Bitter orange, spicy ginger, sweet chocolate and salt collide in well balanced harmony. A compelling example of what sweet and bitter combinations can prove, this candied orange and ginger dark chocolate bark will be a crowd pleaser. Extra perk, it’s simple enough to make in a hurry, or with the kiddos for Halloween, especially if you purchase pre-made candied orange and ginger.
Picking out chocolate doesn’t have to be difficult. Although you can always use what you have, if you happen to live in Atlanta, I’ve been getting chocolate from the Dekalb Farmers Market. If you haven’t been to this market, do yourself a favor and go for your coffee, spice and organic fruit and vegetable needs (but that’s an entirely different post) – also I’ve found their baking chocolate is an excellent value. They sell a variety of milk and dark chocolate blocks in bulk at great price. I think the quality is better and options are less sweet than many grocery store selections.
Making your own candied fruit helps eliminate some of the bad ingredients (preservatives and high fructose corn syrup) loaded into a lot of the store bought packages, but this does takes a little extra time.
To take a stab at it, try this versatile candied orange and ginger dark chocolate bark. You can use this method and add a variety of toppings like pistachio, dried cranberries, crunchy banana chips, chia seeds etc… Also add to your Halloween treats prep these super easy chocolate peanut butter cups!
Candied Orange and Ginger Dark Chocolate Bark
Easy 4 ingredient candied orange & ginger dark chocolate bark. Sweet, spicy, sour and salty join forces in this simple bark recipe. You can buy pre-made candied ginger and orange or try a stab at making them yourself.
Ingredients
Candied Fruit
- 1 large orange, sliced 1/8-1/4 inch pieces
- 1 4″ piece of ginger, peeled and sliced 1/8-1/4 inch pieces
- 2 cup water
- 1.5 cups sugar plus additional for dredging
Orange & Ginger Dark Chocolate Bark
- 2 cups chopped dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup (or to taste) chopped candied orange
- 1/4 cup (or to taste) chopped candied ginger
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Candied Fruit
- Slice 1 4″ piece of peeled ginger and 1 large orange as thin as possible maybe 1/8-1/4 inch.
- Combine 2 cups water with 1.5 cups sugar and dissolve completely.
- Add the sliced orange to the syrup and cook on low simmer for 45-55 minutes.
- Drain orange slices on wire rack for 30 minutes and then dredge in sugar on both sides.
- Let rest on wire rack for about 2 hours and store in air tight container in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
- In the mean time add ginger to orange syrup and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to rack and cool. Dredge in plenty of sugar. Store in air tight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Candied Orange & Ginger Dark Chocolate Bark
- Melt chocolate in double boiler. I use a sauce pan filled with water and a large glass mixing bowl over the top. Make sure the water is NOT touching the bottom of the glass bowl. Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add chocolate pieces and melt until smooth. 10 minutes
- Remove chocolate from heat and let cool 2-3 mins. On a parchment lined baking sheet, add the chocolate and spread out to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Sprinkle candied orange and ginger pieces as well as flaky sea salt on top.
- Add to fridge and cool for about an hour.
- Break into pieces
Notes
Pip Tip: Store the leftover orange/ginger syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use it to kick up your desserts a notch or to make your hot tea sing!
Keywords: candied orange, candied ginger, dark chocolate, orange and ginger bark, desserts, halloween candy, chocolate bark, orange ginger simple syrup
What do you think?