A fresh dessert of orange and cinnamon, simple and satisfying

Does dessert get any easier than this? I love something sweet after a meal that is heavy with garlic and onion. Most of my meals are! This sweet offering with fresh orange slices is just perfect: light, sweet, and palate cleansing. And I mentioned easy, right?

Living on the edge of a large citrus-growing area, we have access to a variety of oranges for months on end. It’s easy to begin to overlook the harvest, to grow weary of it. Bounty can be that way, unless you have an arsenal of a wide variety of recipes for enjoying that harvest. This recipe is one for the arsenal!

This dish is slightly adapted from Epicurious (here), one grand place to find culinary inspiration. I added a drizzle of cream in the bottom of each serving plate because we all love the 50/50 effect. The pistachios add a nice\ color contrast as well as flavor. The toasted almonds suggested by Epicurious would be tasty as well. What about a dollop of whipped cream? Spectacular!

If you plan to serve this dessert more than once in the month, make up a large batch of the syrup and keep it refrigerated. Warm up just enough for the next dessert event and save the rest for later. You will have an almost effortless, instant dessert.

Orange flower water is available in Middle Eastern groceries, or order it online. Keep the opened bottle refrigerated and it will keep endlessly.

Cinnamon Orange Dessert Ingredients

Serves 4.

• 4 large oranges
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
• 4 tablespoons shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (optional)

Cinnamon Orange Dessert Steps

1. Peel the oranges, removing as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
2. Slice the oranges into thin rounds. This requires a good sharp knife to do the best job.
3. Spread the orange slices in a shallow bowl.
4. In a small saucepan, mix the honey and orange blossom water. Add the cinnamon stick. Place the pan over low heat and stir until the mixture begins to simmer.
5. Pour the hot syrup over your orange slices and allow them to cool.
6. Divide the orange slices among four dessert plates. Drizzle on the syrup remaining in your working dish.
7. Top with some whipped cream for a stunning dessert.
8. Sprinkle on the chopped pistachios.