Chocolate Dipped Orange & Lemon Peel

With Christmas presents in mind, these are fabulous gifts, if you can stick with the decision to actually give them away. Already I am thinking of alternative gifts to those I had earmarked for the chocolate dipped candied orange and lemon peel.

You need about 3 days and a strong willpower not to keep tasting as the candied peel dries out in the fridge.

I cooked the orange and lemon peel separately, keeping the lemon in a simple sugar syrup. For the orange peel, I found the exotic spices jumping out of the cupboard. Star anise, cardamon, cinnamon and cloves. It was an exotic concoction and worked very well to contribute a subtle background.

The best by-product of this exercise is the resultant syrup. I mixed the simple lemon syrup with the fragrant and spicy orange syrup and realised it is indeed God's gift to pancakes. I have had a constant batch of pancake batter in the fridge ever since! With a dusting of icing sugar I can promise you a memorable dessert.

1. Take 4 or 5 each of oranges and lemons.
2. Wash the peel and squeeze the lemon juice out. Reserve.
3. Cut the oranges in half length and then quarter, cut the flesh out and carefully scrape away the pith.
4. Slice the skin into thin strips.
5. Bring the sliced peel to the boil and then discard. Do this a total of 3 times and drain.
6. Make a syrup of one part water, 3 parts granulated sugar by heating gently to melt.
7. For the spiced syrup make a plain syrup and add 7 cloves, 6 lightly crushed cardamon pods, a stick of cinamon broken in half 3 or 4 star anise. Wrap in a muslin pouch.
8. Bring the peel to the boil and simmer for about an hour. You want the peel to be translucent.
9. Drain the peel, keeping the precious syrup.
10. Lay the peel out on a cooling rack and when cold, place in the fridge for 2 days to dry out.
11. Melt 200gms best quality dark chocolate and dip the peel and dy on baking parchment.

These will keep well in an air tight container for 2 months, although I can't imagine they would last. For Christmas presents, drop into celophane bags and tie with a beautiful ribbon.

God's gift to pancakes