Candied Orange Peel

This post might seem a bit strange. I am giving instructions for candied orange peels, but you can use lemon or grapefruit peels too. The only clue I will give for this post is, you will need this for November 1st.  What happens on November 1st???? Cupcake of the month.

I work on the cupcake on the month about two months ahead of time.  I knew exactly what recipe I was using for the cake back in August, but I was toying with the garnish for bit.  Then I decided on candied orange peel to compliment the flavors in the frosting.

After researching instructions on it, I decided on Giada DeLaurentiis's method.  It was simple and only took about 45 minutes from start to finish. The result is yummy, and my husband requested a whole container of them to snack on.

To garnish eighteen cupcakes I used one orange.  Simply remove only the orange peel from an orange.  Be careful not to remove the pith. I used a citrus peeler and it worked beautifully.  Then cut the peel into thin strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Then bring about two cups of water to a boil and blanch the orange peels for about one minute. Drain, rinse the peels in cold water, and repeat this process.

In a small pot, combine 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water until dissolved. On medium heat, cook the orange peels until they become translucent. About 20 minutes.

Roll the orange peels in sugar to coat, and allow to dry on a cooling rack.

This is a great garnish for cakes or cupcakes. You can also dip half of the peel in melted chocolate.  Store the peels in an airtight container for a week or freeze for several months.