Easy Chocolate-covered Orange Slices

Yum! These are my favorite candy and they are pretty spendy at the local chocolate shop. There are tutorials out there for making candied orange peel and orange slices, but I recently found that Trader Joe's is selling sweetened, dried orange slices, which makes this a super easy two ingredient process.

Ingredients:

Sweetened, dried orange slices (or you can make your own)

Dark or milk molding chocolate/melting wafers - I prefer Ghiradelli, available online and at some stores. You can also use Wilton.

Equipment/tools:

Double boiler for melting chocolate - you can use a metal bowl over a saucepan of water, or melt the chocolate in a microwave (carefully follow the microwave directions, it is easy to overmelt and burn chocolate)

wax paper

cookie sheet or cutting board

1. Put water in the saucepan and put a handful or two of chocolate pieces in your metal bowl or double boiler. Try not to get water in the chocolate.

2. The chocolate should start melting as the water heats up.

3. Watch carefully and stir occasionally with a spoon or spatula. You want the chocolate to get shiny and evenly melted.

1. Line a cookie sheet or cutting board with wax paper.

2. Once your chocolate is melty hold the orange slices with your hand or a fork and dip into the melted chocolate, coating both sides.

3. Lay the chocolate covered orange on the wax paper.

4. Quickly dip all the orange slices and lay on the wax paper.

5. The chocolate covering will probably be a bit rough. The secret to smooth chocolate covering is tapping the cookie sheet. Holding the cookie sheet with all the chocolate-covered orange slices, lightly tap the cookie sheet on a counter or table until the chocolate smooths out.

1. You can let the chocolate sit out at room temperature to harden but it is even faster if you place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Try to keep the sheet level.

2. After 10-15 minutes in the freezer the chocolate should be set.

3. Peel off the wax paper and enjoy. Store in a cool, dry place.