Written by Josalyn McAllister of Deliciously Domestic.

When I was growing up my mother would make candy to give to our friends and family during the Holiday season. It started out simple: Caramel, Toffee. Chocolate covered nuts. Gradually she added chocolate truffles, peanut butter balls, dipped caramels. Since I’ve moved out she makes even more. Homemade marshmallows, vanilla bean creams, toasted coconuts, all kinds of fruit creams. Walking into my mom’s kitchen at Christmas is like walking into a high end chocolate shop.

When I began teaching school, I was shocked by the competitive gift giving I was barraged with during the Holidays. I taught in an upscale neighborhood and it seemed that the whole point of the last days of school before break was to see who could bring me the most impressive, elaborate, thoughtful gift. It was massively entertaining.

As is inevitable in these schools, there were a few kids who didn’t have the money to compete with the ostentatious spending that was going on. It was one of these boys who brought me a small box on the day before break. He was almost embarrassed to hand it to me and timed his approach when the other students would be paying the least attention. I gave him a huge smile and thanked him sincerely.

As he was returning quickly to his seat I opened the box. Inside was an assortment of homemade candies just like my mother makes. My eyes filled with tears, as I wasn’t able to go home that year for Christmas. I followed the boy to his desk and thanked him again and again for his thoughtful and incredibly delicious gift. The other children were bewildered how such a humble gift could win the unofficial contest, but I just smiled and refused to share any chocolates with them. Bwahaha.

Many people are intimidated by candy making. Tempering chocolate and carefully watching the temperatures on a candy thermometer scare them away. Don’t be frightened!! Here’s a round-up of the Daring Kitchen’s easiest candy recipes for you to try.

Gumdrop Fudge from Eleisia Whitney of Moms… in a blog. Pictured at the top of this article, this homemade fudge is absolutely adorable and just perfect for the holiday season. Simple to make and so festive!

Cookies N Cream Truffles from Deliciously Domestic. These are perfect if you want to try dipping chocolates but have never done it before. The filling is quick, easy and inexpensive.

NoNo’s from Deliciously Domestic. These are my personal favorite from my family recipe arsenal. They are easy and delicious and very, very rich. Not for the faint of chocolate loving-ness.

Peanut Butter Balls from Deliciously Domestic. Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Need more be said? You’ll be so surprised at how easy these are to make.

Coconut Truffles from Reckless Baking. These are easily made with sweetened condensed milk and have a surprise almond in the middle!

Peppermint Patties at La Buona Cucina Chocolate and mint is a traditional holiday combination and my husband’s favorite. These will definitely be making it into my holiday repertoire this year.

Marshmallow Ribbon Candy from Bubble and Sweet. All the beauty of ribbon candy and none of the flavor! Although ribbon candy is popular at this time of year and many people like it a lot, for most of us it sits in decorative dishes and then gets thrown in the trash after New Years. This will definitely be consumed before then.

Almond Flakes Brittle from My Colourful Journey in the Kitchen Beautiful, sweet and crunchy, brittle is easy to make and is perfect for handing out to family and friends as a gift.

Potato Candy from Abby Sweets. Yes, you heard me, potato! This is so intriguing that you just have to try it; an unexpected and delightful addition to any holiday candy repertoire. As an added bonus, it’s amazingly cheap to make. You probably have everything you need already in your pantry.

Almond Joy Bark from Baker’s Notebook. Barks tend to be a staple during the holidays. I personally, get a little sick of the traditional candy cane bark (although my husband never will). I thought this was such a great idea for a twist on a classic.

Chocolate Almond Buttercrunch Toffee by Baked Alaska. I just love toffee with chocolate coating. I like it even better when it isn’t cooked properly and is a little granulated. This toffee recipe is a win, if for no other reason than the word ‘butter’ in the title. Yum.

Honeycomb by Purple Cookie. A homemade version of the popular candy from the UK and Australia. My siblings and I used to anxiously await the annual Christmas package from our English relatives that included, among other things, this delicious candy.

Cappuccino Marshmallows from My Sweet Gems. I think we all get nostalgic at this time of year for the tastes of our childhood. Hot chocolate is a big one for me. I love the idea of putting beautiful, homemade flavored marshmallows in a cup of hot cocoa. Delicious.

Chocolate Praline Bark from The Capitol Baker. This recipe is unique in that his has pieces of matzah in it. It looks beautiful and complicated, but it relatively simple to make.

Mango Meringues from Purple Cookie. Meringues: candy or cookie? When they are as adorable as these I think they definitely qualify as candy. These are a delicious twist on a classic holiday sweet.

What's your favorite holiday candy? Tell us in comments!