Chocolate Covered Orange Peels (Print Version)

Candied orange peels dipped in rich dark chocolate, a zesty-sweet treat for gifting or indulging.

# What You Need:

→ Orange Peels

01 - 3 large oranges

→ Sugar Syrup

02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup water

→ Chocolate Coating

04 - 7 oz high-quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

→ Optional Garnish

05 - 1 tsp flaky sea salt (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Wash the oranges thoroughly under running water. Using a sharp knife, score the peel from top to bottom into quarters. Gently remove the peel in sections, keeping as much of the white pith intact as possible.
02 - Slice the removed peels into uniform thin strips, approximately ¼ inch wide.
03 - Place the peel strips in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain completely. Repeat this blanching process two more times to draw out and reduce the natural bitterness from the pith.
04 - In the same saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved.
05 - Add the blanched orange peels to the sugar syrup. Simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and fully candied.
06 - Using tongs, carefully transfer the candied peels to a wire rack set over parchment paper. Allow them to air dry for at least 1 hour until the surface is tacky but no longer wet.
07 - Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water (double boiler method), stirring until smooth. Alternatively, melt in short 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals.
08 - Dip each candied orange peel strip halfway into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off. Place each piece onto a fresh sheet of parchment paper.
09 - Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt if desired. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature for about 30 minutes before handling or storing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Candying your own orange peels is surprisingly simple and makes you feel like you stumbled onto some old world secret.
  • The combination of bitter citrus, sweet syrup, and dark chocolate is genuinely hard to stop eating once you start.
02 -
  • Skip the blanching steps and your peels will taste like eating perfume straight from the bottle, which I learned the hard way once when I was feeling impatient.
  • Make sure the peels are not wet before dipping because even a drop of water can cause the chocolate to seize into a grainy mess.
03 -
  • Tempering the chocolate before dipping gives the coating a professional snap and a glossy shine that will not melt on your fingers.
  • Save the leftover orange flavored sugar syrup after candying because it makes an incredible sweetener for cocktails, tea, or drizzling over yogurt.

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