21 candied peel recipes

"This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock."

This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.

This holiday fruitcake recipe may change your mind about fruitcakes. Golden, buttery, and chock full of fruits and nuts make this delicious from the first bite to the last.

This old fashioned fruit cake is a classic. Candied fruits, rum, molasses and all kinds of spices make the cake rich in flavor.

Crispy Spanish olive oil cookies spiced with anise, cinnamon, and sesame seeds, finished with sliced almonds. Egg-free, dairy-free, and fragrant with lemon and white wine.

Baci di Dama are Italian "lady's kisses": delicate ground almond cookies with candied orange peel, sandwiched together with melted chocolate. Gluten-light, flourless-forward, and elegant enough for gifting.

Traditional Panforte di Siena with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, candied orange peel, citron, cocoa, and honey syrup cooked to soft ball stage. A dense Italian Christmas confection.

Traditional Tuscan cavallucci spice cookies built from a hot sugar syrup kneaded with walnuts, candied orange peel, and warm spices like clove, anise, and cinnamon. Chewy, perfumed, and unmistakably medieval.

A lighter, golden fruitcake with apricots, golden raisins, candied orange peel, and walnuts in a buttery brandy batter. Baked in decorative molds for a gorgeous holiday centerpiece.

Old-fashioned unleavened seed cake with caraway seeds, candied orange peel, mace, and chopped nuts. No baking powder needed, whipped egg whites provide the lift.

Flaky phyllo spirals filled with walnuts, pistachios, candied orange peel, and orange blossom water, baked golden and soaked in lemon syrup. A baklava-style treat that makes about 42 pieces.

Orange butter cakes are petite tartlet-tin cakes perfumed with Grand Marnier and candied orange peel, then dipped in orange liqueur glaze. Elegant 36-cake batch for gifts or a holiday tray.

Timing Tip: Can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. Decorate up to 8 hours ahead. Calorie Trimmer: Use reduced-calorie margarine, vanilla nonfat frozen dessert instead of the ice cream and 2 cups thawed frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping for garnish.

Mazurka cookie bars with an almond shortbread base topped with a fruity filling of apricots, figs, raisins, walnuts, and candied orange peel, finished with powdered sugar icing.

Cucidati, the traditional Sicilian Christmas fig cookies, with a rich filling of figs, raisins, nuts, chocolate and rum wrapped in tender pastry, shaped into slashed horseshoes and dusted with sugar.

Hot Cross Buns are a classic Easter treat, fragrant with warm spices and studded with juicy raisins. Fresh from the oven, their golden crust, tender crumb, and glossy glaze make them irresistible. This recipe yields soft, fluffy buns that are easy to prepare, perfect for a festive breakfast or afternoon tea. With clear steps and pro tips, you’ll create a batch of 12 buns to share with family and friends.