Orangettes aka Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels

Growing up I was mesmerized by the books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Of the many memorable stories told in each of her books, one particular Christmas scene has remained with me."Laura was wondering about the orange before her...she had once eaten part of an orange, so she knew how good an orange tastes." And after the party she couldn't help but say, "Oh, Ma, each one of us had a whole orange!' (Little Town on the Prairie) Reading Laura's elation over the gift of single piece of fruit not only gave my twelve year old heart a perspective on what it meant to be grateful, I began to understand the importance of showing genuine gratefulness, even for the smallest of kindnesses. Many years later I would learn of some of the symbolic significances behind the giving of oranges at the holidays. Now, as soon as December arrives, there is always a large glass bowl filled with clementines sitting on the counter or gracing a table. This year I decided it was time to find another way of incorporating oranges into the holiday season and into some of this year's gifts. Could there be anything more perfect than Orangettes?

Candied fruit has a storied history. Ancient Romans preserved fruit using honey more than 2,000 years ago. In the 14th century, candied fruits discovered by Europeans traveling to the Middle East became one of the confections brought back to France where they immediately gained in popularity. During the 18th century, candied lemons and oranges were some of the most sought after and elegant sweetmeats found in the larger cities in Colonial America. The imported citrus fruit and sugar used in the making of these candied jewels, sometimes called 'orange and lemon chips' made these early confections rare and costly ones. Today, these aromatic, flavorful, glistening candied orange peels dipped in chocolate are called Orangettes.

In the spirit of full disclosure I must tell you the making of candied orange peels is, well, slightly time and labor intensive. Oranges have to be peeled, sliced, blanched three times, drained, trimmed, blanched once more, simmered in a sugar syrup until they have a translucent quality, lightly tossed in superfine (caster) sugar, and dried all before they are either again rolled in sugar or dipped in melted chocolate. Please know after a single bite of this swoon-worthy confection your selective memory will come to your rescue and you will suddenly find yourself championing the adage 'nothing worth having comes easy'. It may be a losing battle to think your willpower is strong enough to keep you from eating only one piece of this candy perfection. But don't think of this loss as giving up. Think of it more as giving in to one of life's pleasures.

Years ago I searched for, found, and ultimately made some Orangettes. But for whatever reason I did not save that recipe (code for I couldn't find it). So again I had to go on the hunt. Only this time, I felt like I was on a never ending pilgrimage. After an exhausting search through cookbooks, reviewing online recipes with their accompanying comments, and watching several YouTube videos, the choice of oranges along with both the sugar syrup ingredients and process for making the Orangettes seemed to be all over the map. For a brief moment I thought about abandoning this journey. But for better or worse, giving up has never been one of my virtues (although circuit exercises continue to push me to the brink of raising the white flag).

Thin or thick skinned oranges? Thick won here making either Navel or Valencia oranges the best options. Cut or peel the orange rinds? I went with cutting them as there are more length and width options for the finished peels. A one to one sugar to water ratio, a two to one sugar to water ratio or some other ratio variation for the simple syrup? My head was spinning. I chose the 2-1 sugar to water ratio for some unexplainable reason. Add corn syrup or freshly squeezed lemon juice to keep the simple syrup from crystalizing? Lemon juice won out. But more on all of this keeper of a recipe later.

How thick or thin you make the strips of orange peel is a personal preference decision. Larger oranges as well as how you cut the oranges will influence the length of the strips. Scoring the orange from end to end or first cutting each end of the orange before scoring and removing the peel were both options used. My preference was for scoring the orange from end to end as it yielded longer strips of the rind.

Blanching the orange rinds removes any trace of their bitterness. In a wide, deep pan the orange rinds are covered with cold water. After the water is brought to a boil, the rinds continue to boil for two (2) minutes. After draining the pot of rinds, the rinds are blanched two more times (for a total of 3 at this point). After the third blanching, the peels are drained and cooled to the point where they can be handled.

Using a sharp pairing knife, the rinds are trimmed, leaving as much of the pith as desired. Be careful to not trim too much as the pith is what retains the sweetness once the peels are candied. The trimmed rinds are then blanched in cold water (bringing the total number of blanches to 4) and then drained. Note: If you cut your rinds into wide strips or you chose to leave more of the pith on, blanch for a 5th time.

A simple syrup made of two cups of water, four cups of granulated sugar, and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice are cooked until the sugar dissolves. The drained orange rinds are added, the mixture brought to a boil, and then reduced to a simmer.

The rinds cook for 60-90 minutes or until the peels look glassy and slightly transparent.

The rinds are removed from the syrup and placed on a drying rack.

After approximately 30 minutes the cooked rinds can be lightly tossed in caster (superfine) sugar and then returned again to the cooling rack. They will be very sticky at this point. Tossing the rinds in the sugar to assist in the drying process is an optional step, however, it makes them much easier to handle the next day when either dipping in melted chocolate or rolling in granulated sugar.

Allow the orange rinds to dry overnight on a cooling rack.

Orangettes can be completely or partially dipped in either semi-sweet or milk chocolate. The amount of chocolate you need will be dependent on how many orange peels you have candied as well as if they are completely or only partially dipped.

Melt two thirds of the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Once melted, stir in the remaining one third of the chocolate (chopped) to temper. Tempering the chocolate enables it to retain a shine when it sets. Place the strips of orange rind on parchment paper to dry after they are dipped in the chocolate. If the orange peel strips partially dipped, the undipped portion can be sprinkled with granulated sugar after the chocolate has set. The dried overnight orange peels are equally delicious simply tossed in granulated sugar. Store and/or package Orangettes in sealed containers or in cellophane bags tied with a beautiful ribbon.

Don't let the number of steps involved sway you away from making these blissfully ambrosial confections. Once you have experienced the deliciousness of a glistening Orangette, you will never look at an orange rind or the gift of an orange the same again. Of all of the gifts you give this holiday season, there may be none more symbolic of gratitude than these simple chocolate covered candied orange peels. Or a more delicious new tradition.

Recipe
Orangettes aka Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peels (inspired from a compilation of candied orange peel recipes)

Ingredients
5-7 large Navel or Valencia oranges (find the ones having the thickest rinds)
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Caster or granulated sugar for finishing (recommend India Tree's Caster Sugar)
1 1/2 pounds of semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped
Optional: Additional granulated sugar for rolling undipped or partially dipped orangettes

Directions
1. Wash oranges. Using a sharp knife, score the peel of the oranges into four wedges. Peel the thick skin wedges away from the fruit, discarding any of the loose pith fibers. Flatten each orange wedge and cut into strips in widths of preference. Note: Strips cut less than 1/4 inch may break when dipping in chocolate or rolling in granulated sugar.
2. Place orange rind strips in a wide, deep pan. Cover with cold water. Once the water comes to a boil, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Drain orange rinds. Repeat the blanching process two more times using fresh cold water each time. 
3. Trim some of the pith away from each of the rinds without going all the way down to the rind as the pith is what retains the sweetness once the peels candied.
4. Combine water, granulated sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a wide, deep pan. Over medium heat, cook until sugar dissolves. Add trimmed orange rinds and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking for 60-90 minutes (or until rinds appear glassy and translucent). 
5. Using tongs, remove the strips of orange peel from the syrup and place on a wire rack to drain and cool (approximately 30 minutes).
6. When peels are cool enough to touch lightly toss in caster (superfine) sugar and return to a clean wire rack. Allow to air dry overnight.
7. Place two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Once melted, stir in the remaining one-third of the chocolate to temper. Dip the strips of orange peel in the melted chocolate. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and allow chocolate to harden (set). Dipping options: (1) completely dip the entire orange rind; (2) dip half of the orange peel, allow chocolate to harden (set) and sprinkle granulated sugar on other half of the orange peel; or, (3) roll dried orange peels in granulated sugar. 
8. Store in an airtight container or sealed cellophane bag at room temperature for up to 4 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Note: Don't throw away the candied orange syrup. Use it in your cocktails or drizzle over cake or ice cream. Store this incredibly delicious syrup in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

Chicken Casserole

Finally, the house is finished being decorated for the holidays. Or at least I have given myself permission to stop. Up next on the list of things to do is to begin planning Christmas dinner (a menu more than likely that will undergo multiple revisions), begin shopping for gifts (am still waiting for some inspiration), and put together packages of homemade cookies and candies for friends (am still deciding what to make this year). For me, Christmas means finding a balance between honoring traditions (aka expectations) and adding elements of surprise. Some of the best gifts I have ever received were not the ones I had hoped for (don't we all have shared and unshared wish lists?). Instead, they were the ones only someone who cared, who was really paying attention would give. For St. Nicholas Day this year, my stocking was filled with a gift card to my 'new' favorite coffee shop, some new running gloves, and a set of copper measuring cups. These thoughtful, perfect unexpected presents made me scream with delight and weep.

Gifting is an art, a reflection of our ability to remain attentive to what matters to our family and friends. If I could re-do some of the gifts given to my niece and nephew over the years, I would replace 'things' with 'events' as the stories we tell (and embellish) have come from the time spent and travels with one another rather than from the 'material' gifts received (the 8th grade graphing calculator graduation present may be one of the few exceptions). What I have learned over the course of my life thus far is that gifts from the heart are some of the best ones, because they are not always the ones money can buy. Gifts of 'time', ones like spending time together or the putting of time into the making of a gift, are priceless treasures.

'Tis the season for holiday parties, gatherings, dinners, luncheons, and potlucks. Other than making certain you have plenty of alcohol (or at least a really good scotch and vodka) and a supply of your favorite red and white wines, having an easy, not time intensive, make-ahead main course to go along with all of the appetizers and holiday cookie platters makes entertaining (almost) stress-free. 

Enrolled in a doctoral program many years ago is when I first met Kristina. At the time she was the wife of one of my cohort members and as I subsequently learned, she and I had pledged the same sorority while in the college (the first time around). Little did she or I know at the time but Kristina would ultimately become my doctoral dissertation advisor, the person responsible for pushing me to finish what I had started. Although I can't remember when I first tasted her PiPhi Chicken Casserole, I recall asking if she would share the recipe. Recently while searching for Chicken Casserole recipes, I remembered I had Kristina's recipe, somewhere. All I had to do was find it.

Feeling some degree of culinary confidence after reading dozens of chicken casserole recipes, I decided to take a few liberties with the original shared recipe yet stay true to the basic elements. 

Rotisserie chickens might be one of the best things to come into the grocery store in the last decade. They also happen to provide all of the meat needed for this casserole. After removing the skin, the meat is simply torn off and shredded. If you have ever done this before, you know how much easier it is to do when the rotisserie is still warm. (Note: Buy only a rotisserie chicken you have tasted before as there is a great deal of variability in their moistness and taste.)

Since the casserole was made with onions and celery, I thought why not replace the canned mushrooms with fresh ones. And while I was at it, increase their presence from four ounces to eight.

In two to three tablespoons of unsalted butter, the minced onions and celery are cooked for several minutes or just until they begin to soften. After adding the sliced mushrooms to the pan, the entire vegetable mixture continues to cook for additional 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to slightly soften.

Okay, this is the point in the recipe where I may lose some of you. Before you make up your mind, please know I had done a fair share of chicken casserole research which had caused me to (briefly) consider making an ingredient replacement change. Many of the chicken casserole recipes I came across were made with a homemade white sauce. This one uses a can of cream of mushroom soup (Yes, I know this is the second recipe on the blog this year using a canned soup.). After weighing the options between the two I decided to use the cream of mushroom soup (and you should too!). Combined with mayonnaise, some dry white wine (strongly recommend using a Pinot Grigio), grated white aged cheddar cheese (Cabot's Farmhouse Reserved Aged Cheddar is amazing), kosher salt, and pepper, the soup is a necessary ingredient for creating the most delicious binder for this casserole.

The shredded chicken and sautéed vegetables are mixed into the wine/soup/mayonnaise mixture and spooned into a lightly buttered casserole dish.

Adding a buttered Ritz cracker crumb topping seemed to be a characteristic of many of the chicken casserole recipes claiming to be Southern in tradition I found in my search. Whether this is true or just an over generalization on my part, I thought it would bring some added flavor and further crunch to this Chicken Casserole. Note: I kept the water chestnuts in this casserole, but omitted the half cup of slivered almonds. If you want even more crunch, add the almonds.

The chicken casserole can either be placed in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven and baked for 40-45 minutes or it can be covered, placed in the refrigerator, and made later in the day (or even the next day). 

Served with some wild rice, a beautiful salad, and of course, some white wine, you have one of the most flavorful, perfect, impressive meals. And it is almost effortless to make. No one will guess it is made with a rotisserie chicken and a can of cream of mushroom soup (and you don't have to tell them if you don't want to!). There are a lot of flavors and textures going on in this Chicken Casserole. It is rich without being heavy as well as has elements of creaminess and crunch. It is everything you wish a Chicken Casserole would be. This may be one of the most versatile Chicken Casseroles you will ever make. It is perfect for a luncheon, dinner party, or holiday buffet; it is the kind of dish you want to bring to a potluck; it is the casserole you should bring to the home of a neighbor or friend in need of some comfort food; or simply a dish you want to make for your family as a way of showing some of your love for them. 

The weeks ahead can feel hectic, leaving some of us feeling as if we are being pulled in a million different directions. Yet how we spend the time we have or the time we make is really what this holiday season and life are all about. "Never be too busy for the people you love. Never allow pursuits or possessions to become bigger priorities than your relationships. Love is what gives meaning to life." 

Recipe
Chicken Casserole (inspired by Kristina Hesbol's PiPhi Chicken Casserole recipe)

Ingredients
1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed and meat shredded while chicken is still warm (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2-3 stalks of celery, minced
8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced 
2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonaise 
4 ounces white aged cheddar, grated (strongly recommend Cabot Farmhouse Reserve Aged Cheddar)
1/2 cup dry white wine (recommend Pinot Grigio)
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces Ritz Crackers, crushed
6-7 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Optional: 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly butter a 9"x13" casserole dish. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions and celery and sauté until slightly softened (approximately 3-4 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have slightly softened (an additional 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, white wine, salt, pepper, grated cheese and water chestnuts.
4. Add shredded chicken and sautéed vegetables and mix thoroughly.
5. Spoon chicken mixture into the prepared baking pan.
6. Melt 6-7 Tablespoons unsalted butter. Add crushed Ritz crackers. Mix until all butter has been absorbed into the cracker crumbs. Spoon crumbs over the chicken casserole.
7. Bake chicken casserole (uncovered) for 40-45 minutes or until top is lightly browned and casserole is bubbling on the edges. Remove from the oven. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes: (1) The chicken casserole can be assembled early in the day or the night before, covered, and refrigerated. Before baking remove oven for 30 minutes before placing in the oven. (2) If you do not want to buy or have access to a store-bought rotisserie chicken, roast a whole 3-4 pound chicken.

Chocolate Brittle Brownies

There was a time when I went through a period of holiday insanity. Succumbing to the influence of Martha Stewart, I spent hours painstakingly making strands of garland out of the tiny acorns and pine cones collected in my yard. Shlepping through an untold number of stores to find glass ornaments to hang on the several themed trees (searching for glass fruit and nut ornaments almost sent me over the edge). Putting up five trees (while working full-time), setting two holiday tables, and artfully arranging fresh greens so that hundreds of people could traipse through my house (talk about a going over the edge experience). This was followed by a long period of recovery from holiday decorating overload along with some consideration given to converting to a religion that didn't include all of the holiday hoopla. An excessive number of boxes and containers of ornaments and various Christmas collections stored in the attic remained unopened for several years. Maybe it was seeing the museum worthy antique collection of Christmas ornaments and decorations in the home of a friend, maybe it was planning ahead for creating a memorable family Christmas dinner, or maybe the world now just seems like a more fragile, unpredictable place, but this year some of those holiday collections acquired over the years would again see the light of day. In the spirit of scaling back, only two trees will be going up. And oh, although I may be lapsed in my religious practices, I have not yet abandoned them.

Everything I learned about decorating a Christmas tree I learned a very long time ago from a friend who created some of the most beautiful, enviable trees I had ever seen. From wrapping the lights around branches to creating a sense of depth to the tree with the selection and placement of ornaments, let's just say a significant amount of time, energy, and patience go the process of trimming the tree. Particularly for those of us trying to emulate (as best as one can) the incredibly talented, artistic eyes of a friend. Needless to say the simple process of decorating a tree is nothing like the hanging of red, green, and gold ornaments on the flocked trees of my childhood.

In the middle of the holiday decorating chaos, I needed to take a deep breath and walk away from it all for a little while. In spite of the chaos of having boxes stacked in rooms and trees in various stages of decoration, I decided to make an even bigger mess and bake some Chocolate Brittle Brownies. The inspiration for a rich fudgy brownie topped with chocolate coated cocoa rice krispies came from a recipe in the cookbook written by Mindy Segal, a multi-talented Chicago chef with extraordinary pastry making talents. Trading her recipe for creme brûlée for these brownies with another chef, she named these unbelievable bites of chocolate deliciousness Barter Brownies. Of course Mindy had to 'gild the lily' and top them with the chocolate coated cocoa rice krispies. Seems there are some similarities between her process of making a brownie and my process for decorating for the holidays.

Three kinds of chocolate, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, extra-large eggs, kosher salt, vanilla, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa rice krispies create a rather extraordinary brownie. Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies (one I took the liberty of renaming Decadent Chocolate Brownies) have been my hands down favorite for years. Because the bar was set so high with those brownies, I have been a little reticent in trying another brownie recipe. But if there was ever a recipe I thought might rise to or exceed Ina's deep chocolate, fudgy brownie insanity, I was pretty confident it wouldn't be that much of risk if Mindy Segal was its' creator. 

These brownies are really easy to make. My only contributions here (other than taking the liberty to rename them Chocolate Brittle Brownies) were to increase the amount of vanilla and add some sea salt to the chocolate/rice krispie mixture. And my only advice is to choose really good chocolate. 

The brownies bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 30-35 minutes. As the brownie bakes it will form a thin crust on top. When testing for doneness, a toothpick inserted the center will draw out wet crumbs. Over baking these brownies would be akin to under decorating a tree. It wouldn't be pretty. 

Assemble the chocolate and cocoa rice krispie topping once the brownies have cooled.

After spreading the chocolate-cereal mixture evenly over the brownies, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill. Chilling the brownies makes them easier to cut 'cleanly'.

Remove the chilled brownies from the baking pan and place on a cutting board. After cutting the brownies in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, each half is cut into twelve slices. For a bakery finish look, Mindy recommends trimming the edges of the brownies. I decided my brownies would have a refined rustic kind of look.

One slice of these brownies is a substantial portion. Even for those of us who love chocolate. So I decided to cut each slice in half. But you don't have to choose. Your platter can have both the larger and smaller slices of brownies and your slices can be trimmed or untrimmed.

After eating these Chocolate Brittle Brownies, I am happy to share with you that I am no longer a one brownie kind of girl. The combination of the tastes and textures of the fudgy brownie bottom and the crunchy, crispy chocolatey topping is unbelievably delicious. The brownie and candy bar combination is pure genius. Served either at room temperature or chilled (my personal favorite way to enjoy them), you need to make these brownies for your family and/or friends. For those of you (like me) who have been a one trick pony brownie baker, these Chocolate Brittle Brownies are bound to bring about as much of the joy, giddiness, and delight as one feels on Christmas morning. Which is pretty close to how how you feel when you finally finish decorating for the holidays. Wonder what I am going to have to make to get me through the end of the season undecorating process.

Recipe 

Chocolate Brittle Brownies (an ever so slight adaptation to Mindy Segal's Barter Brownie recipe shared in her cookbook Cookie Love)

(24 large brownies or 48 brownie bites)

Ingredients

Brownies

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (64%-66% cacao), broken into pieces

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Brittle

8 ounces dark milk or semi-sweet chocolate (39%-53% cacao), broken into pieces

1 1/2 chocolate puffed rice (such as Cocoa Rice Krispies)

generous pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9"x13" pan with non-stick baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1 inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Set aside.

2. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over simmering water. Set aside but keep warm.

3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together dark brown and granulated sugars until blended. 

4. Add melted chocolate, on low speed mix to combine. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure batter is brought together. 

5. Crack the eggs into a measuring cup. Add vanilla. Set aside.

6. Sift together flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Once sifted, whisk in kosher salt.

7. Add eggs one at a time to the chocolate/butter/sugar mixture on medium speed. Mix each egg until incorporated (5 seconds per egg). Scrape down sides of bowl and mix on medium speed for 20-30 seconds to make batter nearly homogenous.

8. Add the dry ingredients and mix until dough comes together, approximately 20 seconds. Do not over mix, dough may look slightly shaggy.

9. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a thin crust is formed on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan draws out wet crumbs. Cool completely in pan.

9. To make the brittle, melt dark-milk or semi-sweet chocolate over simmering water. Remove and stir in chocolate puffed rice.

10. Spread chocolate/cereal brittle over brownies in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate until chilled (approximately 2 hours).

11. Lift brownies out of pan and transfer to a cutting board.

12. Cut brownies in half lengthwise, then cut in 12 strips across (yield will be 24 large brownies). For small brownie bites, cut each strip in half.

13. Serve brownies at room temperature or chilled.

Note: Brownies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The historic Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana built in 1878.