Description
These beautiful candied oranges are dipped in dark chocolate for a delicious holiday treat. These are perfect for a DIY holiday gift, garnishing cakes, cocktails, as a snack, or for making festive tablescapes.
Ingredients
- 1 large orange, sliced into 1/8” thick slices
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Dark chocolate, for dipping
- Optional: flaky salt for topping
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prep a separate bowl with ice water and set aside.
- Slice the orange into ⅛” thick slices. A mandoline will help you keep the slices even.
- Boil the oranges slices for 2 minutes, then immediately transfer them to the ice water. Once cooled, remove from water and pat dry.
- Return the pot to the heat (heavy stainless steel works best here). Add the sugar and water to the pot over medium heat and attach a thermometer to the pot. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and bring the mixture up to about 220˚F. Add in the orange slices and stir gently, making sure they are all submerged in the syrup.
- Bring the syrup up to 250˚F, stirring occasionally. This will take longer than you think – it takes us an average of 20-30 minutes. Once they reach 250˚F, remove from heat and immediately transfer to a silicone baking mat. Parchment paper is fine too, but they may stick slightly. Let cool completely (you can speed this up by moving them to the fridge). For best results, let them dry out at room temperature overnight.
- Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip each slice in chocolate, then sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt (optional) and let set. If stored properly, they can last for a month at room temperature, or several months in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Troubleshooting: If your slices are still sticky after 24 hours, try coating them in granulated sugar. The sugar coating will help absorb excess moisture. You can also turn the oven to a very low temperature (200˚F) and place the coated slices in the oven to further dry them out. Keep an eye on them until they reach desired texture.
Use a mandoline to create even slices.
Make sure to use a candy thermometer to ensure you're hitting the right temperatures with the sugar.
Manage your sugar: In our experience, sugar can stay the same temperature for a while and then accelerate in temperature quickly. Keep an eye on your thermometer, and stir the sugar frequently.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 orange slices
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 70.3 g
- Sodium: 3.7 mg
- Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.1 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
