Sweet Treats In The Heart Of Spain

The ancient Chinese invented it, medieval Arabs adapted it and modern Germans made it a winter staple. But the world's finest marzipan — that oh-so-sweet confection of sugar and almond paste — is made by the cloistered nuns of holy Toledo, Spain. The city, once capital of much of the Iberian peninsula, has several other tourist draws: one of the world's finest Gothic cathedrals, exquisite gold-inlaid damascene jewelry and magnificent swords. But the Spanish themselves say no Christmas celebration is complete without the nun-made sweets....