Visions of Sugarplums- Easy Last Minute Extras for a Little Holiday Shimmer.

Once you're cutting things up and candying them and tossing them in a shimmer of sugar, it's hard to stop. It couldn't be easier (or less expensive). Sweet translucent frost-kissed anything is festive. And ridiculously impressive - get used to hearing a little gasp and "you made those?" 

Here are some things we have lying around we decided to candy:

Very little work and a half hour of gentle and fragrant simmering, and they are ready to decorate desserts, trays, or just have a bite of of something sweet and flavorful with a coffee or tea.

(Although perhaps it is as cocktail garnishes that they shine the very brightest.)

What we need:

Anything that might hold its shape in a slow boil in sugar water, such as- ginger matchsticks, thick slices of sweet potato, slices of citrus like lemon, lime, orange, or pommelo. 

sugar

water

For citrus:

That white pith is intruigingly bitter- so much so that even three blanchings will not get all of it out. Cover the slices with cold water, bring to a boil, drain, and repeat another two times.There will still be plenty of flavor and character left.

For ginger:

Peel the roots, slice thin, stack slices, and cut into matchsticks. If  the ginger is very tender, you can slice it into coins instead.

For sweet potatoes-

Just peel and slice thickly. But they need something to pick up their flavor- cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, hole peppercorn, some ginger- any or all  of these things, plus some salt.

1. Make a generous bath of 1 part sugar to 1 part water by volume. Try this- pour the sugar into the middle of a saucepan, and the water around it- so that no sugar crystals are touching the sides of the pan.

2. Let it come to the boil and add your citrus, ginger, or potato (with the aromatics and a good pinch of salt).

3. Boil slowly until tender, and the syrup- now rich with flavor- has cooked down and thickened to a sheen.

4. Strain in a fine mesh strainer, letting the syrup drain back into the pot.

5. Put on a rack to dry out a little.

6. Toss in sugar- or not. The first have sparkle, and the second a beautiful sheen. Citrus slices will not loose all their stickiness, but the sweet potatoes will take on a matte frost over time. They are a lovely surprise- meaty and sweet and kind of like chestnuts.

7. Save the syrups to play with cocktails- the citrus in particular has a sophisticated bitter edge, and the ginger is full of heat.