pan.
5. Remove the pan from heat, after 10 minutes, and strain it using a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as you can. 
6. Discard the solid bits trapped in the mesh and pour the drained liquid back into the pan. Let it bubble on low heat.
7. While the liquid further cooks, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to create a slurry and pour it back into the simmering pan of fruity juice.
8. Once the cornflour is mixed in, increase the heat to high, and keep whisking the mixture until it thickens into a glaze. This takes approximately three to five minutes.
9. Remove the glaze from the heat, pour it into a large bowl, and let it cool down. 
10. Trader the glaze into the refrigerator once it reaches room temperature until chilled. This glaze is perfect for topping cakes that aren’t on the sweeter side. 

2. Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

• 60 ml fresh orange juice
• 330 gm powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp orange zest

Instructions:

1. Wash the oranges first to remove any dirt, wax, and impurities from them. Using a fine grater, shred the orange peel. 
2. Cut the oranges into two and juice them. Then strain the juice through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the pulp and seeds. 
3. Add the powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and grated orange zest to a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
4. If the glaze seems too thick, you can add a little more orange juice, until you reach the perfect consistency. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar and whisk until incorporated.
5. Your orange glaze is ready, the perfect way to use it, is to drizzle it over baked goodies. 

3. Apricot Glaze

Ingredients:

• 100 gm apricot jam (smooth)
• 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cognac (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add apricot jam into a saucepan and heat it to make it easier to strain. Use a high-quality jam for the best results. Taste the jam to see if it needs sugar. 
2. Strain the jam through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bigger pieces of apricot in it. 
3. Add the sieved apricot jam back into the pan along with sugar, and cognac. Adjust the sugar quantity based on how tart or sweet your jam is. 
4. Cook over moderate heat for three to five minutes, until it has thickened and it’s sticky.

Note: The apricot glaze needs to stay warm while you use it as a glaze because as it cools, it will thicken and turn into the same jam you had heated. You can store this glaze in a glass jar for later and reheat and use it whenever you need it.

4. Berry Glaze

Ingredients:

• 75 gm blueberries (can use mixed berries too), fresh or frozen
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Add the blueberries, butter, lemon juice, honey, and vanilla extract into a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high flame while whisking frequently.
2. Keep cooking until the whole thing reduces, which should take about 10 minutes. Add a little more water in case it ends up reducing too much. 
3. Take off heat and pour into a a small container for easy pouring later.