Peels from 6 small mandarin oranges
1 cup sugar
¾ cup water
Remove any stringy bits from the insides of the orange peels, then slice into strips. In a medium saucepan, dissolve sugar into water over medium heat, stirring consistently. Add orange peels strips to sugar water, reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and reduce heat to low to allow excess water to evaporate, about 20 minutes. Using a fork transfer orange strips to wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to cool and dry out for at least 12 hours. These should keep for a few months when kept in a sealed container at room temperature. You can also extend the shelf life by freezing them and thawing them as you need.
You can take them one step further by dipping the slices into melted dark chocolate and then dry them again.
I like to use the small mandarin oranges because they have a thin skin and not a large pit, so you don’t have to use a peeler.
These candies are very versatile! They can be a beautiful and edible garnish for a serving platter, a drink (think Old Fashioned or Manhattan), a salad topper, an accompaniment to roasted turkey or a cake decoration.