Candied Chocolate Mandarins

By Bakepedia on November 12, 2015

Candied Chocolate Mandarins

I have a problem with these…I can’t stop eating them! Every now and then a recipe just get’s me like that and this one did it. Big time. You can find chocolate dipped citrus slices in fancy chocolate shops or you can make your own with the help of Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson. These are from their book, Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipesas is the recipe for Burnt Cinnamon-Sugar Grapefruit. She recommends a 70% bittersweet chocolate for dipping these sweet slices; we also like using one of our favorites – the acidic Valrhona Manjari. Any which way, make sure you use a high quality chocolate.

Excerpted with permission. Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipesby Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson. Published by Ten Speed Press 2015.

These chocolate-dipped treats are a sweet way to end dinner. They also make lovely gifts. Add a couple of dried chiles to the syrup to make them both spicy and sweet. The leftover syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months and used for making sorbets or as a sweetener in teas or cocktails.

Candied Chocolate Mandarins

Author: Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson

Makes: about 24 slices

Ingredients

41⁄2 cups sugar
2 cups water
6 firm, ripe mandarin oranges, sliced crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-thick pieces
1⁄2 cup sugar
10 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (preferably 70% cocoa), chopped

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine 4 cups of the sugar and the water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved completely, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add the mandarin slices, and simmer until translucent, about 20 minutes, pushing the fruit gently down with a wooden spoon to make sure the slices are submerged. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Place a wire rack over a sheet pan. Using tongs, remove the slices, shaking off any excess syrup. Place on the rack in a single layer. Let the slices dry overnight. Reserve the syrup for another use.
The next day, spread the remaining 1⁄2 cup of sugar on a small plate. Toss the dried mandarin slices with the sugar to coat evenly, then return them to the wire rack in a single layer.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over simmering water in a saucepan. Melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Dip each sugared mandarin slice halfway into the chocolate and then place on the parchment in a single layer. Leave until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour. The slices can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.