Chilled Oranges

Chilled cinnamon sugar oranges are the kind of three-ingredient snack that takes more time to chill the fruit than to assemble. Cold orange wedges get rolled in a mix of granulated sugar and ground cinnamon, with the sugar in heavier proportion than the spice. The cold of the fruit balances the sweetness, and the cinnamon adds warmth that turns plain oranges into something slightly more grown-up than just fruit.

The trick is in the chill and the cut. Refrigerate the oranges several hours before serving — truly cold fruit makes this work, since lukewarm orange juice plus sugar just turns into syrup. Cut the oranges into wedges thick enough to handle (sixths of a peeled orange work well), so each piece can be picked up and dipped without falling apart.

This is a snack with cross-cultural roots. Variations exist in Mexico (where chile-lime is the more common dust), in Italy (orange slices with sugar and cinnamon for breakfast), and in the American South (a citrus dessert from the days before refrigeration when fresh oranges were a winter treat). The recipe note about heavier sugar than cinnamon is the right call. Cinnamon dominates fast and turns the oranges bitter if you overdo it.

Variations

• Add a pinch of chili powder and a squeeze of lime for a Mexican-style fruit cup.
• Drizzle with honey instead of sugar for a less refined version.
• Sprinkle with chopped pistachios or shredded coconut for crunch.
• Use blood oranges or cara cara oranges for a more dramatic color contrast.
• Serve over vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt for a quick dessert.