Orange Pinwheel Biscuits

I've made these biscuits before, recipe here, as a glazed cinnamon pinwheel biscuit.  I'm on a bit of a citrus kick right now (with reported cases of the flu everywhere, I figure I need as much Vitamin C as I can get), so I  decided to make these into a orange pinwheel biscuit. These are a delightful little breakfast biscuit; no advanced kitchen skills or exotic ingredients required.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Generously butter and have ready a muffin pan (though I used a 9 inch x 9 inch baking dish)

Make the biscuits as directed as for the cinnamon pinwheel biscuits recipe.


Then make the Orange Butter.

Orange Butter

Cream 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup sugar.
Add 1/2 cup of orange juice and 2 tablespoons grated orange peel.  Mix, but the mixture will probably look curdled.  That's okay.  The butter will melt as the biscuits are cooking.

If using the muffin pans, divide the orange butter between the 12 buttered muffin cups (otherwise just pour into your baking dish).  Arrange the sliced biscuit pieces in the muffin cups (or place 3 x 4 in your baking dish).  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  While still warm, carefully scoop the biscuits out of the muffin tin or pan, turning upside down so that you can see all that gorgeous orange butter on top.

Candied Orange Peel

I love citrus. I love citrus more than chocolate. I go weeks and months without eating anything chocolate (chocolate Easter candy lasts until Thanksgiving, gasp!), but show me something with citrus and I get all weak-kneed and weak-willed.

In this house, holiday breakfasts usually are often comprised of eggs Benedict and mimosas. I like freshly squeezed orange juice and it such a small extra effort that it's no bother to me. The nice thing is, I have the peels of half a dozen oranges just beckoning to be used, and the candied orange peel is the way I make frugal use of the entire orange.

So why has it taken me so long to discover my new favorite sweet, the candied orange peel? I cannot begin to fathom the reason, but now that I have, I am in orange heaven. If you like those jellied orange slices so often sold in drug stores, or occasionally seen in boxes of better candies, I can virtually guarantee that you will love these. The pungent, tart orange flavor is sweetened with a sugar coating, a little chewy bite that explodes with flavor. If you can boil water and make a simple syrup, you will have no problem making these delicious orange slices that look so fancy but are so easy. And what to do with the orange flavored simple syrup after you've boiled your orange peels in it, use it for sweetening tea, of course. Nothing gets wasted!

I found my recipe on the Foodnetwork, and I really like it. The entire peel is used, pith and all. In the past I peeled the orange using a vegetable peeler, but I've decided I like this method better. I prefer the thicker slices and the more assertive orange flavor. If one wanted to, these slices could be dipped in melted chocolate, a beautiful and delicious presentation. These candies last quite a while, about two months or more if tightly covered and refrigerated, but I attest to it; they don't last that long here.

Candied Orange Peel

6 thick-skinned Valencia or navel oranges
4 1/2 cups of sugar plus extra for rolling
1 1/2 cups water

Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces (preserving orange for another recipe). Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange flavor to be. Drain. Remove the orange peels from the pan.

Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minute, or until it reaches 230 to 234 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Add back the peels and simmer gently. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or sugar crystals may form. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, reserving the syrup for tea, if you wish.

Add maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 cup in a medium bowl and add the orange peels. Roll the peels about in the sugar, coating them thoroughly. Dry on a rack for several hours. Store in a tightly covered container.

Asian Orange Chicken

I found this keeper recipe on Allrecipes and as my grandmother would say, "I'll tell you what, this as some good!" If you like Orange Chicken at your local Chinese restaurant, chances are you'll really like this too. This recipe is so adaptable and flexible that most changes will work perfectly. Add vegetables (such as peppers and onions, though broccoli would have been a terrific addition), increase the heat by adding dried chili peppers instead of dried red pepper flakes), substitute pineapple juice for some of the water (I've used chicken broth in the past). Add chopsticks and enjoy!

Asian Orange Chicken

Sauce

1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (I used powdered ginger)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Vegetables, if desired, such as pepper, onions, broccoli, baby corn

Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, , cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the first nine sauce ingredients into a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let it gently boil for a couple of minutes and then remove from heat. Allow to cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the sauce has cooled, pour 1 cup (reserving remainder of marinade in separate container) over cut up chicken and allow to marinate for at least two hours. Turn chicken a couple of times while it's marinating.

In a separate bowl (or plastic, resealable bag), combine the flour, salt and pepper. Drain marinade from chicken and discard. Dredge or shake the chicken pieces in flour mixture.

In a hot pan, add the oil oil and stir fry the chicken until browned and cooked through. Remove cooked chicken to a plate and keep warm. Wipe out pan, add a little more oil and quickly stir fry any vegetables that you are using.

Add back the chicken to the vegetables and pour in reserved sauce. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and add to the mixture. If sauce is too thin for your tastes, make a little more slurry; if it's too thick, add a little more water. Allow to gently simmer a couple of minutes, stirring, to ensure that the cornstarch has reached its full thickening potential and that it's cooked.

Either serve Asian Orange Chicken on the side, or serve over rice. This is good either way. One cup of sauce is not a lot, you may want to increase the sauce ingredients (still using only 1 cup for the marinade).

Frosted Orange Rolls from the Lion House

The first time I made these orange rolls was this past Easter. Unfortunately, their presentation wasn't the best, and no amount of turning them to get their best side improved their appearance or my temperament and I decided not to post. So, this is my second attempt, and alas, my skill at rolling them them for a beautiful presentation hasn't improved, but I'm posting away.

I selected the four prettiest rolls for you; the other 14 rolls seemed to have a mind of their own, more so than these four, rising in all manner of disrespectful direction and size. Grins. Oh, well.

Regardless of their appearance, these rolls are light and fluffy and without question the single best breakfast roll I have ever made. I used two mineolas which probably yielded more orange zest than two regular sized oranges, as well as the mineola juice. The fresh citrusy flavor and aroma just filled my senses. As the rolls were baking, Ole Sweetie-Pi couldn't find enough reasons to walk through the kitchen to catch a whiff. I barely had spooned on the frosting and he was there waiting for me to offer him the first hot, gooey roll. I gladly obliged him, but I had beaten him to the first bite though. I ate one while I was frosting the rest!

These rolls take some time to put together; I spent about four hours this morning beginning with pulling out the first bowl to taking the first warm, drippy frosting, orange-filled, fragrant bite. It was totally worth the effort, and no question, this recipe is a a keeper.