This is an Olde World candy recipe.
My Northern Italian mother Luigia gave it to me.
As a young girl Luigia's family was so poor that a fresh orange on Christmas morning was unbelievably the highlight of the year. She spoke to me often how there would be a small tree in the kitchen and her father would light the half dozen real wax candles affixed it its branches. Luigia and her three siblings would watch the dancing flames for a few magical minutes before extinguishing them so they could be enjoyed for several nights.
In order to make best use of this rare and expensive fruit last for more than 5 minutes the peel was cut into strips, cooked in a sugar syrup and rolled in sugar. The process served as a form of preservation as well as flavor. This recipe uses two whole oranges to make 32 chewy sweet treats.
