Orangettes

Since the first time I had tasted an orangette a few years ago at a Belgian chocolate shop with my boyfriend I never contemplated making my own at home. That was until I stumbled upon this recipe over at Food Network. It was perfect because my boyfriend was leaving town for a few weeks and I thought I'd make him something reminiscent of one of our first dates during the summer we met. The trail of orange peels and chocolate splatters all over the kitchen ended up being worth it because my orangettes were just as good as the first ones we ate together, if not better now.

Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet, mildly citrusy, chocolaty and admittedly slightly bitter (I increased the blanching time in this recipe here because of the bitterness).
Texture: Chocolate that snaps a little on the outside with squishy, candied orange peels on the inside.

Ease: Not very simple or easy. This is probably the most complicated recipe I've featured in a while simply due to the time it takes and the laborious steps. Nothing too outrageously difficult, however.
Appearance: Mine definitely looked homemade with some messy chocolate dipping but they're still cute and intriguing. 
Pros: Taste much fresher than some store-bought orangettes. These would make a perfect unique addition to a holiday dessert table or for a lovely homemade gift.
Cons: Messy and time-consuming.
Would I make this again? Not anytime soon because this recipe is labor-intensive and time consuming. Maybe for a homemade holiday gift.

Orangettes (Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels)
Adapted from Jean Jacques Dartau via Food Network
Yield: 6 servings

• 4 large oranges
• 8 ounces water
• 8 ounces sugar
• 16 ounces dark chocolate

1. Slice the ends off of the oranges, score the peel from one end to the other, and remove the peels off the oranges. Slice the peels into thin strips and trim the edges.
2. Using a medium size pot, place the peels in boiling water and blanch them for 5 minutes. Rinse the peels, and repeat this process a second time. This is done to remove the bitterness of the peels.
3. Prepare the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a sauce pot. Bring the syrup to a simmer, place the peels in the pot, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Once the peels have cooked, remove them from the pot, and place on a rack to cool and drain.
4. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. Dip the candied orange peels in the chocolate, remove them quickly. Place chocolate covered peels on parchment paper to set. Place orangettes in fridge to set faster if desired. Store the orange peels in an airtight container.