Spiced Orange Slices Sweet Tangy (Printable Version)

Tangy orange slices cooked in honey and warming spices, perfect chilled or garnished with nuts and mint.

# What You Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 4 large oranges

→ Syrup & Spices

02 - 5 fl oz water
03 - 2 tbsp honey
04 - 2 tbsp sugar
05 - 1 cinnamon stick
06 - 4 whole cloves
07 - 2 star anise pods
08 - 1 piece fresh ginger (approx. 0.8 inch), sliced
09 - 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tbsp chopped pistachios (optional)
11 - Fresh mint leaves (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Peel the oranges thoroughly, removing all white pith. Slice into 1/5 inch thick rounds and arrange evenly on a serving platter.
02 - In a small saucepan, combine water, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and sliced ginger. Heat over medium heat until gently simmering, stirring to dissolve sugar.
03 - Maintain simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the syrup is aromatic and slightly reduced. Remove from heat and stir in orange blossom water if using.
04 - Allow syrup to cool slightly, then strain to remove all spices.
05 - Pour the warm spiced syrup uniformly over the arranged orange slices.
06 - Cover the platter and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
07 - Before serving, sprinkle with chopped pistachios and fresh mint leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it takes just 25 minutes from start to table
  • The spices create this magical infusion that makes the oranges taste nothing like a plain fruit—they become something festive and special
  • Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly, so you can serve it confidently to anyone
  • One batch makes enough for four people, but you'll find yourself making double because guests always ask for seconds
02 -
  • Don't skip removing the white pith—I learned this the hard way when I tried to save time on my second batch, and the bitterness nearly ruined everything. The pith is where all that unpleasant bitterness lives, and it will seep into your syrup if you don't remove it completely
  • The cooling and infusion time isn't optional, even though it tests your patience. The flavors need those hours to properly marry and develop depth that you simply can't rush
  • If your oranges are small or not very juicy, increase your syrup ingredients slightly because you want enough liquid to properly coat and flavor the fruit
03 -
  • Make your syrup up to two days ahead and store it in the refrigerator—this actually gives the spices more time to infuse, and you can simply warm it gently before pouring it over freshly sliced oranges
  • The secret to restaurant-quality presentation is to let those orange slices slightly overlap as you arrange them, almost like roof tiles, and make sure every slice gets a good amount of syrup poured over it—there's no such thing as over-coating here

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