On a fun Christmas stroll yesterday, my daughter and I collected grapefruit, oranges and lemons from neighborhood trees whose laden branches bent enticingly over the sidewalk. Our arms full, we decided to make candied citrus peel (which we love to nibble by itself or chop up and put into biscotti and homemade ice cream) and citrus curd from our colorful bounty. Last night we halved the fruit and juiced it; then we blanched the peels. The house smelled fabulous. Today we’ll candy the peels and make a tangy curd from the mixed juices, which I’ll probably bake up in a dark chocolate tart shell for a family dinner tomorrow night (garnished prettily with a handful of the chopped candied peel).
Here’s a good recipe for candied citrus rind if you’d like to try your hand at this sweet treat – it’s very easy to make.
http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Culinate+Kitchen/Desserts/candied_citrus_peel
