From The American Baker; Jim Dodge
Serves 8
8 medium-size eating oranges (pref. seedless)
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
Grate 1 Tbs. of orange zest before you start peeling the oranges. Set aside.
To peel an orange: cut off the top and bottom with a sharp knife. Stand the orange on one cut end. Starting at the top, cut under the skin, following the curve of the fruit, removing a strip of peel about 1" wide. Be sure you cut off all the bitter white pith beneath the skin. Turn the orange and repeat until all the skin and pith are removed.
Cut the peeled oranges horizontally into slices about 1/2" thick. Remove seeds, if any. Arrange the slices in a bowl. Sprinkle the zest on top.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and cinnamon to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then slowly pour into the bowl of orange slices and zest (be careful not to splash the hot syrup). Let stand until completely cool.