COLUMN: Add a little citrus to this year’s Christmas
Despite what you may think, cookies aren’t the only thing in season this month. Oranges are at the peak of their season during December.
Because they’re sweet, yet still good for you, freshly sliced oranges can be a welcome and refreshing relief from the sea of sugar that surrounds us this month, not to mention their bright color is a lovely addition to any Christmas table.
When you shop for Christmas oranges, look for ones that are firm and heavy for their size.
Although it’s tempting to go for the oranges with the deepest color, the real way to determine a juicy orange is by the thickness of the skin; the thinner it is, the juicier the orange will be. Also, smaller oranges tend to be sweeter than larger ones.
In these recipes, the orange flavor pairs perfectly with other delicious Christmas flavors like cinnamon, cranberries and chocolate.
Christmas Wassail
This wassail will warm you up on a cold December night and make your house smell Christmas-y. It combines oranges, cranberry juice and cinnamon and spices and couldn’t be more perfect for taking to your next holiday party.
8-10 cups water (depending on how strong you like it)
1 (12-oz.) can frozen cran-raspberry concentrate, thawed
1 (12-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 (6-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
Garnish: thin, unpeeled orange slices
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and heat on high for 3 hours, then turn temperature to low.
Remove spices with a slotted spoon (or you can use a cheese cloth). Serve garnished with orange slices.
Note: If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make this in a big pot on the stove and just heat it for 30-45 minutes on high, then keep it on a lower heat for serving.
Chocolate Orange Bread
This recipe is a gourmet, unexpected and sophisticated treat that pairs orange zest with chocolate.
It’s not the super sweet, muffin-like bread that you might imagine, it’s a lightly sweet, risen yeast bread that is perfect served warm with butter. It stands out in the crowd of sugary treats this time of year.
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finally grated orange zest*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
Lightly butter a loaf pan and set aside.
Place warm water in a small bowl and whisk in yeast.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, orange zest and cinnamon and stir until mixed. Add milk, egg and yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to form a rough dough.
Dump dough onto a lightly floured counter top and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
When dough has risen, gently punch it down and form it into a loaf. (To do this, stretch the dough into a rough rectangle, then fold the short ends until the dough is approximately the length of the pan.
Fold in the remaining long edge to form a cylinder. Place in pan, seam side down.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double, another hour.
While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. When loaf is done rising, place it in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 30-40 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch.
Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire cooling rack.
*Although you can buy orange zest in the spice section at the store, it can be very expensive and it’s so easy to make at home.
All you need is an orange and a cheese grater. Wash the orange peel and grate it on the finest side of your cheese grater. Be careful to avoid the white pith because it can be bitter.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful Christmas full of many delicious days of holiday baking and eating.
– For more holiday recipes, visit Jennelle’s blog at www.foodislikeart.blogspot.com.