Add a touch of colonial life to your home or Christmas tree this year with these yummy spiced orange slices! To make your own, all you need is some large oranges, cinnamon, and a wire/metal rack (you'll also need some fishing line and a needle if you'd like to hang them). The best thing about making these is that it fills your home with a delicious smell when you bake them! I'm addicted to creating these just for the smell! lol
 
 First, slice your oranges into 1/4" slices using a very sharp knife. Place them on a stack of paper towels, then use more paper towels to blot as much of the moisture out as you can. Next, sprinkle some cinnamon on the front and back. You don't want too much, because the oranges will turn a bit brown with the drying process anyway... and too much cinnamon will make them very dark. I like mine with a bit of orange color still. Use your fingers to dissolve the cinnamon into the orange slice just by rubbing your finger over the surface.
 
 Place your orange slices on a metal rack, then place the rack into your oven at 275 degrees. (Using a wire rack helps the drying process so that the bottoms are exposed to the air instead of laying on a solid surface.) Let bake for about 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Bake an additional 2 hours or so until the centers feel a bit stiff and tacky. They will harden a bit more when cooled. If you bake them too long, they'll turn really brown (which you don't want). Keep checking on them every so often, because the smaller slices will be finished before the larger slices. Also, every time you open your oven, you let the moisture escape your oven (which is a good thing!). If they start to curl during the drying process, flip them over. I usually flip mine every half hour or so to ensure a nice flat surface.
 
 After they have been cooled, you can gather them in a bowl, use in potpourri, or make them into ornaments! For ornaments, thread your needle with fishing line or any other hanger of your choice. Thread the needle through right below the rind, but I suppose anywhere will do. Tie your fishing line or thread in a loop; and it's ready for hanging! I hung 20 or so of these on my tree this year with white lights and a cranberry garland; and it looks great!
 
 

~Kristal of Rags-n-Tags