Sweet Treats from the Tropics

Valentine's Day typically conjures up images of flowers, candy, perfume and, hopefully, dinner on the town. Whether your valentine is a husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, sibling or your kids, everyone appreciates a gift that has your personal stamp on it. This year, step out of the traditional box of chocolates and instead make your valentine some super-easy candy that transports that person to the tropics. It's a unique way to say "I love you" and much less expensive than an island vacation.

The basic ingredient for making tropical-themed candy is the Caribbean Red Papaya from Brooks Tropicals. Available year-round, this sturdy fruit lends itself beautifully to candy making because of its stunning coral color. Its somewhat mild flavor also means it easily blends with other ingredients. One of the tricks to using fresh papaya to make candy is to first transform its texture. Drying papaya removes the juicy, moist texture we typically love, but in a dried form it can be used to create a chocolate lover's favorite: truffles.

These are not just any ordinary truffles, but rich-tasting morsels that happen to be filled with some additional healthful ingredients, such as nuts, figs, unsweetened coconut and dried papaya.

Making your own dried papaya is easy, and it will contain none of the sulfites or preservatives often found in packaged dried papaya products. Here's how to do it, 1-2-3.

Dried Papaya
Papaya-Fig Nut Truffles
Jellied Papaya Pineapple Candy