HACP_NP_MIS_370_40263.pgs 02.08.2011 12:22
Homer4.6
Palline di bucce d’arancia Orange zest balls This can be done with any citrus fruit: mandarin, lemon, cedro, lime. You can also add a couple of pinches of ginger or cinnamon to the peel and sugar. Soaking the peel for four days really does help to soften it and get rid of all the bitterness before you start.
Makes 25–30 8 large oranges (preferably organic) caster sugar 250g good dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) (optional)
Scrub the oranges with a sponge under warm water. Take off the peel in big strips (don’t worry about taking off the white pith). Soak the peel in enough water to cover for 4 days, changing the water about 4 times every day. At the end of this time, drain the peel, dry it, then coarsely chop it and blend in a food processor. Now you need to weigh the peel and put it into a pan, adding an equal weight of sugar. Put the pan containing the orange peel and sugar over a low heat and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Take care not to let it boil and caramelise. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, then form into balls (roughly the diameter of a £1 coin). Put into the fridge for about 1 hour to harden them up. You can either dust each ball with caster sugar … or dip them in melted chocolate (the easiest way to melt the chocolate is in a bowl in the microwave on defrost mode, but keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn’t ‘seize’ – i.e. become dull and grainy, which can happen if you overheat it). Take the orange zest balls out of the fridge and use a fork to dip each one into a bowl of either sugar or melted chocolate. If using chocolate, let the excess drain off and then lay the balls on a sheet of greaseproof paper and put into the fridge to set. They’ll keep for about a week, refrigerated.
371
Dolci
HACP_NP_MIS_371_40264.pgs 02.08.2011 12:22
Homer4.6