Description
Delightful homemade chocolate covered orange peels combining sweet, tangy citrus with rich dark chocolate. This recipe guides you through boiling and simmering the orange peels to reduce bitterness and infusing them with a sugar syrup before dipping in melted dark chocolate, making perfect treats for gifting or enjoying as a gourmet snack.
Ingredients
Orange Peels
- 2 oranges
- About 4 cups water (divided for boiling and rinsing)
- 1 cup sugar (250 milliliters)
- 1 cup water (250 milliliters) – for sugar syrup
Chocolate Coating
- 3 ounces dark chocolate (70% cocoa content, 90 grams)
Instructions
- Wash and Peel Oranges: Thoroughly wash the oranges under running hot water. Cut off the top and bottom ends, then make 4 or 5 vertical incisions around the orange from top to bottom, penetrating into the flesh. Carefully peel off the skins using your hands.
- Cut Peels into Strips: Slice the removed orange peels into thin strips and transfer them into a pot.
- Boil to Remove Bitterness: Cover the peels with about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain the water. Repeat the process with fresh 2 cups of water to further reduce bitterness.
- Simmer in Sugar Syrup: In a small saucepan, dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup water over medium heat. Add the blanched peels and simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until the peels turn translucent.
- Dry the Peels: Spread the simmered peels on a wire rack to let the syrup drip off and cool completely. This usually takes around 30 minutes.
- Melt the Chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate over a pot of simmering water using a double boiler method until smooth.
- Dip Peels in Chocolate: Using a fork, dip each cooled peel into the melted chocolate, ensuring an even coating. Place dipped peels on baking parchment or aluminum foil.
- Set the Chocolate: Allow the chocolate-covered peels to set completely in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving or packaging.
Notes
- Count one orange per person if you want to give this as a gift.
- These keep well in the fridge for at least a week.
- The overall cooking time excludes the chocolate setting time (~1 hour) and cooling time (~30 minutes) for the peels.
- One large orange yields approximately 30 strips of peel.
- Chocolate hardens in as little as 15 minutes but is recommended to chill for 1 hour for a firmer texture.
- For best results, read the full post for additional tips and detailed instructions.
- Optional: Sprinkle the chocolate-covered peels lightly with salt for a sweet-salty contrast.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Western
