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Fact: The best gifts to receive are the ones you can eat. So consider this easy recipe to brighten up Father’s Day: It’s simple, it’s beautiful, and it’s essentially a chicer version of Terry’s Chocolate Orange. We’re talking about Loria Stern’s dark chocolate–dipped blood oranges, sprinkled with edible flowers.
“The first time I made these was several years ago for a party in Ojai [California] celebrating contemporary artist Ruth Pastine,” remembers Stern. “I wanted to send the guests home with a sweet treat that wasn’t too heavy—these were perfect.” She typically serves them on a large platter, though they’re equally great to package as presents. Just be sure to nestle them carefully in natural parchment paper, tied together as airtight as possible so they don’t stick.
Ease aside (all in all, the candied fruit takes about three hours to make, most of which is baking time), their other selling point is personalization. You can use fresh botanicals if you want to serve right away, or dry blooms if you’re planning to store the treats for several weeks: Stern’s favorites are violas, carnations, lavender, rose petals, thyme, and rosemary, which she mixes in with chopped pistachios, cacao nibs, and flaky sea salt for some crunch. As for the citrus, freestyle with whatever you have on hand—sub in limes, grapefruits, even kumquats. There are no rules when it comes to candy.
Chocolate-Dipped Blood Oranges
The Ingredients:
- 2 blood oranges (or any type of sweet citrus)
- 4 oz organic dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp edible botanicals
The Recipe:
- Wash and dry the oranges thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, slice them crosswise into thin slices (as thin as possible!), then preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place two wire racks on two rimmed baking sheets and arrange the orange slices on the racks. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or until the oranges are dry—the timing depends on the thickness of the slices.
- To make the chocolate dip, set a small glass or aluminum mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, and add in the chocolate and coconut oil. Stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted, then remove from heat and continue to mix until it’s totally smooth.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Quickly dip each dry orange slice into the melted chocolate and gently tap on the side of the bowl so the excess drips off.
- Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle with your fresh or dried botanicals. Repeat with all remaining slices. (If you notice a pool of chocolate around any of the oranges, gently nudge it before the chocolate dries to fix it.) After they’ve all been dipped, put the tray in the fridge for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The slices will keep for several weeks when stored in an airtight container.
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