Candied Walnuts with Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest

Makes about 5 cups
Time 25 min
Candied Walnuts with Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest

These stovetop candied walnuts, scented with orange zest and drizzled with melted dark chocolate, are the perfect holiday gift or cocktail party treat.

Special Diets:

Gluten FreeGluten Free
VegetarianVegetarian

Ingredients

    1 cupsugar
    3 tablespoonsunsalted butter
    2 tablespoonsorange juice
    3 1/2 cupswalnut halves (or halves and pieces)
    2 tablespoonsorange zest
    1/2 teaspooncoarse sea salt
    1/4 teaspoonground cloves
    1/3 cupsemisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Exclusively for Prime members in select ZIP codes.

Method

Lightly oil a large baking sheet; set aside.


Put sugar, butter, juice and 3 tablespoons water into a large skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.


Continue boiling, stirring often, until golden brown and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes more.


Add walnuts, toss to coat and reduce heat to medium.


Cook walnuts, continually tossing them gently with a stir-frying motion, until coated and golden brown. The liquid will evaporate from the skillet and what remains appears powdery, but keep going.


Soon afterwards, the sugar will melt and caramelize.


When it's just melted and the walnuts are coated with deep brown caramel, 13 to 15 minutes total, turn off the heat.


Working very quickly, sprinkle zest, salt and cloves over walnuts, toss a few more times to distribute them evenly, then carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet. (Keep in mind that the walnuts are very hot!)


Using two forks, gently separate walnuts as much as possible then set aside to let cool completely.


Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat or in the microwave for about 1 minute, stirring often to keep the chocolate from burning.


Drizzle chocolate over cooled walnuts then set aside to let chocolate set. (Refrigerate them briefly to speed up the process, if needed.)


Store walnuts in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Nutritional Info

Serving Size

1/2 cup

Calories

370

Total Fat

28g

Saturated Fat

5g

Cholesterol

30mg

Sodium

95mg

Total Carbohydrate

30g

Dietary Fiber

3g

Total Sugars

25g

Protein

6g

Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember - we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information. See our Terms of Service.