Chocolate Dipped-Scorze d'Arance Candite-B&T Proofer for tempered chocolate

These are so delicious, I can't stop snacking on them.  Everyone loves these, make extra because they won't last long and save some for baking.  I also make lemon for baking and eating. 

The peels were dried in my oven, set on Bread Proof mood.  I had a large batch but, I imagine these would also dry very nicely in the B&T proofer, using a dry setting, No water would be added to your proofer and a higher setting of heat would be used for drying.

The proofer tempered my chocolate beautifully.  Once dipped into the fruit it set up nice and firm, with a nice snap and shine to the chocolate, without melting at room temperature.  The instructions for tempering chocolate are included with your proofer.  

I used Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71% Cacao Dark Bittersweet Chocolate, 2 bars.  I can purchase them at my local Trader Joes.

I made a lovely gift package to someone who requested these chocolate dipped from last years Christmas gift of plain candied orange peels.  Everyone loves these candied peels and the chocolate just makes them even more delicious.

Recipe for the Scorze d' Arance Candite - from My Calabria - Rustic Family Cooking from Italy's Undiscovered South - Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher - 

5 large navel oranges with thik peel, unsprayed  -  I used a thinner peel navel orange - organic is  must - I like leaving the pith on the peel.

4 cups (800 grams) sugar, plus more for coating

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cut the peel of each orange into strips roughly the shape of a marquise diamond, about 1 inch (2 1/2 centimeters) wide at the widest part and pointed at the tips, slicing from stem end to blossom end and cutting all the way throught the peel, but not into the juicy flesh.  Remove each strip as you cut it.  If you wish to remove more pith, do not slice into strips until you have finished boiling your peels.

Place the peels in a 4-quart stainless saucepan and add 2 quarts (2 liters) cold water.  Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes.  Drain and repeat two more times.  

After third blanching, drain the peels and return them to the pot.  Cover with cold water and let stand until cool, then drain again.

At this point you can remove some of the pith is desired.  Keep at least 1/8 inch of pith on for cushion.  At this point I sliced my peels in approximately 1/4 inch slices.

Return them to the pot, and repeat the 2- minute boiling two more times, for a total of 5 times.

Put the sugar in the 4-quart (4-liter) stainless saucepan.  Add the lemon juice and 2 cups (500 milliliters) water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady but not vigoruous boil and cook for 15 minutes to thicken the syrup.  Add the drained peels.  Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, ntil the peels look glassy and translucent, about one hour.  To test remove and cool a peel.  You should be able to almost see through it.

Remove the peels from the heat and let them cool in the syrup overnight.  They will plump in the syrup, and the syrup will thicken. (Like jam, I wouldn't advise stirring at this point.  It tends to break the syrup and it will not thicken as much.)

The next morning, set a wire rack over a cookie sheet.  I lined mine with wax paper.  Transfer each strip to the rack by hand, letting the excess syrup drip back into the saucepan.  Use your fingers to scrape excess syrup from the peels; they should not be bripping.  Let them dry on the rack until they are not longer tacky, about 24 hours.

Make a bed of sugar in a flat dish and press each strip in the sugar until evenly coated on both sides, patting the sugar into place.  Return the strips to the rack and let stand at room temperature overnight to dry further.  I used my wall oven set in bread proofer mode.

After drying.  Temper your chocolate.  Dip your candied peels.  

I place them onto parchment paper to dry.  This only takes a few minutes.  They tend not to stick to the parchment paper.  If dried on the rack they will stick.

tested photos from my IPhone 4S...worked pretty good : ) but I had to resize them in shrink photos, the only way I could figure out  how to do it.  Any suggestions are appreciated for resizing IP4S photos for TFL : )

ADDED:  Don't forget to boil and save your simple syrup.  Iced tea addition is nice, pound cake or maybe tonight I might try it on some chicken wings : )

Sylvia