Candied Caramelized Orange Peel with Cinnamon, Cloves and Brandy
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Author Notes: I love to make these every November to get me in the mood for holiday baking. I've tried many different recipes and approaches, and this approach - while longer than most - has given me the most reliable, soft peels with a strong orange flavor without the bitterness. The ingredient amounts vary according to how many peels you're candying but I've provided some rough guidelines for this. The most important thing is that you make enough simple syrup to keep the citrus pieces mostly covered during the candying process. The candying process is a wonderful opportunity to add flavors, so feel free to use other flavors than what I chose, or amp it up with the ones that I did. Once candied, you can dip them in chocolate; add them to sweet yeast breads you might bake for the holidays; or use them as cake / tart decorations. For planning purposes, this can be a 4-day process! - TheWimpyVegetarian
Serves 15 large oranges yields about 15 cups of candied peel
- 15 Oranges, preferable thick skinned
- Water
- Salt
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups water
- 5 Cinnamon sticks
- 10 Cloves
- 1/3 cup Brandy
- Day 1: Cut the citrus fruit in half, squeeze out the juice, reserving the juice for other purposes. (Like sorbet!) Put the citrus halves in a very large, non-reactive pot or container and fill it with water, adding 1 Tablespoon salt for every quart of water. A large soup pot can work well for this or large plastic containers. Let sit overnight.
- Day 2: Drain the peels and remove all the membranes leaving the pith behind. I have found a grapefruit spoon to be very effective for this.
- Put the peels in a large non-reactive pot, cover with water, and the water to a boil. Boil the peels for a couple minutes and drain, discarding the water. Repeat this two more times always using fresh water to start with.
- Make a simple syrup with equal amounts of sugar and water. I recommend you start with 3 cups of each. If you don't need it all, you can have it available if you need to add a little more part way through the candying. Boil for 10 minutes to ensure the sugar is completely liquified and the liquid is clear. Now you're ready to start the candy the peels.
- Reduce the simple syrup to a simmer and add the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir, adding the brandy. Add the peels and cook for four hours at a low simmer.
- Test the peel by tasting it after four hours. If it still tastes raw, continue to simmer for at least another hour. To caramelize, increase the heat to a soft boil, and continue to candy the peels for 45 -60 minutes or until the syrup has turned a deep amber color. If the syrup gets too thick, add a little water to thin.
- Turn off the heat and let the peels sit in the simple syrup overnight.
- Day 3: Remove the peel from simple syup and drain on cooling racks placed over cookie sheets or newspaper until tacky to the touch. This can take anywhere from an hour to a day. I store them in the oven on racks overnight if they don't dry the first day.
- When done, either roll in sugar or leave clear. If I roll them in sugar, I keep the sugar afterwards in a special tupperware container for cooking/baking when I want to add an orange or lemon flavor to a dish that calls for sugar.
- The candied peel will keep for several months in a jar.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Holiday Confection
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Edible Gift
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6 months ago FayD
I have made this 3 times now and just have to write and thank you for submitting the recipe. It is awesome and addicting. I dip mine in chocolate and they are so GOOD! Everyone on my Christmas list is getting some of this. Thanks for sharing!
over 1 year ago gingerroot
These look and sound wonderful, ChezSuzanne!!
over 1 year ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Thanks so much gingerroot!
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Really nice recipe, I may become a convert like AJ, what would you think about making the simple syrup to cook the peel out of the orange juice thats left from squeezing the oranges? Would that work and maybe even intensify the orange flavor? I have never made them before but would like to try and this sounds great.
over 1 year ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Thanks sdebrango!! And I think that's a wonderful idea to do a simple syrup by substituting the orange juice for the water. I make these every year for holiday gifts from my kitchen and they're always a hit!
over 3 years ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I'm going to make some and use them in Lebkuchen (the German traditional cookie . . . . . I posted a recipe for a gingery variation), the next time I make a batch. I still have a huge quantity in the fridge from my marathon cookie-bake/truffle-make over the weekend. I grew up in a house with 6 kids, so the only way I know how to make cookies is in huge quantities!!! Do you use navel oranges for this? The only organic oranges I've seen have rather thin skins . . . . .
over 3 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
I use navel, or anything with a thicker skin. If they have the thin skins - almost like clementines, I would slice the top and bottom off and then make thin horizontal slices, removing the seeds, and candy the entire slice. It would make for a beautiful decorative topping for a tart or cake that could be slightly overlapped. I'll need to look at your gingery version of a Lebkuchen - it sounds great. I'm also getting ready to make some holiday sweet yeast breads - which I only indulge in this time of year - where I'll use some of these candied orange peels. I also make candied lemon peels following the exact same recipe except I put a couple vanilla beans into the simple syrup for flavoring. Have fun!
over 3 years ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Lovely . . . . . simply lovely. I've never been a big fan of candied citrus peel, but I think you may have converted me ;o) I'm definitely going to try this one. I think I'll use Drambuie . . . . . Thanks for posting this!
over 3 years ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Thanks. Truthfully, this is the only way I really like them. It's a little time consuming, I admit, but really worth it. I have friends now that put in their requests for these every year.