By John Willoughby
- Total Time
- 3½ hours
- Rating
- 4(186)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These intensely flavorful slices are the perfect garnish for a clementine cake and any other dessert that calls for a sweet dash of citrus. Though cooking down the fruit takes hours, you can start the simmer and leave it, checking in only occasionally. The sugar syrup left after the clementines are removed is worth saving for co*cktails or even pouring over pancakes.
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Ingredients
Yield:About 18 to 24 slices
- 2cups sugar
- 3 to 4clementines, peel on, sliced as thin as possible
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (21 servings)
79 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 0 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a saucepan combine the sugar with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the clementine slices, reduce heat to simmer, and place a piece of parchment paper over top of liquid to keep clementines submerged. Simmer 2 hours, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step
2
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lay a Silpat mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet, place clementine slices in a single layer on top (making sure they lie flat), then cover with a second mat or layer of parchment and top that with a second baking sheet. Put in oven and bake for 1 hour, then remove from oven. (Reserve citrus-infused syrup in refrigerator for co*cktails or other uses.)
Step
3
When cool enough to handle, remove top baking sheet and carefully peel away top mat or parchment. Carefully lift and peel the candied citrus slices and set aside until ready to use.
Ratings
4
out of 5
186
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Cooking Notes
Emily Weinstein, Cooking Editor
We retested this recipe after reading all of your notes here, and found that the baking time for the clementines was indeed too long. For the best results, bake the slices at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rather than 2 hours. This will give you chewy slices with nice translucency and a striking bright orange color. And if you'd like to get the look of the cake pictured with the recipe, use three or four clementines, rather than two. We've edited the recipe to reflect these changes.
Tabby Brown-Thomas
I find that slicing these "as thin as possible" is not the best route. If they're paper-thin, the pulp will disintegrate when they're simmering. I cut mine no less than 1/8" thick. I also skip the baking entirely. After allowing them to cool in a single layer, I press them gently into a layer of sanding sugar spread thinly on a plate. They look even prettier and taste even better!
Monique
I have made these repeatedly and they are just wonderful. However, I deviate from the recipe in that I put the slices in a 200 degree oven on a Silpat sheet on a sheet pan after they have simmered for two hours. I do not cover the slices and let them roast for about an hour. I then let them dry out in the turned off oven.
They are not chewy, just delicious!
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
Yes. In a container with an airtight lid.
Norma Messing
I should have made more. Mysteriously, they're disappearing from the foil on which they were cooling.
Judy
The photograph of those clementine slices made this a Must Try, with the Clementine cake and the Chocolate Glaze. The cake was wonderful! The glaze was delicious. But, alas, the clementine slices were barely edible--unpleasantly chewy, not very flavorful, not even very pretty. And they required quite a lot of time and energy (mine and the oven's).
stuart
We retested this recipe after reading all of your notes here, and found that the baking time for the clementines was indeed too long. For the best results, bake the slices at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rather than 2 hours. This will give you chewy slices with nice translucency and a striking bright orange color. And if you'd like to get the look of the cake pictured with the recipe, use three or four clementines, rather than two. We've edited the recipe to refl
Rebeca Ugarte
Just one request for a fail safe experience: please specify oven temperature in centigrades as well as farenheit.
I baked clementines at 250 centigrades not realizing I had to make the conversion, the slices became like charcoal.
wkmtca
i think they mean peel the parchment paper off.
Amy H
I followed this procedure for candied slices and it worked beautifully - thank you!
Janice
When I did this using parchment paper on the top, with an additional baking sheet holding things down, the slices came out soggy and droopy.
So I took the top sheet and paper off and returned them to the oven for 10 more minutes. This gave the slices the candied texture I was expecting, albeit with some darkening.
Liz
Made these yesterday and they were delicious! I made them to accompany a chocolate tart and they were the perfect complement in both color and flavor. Texture too. I'll definitely make these again and will likely find a way to create an ice cream recipe with them
kellyB
Do NOT simmer for 2 hours!! I followed this recipe exactly and watched mine carefully every 15 minutes. At 1:00 hour they were orange & perfect, at 1:15 they looked a bit darker but still a nice medium orange color so I didn’t worry too much. At 1:30 they were BURNT AND BROWN! There was still plenty of liquid left in the pan. Massive waste of time and VERY disappointing.
Liz
What temp did you have these at? And was the pot large enough, but deep enough, to contain the liquid? (I used a 4 qt pot). Also, did you use the parchment? I think that helps with boil off. I simmered mine on very low for the full two hours and they came out nicely. Don't mean to judge, just wondering what could have gone wrong.
Sarah Campbell
I’ve made these several times with different fruit. I agree that slicing “as thin as possible” is not a good guideline. If they are too thin they do indeed disintegrate and dry out.
Maria
What kinds of co*cktails would you recommend using the leftover liquid with? Thanks!
anne
I cooked the slices for two hours with the parchment paper- but before I knew it they were all burned. I had it on the lowest heat on the lowest burner.
scout
these are so good! I made them for the clementine cake. They're delicious and not too bitter! even my boyfriend liked them who usually doesn't like candied fruit.
Vanessa
Wish I hadn't put these in the oven! They were gorgeous and orange but after an hour at 250, covered with parchment paper, they are brown but still just as moist. Do they dry out ever to candied fruit consistency?The syrup is amazing though! Can't make to try some co*cktails with it!
Kathy
I have found that letting these cool in the saucepan makes them impossible to get apart, so as soon as they're done simmering, I put them on the silpat.
Beej
Tacky and pliable slices. Insanely tasting. Great for top of cake.
Jesse
Based on the notes from other cooks, I sliced my mandarins a bit thicker (1/4") and also skipped step 2 completely.The slices felt like they were covered in shellac, the sugar glaze was so thick and hard. Once the slices cooled they were almost impossible to cut or chew. We ended up throwing them away, although they looked nice on the top of the clementine cake.People said one could use the leftover syrup for drinks but once it cooled it was too hard for that use. Not sure what went wrong.
Sue
Be sure to read the Notes before you make this. The first time I followed the recipe and the slices were ugly and inedible. Second time, I followed the Notes - did NOT bake them and cut them 1/4" thick. Delicious!
Karhy
Bonus on these: use the left over syrup to sweeten mulled wine. It was delicious.
Wendel
I did not bake mine - they were still delicious and beautiful. Plus, it saved time!
Marqua1
This is the best way to candy citrus! If they are not as dry as you want them to be, leave it in the turned off oven for a little longer until they are.
stuart
We retested this recipe after reading all of your notes here, and found that the baking time for the clementines was indeed too long. For the best results, bake the slices at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rather than 2 hours. This will give you chewy slices with nice translucency and a striking bright orange color. And if you'd like to get the look of the cake pictured with the recipe, use three or four clementines, rather than two. We've edited the recipe to refl
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