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Orangettes (candied orange peel in dark chocolate)
Strips of candied orange peel half-dipped in tempered dark chocolate
All over France, from Paris chocolatiers to village pâtisseries, orangettes arrive in the shop windows as the days shorten and are a fixture of the Christmas and New Year sweet table. Long strips of orange peel are candied until tender and translucent, then dipped in dark chocolate: chewy and bittersweet inside, with a clean snap of chocolate and a long citrus finish. Serve them with an espresso after dinner, tie them up in a box as a gift, or offer them with a cheese course. They are naturally egg-free: the sugar syrup preserves the peel and stops it going tough, and the tempered chocolate sets into a firm, glossy shell with no other help. For a vegan batch, use a dark chocolate made without milk. Chef's tip: dry the candied peel well before dipping; the common mistake is dipping wet peel, which makes the chocolate seize and turn dull.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the candied peel
- 14 oz white sugar
- 1 ¾ cups waterplus extra for blanching
- 1 oz liquid glucose (optional)keeps the syrup from crystallising
For the coating
- 7 oz dark chocolate60-70% cocoa, finely chopped
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Score the skin of 4 thick-skinned unwaxed oranges into quarters from top to bottom and peel off the quarters, keeping some of the white pith. Cut the peel into 7 mm strips. Keep the fruit for another use.
Step 2: Put the strips in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain. Repeat twice more with fresh water to remove the bitterness.
15 minStep 3: Bring 14 oz white sugar, 1 ¾ cups water and 1 oz liquid glucose to the boil in a wide pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the peel.
5 minStep 4: Simmer very gently over a low heat for 50-60 minutes, without stirring, until the peel is translucent and the syrup reaches 225°F.
55 minStep 5: Leave the peel to cool in the syrup for 20 minutes, then lift the strips onto a rack set over a tray.
20 minStep 6: Leave to dry for 1 hour, until the surface is tacky but not wet; or dry in a 122°F (fan) oven for 40 minutes.
60 minStep 7: To temper, melt two-thirds of 7 oz dark chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water to 122°F. Take it off the heat, stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until melted and keep stirring until it cools to 31-90°F.
10 minStep 8: Dip each strip three-quarters into the chocolate, let the excess drip off, and lay on baking paper.
Step 9: Leave in a cool room for 30 minutes, until the chocolate sets hard and glossy. Store in an airtight box in a cool place for up to 3 weeks.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does orangettes (candied orange peel in dark chocolate) take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 100 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of thick-skinned unwaxed oranges?
- Mandarins or clementines, same weight.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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