Heading up to the holidays, Susan Tromley enters a world of baking sheets and pans, mixing bowls, spatulas and whisks, and rolling pins. Her goal: to make a candy buffet filled with hundreds of homemade sweet treats by Christmas Eve. One day, she’s molding chocolate and peanut butter fudge. Next, she’s spending an evening creating caramel fudge and chocolate scotcheroos, then a weekend twisting pretzel-based creations.
“I have a strict rule about not eating anything, but if it’s a new flavor, I’ll have a taste just to be sure,” she admits.
Her introduction to candy baking came from her grandmother, Mae Simpson, whose confections included fudge, peanut brittle, and divinity. Tromley’s process has evolved since the 1990s, starting with a few simple recipes she took to Christmas Eve celebrations at the Darmstadt home of her parents, Gloria and Edwin Lutz. Since 2016, Tromley and her husband, Patrick, have hosted the annual family celebration for up to 30 people.
She does most of the work herself, with Patrick occasionally stirring a fudge mixture. “It gets easier every year, but for others, it must seem overwhelming,” Tromley says. “I print out a blank calendar and fill in each day with what I’m going to make.” That calendar lists more than 40 types of sweets, which she spends 5-8 hours on per day. She starts with the most time-consuming confection — hot chocolate bombs, or spheres of hardened chocolate filled with smaller treats — and prioritizes chocolates that freeze well. “I want all my candy to be as fresh as possible,” she says.
She finds inspiration online, swapping new recipes and confections to replace those left untouched the previous year. There always are at least 10 fudge flavors, including gingerbread, snickerdoodle, fluffernutter, cookie dough, salted caramel, and mint Oreo. Last year’s addition of sugar cookie was a hit, but her favorite fudge is filled with bits of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. “Ask anyone else, and they’ll tell you something different” was their favorite, Tromley says.
What else fills the candy buffet? Think coconut balls with snowy frosting or Nutella-Ritz cracker sandwiches surrounded by white chocolate. Reese’s or York Thins between two Ritz crackers and covered in chocolate create a sweet sandwich. Bark flavors range from cinnamon, lemon, and butterscotch to peppermint and salted caramel pretzel.
Tromley also uses Oreos to create candy ornaments, one of which features Santa’s face decorated with a red M&M nose and red frosting and sprinkles topped with a miniature marshmallow resembling a hat. Biscoff cookies or melted wafers become pine trees with white and brown frosting and a golden star sprinkle. She also makes Christmas trees using miniature and regular Reese’s cups stacked upside down with a Hershey’s Kiss on top. Candy staples like peppermint patties, chocolate suckers, marshmallow puffs, brittles, clusters, and truffles also stock the buffet. Tromley does not keep her recipes a secret, allowing friends to follow her journey on social media each holiday season.
Cleanup and storage consume the most time, but Tromley says it’s worth it. Once family members eat their way through most of the sweet treats, she gifts the remaining candies to neighbors and friends. “Many of these candies have lots of steps,” she says. “As I am making these, I feel artistic and creative. I love seeing the joy on my family’s faces.”
Enjoy these holiday candy recipes from Susan Tromley!
Black Tie Truffles
Cook time: 20 minutes (does not include refrigeration time)
Yields 24 servings
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp instant coffee
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and divided
Sprinkles to garnish
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and instant coffee until smooth. Stir in 3 cups melted chocolate and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls. Dip in remaining melted chocolate and garnish with sprinkles. Allow to set. Store in refrigerator until serving.
3. Susan recommends adding a little bit of water to the instant coffee before mixing it in with cream cheese and using melted Ghirardelli chocolate chips.
Peppermint Patties
Cook time: 20 minutes, plus chilling
Yields five dozen
Ingredients:
3 and 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp butter, softened
2-3 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp evaporated milk
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp shortening
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Add evaporated milk and mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Flatten with a glass to quarter-inch thickness. Cover and freeze for 30 minutes.
2. Microwave chocolate chips and shortening on high until melted; stir until smooth. Dip patties, allowing excess to drip off. Place on wax paper; let stand until set.
3. Susan recommends flattening the balls before putting them in the freezer, or just putting them in the freezer a couple of minutes before flattening.
