Chocolate-Dipped Blood Orange
Offered with love by Tara Lanich-LaBrie
If you’re looking for a homemade gift or treat, these are really fun, easy & delicious! You can use any citrus you like or have available. Blood Oranges are my favorite citrus, hailing originally from Sicily, likely introduced there sometime around 2-3,000 years ago. They were reserved for royalty, and are still prized for their vibrant color and sweet/tart flavor. Blood oranges are rich in anthocyanins, giving them their characteristic hue and added heart-healing & anti-inflammatory benefits.
Blood oranges evoke sensuality, beauty and the heart. They were a prized fruit, cultivated for their incredibly vibrant color and unique flavor. A perfect fruit to work with during citrus season and as we enter into the Lunar New Year. If you cannot find blood oranges, this recipe will work with any sweet citrus. To give it a little more sweetness, you can add a brush of honey on each orange slice, or you can cut the rind off before drying in the oven or dehydrator.
The bitterness of the rind is part of the tale of this treat, combined with a medium-dark chocolate and topped with edible flowers, this is a love story in one bite. Bitter foods are also essential for digestion and gut health, so treats like this can "train" our bodies to get used to slightly bitter foods. Almost every culture in the world eats bitter foods daily for the flavor and health benefits. Blood oranges also contain high amounts of anthocyanins, which give them their characteristic hue and give us the benefit of heart, immune system and respiratory support.
INGREDIENTS
2 or more blood oranges or citrus of your choice
1-2 Chocolate Bars you love-about 3.5 oz each
Assorted dried edible flowers like rose petals or calendula — substitute cinnamon or sprinkle of your choice
Sprinkling of salt to finish
DIRECTIONS
Slice the oranges thin in rounds. The rind is edible & really good for you but just trim it if after slicing if you don’t like any bitter flavor!
Place the oranges on a cooling rack on a baking sheet and put your oven on the lowest possible setting; just warm. This will distribute the heat and air around them.
Check after 30 minutes; I love mine just slightly juicy in the center, but the drier they are, the longer they will keep!
Heat the chocolate in a double boiler until melted. Make your own double boiler or Bain Marie by placing a heatproof bowl on top of a small saucepan filled halfway with water. The water shouldn’t touch the bowl.
Have a baking sheet with parchment paper ready for your dipped oranges. Gather your edible flowers or toppings & salt for the oranges.
Once the chocolate is melted, dip the oranges halfway and lay them on the parchment paper.
Add flowers, nettle seeds, or spices, and just pinch of salt.
