Orangettes – Candied Orange Peel Dipped in Chocolate
Orange and dark chocolate! A show of hands – who loves this combination? For me, it ranks up there with the best of sweet culinary marriages! I do want to warn you before we get started though that this is not something you’ll want to do if you’re in any way pressed for time; or if you’re one who shuns repetitive activities, (some prefer the word boring.) Every once in a while, some of us (with a higher tolerance for things slow) like to put on some happy music and wile away some hours playing in the kitchen with food. I had a day like that recently, and this is what came of it:
If I’d had some company, we could have danced a bit and the play would have been far more enjoyable – but then there would have been a witness to the “mistakes” that would mysteriously disappear. So, you take the good with the bad. And these are good!
Orangettes – Chocolate-dipped Candied Orange Peel
This recipe can easily be halved, and for your first batch, you may be happier doing that. But once you’ve tasted them…a whole batch will do just fine. I’ve discovered that if you can draw the process out over two days, the final result will be improved. I candy the orange peel and roll in sugar the first day and let them dry overnight. The next day, it’s all about the dipping, and the cleaning up your mistakes.
Ingredients
candying the oranges:
- 6 large navel oranges (always when you’re using the peel of any fruit or vegetable, it’s far better to use organic or unsprayed produce!)
- 3 cups of sugar
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup orange juice (either store-bought or from the flesh of the oranges put through a strainer)
- for rolling:
- 1/2 up of regular granulated sugar or turbinado sugar (you decide – or choose both)
- for dipping:
- 10 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
cooking-spree 