Holiday treats that everyone can eat

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the winter solstice, chances are December is a holiday month. And with holidays come festive treats, many of them full of gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, or other foods that you and your family might not be able to eat. Food allergies and intolerances don’t have to prevent you from enjoying traditional holiday treats!

One option is to adapt family recipes. I have adapted the recipe for cucidati, an Italian fig cookie that is a family tradition. The filling includes dried fruits, an orange, jam, and sugar, and no one misses the small amount of walnuts that I exclude from the original recipe. The dough part of the cookie that wraps around the filling can be effectively made with gluten-free flour blend and an egg replacer product like this one: https://www.ener-g.com/products/egg-replacer.

Another option is to make recipes that are naturally free of those foods you need to exclude. A great example is another family tradition: candied grapefruit peels. I have also made this recipe with orange peels and it would probably work for other types of citrus. Try the original recipe first, though – people who don’t even like grapefruit like these! They are a treat after a heavy meal, when you don’t have much room in your stomach but still want a little something sweet.

Photo courtesy of David Lebovitz on flickr

I found this recipe in Eating Well magazine (which is now defunct) many years ago. I have made it for Christmas every year for at least 20 years. If you can find coarse sugar it makes the peels more attractive, but regular granulated sugar works fine, too.

Candied Grapefruit Peels

3 grapefruit (pink ones are especially nice)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup coarse sugar like crystal or sanding sugar (I have found this at craft stores like Michael’s) or more granulated sugar

Thoroughly scrub grapefruit with warm water and rub them dry. Divide the peel of each grapefruit into 4 segments by inserting a sharp knife just to the flesh and making 4 equidistant longitudinal lines. Carefully peel back the quarters to remove the peel (including white pith) in one piece. Reserve the flesh for another use – I  like to make a grapefruit, radish and scallion salad for dinner that night! Following the contour of the peel, cut each quarter into 6 or 8 lengthwise strips.

Photo courtesy of RosieTulips on flickr

Put the peels in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, blanch for 1 minute and drain. Repeat this step 2 more times.

In a large saucepan, combine granulated sugar, lemon juice and blanched peels. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Simmer, stirring frequently, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated, 30 to 45 minutes. With tongs, transfer the peels to a wire rack and let cool for several hours.

Spread coarse sugar in a shallow dish and roll each strip of peel in the sugar, shaking off excess.  The peels can then be stored in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer, in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. They have never lasted that long at my house!

Makes about 6-7 dozen strips of candied peel.

Lisa Scandale Lewis, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE is a professional nurse educator and an avid recreational cook. She lives in Durham, NC.