Little jewels with a sugar coat

Gumdrops are the candy equivalent of costume jewelry: bright, chewy, dome-shaped gems rolled in a crust of coarse sugar. They are made from a firm gel, historically thickened with starch or gum, then dusted so they glitter and do not stick together. That combination of a slightly chewy interior and a crunchy, sparkling shell is what gives gumdrops their particular old-fashioned charm. February 15 hands this classic penny-candy sweet its own quiet holiday. It is the kind of candy that has sat in glass jars on shop counters for generations, quietly outlasting flashier trends.

Two very different flavor families

The word gumdrop actually covers two distinct experiences, and today is a good time to taste both. The familiar fruit gumdrops come in bright cherry, orange, and lemon, all sweet and approachable. Their cousins, spice drops, are a more grown-up throwback, flavored with clove, cinnamon, and anise, the kind of flavors that show up in old holiday recipes. If you only know the fruit kind, a bag of spice drops is a small trip back in time, and worth the detour for the flavor alone.

The ultimate building block

Few candies are as fun to build with as the gumdrop. Their firm, tacky bodies hold a toothpick perfectly, which makes them a classic material for edible engineering: connect them into geometric sculptures, spans, and towers, or press them onto a leftover gingerbread house as colorful shingles. It is an ideal rainy-afternoon project with kids, part craft and part snack. Threaded onto string with a needle, they also become a cheerful garland for a party or a bedroom.

The gumdrop is a candy and a construction material, which is more than most sweets can claim.

Bake with them, too

Gumdrops earn their keep in the kitchen as well. Snipped into small pieces, they fold into cookie doughs and old-fashioned gumdrop nougat bars, where they stay chewy and scatter little bursts of color and flavor throughout. They also make a bright topping for frosted cupcakes and a cheerful stir-in for a rocky-road style bark. The one trick worth knowing is to keep your scissors or knife dusted with powdered sugar, because gumdrops are relentlessly sticky once you cut into them. Whether you eat them straight from a glass jar, build a candy tower, or bake them into something, February 15 is a reminder that some of the simplest, oldest candies are still some of the most fun.

How to celebrate

  1. 1
    Know fruit from spice

    Gumdrops split into two camps: bright fruit flavors and the darker spice drops tasting of clove, cinnamon, and anise. Buy both and taste the difference. The spice versions are an old-fashioned flavor worth rediscovering.

  2. 2
    Build something with the kids

    Gumdrops are a craft staple for a reason. Use toothpicks to connect them into geometric sculptures, or press them onto a gingerbread house left over from the holidays. It is edible engineering for a rainy afternoon.

  3. 3
    Bake gumdrop cookies

    Snip gumdrops into small pieces and fold them into a simple cookie or nougat bar dough. They stay chewy and add bursts of color and flavor. Dust your scissors with powdered sugar to stop the sticking.

  4. 4
    Make a candy garland

    Thread gumdrops onto a string with a needle to make a colorful garland for a party or a child's room. It is a cheap, cheerful decoration. Just keep it out of reach if you want it to last.