I remember being in Italy and spying up gorgeous candied fruits in mouthwatering window displays but I never thought of making my own. Last month I was preparing a blood orange sorbet for the last supper event so I decided to make candied orange peel to go with dessert. The oranges are amazing to look at and a glass of juice from them is like liquid sunshine.You can dip the peels in melted chocolate to make petite fours or why not get Martha Stewart on it and pop them in a jar with a ribbon as a homemade gift. You can use regular oranges for this recipe and you could also try candy-ing lemon peel....go mad and indulge your sweet tooth.

What you need;

Oranges- 3/4 large
Sugar- 3 small cups -plus extra for rolling
Water

What you need to do;

Peel your oranges cut into strips -keep most of the pith on otherwise they will be too thin
Cover the strips in cold water bring to the boil and discard the water -repeat this twice -this will remove the bitterness
Combine 3 cups of caster sugar with 1 cup of water bring to the boil
Reduce the heat to a simmer, add orange and cook until the orange becomes translucent -this may take anywhere from 30-75 mins...
Remove peel, allow to dry 12-24 hours (depending on humidity) then roll in caster sugar -store in an airtight jar

Tip;

You can keep the sugar syrup in a jar and use it on desserts or in a cocktail.