Last Night's Dinner #50: Chocolate Crostatas with Marmalade

I was catching up on my favorite FoodTV shows this weekend and just had to try this Giada recipe - Chocolate Crostata with Marmalade, topped with chocolate covered candied orange peel! The black and orange motif makes this a perfect Halloween treat!

If you love chocolate covered orange rinds then this is the perfect dessert for you. It's not too sweet and definitely full of flavor - the deep dark cocoa and the faint bitterness of the orange marmalade, a classic combination. I made a few alterations to the original recipe - I added a splash of Cointreau to the simple syrup (candied peels) to give it extra punch and drizzled extra chocolate all over the top to add a little more sweetness.



Chocolate Crostatas with Marmalade
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes



You'll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4sticks) cold unsalted butter
Ice water
1 1/2 cups marmalade
Candied Orange Peel, recipe follows
you'll need:
1 large navel orange
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

step 1. Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.

step 2. Make candied orange peels first. See recipe below.



step 3. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, orange peel, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter. Blend until clumps form. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and blend. Add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms. I had to add about 1 1/2 additional tablespoons of water.

step 4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly to form a smooth dough. Gather the dough into a ball then divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk.



step 5. Press 1 dough piece on the prepared baking sheet into a 4 1/2-inch round. Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the marmalade into the center of the round. Fold the dough border in to form a 3-inch round and allow the center of the crostata to remain uncovered. Pleat loosely and pinch the dough to seal any cracks. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces and marmalade, spacing the crostatas evenly apart.

step 6. Cover and refrigerate the crostatas until they are cold, at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours.

step 7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

step 8. Bake the crostatas until the crusts are set, about 18 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under the crusts to free the crostatas from the baking sheet. Garnish with the candied orange peel and serve warm. I also drizzled more of the melted chocolate on top.



Candied Orange Peel:

You boil the orange peel in water twice to remove the bitterness and soften the rinds so that it absorbs the simple sugar.

You'll need:
1 large navel orange
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

step 1. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the orange part of the peel from the stem end of the orange down to the navel end, forming long 3/4 to 1-inch-wide strips.

step 2. Bring two heavy small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the peels and cook for 1 minute in the first saucepan. Drain and then rinse the peels under cold water. Repeat cooking the peels in the second saucepan with fresh boiling water and rinsing under cold water.

step 3. Stir the sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh water in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Add the orange peels and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it, making sure that it doesn't burn. Using tongs, transfer the peels to a sheet of parchment paper to dry slightly, about 1 hour.

step 4. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

step 5. Now melt the chocolate using a "double broiler" method. Stir the chocolate in a small bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Use a bowl that is slightly bigger than the saucepan so that it sits on top.

step 6. Dip 1 1/2-inches of each candied orange peel into the chocolate then place them on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.