Candied Cuties

*Thank you Cuties for sponsoring this post. Regardless I only recommend brands and products I truly love and all opinions are my own.

After the holidays comes… the time of year where everything is grey and cold and blah. So when January rolls around every year I really make an effort to find ways to brighten up our days. And one way to brighten up any day is to throw in words like candy and cutie right? Well When I say Cuties I’m talking about a favorite bright snack in our house – you know, the delicious little citrus fruit that comes from bright, sunny California groves. My kids are obsessed with them, my husband and I are as well, and they are the perfect snack to keep around the house. They are sweet, seedless, and the perfect size for my kids (and for me)! Since we are constantly snacking on Cuties, I figured the one thing we could do to sweeten them up even more was to make candied cuties! And let me tell you – these did not disappoint. And not only are they the perfect ‘special treat’ for bribing my kids with, but they are great for little gifts, canning, adding to drinks, or even valentine’s! Think a few of these in a bag with a tag that says “you’re a cutie!” – it would be so cute!

But since it’s not Valentine’s yet I didn’t go there and stuck with just making the candied cuties and eating them around the house with the kids. Want to give making these yourselves a hand? Well I’ll lay it all out for you!

Here’s what you need:

4-5 Cuties, peel on
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Sugar

Here’s what you do:

1) Slice Cuties, discarding of ends while boiling a pot of water. Set aside a bowl of ice water.

2) Drop slices into boiling water, boil for one minute, then place slices in ice water bowl.

3) In a saucepan add 2 cups water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring in sugar until dissolved into water. Reduce heat until at a simmer and add the Cuties slices in a single layer. Simmer for 55-60 minutes.

4) Transfer slices to a cooling rack and sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Allow to cool for at least 24 hours.

These turned out so good and the kids loved helping! Well really they just ate Cuties while I cooked but they didn’t complain so I count it as a success!

What are some of your favorite recipes this time of year? I’d love to hear more below!