Candied Orange Slices

Dave and I visit a small oceanside town in Maine every few years. When we're there we visit this awesome handmade chocolate shop. It's family owned and over 100 years old. And the candy is amazing. Wonderful truffles, dipped treats and other amazing goodies. Dave loves their candied orange slices which are then dipped in dark chocolate--an fantastic combination. He's been pestering me to figure out how to make the candied oranges so we could dip them ourselves and I've been dragging my feet. But I recently got inspired to figure it out and these are so simple I can't believe I waited so long. The result is a sweet, potent orange candy. The pulp becomes sweet and gelatin-like, sort of like a gummy candy. And the orange rind ends up a little sour, but totally edible. It's chewy and offers a nice contrast in texture. Certainly not what a normal orange rind would taste like (yuck!).

Poking around the internet, I found a solid and super simple recipe from Food and Wine, by Grace Parisi. Food and Wine is a great resource for basics and how-tos, so I knew I would get the result I wanted. Use the largest skillet you have for this, and if necessary divide it up into two batches. Increase the water and sugar proportionally if you can't get all of your orange slices covered with water. I ended up using these slices as a topping is an awesome baked good I'll share later this week. But if you want to dip them in chocolate or just enjoy them plain, I'd recommend refrigerating to help the syrup set before going any further with them. And stay tuned to see how I incorporated these into an amped up version of a chocolate chip cookie.

Candied Orange Slices

Ingredients

1 large orange
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar

Wash orange and slice off ends. Slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Then slice each round in half for a half moon.

In a large skillet, bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally to incorporate the sugar. Once boiling, add orange slices in a single layer.

Continue to cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, turning from time to time. When liquid becomes a thin syrup, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, continuing to turn.

While oranges finish cooking, line a baking sheet with waxed paper then place a wire rack on top. Remove slices to wire rack and allow to cool.

Dip in chocolate or use as a garnish for baked goods. Or just eat and enjoy. To store, layer in an airtight container with waxed paper in between and refrigerate.

Makes 16-20 half moons (depending on size of orange).

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

Printer Friendly Recipe