Creole Ambrosia

One of my southern grandmother's favorites, I learned it from her. It's a classic southern dish, you can use mangoes instead of oranges, for a more tropical flavor, but it won't be authentically Creole

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  oranges
• 1  fresh coconut
• 2  tablespoons  superfine sugar

Directions

1. Peel the oranges, removing all the white pith, then slice thinly, picking out seeds with the point of a knife. Do this on a plate to catch the juice.
2. Pierce the "eyes" of the coconut and pour away the liquid, then crack open the coconut with a hammer. ( I do this outside on a stone surface).
3. Peel the coconut with a sharp knife, then grate half of the flesh coarsely, either on a hand grater or on the grating blade of a blender or food processor.
4. Layer the coconut and orange slices in a glass bowl (it just looks prettier), starting and finishing with the coconut. After each orange layer, sprinkle on a little sugar and pour on some of the reserved orange juice.
5. Let the ambrosia stand for 2 hours before serving, either at room temperature or if it's hot weather in the fridge.