Buying and Making Your Own

• Orange blossom water is available to purchase at specialty food stores and online. You can also usually find this product at Middle Eastern, North African or European-style grocery stores. If you are unable to find it, you can also make your own, though the scent and flavor may be more subtle than store-bought flower water. You will need orange blossoms from the Seville orange or bitter-orange tree. Use only petals that are free from chemicals and pesticides. Rinse blossoms to remove any dirt or debris. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the blossoms to release their oil and allow the petals to rest a few hours. Place the petals in a sterile glass jar and just cover with distilled water. Place the jar in direct sun and let sit for a few weeks. You can check the petals for scent and if you find it is too weak, you can let them sit a week longer. Once they are ready, strain the liquid into a smaller clear glass jar and place in a cool, dark place or the refrigerator until you are ready to use.

Breakfast

• In France, eau de fleur d'oranger is added to flavor crepes. Mix a few drops into your batter before cooking. Scones, a quick bread usually eaten with butter and jam, can be enhanced with orange flower water, especially if served with strawberry jelly or orange marmalade. Orange blossom water can also be added to muffin mix to add a slight citrus scent and taste. You can mix a teaspoon of the water into maple syrup to add a decadent touch to your pancakes.

Cookies

• With its rich citrus scent and strong orange flavor, orange flower water adds a delightful taste to cookies. In France, it's used to flavor fine madeleines. Mix a teaspoon of orange blossom water into shortbread dough to infuse your cookies with a floral scent and orange flavor. Pavlovas, a delicate meringue cookie created in Australia, are beautifully enhanced by adding a few drops of this orange blossom distillation. Orange flower water pairs deliciously with almonds, so a few drops added to an almond cookie mix would be a tantalizing flavor combination.

Pastry and Pie

• Orange blossom water is used as an ingredient in an Arab version of baklava. This essential water is mixed into simple syrup that is poured over the nut-filled pastry to flavor and add the delectable floral scent. If you are making lemon bars, a few drops of the water can be added to the lemon curd to enhance its citrus taste. Adding orange blossom water to lemon meringue pie will also enhance its lemon flavor while adding a subtle citrus and floral scent. Also try it with coconut cream pie.

Cake and Bread

• In Mexico, orange flower water is used to flavor a festive sweet bread called Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead) which is made for Day of the Dead celebrations. A few teaspoons can be mixed into sweet breads and fruit cake to enliven the baked good. Orange pairs well with chocolate so a few drops of this water can be added to chocolate cake for a decadent variation. Pound cakes and cheesecake will go from ordinary to delectable when orange water is added. It can also be added to frosting.

Custard and Pudding

• In Italy, delicate flower water is added to fruit-topped panna cotta for a delicious taste variation. Morocco, a few drops of blossom water is added to flavor rice pudding. Adding orange water works especially well in a bread pudding that features tangy raisins and cinnamon. Rich creamy custard with caramel would be extraordinary when paired with orange flower water. Orange blossom water can also be mixed into vanilla or chocolate pudding.