Recipe Homemade Chocolate Orangettes
Homemade chocolate candied orange peel. Crisp dark chocolate coating over tender candied orange peel. An easy confection, perfect for gifting or enjoying with coffee.
SERVING:80 Candied Orange Peel
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INGREDIENTS
- 4 to 5 large navel orange preferably organic and unwaxed (230 g candied orange peel strips - 8 oz)
- 230 g granulated sugar
- 400 ml water
- 2 pinches salt or baking soda optional
- 300 g dark chocolate for coating
- 3 g cocoa butter Mycryo for tempering the chocolate 0.1 oz, optional. You can also use a classic tempering method
PREPARATION
Preparing the orange peels
- Wash the oranges thoroughly, then pat them dry.
- Score the peel of each orange into 3 or 4 sections, then gently remove the peels by sliding your finger underneath.
- Cut each piece of orange peel into strips about 6 to 8 cm long (2½ to 3 inches) and about ½ cm wide (¼ inch).
- Save the orange flesh to make a fruit salad or fresh juice.
Blanching the Orange Peels
- In a large saucepan, cover the orange peels with cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse. This step will be repeated twice.
- Return the peels to the saucepan after discarding the cooking water. Cover with fresh cold water, add 2 pinches of salt or baking soda, and bring back to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes once boiling, then drain and rinse.
- Return the orange peels to the saucepan one last time, cover with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes, then drain.
- Note: Adjust the blanching time so the peels become tender while still holding their shape. If the orange peel is thin, it can become too soft if over blanched.
Candying Orange Peel
- In the same saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once boiling, add the orange peels and cook for 5 minutes from the moment the boil resumes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let cool completely, preferably until the next day. You may continue the process the same day if needed. The peels will gradually absorb the syrup, becoming translucent.
- The next day, bring the syrup and orange peels back to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes from the moment the boil resumes, then turn off the heat and let cool completely. You can stop at this stage if the syrup has reduced sufficiently.
- For the third and final cooking, bring everything back to a boil, then continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the syrup is reduced and just barely coats the orange peels. Be careful not to reduce it too much, as the syrup can become overly sticky or start to caramelize. The peels should be translucent. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
- Remove the candied orange peel from the syrup and place it on a perforated baking tray. Let it drain thoroughly until the next day.
- The following day, coat the candied orange peel in chocolate.
Coating the Candied Orange Peel with Dark Chocolate
- Gently melt the dark chocolate using a double boiler or the microwave until it reaches 50°C (122°F). Remove from the heat, then let the chocolate cool down to 34°C (93°F), stirring occasionally.
- Add the cocoa butter Mycryo and mix well until completely dissolved.
- Allow the chocolate to cool further to 31 to 32°C (88 to 90°F), which is the ideal working temperature for dark chocolate.
- Tempering curve reminder with Mycryo- Dark chocolate melted to 50°C (122°F)- Mycryo added at 34°C (93°F)- Working temperature 31 to 32°C (88 to 90°F)
- You can either dip just half of each strip or fully coat the candied orange peel, depending on the finish you prefer. I like to do both.
- Dip one end of each strip into the tempered chocolate, then let the excess chocolate drip off before placing them on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- For full coating, dip the candied orange peel one piece at a time into the melted chocolate. Remove using a chocolate dipping fork, tongs, or a regular fork.
- Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl before placing the pieces on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Allow the chocolate to set and crystallize for about 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Store the candied orange peel in an airtight container or package them in bags, perfect for gifting.