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Thanks  to Deb at Smitten Kitchen, I’ve been dreaming about these delectable little treats for two years now.  Two years I’ve been putting off making them…seriously, what was I thinking?   Deb’s instructions couldn’t have been simpler and she gives step-by-step photos to go along with these instructions.  So this year, in an effort to do things a little different at Christmas, I decided these had to go on the list.  And after actually paying around $15/lb for them at a chocolate shop I was in a few weeks ago (I didn’t buy a whole pound!) and figured that I could make them for a heck of a lot cheaper at home.

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And you know what?  They really were just as easy to make as Deb described them to be.  The most difficult part of the process what waiting for the orange peels to cook in the simple syrup (which I by the way saved after I drained the peels off).  The peels came out of the syrup nice and soft but not too soft that they wouldn’t hold up to being dipped in chocolate and it doesn’t feel like you actually eating orange peels.  Of course the orange and chocolate combination is a delightful one and these babies are small enough just to pop in your mouth as you walk past the candy dish…once or two or maybe three times. ;) In addition to my recent chocolate biscotti, these are also going in my Christmas treat packages.

Orangettes

adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 3 large oranges
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 4oz bittersweet chocolate

Instructions:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil (not using the above 1 1/2 cups water) and blanche orange peels for a couple of minutes.  Remove the peels, rinse with cold water, and repeat. Drain well.
  2. Meanwhile, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Carefully add the peels to the saucepan. Allow to return to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Be sure to periodically check on the syrup level – you don’t want the peels to burn.
  3. After an hour, remove the peels from the syrup and let them cool on a rack.
  4. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double boiler and when peels are cool, dip them in the chocolate.  Let them dry on a piece of parchment paper set on a cookie sheet.  When all have been dipped, move them to the fridge for 20 min or so to allow the chocolate to set up.