When I was a kid, Christmas was all about the presents. But as I matured, I began to pay attention to more important aspects of the holiday—that’s right, candy.
By mid-December each year, my mom would be in full-on treat-making mode. She whipped up homemade English toffee, handcrafted pralines, painstakingly shaped coconut balls and vanilla fudge with candied cherries of unnatural hues. And there were…