Growing up, we rarely had candy in the house. Pies and cookies on special occasions, yes, and chocolate chips stashed in the cupboard, but I honestly can't remember seeing a candy wrapper in the house for the first twelve or so years of my life. Probably because of that, I seldom craved candy—except chocolate, lots of chocolate—as an adult. That is, until I tried making candy at home. While the occasional store-bought candy I tried tasted fake and uninspired, the confections that came from my kitchen surprised me with their rich flavors and satisfying textures. Peppermint patties that had the fresh, crisp bite of a wintery morning; salted caramels that dissolved in buttery bliss on my tongue; candy corn that actually had flavor!
I had discovered a whole new, delightful culinary genre. The only problem was that at the same time that I was discovering the joys of homemade candy, I was also discovering that my body does not respond well to dairy or sugar (I had long since discovered that gluten was a problem). So there I was, in the middle of writing a cookbook on candy, and trying my darndest to avoid all sugar and dairy products, which meant depending almost entirely on family and coworkers to taste test my creations. As I lamented this ironic situation to friends, more and more folks told me that they, too, were unable to properly digest and metabolize sugar, gluten, dairy, or some combination of those things. I decided it was time for a little further experimentation. As a result, you'll see that many of the recipes in this book include notes for ways to make these candies dairy-free, and/or gluten-free, and I've included a section on alternative sweeteners (page xi).
That said, people don't eat candy to be healthy! Candy is an indulgence, a celebration of life's sweetness, and for many people a reminder of childhood pleasures. I hope that the candies in this book evoke memories of colorful candy shops, carnivals, and birthday parties. And I hope they inspire more people to create new memories of cooking with friends and family and experimenting with all the colors, flavors, and textures involved in making candy.
—Abigail R. Gehring
“It is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all.”
—Laura Ingalls Wilder