Substitute for Orange Blossom Water

Orange blossom water is a by-product of distilling the flowers of the bitter (Seville) orange. It contributes perfume, not sweetness, acid or body, and recipes use it by the teaspoon. What a swap has to supply is a citrus-floral smell at roughly the same strength; the choice depends on whether that smell will be heated or added cold.

Syrups, puddings and drinks

Cold or barely warm, the aroma reads clearly, so the substitute’s character matters most. Rose water belongs to the same family of Levantine and North African sweets and drops into attar syrup, muhallebi, mouhalabieh or a Moroccan orange salad unchanged. The dish becomes a rose dessert, which is a legitimate version of most of them.

To keep a citrus direction, steep wide strips of orange peel in the hot syrup or in a little warm water. The infusion is milder than the flower water and slightly bitter if pith comes along, so trim the peel well and use half again as much.

Add any of these after the syrup leaves the heat. Its fragrance is volatile and boils away in a few minutes.

Breads, cakes and cookies

Orange blossom water flavors brioche-type doughs such as Mexican pan de muerto, Spanish roscón de reyes and French fougasse d’Aigues-Mortes. Long proofing and oven heat soften it. Here grated orange zest carries further than a delicate flower water and needs no change to the dough’s liquid. Fiori di Sicilia gives a fuller, perfumed note closer to the blossom, at a small fraction of the volume because it is a concentrate.

For glazes and buttercream, which are never cooked, zest leaves specks; Fiori di Sicilia or rose water keeps the icing smooth.

When not to substitute

Lebanese white coffee (hot water with a splash of orange blossom water) is nothing but the flower water, so there is no stand-in. Moroccan cornes de gazelle are a near case: the orange-blossom almond paste is the identity of the cookie, and a rose or zest version is a different pastry.

Vanilla and almond extract are often listed as replacements. Neither has a floral or citrus note; they just make the dessert taste of something else.

Common mistakes

• Swapping orange extract for flower water by the spoonful. Peel extract is many times stronger and tastes candied, not floral.
• Adding it to a boiling syrup. The scent evaporates, leaving plain sugar syrup.
• Leaving pith on infused peel. The white layer makes the syrup bitter.
• Assuming every bottle is equal. A recipe written for a mild brand can taste soapy with a strong one; add a little, taste, then add more.