When blood oranges show up, I want them in as many forms as possible: sliced into salads, juiced into cocktails, served with roasted asparagus and—my favorite—dunked in glossy dark chocolate. The color of the ruby oranges really pops under the dark chocolate, and then when you top it with flaky sea salt, zest, and dried rose petals, well, Mama Mia!
But, my love for these is kind of weird, because I’m not the biggest fan of desserts. My go-to joke is, “The way to my heart is through a turkey and jalapeno sandwich.”
However, there’s something about the sweet tang of the oranges paired with the dark slightly bitter chocolate that makes me incredibly happy.
Why chocolate + blood orange just works
Sweet+tang+bitter+salt=pure bliss. Plus, they look like something you’d pay a gazillion dollars for in a high-end chocolate shop.
They don’t break the bank
Chocolate dipped blood oranges are fairly economical. This blood orange season our local grocery store sold 2-pound bags of them for $3.99. And sure, chocolate isn’t cheap, but it’s only 1 cup of dark chocolate, which is still fairly affordable. So, I have this gorgeous dessert in the freezer for a dinner party for less than $7 bucks, which isn’t bad for dessert.
Did I mention how easy they are to prep?
Literally, all you need to do is zest and peel the oranges, melt the chocolate, and decorate to your heart’s delight. Easy peasy!
How to freeze these beauties
Simply let the chocolate dipped oranges cool completely, and place them on parchment or wax paper. Flash freeze them in a single layer (about an hour), and once they’re frozen put them in an airtight container. Just take them out of the freezer and let them defrost in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.
So, while we can still revel in blood orange season, grab a bag and melt some chocolate. You’ll be so happy that you did!
Chocolate-Dipped Blood Oranges (Sweet, Tart, and Shockingly Easy)
Ingredients
- 4 medium blood oranges washed, zested, peeled, and sliced into ½-inch slices
- 1 cup of dark chocolate melting discs
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rose petals optional
Instructions
Double Boiler Instructions:
- Pour 2-inches of cold water into a medium saucepan. Place a glass bowl over the saucepan to make sure that it rests on the rim of the pan and doesn’t touch the water. Place the bowl to the side while heating the water.
- Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not bring to a boil.
- Add the chips to the bowl and place over the saucepan.
- Stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted.
- To Microwave:
- Place the chip in a microwave safe bowl, and heat on full power in 30 second bursts, stirring well each time until chocolate is completely melted, approximately 2 minutes.
- Dip the oranges into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared sheet pan.
- While still warm, sprinkle on zest, salt, and dried rose petals (if using.) Let cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.