Winter break is the time to break out the flannel pajamas, hot chocolate, and hours of mindless television. For me, vacation means lots and lots of cooking and winter is especially perfect for citrus fruits. Lemon, grapefruit, and orange treats can really brighten up a cold and grey afternoon. Best of all, it’s easy to make some sweet goodies without doing too much damage to your waistline. Here are some of my favorites with a special bonus-you’ll use all of the parts of the fruit and minimize waste while being good to your body.
Lemon curd is a sweet and sour spread made with lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and butter. It’s decadent, but a little goes a long way. Use it to add brightness on scones or toast, mix it into light whipped topping for a creamy treat, or if you’re like me, eat it on it’s own, one small spoonful a day. Lemon curd also makes a great base for lemon meringue pie and lemon squares.
Candied orange and grapefruit peels are a great way to use up peels after you’ve eaten the fruit. Make sure to cut the peel off the fruit before you eat it, preferably in ½ inch wide strips. This candy is incredibly simple, but it does take some time, so save it for a blustery day. Feel free to play around with different spice mixtures in the rolling sugar, or dip the finished candies in dark chocolate for an elegant desert.
Light yogurt cake is moist and great served warm. This recipe is adapted to have less fat without sacrificing flavor. You can use any citrus zest you want; I’ve made this cake with lemon and orange and both are fabulous. Serve toasted with a little lemon curd spread on top for a bright morning breakfast.
Check out the following pages for recipes and happy cooking!
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Lemon Curd (makes about 3 cups)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Feel free to add less butter if your curd is thickening nicely with only half a stick. Just make sure to cook it for a minute longer, whisking constantly, to get the right consistency.
2/3 cups lemon juice
2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
¾ stick butter cut into pats
In a small saucepan bring a cup of water to a simmer. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, and sugar. Place the separate bowl over the saucepan (this is a technique known as double boiling) and begin whisking the mixture. After about four minutes, it should start to thicken very slightly. When it does, start adding pats of butter, one or two at a time, while whisking. Whisk and cook until the curd is as set as you like. Transfer to a jar and let cool before refrigerating.
Use Up The Fruit!
Peel or zest the lemon before juicing. The zest can be used in the yogurt cake, or the sliced peel can be made candied by using the recipe below.
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Candied Grapefruit or Orange Peel
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: a few hours
1 large grapefruit or 2 medium oranges
2 cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
Using a very sharp knife, carefully cut the peel off the fruit, trying to get as little white pith as possible. Cut into ½ inch strips. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. When it’s rolling, add the peels and boil for 5 minutes. This removes bitterness from the pith. Drain the peels and repeat twice more.
In a large saucepan heat the water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and add the peels, stirring occasionally. If the mixture starts to bubble, add more water. Cook until the peel is translucent, which can be 45 minutes to two hours. Transfer to a drying rack placed over a cookie sheet, and let cool. While still sticky, roll the candied peel in extra sugar, which can be flavored however you like.
Use Up The Fruit!
Juice the fruits after for a tasty drink, cut into wedges and eat, or use the juice to make any kind of citrus curd-substitute for lemon juice in the recipe above.
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Citrus Yogurt Cake (makes one loaf)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
The most standard flavoring for this cake is lemon, but it would be great with orange, grapefruit, or even lime. Feel free to play around with the ratios-if you’d like exclude the eggs or processed sugar, add ¼ cup more applesauce and a ¼ teaspoon more baking powder, and feel free to substitute honey or maple syrup for white sugar.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In the bowl of your mixer or in a mixing bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar (if not using white sugar, mix the lemon zest with the dry ingredients and the honey or syrup with the wet ingredients). Add in the oil, yogurt, egg, applesauce, and vanilla. Whisk to blend together, then fold in the dry ingredients until there are no lumps.
Coat a 9X11 inch pan with a touch of vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the batter, smooth the top, and bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
Use Up The Fruit!
Feel free to fold some chopped candied citrus peels into the batter for some textural contrast. Use any juice from the fruit mixed with sugar and cream cheese for a silky glaze to go over the cake.