Today I tried a retro recipe from the West with Martha’s take on an Orange Julius from page 347.
I haven’t had an Orange Julius since I was a kid in the 1970s. Back in those days they were hugely popular and you could find a stand on almost every corner. These days, chains like Jamba Juice have surpassed them in popularity but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Orange Julius is still around and is owned by Dairy Queen now. Creamy whole milk and orange are always a great combo as fans of Creamsicles can attest to. Back in the health craze of the 70s, the Orange Julius was considered a fattening and decadent treat. But when you compare it to today’s 900 calorie lattes (which used to be known as ‘milkshakes’ until someone figured out you could sell a lot more if you gave them fancy schmancy coffee names) the Orange Julius is healthier and lower in sugar.
Martha’s recipe calls for egg whites, but if you’re scared of raw eggs you can leave them out. I was happy that I had saved my egg whites while making her ice cream recipe that called for a lot of egg yolks! It’s always a good idea to save the part of the egg you’re not working with in an airtight container in the fridge. I’m not going to say I’m the biggest environmentalist and conservationist, but I really do hate wasting food. When I was working at restaurants I saw a lot of perfectly good food get thrown away and it made me sad when I thought about how many people in the world are going hungry. And from a practical point of view, you can always find a good way to put your extra food to use.
Martha’s Orange Julius was as frothy and creamy as I remember them being back when I was a kid. This is a nice, easy way to whip up an easy and relatively healthy treat your whole family will love.
