Chocolate Orange Candy Recipes

ORANGE CHOCOLATE MELTAWAYS

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips in a bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, bring cream and orange zest to a gentle boil; immediately pour over chips. Let stand for 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Add extract. Cover and chill for 35 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. , Beat mixture for 10-15 seconds or just until it lightens in color (do not overbeat). Spoon rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cover and chill for 5 minutes. , Gently shape into balls; roll half in nuts. In a microwave; melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip remaining balls in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in the refrigerator.

CRUNCHY WHITE CHOCOLATE-ORANGE BARK

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
• Create a double boiler by putting a glass bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate and orange extract and stir until melted and smooth. Do not overheat white chocolate or it will seize.
• Remove the bowl from the pan and wipe the condensation from the bottom. Put about 2 tablespoons of the chocolate in a small bowl and tint it with the food coloring.
• Add the puffed rice and raisins to the large bowl of chocolate and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and with an offset spatula, spread it to an even thickness, about 1/4-inch. Tap the pan firmly several times on the counter to settle the chocolate. With a small spoon or fork, drizzle stripes of orange tinted chocolate over the surface of the bark.
• Refrigerate the chocolate for 1 hour to completely set before breaking it into large pieces. Serve immediately or wrap in cellophane bags tied with festive ribbon and keep on hand as a quick hostess gift!

CANDIED ORANGE

Steps:

• Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.
• Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.
• Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE PEEL

Steps:

• Making the Candied Orange Peel
• Wash the oranges and remove the peel with a sharp vegetable peeler, avoiding any white pith. Put the orange peel in a saucepan with 4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 Minutes. Drain. Repeat this process one more time.
• Put 1 cup of the sugar and 1 2/3 cups water in a clean saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the blanched orange peel to the boiling syrup, immediately remove from the heat, cover the pan, and set aside overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, drain the peel, reserving the syrup. Add 1/3 cup of the remaining sugar to the reserved syrup, bring to a boil, and return the peel to the syrup. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside overnight at room temperature. Repeat this process three more times, over three nights, adding 1/3 cup sugar each time. Once the peel is candied, let drain at room temperature for 1 day, then cut into thin slivers. (The peel can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)
• Dipping
• Temper the dark chocolate . Using a fork, dip each strip of candied orange peel in the chocolate, then lay it on an acetate sheet. Refrigerate the chocolate-dipped strips for 10 Minutes before detaching from the sheet. (Store in a cool place away from moisture for up to 1 month.)

ORANGE JELLY CANDIES

Steps:

• Butter a 9-in. square pan with 2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the pectin, baking soda and water (mixture will be foamy). In another saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring both mixtures to a boil. Cook until foam on pectin mixture thins slightly and sugar mixture comes to a full rolling boil, about 4 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture to boiling sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from the heat. Stir in orange oil and food coloring. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature for 3 hours or until set. , Sprinkle waxed paper with sugar; invert pan onto sugar. With a knife dipped in warm water, cut candy into 1-in. squares; roll in additional sugar. Place on a wire rack. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature overnight. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE STICKS

Steps:

• Boil water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, remove the peel from both oranges in four even sections and set the oranges aside for other uses. We're only concerned with the peel here.
• Cut each peel into five long slices about 1/4 inch thick. They should be about the same size as thin french fries.
• When the water and sugar mixture is boiling, add the peel and boil for 10 minutes, or until the orange peel is saturated with sugar and translucent. Strain the peels and set them aside.
• Break the chocolate bars into small pieces and melt in the microwave or carefully on the stove.
• Using a fork or toothpick, dip each orange peel piece into the melted chocolate until completely coated. Now is the time to add any additional garnishes.
• Lay chocolate orange sticks on wax paper on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 15 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Cut the oranges in half lengthwise, with the cut side down slice the oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, (you will have 1/2 of a slice of orange:DO-NOT peel),discard the ends.
• In a 10-inch saute pan combine the water and the 3 1/2 cups of sugar, stir to blend, then bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Add the orange slices, separating them, and simmer them gently for 1 hour uncovered; peroidically dunk any floating slices.
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Remove the orange slices, with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to let drain and dry for 24 hours; NOTE; I dryed them in my oven set for for baked goods, or if oven has a pilot light, this worked great if it is a damp day.
• After drying the slices, toss them in the granulated sugar and reserve them, do not stack them as they will stick together.
• While you are coating the orange slices with the sugar, have the chocolate melting slowly in the top of a double boiler over 120 degree water: Chocolate can be melted in the microwave.
• When all the chocolate is melted and creamy and registers 100 degrees on an instant themometer, remove the top section from the double boiler.
• Add the 2-ounce of chocolate and gently stir until the thermometer reads 88 degrees to 91 degree, then remove what remains of the chunk of chocolate.
• Now dip the orange slices 2/3 of the way into the chocalate; gently scrape off excess chocolate against the side of the pan.
• Place the orange slices on a sheet of wax paper to set.
• Work quickly with the slices if the chocolate becomes to thick for dipping, place it over the 120 degree water again until it reaches 88 to 91 degrees.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
• Melt chocolate chips with condensed milk in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and grated orange peel.
• Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Chill 2 hours, or until firm, and cut into squares. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.