Chocolate-Covered Candied Orange Peel Recipe
If you love the flavors of chocolate and citrus together, you don’t want to miss this recipe for chocolate candied orange peel recipe. A candied fruit recipe that works with all citrus peels it is a gem of a citrus recipe from Carla Snyder’s cookbook Sweet and Tart by Chronicle Books.
Why should you use citrus in cooking?
Citrus fruits are among the most extraordinary ingredients. Their tart, acidic juice can be used in a multitude of ways. We use them to brighten the flavors of sauces, dressings and soups. They tenderize meats. And they even make our list of the 10 Best Foods for Women.
But my favorite applications for citrus would have to be in desserts. That’s why I was thrilled when Carla offered to share the secret to her chocolate-dipped, candied citrus peel.
Choosing the best chocolate for dipping candied orange peel
Although the recipe simply calls for your choice of chocolate, there are some chocolates that are better than others for making chocolate-dipped orange peel. Couverture chocolate is generally considered the best choice for making chocolate-covered fruits.
RELATED: 10 Tips for Baking with Chocolate
Couverture chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa butter related to the other ingredients than that which is in your average chocolate bar. What does this mean for your cooking? That high ratio of cocoa butter will help the chocolate melt more smoothly, to achieve that smooth, glossy appearance of professionally made candied orange peel dipped in chocolate.
Click here to compare prices on couverture chocolate brands
Equipment you need to make candied orange
The good news about this recipe is that you probably already own all the equipment you need. In fact, you’re going to love just how easy it is to make such an impressive confection using this orange peel candy recipe!
To make candied citrus peels, you obviously need fresh citrus. (We give you the directions for making candied orange peels but you can candy any citrus peel you like.) But the only equipment you need is a good paring knife, a sturdy saucepan, a drying rack over a sheet pan, (also called a baking sheet or cookie sheet) and a second sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
To dip the candied orange slices in chocolate, you’re going to need a metal bowl that fits in your saucepan or a double boiler and additional parchment paper. That’s it!
When to serve this candied orange peel recipe
Here’s what Carla had to say when I asked her how she serves this sweet and tart snack, “Sure you can buy candied citrus peel. But it will never be as good as the stuff you can make at home. These little citrus strips make a perfect ending to a meal with shortbread cookies and strong coffee. But they are just as good diced into biscotti or as a garnish on a simple lemon cake.”
RELATED: Love baking? Check out all of our dessert recipes
Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange, Grapefruit or Lemon Peel
Ingredients
- 3 organic lemons or 2 organic oranges or 1 organic grapefruit
- 2 cups sugar divided
For the chocolate dip
- 6 oz high quality white or dark chocolate chopped into small pieces, divided
Instructions
- Spray a cooling rack with vegetable oil and place it over a sheet pan.
- Make four slits along the length of each citrus fruit from end to end, cutting through the peel but not into the flesh. Using your fingers, gently peel the skin from the fruit and reserve it for another use. Cut the peel into thin strips, about 1/4-in.
- Transfer the peel to a saucepan and cover with cold water.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Drain, cover with fresh water and repeat the process again.
- Drain and rinse the peel.
- Bring 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the drained peel to the syrup, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the peel is very tender and looks translucent, about 40 minutes.
- Scoop the peel from the syrup with a fork and transfer it to the prepared rack to catch the drips.
- Dry the peel for about 30 minutes, then dredge in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. This helps to keep the peel from sticking to each other.
- Lay it out on a parchment-lined pan and allow the peel to dry overnight.
For the chocolate dip, (Tempering your chocolate will allow it to firm up at room temperature. It will also be shinier and prettier.):
- Melt 5 oz of the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Be sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Don’t walk away from it. Just stand there and stir.
- Once the chocolate is half melted, remove the bowl from the pan of water and continue to stir it on the countertop. It will begin to cool but the chocolate will continue to melt.
- Once the chocolate is melted, continue to stir in the remaining small chunks of chocolate to cool it down. Stir gently until the chocolate is cool and no longer melts. You can fish out any unmelted chunks.
- Dip the peel halfway into the chocolate and lay it on a parchment-lined sheet pan to firm up. Once the chocolate is firm (about 1 hour) you can package it up or store it for future use.
Notes
Love the recipe? Get all the recipes in Carla’s citrus cookbook!
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