Old-fashioned Orange Fritters

Orange Fritters

I recently made a hundred-year-old recipe for old-fashioned orange fritters that was delightful. These deep-fried nuggets seemed almost decadent when served with the accompanying orange sauce.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Orange Fritters — Source: General Welfare Guild Cook Book (1923, The General Welfare Guild, The Beaver County General Hospital. New Brighton, Pennsylvania)

This recipe made a lot of fritters – and not a lot of sauce. If I made the full recipe again, I’d consider doubling the sauce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Orange Fritters

Servings: about 50 fritters
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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6 small oranges or 4 large oranges

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup milk

shortening or lard

Peel oranges and separate into segments. Cut each segment into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Put flour, baking powder, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk in mixing bowl; stir until combined. Stir in the orange pieces.

Place the shortening or lard into a large skillet, and heat until hot. (There should be about 1/2 inch of melted fat. Add more if needed.) Drop heaping teaspoonsful of batter into the hot fat. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, then gently turn to brown the other side. When browned, remove from the skillet with a fork or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels, then serve with sauce.

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup finely cut orange

Put butter and powdered sugar in a saucepan; stir to combine. Stir in the egg yolks, then add the finely cut orange pieces. Put in a sauce pan, and heat using medium heat until hot and the sauce begins to thicken. If too thick, add water or orange juice to make thinner. (Note: If lots of sauce is desired for the fritters, the sauce recipe can be doubled.)

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Orange Cookies

Orange Cookies

A cookie (or two) makes a nice snack, so I decided to make a hundred-year-old recipe for Orange Cookies. The cookies had a nuanced, but zesty citrus flavor, and were lovely on a hot summer day. They would also work well in the winter on a holiday cookie tray.

Here’s the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Orange Cookies

Servings: 50 approximately cookies
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

grated rind of one 1 orange

1/4 cup orange juice

1 egg

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flours (a little more may be needed)

additional sugar (granulated)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put butter and sugar in mixing bowl; cream together. Add grated orange rind, orange juice, egg, and baking powder; mix together. Then add 2 cups flour, stir to combine. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add additional flour. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness (or thinner if a crispy cookie is desired). Cut into circles or shapes using a cookie cutter. (I cut them into 2-inch circles). Put on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle sugar on the tops of the cookies. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Orange Biscuits with Orange Filling

When browsing through hundred-year-old magazines, sometimes a recipe just jumps out at me. Orange Biscuits with Orange Filling was one of these recipes. Back then, there were few photos in magazines, but there was a picture of the biscuits. This recipe was obviously one that the magazine editors really liked, so I decided to give it a try.

This recipe did not disappoint. The Orange Biscuits with Orange Filling had just the right amount of sweetness, and a bright, sunny, citrus flavor. They are perfect with coffee or milk. The Biscuits would also be a lovely brunch pastry. This recipe is a keeper, and I feel certain that I’ll make it again.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Orange Biscuits with Orange Filling — Source: American Cookery (April, 1920)

One teaspoon of salt seemed like a lot, so I only used 1/2 teaspoon of salt when I made the recipe. I cut the slices about 3/4 inch thick because it was difficult to cut 1/2 inch slices, and that just didn’t seem quite thick enough. I also could not figure out why the filling needed to be cooked when it was then cooled – and would again become a butter and sugar spread – so I did not cook it prior to spreading on the biscuits. This worked fine.

And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Orange Biscuits with Orange Filling

Servings: approximately 15 biscuits
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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Orange Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lard, shortening, or butter

3/4 cup milk (may need to use slightly more)

orange filling (see below)

sugar

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in the lard, shortening, or butter. Add milk, and gently stir to combine using a fork. If too dry and does not cling together as a dough, add a small amount of additional milk. Place the dough on a prepared surface and roll into a square about 12″ by 12″. Spread with the Orange Filling, then roll like a jelly roll. Cut into 3/4 inch slices. If needed, gently reshape so that each slice is round. Put in a greased cake pan(s) about 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle with sugar. Put in oven, and bake about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Orange Filling

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

grated rind (zest) of 1 orange

Put butter, sugar, and orange juice in a small bowl; stir to combine. Add grated orange rind, and stir to evenly distribute throughout the butter mixture.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Coconut and Orange Dessert

Sometimes simple desserts are the best. I recently found an easy-to-make, hundred-year-old recipe for Coconut and Orange Dessert that fits the bill. It is light and refreshing, and is just right on hot summer days.

Here is the original recipe:

And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Coconut and Orange Dessert

Servings: 3-4
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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4 oranges

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Peel oranges, and remove white inner skin. Separate oranges into segments, and remove any seeds. Cut each segment into 1-inch pieces. Place orange pieces in a bowl and gently stir in most of the coconut (reserve about 2 tablespoons). Put orange and coconut mixture in serving bowl. Garnish with reserved coconut.

Orange Puffs with Orange Sauce

I recently found a delightful recipe for Orange Puffs with Orange Sauce in a hundred-year-old cookbook. The puffs are baked in a muffin pan, and are tender and moist with a hint of orange. Served with the refreshing, sunny orange sauce, this dessert is a winner.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source The Housewife’s Cook Book by Lilla Frich (1917)

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Orange Puffs with Orange Sauce

Servings: approximately 10 muffins
Time: 40
Difficulty: easy
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Orange Puffs

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl; stir to combine. Add milk, egg, and butter; and beat thoroughly. Then stir in the grated orange peel. Grease a muffin pan, then spoon batter into muffin cups. Fill each cup about 3/4ths full. Place in oven. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned and the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Serve warm with Orange Sauce.

Orange Sauce

1 orange

1 1/4 tablespoons cornstarch

dash salt

2 tablespoons water + 1 cup water

Grate orange peel (reserving 1 tablespoon for the Orange Puffs) and then juice orange; set aside.

Put the cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of water; stir until smooth. Add additional 1 cup water. Bring to a boil using medium heat while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Add orange juice and grated orange peel; bring back to a boil, then remove from heat. Serve warm.

Cook’s note: My rule of thumb for using cornstarch is 1 tablespoon cornstarch for each cup of liquid. The amount of cornstarch may need to be adjusted depending upon how much juice is gotten from the orange.