“Growing up, making homemade Christmas candy with my cousins was a cherished event in my family, filled with fun and laughter,” says Hope for Women publisher, Angelia White.
The art of making homemade candy was taught to Angelia and the women and the girls in her family by her grandmother, _____, who hailed from Central City, Kentucky. “That’s about all she can afford. There were too many of us with 11 children and their children.”
White’s family made chocolate and peanut butter fudge, which is relatively easy to prepare and requires basic pantry staples such as sugar, butter, and milk. There are many questions surrounding the origins of fudge, but one of the most plausible answers is that it is a dryer version of fondant. More interesting is that the term fudge is potentially older than the treat, and is described as the practice of casually throwing something together. And that pretty much sums up the process of making fudge.
Visiting the Ebony magazine archives, the December 1973 issue’s “Date with a Dish” column featured homemade candy recipes with a Christmas theme. Included are two recipes for fudge.
(Read the December 1979 issue to find more homemade Christmas candy recipes.)
Making homemade candy, especially during the holidays, is not a thing of the past or a relic. There are Black women who are home confectioners, making candy for fun and for family. Here are a couple.
Precious Simons, Wellington FL @bakedbyprecious
https://www.instagram.com/share/BAOw6fabpN
https://www.instagram.com/share/BADrAK4vAK
Pralines are a Louisiana tradition for some home cooks like Dee Gaston of @deegastonfoodblog
https://www.instagram.com/share/BAIajmB8oZ
And there’s @mysugarbelle out of Baton Rouge, LA, who makes pralines based on her grandmother’s recipe.
https://www.instagram.com/share/_f1Bvezx4
White says, “Although I don’t make it now, those memories always remind me of the joy and love of the holiday season.”
Making candy should bring as much joy as eating it. Tag Black Southern Belle with your creations.
Robin Caldwell
Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.
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Robin Caldwell is the blogger behind freshandfriedhard.com and academic researcher focusing on Black history, heritage and culture. Public historian primarily in Black American historical foodways: antebellum and regional.
