Candied Orange Peels Dipped in Chocolate

Slice the the tops and bottoms off the oranges, score them from one end to the other, and then peel the oranges so that the peels come off in large strips. Slice the peels into thin strips and trim the edges if needed.

Fill a medium pot halfway full of water. Bring water to a boil and then add the orange peels. Blanch the orange peels in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the peels and repeat the blanching process a second time. Blanching the peels twice removes the bitterness. Set the orange peels aside.

In a saucepan, combine the 1 cup of water with the 1 cup of sugar and bring to a simmer. Add the peels to the simple syrup, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour. Check it every so often and give it a stir to make sure all the peels are submerged.

Once cooked, transfer the peels to a rack to cool and drain. Melt the dark chocolate either on the stovetop using a double boiler or in the microwave. If you heat it in the microwave, heat for 30 seconds at a time and stir between additional 30 second increments.

Dip each of the candied orange peels into the dark chocolate and then place them on a sheet of parchment paper. If desired, sprinkle with grated orange peel. Once the chocolate has hardened, store in an airtight container.