Orangettes

I recently made Orangettes for the first time, and now they’re one of my favorite snacks. The best part is that they give me something to do with orange peels that would be otherwise tossed aside. Ever since my first batch of Orangettes, I’ve taken to saving my orange peels specifically for this purpose, and storing them in the freezer until I’m ready to make a large double-batch.

While the combination of chocolate and orange is often associated with the winter holiday season, I personally think these make the perfect year-round treat. I like to store mine in the refrigerator or freezer to keep the chocolate firm, which makes them nice and cool in the spring and summer months. Because of this, they’d make a thoughtful gift for indulging friends and family at any time of the year.

Orangettes
• 2-3 oranges
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• A few bars of your favorite dark chocolate.

Wash and scrub your oranges. Slice off the top (navel) and the bottom. Using a sharp or small serrated knife, gently slice the peel away from the orange in long, flat strips, leaving as much of the pith on the fruit as you can. Slice your flat strips of peel into thin, ¼” inch strips and set aside.

In a saucepan, add the peels and fill with water until the peels are covered by about an inch. Bring the water to a low boil, and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove peels, rinse in cold water, and drain.

In another saucepan, add the sugar and the water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sliced peels, and let cook for 30-45 minutes, checking frequently until the liquid is syrupy, and the peels are soft and translucent. Remove the peels from the syrup and place them on a wire rack to cool and dry off a bit.

Chop up your chocolate and melt it over a double broiler, stirring frequently. While the chocolate is melting, prepare two or three sheets (depending on how many Orangettes you’re planning to make) of wax paper on a flat, clean surface. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat, and dip the orange slices into the chocolate. You can either coat the whole slice, or you can cover only one half. Either way, once you have dipped your slices in the chocolate, remove immediately and place on the wax paper until the chocolate has set. To store, place in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to package.

Adapted from this recipe.

I packaged my Orangettes in cellophane bags that I tied with baker’s twine. I attached my personalized, Spice colored tags in the style Rococo, and kept the bags in the refrigerator until I was ready to gift them so the chocolate would stay nice and firm.

More edible gift ideas from Lindsay Jewell…

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Lindsay (114 Posts)

Lindsay is a writer/blogger from Oregon who loves crafting, cooking, gardening, and simple living. You can find her writing about all of this and more on her blog A Wooden Nest.