Tag: orange

Old-fashioned Coconut and Orange Dessert

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:

coconut and orange dessert image and recie
Source: Sunkist Orange Advertisement, Ladies Home Journal (June, 1919)

And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Coconut and Orange Dessert

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

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.