Orange Mousse

Last night, I was in the mood for a very easy dessert. I posted this recipe about 3 years ago, when maybe 2 people read this blog, so it's a new post for everyone else!

This recipe comes from this cookbook, which I bought in 1984 for $24.95, including shipping. While that's not a lot of money now, minimum wage in 1984 was about $2.65 (by comparison to about $8 now), and everything was cheaper. The book still looks pretty good, right?

Well, no, it doesn't. Curse you, Bon Appetit, for publishing such a cheaply made cookbook!
This is a great dessert. It will fool family or guests into thinking you spent a lot of time making it, if they don't hear you using the blender and come running to see why you're smashing things in the kitchen. Fair warning: Have everything measured and lined up, because your total blender time is under 2 minutes, and you won't be able to just go find the vanilla (or whatever).

ORANGE MOUSSE

2/3 cups boiling water
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Whirl on high speed for 30 seconds. Never turn off blender. Add:

1/2 cup sugar

Whirl 10 seconds. Add:

6 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate, partially thawed
2 tbsp whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups ice

Whirl about 30 seconds, until the ice is crushed and evenly distributed. It will make so much racket that the rest of the family will accuse you of taking a sledgehammer to the kitchen wall.

Pour into 6 to 8 dessert dishes. My preference is cheap cut glass stemware. Looks great, and if someone breaks a glass, so what?

This can be served immediately, or put in the refrigerator for later. Just make sure the ice is well crushed if you're saving it, so you don't end up with pockets of water in the mousse.
So, serve this for your next dinner, or even for an afternoon get-together. You'll be glad you did!