It may be a bit strange but the first time I had these traditional Italian chocolate dipped dried oranges and figs was in Sydney, Australia. I probably passed over these several times before in Italy without realizing it, as I am a bit of a purist when it comes to chocolate. I like pure dark chocolate without flavourings and am in constant search of chocolate which breaks perfectly. If there must be flavourings, I prefer the crunch of nuts or the gooeyness of caramel. I had not expected to completely adore these, probably because they looked too “healthy”. They brought back disappointing childhood memories of the dried banana chips we used to get as dessert on camping trips.

My friend Adriana introduced me to these sweets in a florist shop. The brand was “I Migliori”, meaning “the best” in Italian. I initially mistook them for potpourri. When I realised they were in fact food, it reminded me of the Friend’s episode where Joey eats the potpourri.

The first thing you will notice about candied oranges is that they are beautiful. The oranges are cut in half moons and the candied segments look like edible stained glass. They are delicious candied and dried without decadently dipping them in chocolate. Most frequently these are made as just strips of orange zest dipped in chocolate and are called “orangettes”. Pierre Marcolini, a famous Belgian chocolatier, takes it a step further and dips entire segments of tangerines in chocolate. As a child, every Christmas I used to get a Terry’s chocolate orange in my stocking. As an adult, I would much prefer to discover orangettes at the bottom of the toe.

When I tried the dried figs dipped in chocolate, I found a surprisingly familiar crunch. The figs were stuffed with almonds before they were dipped in chocolate. A bit of the candied oranges cuts the sweetness of the figs for a perfect mouthful. Naked, without the chocolate, they are traditional dessert in Calabria.

My sons love dipping the oranges and figs into the chocolate, so these recipes are not only a good family activity but are a good present “from the children”. (Keep strict supervision over children when dealing with hot ingredients.)

I make a huge batch when I make these, placing them in beautiful bags and boxes tied with ribbon and give them as gifts or place them in Christmas stockings. Unlike Christmas biscuits and cake, they are dairy and gluten-free so can be given to everyone. When guests come over, I serve them with coffee and tea at the end of a meal. My sons love the orange chocolates and I feel better about giving them these (with a tiny bit of chocolate) than I do other sweets.

Arance candite con cioccolato (chocolate dipped candied oranges)

The oranges are cooked in several changes of sugar water to remove the bitterness of the white pith. Be gentle when cooking the oranges to as to preserve the segments. They take a few days to dry out so start this recipe a few days in advance of when you need them.

Chocolate is notoriously difficult to temper. I use the seeding method here which is simpler than the traditional method which is best for larger batches of chocolate.

For illustrated step-by-step instructions, see here.

6 oranges, preferably small navels, cut in half and finely sliced

1 kilo granulated sugar

350 grams dark chocolate, chopped

Place the oranges in the largest sauté pan you have and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain gently and repeat two more times.

Add 500 grams sugar to the oranges and add 550 mls water and cook for 50 minutes. Drain the syrup and add 500 grams sugar and 200 mls water and cook for 15 minutes. Drain again. Place sheets of parchment on top of wire racks. Use a fork, chopsticks or tongs to place the slices of orange onto the parchment and let dry for 3 days until no longer sticky. They will need to be turned occasionally and when stiff enough they can be placed directly onto the wire rack to speed up their drying.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

The chocolate needs to be tempered to align the cocoa butter crystals in the chocolate. When chocolate is tempered properly it will be shiny and snap when broken. If it is not tempered properly it will be dull and/or streaky and be more pliable in texture.  For an illustrated step-by-step guide to tempering chocolate, see here.

Place 230 grams of chocolate in a bain marie or a bowl of water which fits tightly over a saucepan and set aside. In the saucepan bring 3 cm of water to boil, ensuring that the level of water will not touch the bottom of the bowl and turn off the heat. Water and steam will make the chocolate seize.

Place the bowl with the chocolate over the saucepan of boiling water. Use a thermometer to be certain of the temperature and stir the chocolate until it reaches 50-55C. Make sure it does not exceed 55C. Once it reaches the correct temperature, remove the bowl from the boiling water and place it on a tea towel.

Stir in the remaining 150 grams of chocolate. When the temperature reaches 31-32C the chocolate is ready (do not allow it to go over 32C). Dip one of the oranges into the chocolate and let it come to room temperature and see if it streaks. If it doesn’t streak, work quickly to dip the orange segments in the chocolate halfway.

When removing the orange from the chocolate dip the tip of it 3 times to remove any excess chocolate so that it does not pool. Place the segments on the paper lined tray so that they do not touch. Let the chocolate harden and then they are ready to serve.

They can be placed in a sealed container, layered between sheets of parchment for up to 3 months.

Fichi secchi al cioccolato (chocolate dipped dried figs)

For illustrated step-by-step instructions, see here.

From Calabria

24 dried figs

24 almonds, preferably marcona

24 pieces candied orange zest or 1 orange zested

350 grams dark chocolate, chopped

Heat the oven 135C.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Pinch the fig tip and flatten slightly so they are about the same shape. Cut the tip off the fig and make a cut into the top. Push an almond inside and a piece of orange peel (If using orange zest, dip the almonds in the zest before pushing into the fig. Place on the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the figs over and bake for another 20 minutes. The figs will darken slightly. Cool on a wire rack.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

The chocolate needs to be tempered to align the cocoa butter crystals in the chocolate. When chocolate is tempered properly it will be shiny and snap when broken. If it is not tempered properly it will be dull and/or streaky and be more pliable in texture. For an illustrated step-by-step guide to tempering chocolate, see here.

Place 230 grams of chocolate in a bain marie or a bowl of water which tightly fits over a saucepan and set aside. In the saucepan, bring 3 cm of water to boil ensuring that the level of water will not touch the bottom of the bowl and turn off the heat. Water and steam will make the chocolate seize.

Place the bowl with the chocolate over the saucepan of boiling water. Use a thermometer to be certain of the temperature and stir the chocolate until it reaches 50-55C. Make sure it does not exceed 55C. Once it reaches the correct temperature, remove the bowl from the boiling water and place it on a tea towel.

Stir in the remaining 150 grams of chocolate. When the temperature reaches 31-32C the chocolate is ready (do not allow it to go over 32C).

Dip one of the figs into the chocolate and let it come to room temperature and see if it streaks. If it doesn’t streak, work quickly to dip the figs in the chocolate halfway.

When removing the fig from the chocolate dip the tip of it 3 times to remove any excess chocolate so that it does not pool. Place the figs on the paper lined tray so that they do not touch. Let the chocolate harden and then they are ready to serve.

They can be placed in a sealed container, layered between sheets of parchment for up to 3 months.

 

A Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans. If you are looking for a gluten-free dish which can serve as a side or a main course for vegetarian Thanksgiving guests, try my Pearl barley risotto with pumpkin, hazelnuts and caramelized shallots.

If you know anyone looking for edible gift ideas, please share this post.