Certainly there is nothing more fattening satisfying that a piece of rich, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth fudge. Our family has vacationed in the Great Smoky Mountains area several times, and one thing we never fail to do while there is purchase some of the gourmet handmade fudge from one (or more) of the candy shops. I associate other areas with delicious fudge as well, areas such as Amish Country in Pennsylvania and Ohio and the boardwalk of basically any beach. Where there are tourists, there will be fudge.

I was thrilled to discover that the local Sugar Shak sells handmade fudge just as temptingly mouthwatering as any I’ve gotten while on vacation. But at $3.50 a pound, one can’t help but wonder – can’t I make this stuff at home?

Of course you can, but then you’ll have to use a candy thermometer or a cup of ice water to determine when the mixture reaches the soft ball stage. You’ll have to water down the sides of the pot early on to wash away all the sugar grains so that your fudge won’t be crunchy instead of smooth. Right? Right? Wrong!

I have for your confectionery enjoyment a super easy and fast recipe for peanut butter fudge that produces a fudge equal to any gourmet brand you’ve ever tried. I promise.

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This time of year, when I think of candy recipes, there is really only one that’s worthy of contemplation: bark. Though I adore a good piece of bark, I rarely find myself consuming it before November and after January.

But how many times can you eat the same old peppermint bark? Well, if you’re like me, you can eat it a lot – but that doesn’t mean I don’t want something new! So in honor of this festive candy, here is a bark recipe steeped in Italian culinary tastes for those of you who desire a hiatus from the classic.

I call this recipe Spumoni Mastiff Bark. Get it? Neapolitan Mastiffs are a type of Italian dog that are known for their daunting size, Neapolitan and Spumoni are both ice cream flavors, and plus, dogs bark…. Well, maybe the name isn’t that funny/clever, but that doesn’t mean this recipe isn’t tasty!

This recipe consists of a dark chocolate cherry almond layer coupled with a white chocolate cranberry pistachio layer. Though it may seem complex, don’t let this discourage you! Bark is one of the easiest candies to make.

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To me, there’s no better holiday tradition than overeating without guilt. Stuff your face with extra stuffing? No problem, it’s Thanksgiving. If you can’t fill your gut on Thanksgiving when can you? Devoured that box of chocolate-covered popcorn in one afternoon? Hey, blame the Boy Scouts for delivering it during the middle of the holiday season.

So, continuing with my December sweets blitz, I decided to try another candy recipe to warm my belly on a cold, winter Midwest day. This time, I’ve discovered what may be the easiest ever candy to make from “scratch”: Rolo turtles.

The sharp-eyed reader may have noticed that I put the word “scratch” in quotes. Unlike grocery store sign writers who put the word “chicken” in quotes in their store windows – Fresh “Chicken” only $3 a pound! – I actually know how to use quotes correctly. Now this “from scratch” recipe requires no flour, measuring or mixing. Perfect for the man who hates baking but loves eating.

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Continuing with my family’s attempt to create a frugal yet festive holiday, over the Thanksgiving weekend we decided to make something from scratch. My wife has a collection of old cookbooks, so pulling a Betty Crocker book circa the early 1970s from the shelf, I flipped through the sticky, crumpled pages and found the ‘All-time Favorites’ candy section.

Hmm… what sounds good: Fondant-stuffed dates? Spicy sugared nuts? Ting-a-lings? We voted for lollipops. With only six ingredients (including the stick) what could go wrong?

Well, plenty, especially if you happen to like your pots and pans.

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In my house, the holidays spell candy in a big way. When I was a kid, we’d start making Christmas candy a week or two before Christmas. Now that I have two children with birthdays in early and mid December, we basically have one big party from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

This year, mainly because of my new Candy Addict status, we decided to begin the candy making before Thanksgiving. I’d like to share a simple recipe with you, and maybe you’d like to start a new family tradition on this Thanksgiving Day. A tradition worthy of a true Candy Addict. Forget football – make candy after dinner!

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