Dark Chocolate Orangettes from guest Vanessa Westermann

Vicki here, and I love introducing MLK readers to Canadian authors they might not have heard of before. I loved Vanessa Westermann’s first cozy, the delightful, Cover Art, which is set not far from where I live.  I’m sure I’m also going to love making these chocolates.  Please tell us about it, Vanessa

---

Writing any novel involves a lot of research. Luckily, I chose to write a mystery involving death by chocolate… In order to write about a chocolatier in Cover Art, I read cookbooks and visited local artisan chocolate shops.

I found out that studies have shown that chocolate can induce euphoria and have a calming effect. In fact, European pharmacies in the past used to dispense chocolate as a medicinal drug. Chocolate really can make you feel better (unless you eat an entire bag of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses in one road trip). But, I wondered, if chocolate can be medicinal, can it also be toxic? Both sweet and bitter, delicious and deadly?

The recipe below is sweet and bitter, but far from deadly.

I discovered this recipe for making easy microwaved orangettes in French Desserts by Hillary Davis. Faster than cooking the peel on the stovetop, these delicious treats only take minutes to prep, with an additional hour of wait time for the candied peel to harden. This technique preserves the orangey tang of the peel. The contrast in texture, each mouthful at once chewy and crunchy, is divine. I strayed from Hillary’s recipe for the chocolate drizzle, by making a variation of the Fast and Fantastic Artisan Chocolate Sauce from Sara Perry’s Deep Dark Chocolate — recipes she created for the serious chocolate lover.

Enjoy the aroma of citrus and cocoa wafting through your kitchen!

The recipe makes a small batch of approximately 16 – 18 candied orange peels. You may be tempted to keep the orangettes for yourself—and you’ll find no judgement here, if you do—but they also make great last-minute gifts.

Orangettes

1 medium to large organic orange

Water

2 cups granulated sugar, divided

Artisan Dark Chocolate Drizzle

2 ounces premium artisan dark chocolate bar, chopped

1 ½ tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

Directions for Oranges

Thoroughly wash and dry the orange. With a paring knife, slice off the peel from one end of the orange to the other in large pieces. For thicker, chewier orangettes leave the white pith on.

Drop the slices of peel into a microwave-safe container, cover with water, and microwave for 2 minutes. Drain.

Slice the peels into long strips about 1/8 to ¼ inch wide and toss back into the container. Add ½ cup sugar and toss the peels to coat. Add another ½ cup sugar and 1/3 cup water, cover, and microwave for 4 minutes. Allow to rest in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Spread remaining sugar (1 cup) over a piece of parchment paper. Life a few of the peels at a time with a fork onto the sugar and toss them around to coat. Place the sugar-coated peel on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath and continue with the remaining peels. The orangettes will be dry and hardened in about 1 hour.

Directions for Artisan Dark Chocolate Drizzle

For this recipe, I used a bar of Laura Secord 50% Dark Chocolate, but you can use any artisan chocolate bar with 50% cacao or higher.

Place the chopped chocolate and cream in a medium, heatproof bowl and sit this in a pan or wide skillet of hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes, then stir and allow the mixture to melt completely. Stir until smooth.

Test if it is liquid enough by dipping fork tines into it and waving the fork above a plate. If the mixture needs to be thinner, add a little more cream and try again.

Dip the fork tines into the chocolate drizzle and wave it back and forth over the dried orangettes.

Cover Art: The First Charley Scott Mystery

Death by chocolate may be a favourite fantasy, but death by poisoned chocolate is another matter entirely.

Charley Scott is thrilled to be running a summer pop-up gallery in cottage country. Returning to the lakeside village, not on vacation but as an artist, she’s determined to turn her hobby into a career. Joined by two other artists, including her childhood friend Kayla, the Cover Art Exhibit is a dream come true.

But, beneath the surface of this peaceful town, darkness lurks. There’s a history.

Local chocolatier, Matt Thorn, is struggling to come to terms with his father’s recent death and his legacy of deception. As Matt plans to expose his father’s secrets, Kayla’s husband is found dead, the result of eating Matt’s boutique chocolates.

The homicide investigation threatens to make Charley’s pop-up gallery a failure before it even begins. Luckily, art is all about perspective and she’s always had a keen eye. Can she see past the obvious and find the killer?

 

About Vanessa Westermann

 An avid reader of mysteries, Vanessa Westermann is a former Arthur Ellis Awards judge, holds an M.A. in English Literature, as well as a Bachelor of Education, and has taught creative writing. Her debut mystery, An Excuse for Murder, was published in 2019. At the heart of all of Westermann’s stories are strong female protagonists inspired by the heroines in her own life. She currently lives in Ontario. Visit her at https://www.vanessa-westermann.info/.

 Or follow her on social media!

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanessasPicks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessawestermann_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaWestermannAuthor/

Buy Links

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Cover-Art-Vanessa-Westermann/dp/1770866426/

Chapters https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/cover-art/9781770866423-item.html

Sleuth of Baker Street Mystery Bookstore https://www.sleuthofbakerstreet.ca/browse/filter/t/cover%20art%20westermann/k/keyword

Giveaway:

Vanessa would like to offer a Kindle e-book copy of Cover Art: The First Charley Scott Mystery.  US entries only please.

Chocolate and emotions seem to go together. What is one of your favourite memories of chocolate?