< Kitchen
< Sweet Afters

Gooseberry Fool
Frozen Bananas
Carla's Orange Chocolate & Cream Choux 'C'
Cool ‘n’ Fluffy Cheesecake
Cranachan
Christmas Pud Truffles
Crunchy Sugar Mice
Old-fashioned Peppermint Creams
Chocolate-dipped Orange Peel
Austrian Apple Cake
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Workies
Danish Peasant Girl with Veil
Soft Toffee
Mini Toffee Apples
Apple Snow
Apple Candy
Trifle in a 'Trifle'
Anna-Louise's Redcurrant Tart
Redcurrant Yogurt Ice-Cream
Zany Pavlova
Orange and Rhubarb Crumble
Junket
Vanilla Ice-Cream with Orange Toffee and Cowslips

Chocolate-dipped Orange Peel

One of my Christmas treats and so easy to make – a great present for the grandparents and aunts when placed in a decorated box or cellophane packet with tied with a bold ribbon.

You’ll need:
Good-quality crystallised orange peel (look for quartered oranges that you can cut yourself) or crystallised orange slices
Chocolate of your choice – I like 70% but milk for those with a sweeter tooth is fine. Maybe a mix is even better
Baking parchment or waxed paper


Cut the orange peel into strips about ½ cm width and as long as you can make them. Melt the chocolate in a narrow-bottomed bowl so it reaches a good depth. (This can be done in a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.) Using tongs or fingers, half dip each piece of orange peel into the melted chocolate. Leave to cool on the baking parchment.
You can also dip Brazil nuts in chocolate – they make a nice alternative to the sweetness of candied orange peel when given as a gift together.

For other edible homemade Christmas gifts, see Cherry Shortbread Mice, Quince & Ginger Jam and Christmas Star Biscuits.