Comfit
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Comfits are spices, dried fruits, or nuts, coated with sugar candy, often passed round during festivities. In Belgium, almond comfits are handed in little muslin bags to friends and family after a christening. In the Middle East, comfits are often offered to guests at weddings.
A late medieval recipe for comfits (in BL MS Harl. 2378) is based on anise seeds, and suggests also making comfits with fennel, caraway, coriander, and diced ginger. These aniseed comfits seem to be a precursor of modern aniseed balls.