Oranges filled with Jelly

Filling emptied orange rinds with jelly was a surprising change in serving 18th and 19th century jellies.  Here are a few recipes...

Oranges filled with Jelly
This is one of the fanciful dishes which make a pretty appearance on a supper table, and are acceptable when much variety is desired. Take some very fine China oranges, and with the point of a small knife cut out from the top of each a round about the size of a shilling; then with the small end of a tea or egg spoon, empty them entirely, taking great care not to break the rinds. Throw these into cold water, and make jelly of the juice, which must be well pressed from the pulp, and strained as clear as possible. Colour one half a fine rose colour with prepared cochineal, and leave the other very pale; when it is nearly cold, drain and wipe the orange rinds, and fill them with alternate stripes, of the two jellies; when they are perfectly cold cut them in quarters,and dispose them tastefully in a dish with a few light branches of myrtle between them. Calf's feet or any other variety of jelly, or different blamanges, may be used at choice to fill the rinds: the colours, however, should contrast as much as possible.
Acton, Eliza. Modern Cookery. London: 1845

Blanc Mange - With a preserved Orange
FILL the orange with blanc-mange; when cold stick in long slips of citron, like leaves, pour blanc-mange into the dish; when cold set the orange in the middle: garnish with preserved or dried fruits.
Mason, Charlotte. The Lady's Assistant. London: 1777

Oranges filled with Orange Jelly.
Take seven well-formed oranges, of a fine grain and dark colour; then, with a root-cutter of an inch and a quarter in diameter, cut out a piece from each of them in such a manner that the place where the stalk has been may be exactly in the centre; after which you gradually empty the orange with a small coffee-spoon, taking care not to break the rind ; but if that should accidentally happen, close the aperture with a little butter. As fast as you empty your oranges, throw them in a large vessel of cold water, in order to harden and refresh the rind.
In the mean time strain the juice through a bag, adding to it the juice of two lemons, and then finish the jelly, as the former. Then put your empty oranges in a large sieve, with fine pounded ice, at two inches distance from each other ; fill them with the jelly, and as soon as you are ready to serve, replace the piece which you had cut out to empty them, and put them on a neatly folded damask napkin, with some orange, laurel, or ivy leaves, between them. You may also place them in a small basket of rose-coloured confectioner's or pastil paste, and cover the oranges with a half-round of spun sugar. [See a picture at a previous posting: SPUN SUGAR]
Careme, Marie Antonin. The Royal Parisian Pastrycook and Confectioner. [1815 French] 1834

©2011 Patricia Bixler Reber
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