‘Sweet’ dreams can come true

Twelve Days of Candy-Making — Day 1

Create memories your families and friends will savor for years to come

Young Clara in E.T.A. Hoffman’s Christmas tale “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” has a deliciously lovely dream where her beloved nutcracker — a gift from her godfather Herr Drosselmeyer — turns into a prince who takes her on a journey to the Land of Snow, an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes. As her dream progresses, the prince escorts her farther to the Kingdom of Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy reigns as queen.

Mmmmmm. What a scrumptiously delightful impression the story conjures — creating visions of ambrosial treats that we can see in our mind’s eye and savor with the taste buds of our imagination. There’s only one thing better than stepping into such a delectable fantasy — that is making your own yummy holiday sweets and, in the process, creating equally sweet memories for your families and friends.

Three candy-makers from the St. Cloud Diocese — which has recently welcomed “dancing snowflakes,” literally, and become a “Land of Snow” — share “enchanting” recipes and “sugarcoated” wisdom to help you assemble your own “Kingdom of Sweets.”

Ruth Catherine Peters, a member of St. Boniface Parish in Cold Spring; Cyndi Schulzetenberge, a parishioner at St. Michael’s in Spring Hill; and Jean Zwilling, a member of the Five Parish Faith Community of parishes in Opole, St. Anna, St. Wendel and Holdingford, have provided a candy-making recipe feast fit for a king or queen (and all of us in the St. Cloud Diocese.)

Here are a few suggestions for candy makers:

• Use a heavy saucepan — one that is larger than you think you will need.

• Use a candy thermometer, if possible. Always make sure the thermometer bulb is in the boiling mixture, but does not touch the bottom of the pan.

• If you don’t have a candy thermometer, consult a chart for cold-water tests to determine the approximate temperature of the sugar syrup.

• Flat wooden spatulas are good for stirring. Do not touch the sides of the kettle with them, only the bottom.

• Watch candy carefully, especially during the last few minutes of cooking — temperatures rise quickly at the end. Medium heat is a good choice — it can be lowered or raised slightly to adjust.

• For best results, don’t double a recipe or make ingredient substitutions.

• Allow yourself plenty of time when making candy — it often takes a long time to cook and requires a great deal of stirring.

A note from Carol: This entry and many of the upcoming recipes were originally published in the Dec. 13, 2007, edition of The Visitor as part of my Breaking Bread column titled “Sweet Treats and Holiday Traditions.” Visitor staff writer/photographer Sue Schulzetenberg took the picture of Jean Zwilling’s delightful tray of Christmas goodies. (By the way, even though their names are spelled differently, Cyndi Schulzetenberge is Sue’s aunt.)