Chocolate-Covered Orange Candied Peels

I used the peel from 5 medium oranges. Orange peel keeps perfectly in a sealed container in the refrigerator, so there's no need to eat 5 oranges all at once just to collect the peel! I cut each orange into 10 wedges, eat the oranges, and toss the peel into a container in the fridge — it'll keep just fine for about 5 days while you accumulate the amount you need.

Make the candied peels. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 2–3 strips.

Place the peels in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. To speed things up, boil a full kettle of water separately. Pour the boiling water over the peels, boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Repeat this process 2 more times. If you're worried the peel might be too bitter, you can do this up to 5 times — 3 times was enough for me.

Next, calculate how much sugar you'll need. I started with 250 g of dry peel. Here are my guidelines: for lightly sweet candied peels, use 250 g of sugar; for medium sweetness, use 300–350 g; and for a full, classic sweetness like store-bought candied peel, use 400 g. Adjust the amount of boiling water accordingly: 150 ml for 250 g of sugar, 200 ml for 300–350 g of sugar, and 250 ml for 400 g of sugar. Combine the sugar and boiling water in a bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the peels in the saucepan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated. This takes roughly 20–30 minutes depending on the heat level and the size of your pan.

Spread the candied peels out on a sheet of parchment paper and let them dry for 3–4 hours or overnight.

Prepare your toppings. I used salted pistachios, which I shelled and roughly ground in a food processor, along with ground almonds, shredded coconut, and sesame seeds. I also used small round decorative sprinkles. Feel free to use whatever you like and whatever you have in your pantry! Any nuts work great, and you can even sprinkle on some coarse salt if you enjoy that combination.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.

Dip each candied peel into the chocolate, holding it by one end, and gently scrape off the excess against the rim of the bowl — or skip that step if you love an extra-thick chocolate coating!

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with your chosen toppings. You can gently press them down with your fingers to help them stick. That said, they're delicious plain in just chocolate too. Let them sit until the chocolate sets. Top row — pistachios and sesame seeds; second row — shredded coconut and almonds; third row — colorful sprinkles.

These tender, soft chocolate-covered candied orange peels are sure to delight both kids and adults alike. So delicious!