Browsing Tag

Candy Canes

Christmas Candy

Candy Cane Marshmallow Peeps – A New Holiday Favorite

November 1, 2019 by

Inspiration comes in many packages, shapes, and sizes, and it is not often that we encounter a candy manufacturer that takes a tried and true product and makes it better.  

We review hundreds of different candies yearly, and while our focus is on old school retro candy, we love when something new and whimsical AND DELICIOUS crosses our path and Candy Cane Marshmallow Peeps surely fit the bill.  Peeps have a storied history as they were introduced in 1953 and have been a holiday staple ever since.

candy cane marshmallow peeps

Many a debate has centered around whether they are better fresh or slightly hard – we will “plead the fifth” on our personal opinion, although we will admit that we have aficionados call us and ask if we have any that have “been around for a long time.” – but most everyone will agree that they are a candy that is fun to eat and often fun to play with too.

Packed in festive holiday packaging with ten Red & White speckled “chicks” per unit, Candy Cane Marshmallow Peeps offer a unique taste sensation.   The marshmallow is fluffy, soft, and sweet, yet the candy cane pieces add a minty touch that changes the flavor as well as texture giving each piece a subtle crunchiness.  The combination makes one glad that there are multiple units in every package, and each piece is gluten-free and has only 27 calories making it a healthier snack, assuming you can eat only one!  

Is there any wonder why Peeps have been a favorite for close to 70 years. As the old saying goes, “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but as we learned from the different varieties of Marshmallow Peeps that surface from time to time,  it is ok to tweak a little bit!

Each ten-pack unit of Candy Cane Marshmallow Peeps is individually wrapped, measures approximately 4.75” x 5.75” and has a net weight of 3 oz.

Candy Contests, Candy News

Popular Pickle Flavored Treats + A Pickle-Inspired Contest

December 3, 2018 by

Pickle Cotton Candy When you think of fun and interesting candy flavors, you know, the kind you love and can’t seem to resist, which flavors come to mind? Maybe it’s chocolate, or something more exotic and fruity? While we don’t know exactly what you thought of, we’re willing to guess it wasn’t pickle!

Pickle Candy Canes

For most of us at least, pickles are a briny, crunchy, not-at-all-remotely-related-to-candy item, best enjoyed in a moment of savory snacking. But what if pickle flavors could transcend the sweet versus savory binary, to become something more wonderful, more delicious than you ever thought possible?

The truth is, it can! And it has. Our pickle flavored candy category is already a wild success. And if you haven’t had a chance to give it a try, now is your opportunity! We have a range of pickle-flavored items available, so you can satisfy your savory tooth in fun, new and interesting ways.

Pickle Candy for Every Occasion

Pickle Mints

For an after-dinner refresher, you might consider our Dill Pickle Mints. Or for the upcoming holiday season, perhaps some Pickle Candy Canes? Planning a movie night? Our Dill Pickle Cotton Candy could be the perfect addition. And the best part is, pickle lovers, that this is just the beginning.

We get it. Pickle-flavored candy may sound a little strange, but we have a feeling that once you give it a try, you’ll be suspiciously hooked on this unexpected flavor delight! At least, we know we were. And in the spirit of all things pickle-inspired, we’re hosting a contest!

 Enjoying Your Pickle Candy? Enter to Win!

Simply share your opinion on our pickle flavored candy by leaving a review of the product. Everyone who leaves a review on a pickle flavored candy will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate, so you can keep your snack drawer filled to the brim with your pickle-flavored favorites.

So what are you waiting for? Get tasting and typing–you could just be that lucky winner.

Contest entries will be accepted until December 31, 2018.

Candy Memories, Candy News, Christmas Candy, Retro Candy

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like . . . Christmas (Candy)!!

July 6, 2017 by

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”  –Roy L. Smith

Oh you better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout I’m telling you why -Christmas candy is coming to town in July. Ok, ok, don’t get your mistletoe in a twist! I haven’t lost all my marbles yet, but with Christmas just 6 months away I thought it would be jolly to think about the season in this sweltering heat.

chrsitmas in july hershey kiss

Red, Green and silver Hershey’s Kisses are a Yuletide favorite!

Oh what fun it is to imagine red and white striped candy canes on your tree, or white, green and red Hershey kisses in a bowl on your coffee table. Or how about them stuck in the middle of those Peanut Butter Blossom cookies? Mmmmmmmm . . . I can almost smell them coming out of my oven and plopping them into my mouth!

Here’s an idea: why not surprise your kids and have a Christmas in July day? Surprise them and hang up their stockings on July 24, then fill them with some special candy treats? Leave one little present by their bedroom door with a note that says “Only 153 days until Christmas, so be good for goodness sake!”

Whenever I think of Christmas candy I remember one Christmas in junior high, I made a gum drop wreath using multi colored gum drops. I bought a white foam ring and some double pointed tooth picks and filled the wreath with gum drops. Then I looped red ribbon around it and tied a big bow at the top. It always hung on a mirror on my dad’s big meat cooler every Christmas until New Years. I think I ate every 10th gum drop that came out of that big bag during that fun project! For another festive creation try all green gum drops with a few red ones for the berries. Decorating with candy is as endless as your imagination.

Christmas Gummi Bears in July?

Christmas Gummi Bears in July?

Candy Favorites has a sleigh full of Christmas candy for you to choose from. There are Gummi Christmas bears, trees and snowmen, Christmas Jelly Wreaths, Marshmallow Santas, Brach’s Peppermint and Spearmint Star Brite Mints and even Candy Cane Peppermint Tootsie Pops! I don’t know if I can wait till Christmas to sample them all!

But I think the candy most associated with Christmas has to be the candy cane. Did you know that candy canes go back about 350 years when candy makers were creating hard sugar sticks? Then in 1670, a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the all white sugar sticks to resemble a shepherd’s staff during the long nativity services for the children.

christmas in july candy cane

It’s all about Candy Canes!

“The first historical reference to the candy cane in America was in 1847, when a German immigrant called August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes. About fifty years later, the first red-and-white striped candy canes appeared. No one knows who exactly invented the stripes and Christmas cards prior to the year 1900 showed only all-white candy canes.” (The History of Candy Canes by Mary Bellis)

So Ho, Ho, Ho! Whatever your Christmas candy pleasures are, July is a great time to think about them . . . and order them . . .  and enjoy them early! Don’t forget to include them as you make out your Christmas list. They’re the sweetest addition to your holiday treats, decorating and gift giving.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need find my sunscreen, pop in my Christmas CDs, grab my iced tea, put on my Santa hat and soak up the sun on my deck as I sing my own version of the Twelve Days of Christmas . . . “On the fifth day of Christmas in July my true love gave to me, 5 Fort Knox Milk Chocolate Gold Coins, 4 Lindor Dark Chocolate Balls, 3 Reese’s Peanut Butter Christmas Trees, 2 Naughty or Nice Charms Sweet and Sour Pops and a 7 ounce chocolate Hershey Kiss!

(No worries about me quitting my day job! Haha!)

So have yourself a merry little, delicious, candy Christmas in July! It’s the (second) most wonderful time of the year!

Candy Memories, Christmas Candy

Christmas Candies In Your Kitchen

December 12, 2016 by

Christmas is on its way! And if you’re like many people, that means holiday baking is in full swing. There is something so magical about baking during the most wonderful time of the year. The sights and smells are just too good! And the temptation to eat everything before it gets out the door to your nearest and dearest is challenging, indeed.

While candy may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of holiday baking, it very well could be! After all, nothing takes a treat from good to great quite like the addition of a few candy pieces! Around here, we’re partial to the ones that have been gracing our tables for a few decades, and we have a feeling that you might be, too.

While the latest and greatest treats are fun for enjoying on their own, when it comes to holiday baking, we put our faith in only the most tried and tested candies we can get our hands on. What can we say? We’re big fans of tradition. And if that sounds like you, too, then you’ll want to keep reading. Because we’re about to serve up some of our favorite classic candies, and the many ways you can enjoy them, this holiday season.

candy canes.jpgA blog post about Christmas candy that did not mention the beloved candy cane should not be trusted! But, joking aside, this is one treat that has been gracing Christmas-loving taste buds for centuries. While you can always take the traditional route and hang them on your tree, we like to be a little more inventive.

You can crush them up into your peppermint bark, use them as a stirrer for your hot chocolate, or stick them into a cut lemon for a sweet and sour treat. The candy cane is one ingredient that keeps on giving, so get creative!

Because everyone knows and loves the power of the Hershey’s Kiss, it only makes sense to bring it out in full force during the holiday season. We especially enjoy using Hershey’s kisses in our cookies, for an added chocolatey boost. But, you can also use them to adorn your gingerbread houses, or melt them down into rich, homemade hot chocolate. The possibilities are endless!

And while we won’t recommend trying your hand at a fruitcake, we can highly recommend chocolate covered raisins, cranberry chocolate clusters, and chocolate cherry cordials, if you’re looking for a few chocolate-fruit combinations to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth.

So go ahead and fire up those ovens! We’re willing to bet that there’s a candy for every recipe on your list.

Candy News

Decking The Halls: 6 Candy Buffet Ideas For Your Holiday Party

December 4, 2015 by

holiday_ candy_ buffetTis the season to “Deck the Halls” and show your employees how much you appreciate all the hard work they bring into the office everyday. What better way to celebrate hard work, the successes of the past year, and get ready for challenges ahead than by throwing a memorable event for all the members of your staff?

Take your end of the year celebration to the next level by building a fun and tasty candy buffet to share with the members of your staff. The theme of your holiday party will dictate the color scheme and candy selection, so you’ll want to make sure you have your motif selected before you begin your candy-planning. Having trouble coming up with a plan? We’ve got a few ideas below to help you create the perfect candy buffet.

Do You Want To Build A Snowman?
When a fresh blanket of snow has fallen, usually snowmen are the first things that come to mind! Though the weather may not be ideal to build a snowman, these humanoid snow sculptures can still bring the perfect frosty feeling to any holiday gathering. Choose from our selection of bulk white candies, to create an aura of freshly fallen snow, or to fill festive snowman candy dishes. Finish off the theme by offering Gummy Snowmen, Peeps Marshmallow Snowmen, and Gummi Christmas Snowflakes.

Candy Cane Creations
Sticky and minty these red and white striped treats are a staple this time of year! If you’re looking for an easy color scheme, and an even easier selection of candy to feature, try pulling a little inspiration from a Christmas classic.

Build Your Own Gingerbread House Candy Buffet
For a festive and unique office party experience, invite your employees or coworkers to create their own take on a holiday favorite! Gather all the essentials like gum drops, M&M’s, and mini candy canes, with any new additions of your choosing, and see just how creative the group can be. The best part? There are sure to be leftovers to share!

You’re A Mean One, Mister Grinch
He’s lean. He’s mean. He’s…green? If you’re looking for a fun anti-theme to make your holiday bash stand out, Dr. Seuss fans’ favorite recluse, The Grinch, may offer just the inspiration you’re looking for. Fun bright greens and yellows could dominate your candy buffet. And don’t forget to add Brach’s peppermints and candy canes to give just a hint of classic Christmas treats!

Ugly Holiday Sweater
It wouldn’t be the holidays if there weren’t a few awkward sweaters making an appearance! Take the fun of the traditional ugly sweater and channel it into a holiday party that your coworkers are not soon to forget! Invite everyone to don their most atrocious sweater and add the finishing touches to your soirée with a candy buffet to match! Bulk colored candies offer the perfect opportunity to play with festive color combinations, and these Ugly Sweater Christmas Chocolates will fit right in, too!

Happy New Year!
5…4…3…2…It may be a little early to begin the countdown into 2016, but your office can still ring in the New Year with something sweet. Let the traditional blue and silver of the season guide your decoration and candy selections as you prepare to say goodbye to the old, and hello to the new!

With these themes, planning your office holiday party will be a cinch! Now send out those invites, don’t skimp on the decorations, and prepare to have yourself a holly jolly time!

Candy History, Christmas Candy

Candy History: Candy Canes

December 20, 2013 by

The Origins of the Candy Cane

We’ve probably all heard the story of the German choirmaster who created white, sugary shepherd’s hooks to keep the children quiet during the services. But, there are almost as many candy cane creation stories as there are varieties of candy canes!

What’s certain is that these popular Christmas treats were originally all white. Many have attached a religious connection to them, saying that the white candy cane represented the sinlessness of the life of Jesus. As for the shape, many also claim that it’s meant to look like a shepherd’s hook, to remind children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus.

candy_canes_white-candy-cane
Although they were probably created in 1670 in Germany, it wasn’t until 1844 that a recipe for straight candy sticks was published. And in the mid 1800s, candy canes were hung on Christmas trees for the first time. Back in the day, it was common to hang sweets and baked goods from the festive tree, so the candy canes were a perfect addition!

Candy Stripes

retro-nostalgic-candy-canesChristmas cards from before and after the 1900s reveal that it wasn’t until the turn of the century that candy canes earned their stripes. There’s lots of lore around the stripes as well, with some saying the thickest stripe represents Jesus, while the three smaller stripes represent the Holy Trinity.

Around the turn of the century, peppermint and wintergreen flavors were also added to the sweets, whose flavors could be distinguished by either a red or green stripe, for peppermint or wintergreen, respectively.

In the 1950s, a Catholic priest by the name of Gregory Keller invented an automated candy cane machine, to twist the candies into their popular shape. And since then, there’s been no looking back.

Today, candy canes are arguably the most popular holiday candy with the longest-standing history. And they’re not just peppermint and wintergreen anymore. Check out all of the canes we have to offer. You’re sure to find something for every candy-cane-craving sweet tooth.

—-

Source Material

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane
http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/candy_canes.htm

Images

Day 6: Candy Canes
http://justalittlefurther.com/making-candy-canes/