Homemade Candied Orange Peel Isn't Just for Fruitcakes!

Here's another recipe from Peggy, with a sweet tease at the end...

To my mind, no food brightens an overcast climate as much as citrus. Whether it be a juicy grapefruit for breakfast or a squeeze of lemon or lime over a salad, the vivid acidity lets some light into an otherwise dark day. Of course beyond the juice, citrus fruits also have their peel to thank for adding ‘zest’ to a variety of dishes. A grating of it into a sauce, or a slip added to a drink can make the ordinary seem special.

I’m going to make a birthday cake for a friend, and I’ve been thinking about a cake that my son made me for my birthday about 20 years ago that I have never forgotten. It was a recipe in my newest issue of Saveur magazine at that time. He asked what kind of cake I wanted, so I just handed him the magazine and sure enough he made it…he was probably 18 or 19 and did not have a lot of baking experience, but did a great job. The cake was superb containing many of my favorite flavors…cheese, chocolate, and orange. It was along the lines of a Sicilian cassata, but not as dense. The sponge cake was light, the ricotta/cannoli like  filling was studded with candied orange peel and dark chocolate, and the top was covered with chocolate ganache—pure heaven!

Simmer the peels

Of course I intended to make it again sometime, but when I went back to clip the recipe, I could not find the magazine. Over the ensuing years, I thought about that cake, but never searched out the recipe until this year. The recipe actually called for candied fruit rather than orange peel, so I suppose you could use that, but trust me, the orange peel is divine. So, I had to candy the peel, because I have never found a good candied citrus peel on the market. And I’m sure it would cost more than I’d be willing to pay if I did find it.

After the peels have been scraped

It's not a difficult process; you just need to devote a bit of time to it. I usually buy organic navels, and save the peel in a baggy in the frig until I have about 6 oranges worth of peel. Then I put them in a stainless pot, cover with water, and simmer until the white is very soft and can be scraped or easily cut off the rind and discarded.  I then cut the remaining peel into small pieces and place in syrup made by bringing to a boil, 1 ½ cups sugar, ¾ cup water, and a scant ½ tsp of cream of tartar. Simmer the peel in the syrup about ½ hour or until it appears translucent.

Straining the peels

Turn up the heat to medium/medium high and boil until a candy thermometer reads about 230—a lot of the syrup will have boiled off and the peel will be glossy. Strain and cool then toss with a few tbsp of sugar.

The finished product!

I’ve also eaten strips of candied orange peel of which one half had been dipped in chocolate, so you could candy it in most any shape. And of course you can candy any kind of citrus peel I suppose. But I have an affinity for orange, especially with chocolate, and if my cake turns out I’ll show you why!