Candied Orange Slices Dipped In Chocolate (With Free Gift Tag)
These candied orange slices make a fantastic easy holiday food gift, and surprisingly they're very simple to make at home - and with only 4 ingredients (including water!). Soft, chewy and wonderfully zesty, you can also use these as a cake decoration, or just enjoy them as a tasty treat.
Servings: 25 slices (roughly)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oranges Small to medium (Seedless varieties are best)
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups sugar Regular white granulated sugar, or extrafine/caster sugar
- 14 ounces chocolate dark or milk, good quality
Instructions
- Wash and dry the oranges. With a small serrated knife, cut off both ends then slice the oranges into thin slices 3 to 4mm (⅛ of an inch) thick.4 oranges
- Put the water and sugar into a large, shallow pan. Heat on a medium heat and swirl around until the sugar has dissolved (around 2 minutes).3 cups water, 3 cups sugar
- Put the orange slices into the water and sugar mixture (don't overcrowd the pan, but it's OK if some are overlapping. If it's too crowded, use two pans). Bring to the boil, then simmer on a medium-low heat for around an hour, or until the white pith has turned virtually translucent. By this point the liquid will be a sticky syrup. Stir and turn over the slices every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place wire racks on top of baking sheets lined with baking/parchment paper. Using kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the orange slices from the liquid, letting any excess syrup drip off. Place them onto the wire rack(s). If some slices turn translucent before others, simply take them out earlier, leaving the others to simmer for a bit longer.
- Now let the sticky orange slices dry for around 24 hours. Cover with an upside down baking sheet to keep them clean if you like. By this point they will be drier but still sticky.
- Melt the chocolate either by melting in a medium sized microwave safe bowl or jug in the microwave in 30-second bursts (3 or 4 x 30 seconds is about right), or in a glass bowl placed over a pan of boiling water (do not let the bowl touch the water).14 ounces chocolate
- Dip the now candied orange slices into the melted chocolate until half of each slice is covered in chocolate. Lay onto baking paper/parchment paper and put in the fridge to set. When completely set, package the slices in clear food gift bags, or store in airtight containers in the pantry or refrigerator between layers of baking/parchment paper for 2-3 months.
Video
Notes
Slicing the oranges: 3-4 mm thick is about right. Don't worry if they aren't all exactly the same, but try not to make them too much thinner or thicker than this. If too thin they risk breaking in the liquid, too thick and they will take much longer to turn translucent.
If you have a mandolin, that can work well too. Some higher end food processors also have a slicing attachment.
Sprinkle over a tiny pinch of sea salt before the chocolate is dry if you like.
Storing: Keep well for up to 2 to 3 months. Store in the pantry or refrigerator in a single layer between layers of baking paper in an airtight container.
Ways to use: snacking, giving as a gift, decorating cupcakes/layer cakes, garnishing/sweetening drinks (hot and cold) and/or share plates, cheese/charcuterie boards etc., flavoring oatmeal or granola, topping chocolate bark.
Keep the syrup! After candying the oranges, you can store the leftover simple syrup in a clean sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use it to sweeten tea, to mix into cold drinks, to glaze turkey, chicken or ham, as a pancake topping, or to glaze citrus cakes. You can even give it as a gift by itself (two gifts in one!).
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.5mg
