Orangettes Recipe

By
Lauren Weisenthal
Lauren Weisenthal is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Lauren Weisenthal was the author of the Pie of the Week and Sweet Technique columns for Serious Eats. From 2017–2021, she ran a restaurant called The Nightingale in Vinalhaven, Maine.
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Updated August 30, 2018
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Lauren Weisenthal

Orangettes are a perfect, simple homage to the combination of orange and chocolate. This recipe is designed to create candied orange zest that is delightfully chewy on the inside, with chocolate the snaps between the teeth on the outside. Use a high-quality chocolate of no more than 61% cocoa solids; higher percentages can be difficult to use for dipping. I like to simmer a cinnamon stick in the simple syrup to impart a hit of cinnamon. It's not mandatory, but highly recommended.

This recipe requires that you temper chocolate. For help, see Liz Gutman's guide for tempering chocolate.

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Recipe Details

Orangettes Recipe

Active 2 hrs
Total 14 hrs
Serves 50 pieces

Ingredients

  • 2 oranges with thick skin (Sunkist brand are good for this)

  • 3 cups granulated sugar

  • 3 cups water

  • 1/4 cup corn syrup

  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

  • 6 ounces 61% (or lower) high-quality chocolatetempered

  • Sprinkle of sea salt (optional)

Directions

  1. Using a serrated knife, cut off the very top and bottom of the oranges, just exposing the flesh inside the pith. Then, cut wide strips of the peel from the orange, from pole to pole. Scrape any flesh from the inside of the peels using a melon ball scooper. Using a chef's knife, trim the edges of the peel pieces so they are even and rectangular. Cut the rectangles into narrow strips.

  2. Set up a bowl of ice water and set aside. Combine 3 cups water, the sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon stick in a 4 quart saucepan. Stir to combine the ingredients. Place 2 quarts of water into another 4 quart (or larger) saucepan. Set both pots over medium heat. Bring the sugar solution to a simmer and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside. Once the pot of water has reached a boil, add the orange peels and simmer for one minute. Strain out the zest, place in the ice water bath. Discard the water, rinse the pot, and add fresh water. Bring the fresh pot of water to a boil and blanch the peels a second time, for one minute. Strain out the peels, stir to add them to the pot with the syrup, and bring them to a low simmer, over low heat. Simmer the peels for one hour, stirring frequently. Remove the peels from the syrup, and spread them so they are not touching over a cooling rack. Allow them to dry overnight, turning halfway through.

  3. Place a bowl of tempered chocolate on the workstation, propped at an angle with a towel. Set up a sheet tray lined with parchment and dipping forks. Partially or fully submerge the candied peels in the chocolate, shake and wipe off the excess, and place on the parchment to set up in a cool dry place. The orangettes are best enjoyed within two weeks. Store in a cool, dry place.

Special equipment

dipping forks, parchment paper

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
25Calories
1gFat
4gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 50
Amount per serving
Calories25
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g1%
Saturated Fat 0g2%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 1mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 4g2%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 2mg0%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 13mg0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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