Free Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable by Anita Chu

de fruits in the 16th century. Today this city is still famous for the quality of its confections.
    Serving Suggestions:
    Pâtes de fruits are traditional petits fours in fine restaurants. You can serve them with truffles after dinner.
    Candy-Making Notes:
    The proportions of fruit, sugar, and pectin are key to ensuring that the mixture sets properly. If you wantto use other fruits, you may need to experiment and adjust the amounts to achieve the perfect consistency.
    Recipe:
    1 cup raspberries
    1½ teaspoons apple pectin
    2½ tablespoons plus 1½ cups sugar
    ¼ cup corn syrup
    1¼ teaspoons tartaric acid
    1.
Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
    2.
Puree the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain into a saucepan and cook over high heat until it begins to simmer.
    3.
Combine the apple pectin and 2½ tablespoons sugar. Add to the raspberry mixture and cook until it reaches a boil.
    4.
Add the remaining sugar and corn syrup, and cook mixture until it reaches 225°F.
    5.
Remove from heat and stir in tartaric acid. Let it cool.
    6.
Run the blade of a knife all around the edges to help loosen it from the pan. Cut pâtes de fruits into 1-inch squares and roll in sugar to coat.
    Yield:
    About 60 candies
    Storage:
    Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

STUFFED DATES
    General Description:
    These simple candies make one of the sweetest fruits even more delectable . Dates stuffed with fillings—savory or sweet—are a common dish in the Middle East and northern Africa. One of the most popular fillings is marzipan ; the nutty paste complements the intense honeyed sweetness of the date. In Algeria the marizpan is often tinted green. These little sweetmeats are enjoyed as a healthy snack, elegant hors d’oeuvre, or simple dessert.
    History:
    The date palm is one of the most ancient plants on earth, and one of humanity’s first sources of food. It originated in the Middle East and has played an essential role in the region’s history and culture; dates are mentioned numerous times in the Quran and are traditionally eaten by Muslims to break their fast during the month of Ramadan. The ancient Arabs introduced the date palm to northern Africa and southeast Asia, where dates have become an integral part of the cuisine. They are also commonly served at Jewish holidays.
    Serving Suggestions:
    This is an easy way to use your homemade marzipan , but store-bought marzipan works just as well. Serve stuffed dates as hors d’oeuvres or a sweet ending to an exotic meal.
    Candy-Making Notes:
    Dates have high natural sugar content. However, their textures and flavors vary; experiment to find your favorite. Medjool dates are commonly found in North America. Large, plump fruits are easier to stuff.
    Recipe:
    10 ounces marzipan
    2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
    1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or orange extract
    12 large dates
    1.
Combine marzipan, confectioners’ sugar, and Grand Marnier in a food processor.
    2.
Slit the dates lengthwise, cutting nearly but not all the way through each date. Remove the pits.
    3.
Pinch off pieces of the marzipan mixture and form into 1½-inch logs. Press the logs into the dates, letting the filling show at the top.
    Yield:
    12 dates
    Storage:
    Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Marzipan and dates can keep for weeks if stored separately.

SUGARPLUMS
    General Description:
    When visions of sugarplums dance in children’s heads, it would be interesting to know exactly what sugarplums they dream of . Historically, the term sugarplum has referred to a wide variety of candies; the most recent confections to hold this name are soft, sticky balls of dried fruits and nuts, often rolled in shredded coconut or confectioners’ sugar. They do not necessarily contain plums. Sometimes these candies are known as fruit-and-nut balls .
    History:
    The word sugarplum was first recorded in 1668 and used to describe small, oval, sugar-coated seeds. It may have been a general