Candied Orange Dark Chocolate (Print Version)

Velvety dark chocolate treats featuring a luscious center of candied orange zest.

# What You'll Need:

→ Ganache

01 - 7 oz high-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
02 - 3.4 fl oz heavy cream
03 - 1 oz unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Candied Orange

05 - 1 medium orange, zested and finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup water

→ Coating

08 - 5.3 oz dark chocolate for coating, chopped
09 - 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, optional for dusting

# Steps to Follow:

01 - In a small saucepan, combine orange zest, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the zest is translucent and syrupy. Drain and spread zest on parchment paper to cool completely.
02 - Place chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream until just simmering. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Add butter and vanilla, stirring until the mixture is glossy and well combined.
03 - Stir in cooled candied orange zest to the ganache mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until firm enough to scoop with a melon baller or teaspoon.
04 - Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop small portions of ganache and roll into uniform balls between your hands. Place each shaped truffle on a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set.
05 - Melt the coating chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl suspended over barely simmering water. Using a fork, dip each truffle into the melted chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Return truffles to the parchment-lined tray.
06 - Dust truffles with cocoa powder before the chocolate coating sets, if desired, for a matte finish and refined appearance.
07 - Allow truffles to set completely at room temperature or refrigerate for 10 minutes to accelerate the process. Transfer to an airtight container for storage.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They taste like you spent hours in a professional chocolaterie, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly gentle and forgiving.
  • Candied orange feels luxurious and unexpected, the kind of flavor combination that makes people pause and ask what just happened in their mouth.
  • These keep beautifully in the fridge, which means you can make them days ahead without the stress of last-minute assembly.
02 -
  • If your ganache is too soft to scoop, don't panic; just refrigerate it longer rather than trying to work with it warm, because truffles that aren't properly chilled will collapse when you dip them.
  • The temperature of your melted coating chocolate matters enormously; if it's too hot your truffles will slide right off the fork, and if it's too cool it'll set before you can dip properly, so aim for warm but not steaming.
03 -
  • If your hands are warm and the ganache keeps softening, briefly chill your palms under cool water between rolling sessions to keep them in perfect truffle-rolling shape.
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor your melted coating chocolate; aim for around 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for smooth dipping without the chocolate becoming too thin.
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