Paper packages tied up with string

When I was a kid, my mom collected Christmas tins. Collected maybe isn't the best word for it, because she basically just acquired them in order to give them away again, filled with fudge and other treats. My version of her tradition is a bit more involved, but the idea of giving away a box of sugar-y goodies is still the same.

{candy, ready for giving}

I usually devote an entire day to the candy-making, and another day to the candy-cutting, packaging, and wrapping. This year, candy weekend fell on a very busy weekend (and my candy thermometer broke!) so the candy-making was squished into pockets of time over three days and the box-making portion was from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on a school night. oops. Even when the process is a bit harried, making candy boxes is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

This year I made:

- peanut butter fudge
- chocolate fudge (with and without walnuts)
- aunt bill's brown candy (or praline fudge, if you're fancy)
- salted caramels
- peppermint marshmallows
- pumpkin pie marshmallows*

Add a jar of homemade apple butter (made and canned back in October) and my gift-giving is nearly taken care of.

{homemade apple butter}

*not pictured, recipe coming soon here.