JC, my son-in-law, proudly displays one of my favorite bits of decadence–Chocolate Covered Orange Rinds that he made.

If you have an orange and some good chocolate, (chips will do), you have the makings of a treat that would rival the convections of a French chocolatier.

Family and friends who know my fondness for these orange delicacies often bring them to me as a treat. (My favorites come from The Fountain, which is too far downtown for me to get there very often. Which maybe just as well.)

A Candy Maker in the Family

Orange rinds drying after a syrupy bath.

Imagine my surprise when Robin told me that JC had made a huge batch of chocolate-covered rinds. Amazing! Not only does he fix my malfunctioning kitchen appliances, troubleshoot any computer or television issues, and diagnose various sounds in my car, now he makes this astounding candy treat. What a treasure!

For best results, use a superb dark chocolate, such as Valrhona bittersweet.

Tips

The recipe for Chocolate-Covered Orange Rinds is easy. The hardest part is waiting for the rinds to dry out before they can be dipped and devoured.

Robin joins in the second batch of candy making.

You can get 20-30 strips out of each orange, so several pieces of fruit can make enough for you and a few gifts. Use organic oranges, if possible, to avoid sprayed on chemicals. If using regular oranges, scrub thoroughly.

This baguette baking pan made a perfect place to dry the rinds

To remove the bitterness from the peel, the pieces are boiled for 5 minutes, twice, before being bathed in a simple syrup of water and sugar.

You can sub lemon, grapefruit, tangerine or lime peels for the oranges. 

Drying

A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes is a nice touch.

I didn’t eat all of these—well, at least, not all at once.