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Holiday Candy

Candy News, Easter Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts

Why we LOVE Marshmallow Peeps Pops

March 16, 2023 by
Marshmallow Peeps come in two flavors – Rainbow and Mike & Ike Flavored

5 Reasons Why Peeps Pops are Just Better 

Although we love all marshmallow peeps, Peeps Pops are the superior candy choice for your Easter baskets this spring for many reasons, but if you don’t believe us, here are five reasons!

1. YOU GET MORE THAN ONE COLOR PEEP.

When you get only one colored Peep, it can get a little old while enjoying them. Even though all Peeps taste the same unless specially flavored, that doesn’t change the fact that Peeps are always better in various colors.   

Variety is the spice of life, especially where candy is concerned, isn’t it?

2. THEY ARE PERFECT FOR EASTER BASKETS.

Since these Peeps are now on a stick, they are perfect for poking into any easter basket and no longer take up as much space as the old Peeps packaging. They also provide festive pops of color while still being functional and tasty. 

Two functions for the price of one!

3. YOU CAN TAKE THEM “ON THE GO“.

With the old packaging of Peeps, you had to open too many at once. Eating them all at once was almost impossible, especially on the go. Peeps Pops are portable and make eating more effortless than ever. 

4. THEY ARE PERFECT IF YOU PREFER FRESH MARSHMALLOW PEEPS OR DON’T.

Although this has long been a topic of debate, our humble opinion is that Marshmallow Peeps are better fresh, and it’s hard to keep them fresh in their typical packaging. 

With the Peeps Pops, you get just the right portion so that nothing gets stale or goes to waste.   

If you prefer your Peeps stale, you should omit this section.

5. YOU GET EITHER RAINBOW-COLORED, OR MIKE & IKE-FLAVORED PEEPS… YOU CAN’T LOSE!

With Peeps Pops, you get a rainbow of Peeps or different colored Mike & Ike’s flavored ones. Whichever you get, it won’t be boring and will surely be delicious! 

LET US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT MARSHMALLOW PEEPS AND IF YOU INCLUDE THEM IN YOUR EASTER CANDY LINEUP THIS YEAR!

Candy News, Easter Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts, Wholesale Candy News

Is there a Jelly Bean Shortage in 2023?

January 23, 2023 by
It would be hard to imagine Easter without Jelly Beans….but it is possible!

Each candy has a time in the year when it’s “in season,” almost like fruit. Instead of growing conditions, we have taste bud conditions. 

While every candy can be eaten in any season and still be delicious, there are certain times of the year when the candy tastes even better. 

For example, it might feel odd to eat a candy cane in the summer unless you are celebrating Christmas in July, and while eating jelly beans in any other season than spring wouldn’t feel wrong, it just wouldn’t feel right. 

Jelly beans are a symbol of spring, a symbol of growth, Easter Bunnies, and sunshine. Unfortunately, as we wrote in many recent blog posts, although supply chains are returning to normal, we still face shortages often of products that we take for granted!

Unfortunately, for this upcoming spring season, we may face a shortage of our beloved jelly beans because of a shortage of starch. Due to the war in Ukraine, which supplies a large portion of the world’s wheat supply, starch is in very short supply. Who knew?

Brands such as Just Born will not be making pectin Teenie Beanies.  We couldn’t believe this either.

Sunrise Confections, one of the largest confectionary producers, will not be making more of their beloved jelly beans – Black, Fruit, and Spice – once their initial batch is gone and Brach’s Jelly Beans, like all of their products, have become increasingly hard to find!

While we are just as disappointed as our jelly bean-loving customers, we have a limited supply, so we encourage you to scoop them up while supplies last!

This upcoming spring season, we will have almost every “other” kind of candy egg to offer, except the ones you have to keep in the fridge. 

There are eggs filled with Swedish Fish, Cadbury Creme Eggs in many variations, Twix Eggs, and even Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs. There will be Peeps of all colors, and we even have chocolate-covered Peeps. 

We will also have chocolate bunnies of all different shapes, sizes, and flavors. In addition, many different Easter candy mixes are delicious and festive. 

However, there is no need to fear.

We will still have many other delicious spring candies in stock, ready to be eaten! So there will still be a sweet spring even when faced with a short supply of jelly beans

Candy in Pop Culture, Valentine's Candy

Brachs and Sweetheart Conversation Hearts are true “Old School” candies.

January 10, 2023 by
Conversation Hearts are a sweet way to express your feelings!

Conversation Hearts have long been a beloved Valentine’s treat, and we have been offering them for over ninety years in various flavors, shapes, and sizes.   As old-school candies go, these deserve a place close to the top of the list!

These hard, sugary sweets come in an array of fun colors and usually have an endearing phrase or saying stamped into the hard candy exterior. 

Although we lament the loss of the original NECCO Conversation Hearts – Necco went bankrupt in 2018 after a 171-year run –  the Sweethearts brand was purchased by Spangler – another old-school candy company that opened in 1906 – and the formula remains much the same. A sign of relief was heard from candy lovers around the globe!

Brachs – who has been around since 1904, perhaps you are sensing a theme – also makes conversation hearts, and there has been a long-standing debate about whether Sweethearts or Brachs tastes better.

So despite Brach’s eliminating 90 percent of their bulk candy offerings, we were thrilled that we got a shipment of their conversation hearts this year, so we will stay neutral in this discussion.

Their enduring popularity is likely due to their convenience – they’re fun, easy to store and transport because they are all but impervious to heat, and are sure to bring back childhood memories.

Their charming visuals range from traditional, pastel-colored hearts to bright and fun shapes, and the sayings – from “love you” to” you are awesome,” to name a few- are fun, personal, and inclusive.

Whether you prefer Brachs or Sweethearts, conversation hearts remain a special treat to share with a loved one this Valentine’s Day as your parents, and maybe even their parents, did!

Christmas Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts, Holiday Candy

Holiday Candy Cookies Treats Recipes

December 16, 2022 by

My favorite part of the holidays is baking. 

I love sharing my treats and also getting to try them myself. 

A particular aspect of holiday baking is that it includes lots of candy. So if you need any last-minute baking recipes and want to sweeten them with candy, we’ve got your back! 

The three recipes here for you today have snippet videos of them up on our tik tok. If you want extra help or want to see some satisfying videos, head over there, our username is @candy.favorites.

Some of my favorite memories from the holidays include baking, and it’s when I discovered my love for baking as a hobby. My grandma loves baking, and that love has been passed down to me. 

Each year at Christmas, my grandma makes a cookie platter with about ten different flavors, instilling in me the connection between sweets and the holiday season.

These three recipes are game changers to the holidays. 

We have some classics but some new ones you may have never heard of before. 

Our recipes for you today are the Andes-Chip Cookie….

Andes Chip Cookies combine Chocolate and Mint!

The M&M Dollop Treat…..

The M&M’s Dollop Treat is impossible to stop eating

and a Nutella Kiss Cookie…..

What’s not to love about anything made with Nutella!

All use candies you are familiar with, and all are delicious. 

These cookies are the perfect treat to bring to holiday parties, give to friends, or snuggle up by the fire and enjoy. 

They fill your house with delicious smells and people’s hearts with love. What more can you ask for during the holiday season!

Candy in Pop Culture, Candy News, Christmas Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts

It Isn’t the Holidays Without a Sweet Gingerbread House!

December 2, 2022 by

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is gingerbread houses.

I make at least one every year, and usually, my family participates in the annual Pittsburgh Gingerbread House competition. 

We use every candy known to man to construct a masterpiece, and it never turns out to be a classic gingerbread house or a house at all. Still, it doesn’t have to be for the competition.

When we first started the competition, we built a giant Rubber Ducky out of Candy and Rice Krispy treats.

A GIANT Rubber ducky made of Candy and Rice Krispies!

 The following year we created a HUGE Lego Man…

This is, indeed, a HUGE Lego Man!

The following year, we did a scene with Minions popping out of Holiday presents.

Have a Merry Minion Christmas!

 A few years later, we built a location from the Lorax…

Look who is coming to the holiday dinner table… LORAX!

In 2020, the last year we entered, we made a gorgeous GINGERBREAD HOUSE!

This is one SWEET Log Cabin!

Looking back at all the pictures of the structures we made over the years brings me so much joy. We built structures out of sweets, and we did it together.

Last year though, we had a gingerbread failure. 

We attempted to make the most challenging “house” that we could think of, the iconic Harry Potter castle, and let’s just say it didn’t go well. We didn’t end up submitting the piece because we didn’t finish it, but it was still fun. 

Making gingerbread houses has always been a tradition for my family, one I value and love.

Unfortunately, we only won a ribbon for our participation in the contest. Still, we never cared because it was all about spending time together and creating a sweet masterpiece!

This isn’t to say that you must enter a city-wide competition to enjoy the fun. Instead, bake your gingerbread, or buy a kit. Both are making a gingerbread house. 

Everyone knows that a gingerbread house could never be complete without the candy that goes on it. Without the candy, it would only be a structure. 

Candy brings a gingerbread house to life.

It can be hard to search for the right candies to fit your gingerbread house, which is where we help you with your gingerbread house construction project. 

Here is our complete guide to building a gingerbread house to tell you which candies belong where and to assist you in the overall design. Of course, I have some expertise in gingerbread house construction, especially with extreme projects extending beyond a classic house. Still, this guide is only for traditional gingerbread houses.

Use this guide as a shopping list, a starting point, or inspiration. We are here to offer you all the candy for your gingerbread houses and beyond.

Part of the fun of building a gingerbread house is eating the candy while making it, so pick up some delicious treats and get to the building and please send us a picture of your creation too.

To view HANNAH’S ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR CREATING A GINGERBREAD, please CLICK HERE.

Candy News, Christmas Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts

The Great Candy Cane Shortage Continues!

November 7, 2022 by
Candy Canes are still in short supply so we encourage you to order early!

We see many elements of the holiday season as vital—for example, ice skating, decorating, baking, cooking, spreading kindness, and candy canes. 

Candy Canes symbolize the holiday season; seeing them in any other season is strange, but ironically, they sell year-round. They are used to decorate trees in baking and add flavor to our holiday season, and some even crush them to use as garnish for a cocktail or topping for baked goods.

Candy Canes being such a crucial element to the holidays also means they hold status and priority on our holiday shopping lists. 

Unfortunately, this demand for candy canes has created a shortage for this upcoming holiday season.

In the candy world, businesses have been hit with rising prices and supply chain issues. In addition, last year, the candy industry faced the “Great Candy Cane Crisis of 2021“, a mass shortage of candy canes, and it’s sad to say we are still feeling the effects a year later.

We should change the name to the Great Candy Cane Crisis of 2022. Last year the candy cane shortage was partially caused by a fungus, verticillium wilt, which can wipe out entire fields of mint at a time.

Another reason is the supply chain issues we have faced in the aftermath of the initial COVID lockdown. 

Production of Peppermint Oil has been down by 25 % in the past few years, making the stock of oil substantially lower than it is supposed to be. This shortage, in turn, affects the production of items such as the beloved red and white striped Peppermint Candy Canes! 

This ingredient shortage of global resources has impacted production and stock from all types of businesses, including, unfortunately, the candy industry.

These supply chains are made internationally, and setbacks are made through countries’ supply chain issues and our own. These ripple effects will happen for years, and the impact of production delays will worsen before it, hopefully, gets better.

This year candy canes are hard to find but especially the mini ones (our personal favorites). 

Candy Canes are a crucial element of the holiday season, and with a little bit of forward planning, you should be able to, yet again, enjoy a candy that has been bringing holiday cheer for decades.

If you need large quantities, we encourage you to order early. You can even contact us and arrange for a later delivery date too!

As the ol’ expression goes, “an ounce of prevention will beat a pound of cure.”

Candy News, Christmas Candy, What's New

2022 Christmas Candy Catalog

October 28, 2022 by

We are excited that our 2022 Holiday Candy Selection is the largest it has been in several years!

Our selection will allow you to stock up on all of your stocking stuffers, whether the recipient is naughty or nice!

We have a healthy supply of candy canes. Still, we encourage you to order early as supplies are limited, especially for miniature candy canes, due to an ongoing nationwide shortage of Peppermint Oil. It never ends…

There are several fun bulk items and lots of cute novelty candies too!

If you are interested in custom packaging or large quantities or would like to order early and have a later delivery, please reach out to support@candyfavorites.com or give us a call at 412.678.8851

Also, please don’t forget about our Concierge Program, as we can accommodate shipping to multiple locations, custom packaging, and so much more!

Candy News, Christmas Candy

Candy Canes are in VERY short supply in 2022?

October 18, 2022 by
It is hard to believe that there will be a candy cane shortage in 2022!

Can you imagine a holiday season without candy canes?

That’s like asking if you could imagine Halloween without Pumpkins, Thanksgiving without Turkey – unless you are a vegetarian or vegan – the 4th of July without Fireworks, or Easter without Jelly Beans!

It may sound improbable, even impossible, but the shortage of Peppermint Oil continues, and Candy Canes are almost impossible to find, especially the beloved miniature ones! According to industry insiders, production is down by over 25 percent!

YIKES!

After searching high and low, far and wide, and up and down, our persistent and ever-resourceful buyers were fortunate to source miniature candy canes in bulk, but they are in VERY short supply.

We are giving our valued customers the first chance to purchase these red and white holiday gems.

To view this year’s selection of CANDY CANES, please click HERE.

If you are looking for an ample supply or want to arrange a later shipping date, please get in touch with us at support@candyfavorites.com.

Order early, as will not be able to reorder later in the season once we are sold out!

Easter Candy, Hannah Brelsford's Sweet Thoughts

A Taste of Easter Candy in 2022!

April 6, 2022 by

Some people say that holiday candy is the best candy, I would have to agree. Holiday candy tastes extra sweet, especially when it comes from the inside of a plastic egg or the contents of your easter baskets. However, something about holiday cheer adds to its delicious taste and makes it unique. 

I’m sure that it’s already on your calendars, but the next candy-centric holiday is Easter! Easter for me has been filled with eggs, no, not the eggs that you hard boil or scramble. Instead, I’m talking about the superior version of eggs, CANDY EGGS!

Just like regular eggs, candy eggs come in many different forms. For example, you could have chocolate, marshmallow, gummy, or even filled ones. 

However, Easter Candy isn’t limited to just eggs. 

Easter candy is known for its pastel colors that welcome all signs of spring. It also is known for its shapes. Eggs, bunnies, carrots, and beans line stores all across the nation, waiting for their moment to shine on Easter morning. 

I thought it would be fitting to review a few available candies to let you all in on our Easter stock this year. 

Today’s lineup has our Gummy Sanded Bunnies, Eggstravagant Gummies, Easter Juju, Easter Jelly, and Nonpareils. I have also brought in some reinforcement for today’s test to make sure we give you a well-rounded review, my twin sister (Claudia). 

No, we are not identical, and we certainly do not have similar taste buds, so today will be interesting. 

THE EASTER CANDY IN OUR TASTE TEST WILL BE JUDGED ON THREE UNIQUE QUALITIES:

EASTERABILITY (How Eastery is this candy really? Is it perfect for every bunnies basket, or could it be left out?) 

IS IT A SIGN OF SPRING? (Does this candy convey the arrival of spring, or does it have us wishing it was winter?

CATASTROPHIC CARROT OR EGGSCELLENT: (Does it taste delicious or like a dirty carrot?

Gummi Sanded Bunnies

GUMMI SANDED BUNNIES:

Hannah: 

Easterability: 4.5/5

Is it a sign of spring? 5/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Good sweet taste, cute shape of the bunnies, loved all the different colors 

Claudia: 

Easterability: 4/5 Is it a sign of spring? 4.5/5 Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Good colors, shapes could’ve been more apparent; it was a little confusing that they were bunnies, I loved that it was bunny themed, not sour, and I thought it was gonna be yummy taste

Eggstravegent Gummi Easter Eggs

EGGSTRAVAGANT EGGS:

Hannah: 

Easterability: 5/5

Is it a sign of spring? 5/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comment: So cute, loved the pattern, colors, and shape, great sweet taste.

Claudia: 

Easterability: 4.5/5 Is it a sign of spring? 5/5 Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Liked the colors, fun and cut spiral pattern, chewy but good taste 

Easter Juju Mix

EASTER JUJU MIX:

Hannah: 

Easterability: 3.5/5

Is it a sign of spring? 3.5/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Each color is a nice new flavor; I love all the different shapes, they are very chewy and get stuck to your teeth, but the taste is so classic

Claudia: 

Easterability: 4/5 Is it a sign of spring? 4/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent 

Comments: Very chewy; I loved the intricate designs on the gummies, the colors were lovely, and the flavors were good. 

Easter Jelly Candy Mix

EASTER JELLY MIX:

Hannah: 

Easterability: 3/5

Is it a sign of spring? 3/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Shape was lost with the sanding of the gummies, but they were cute, very chewy, sweet in flavor but not my favorite

Claudia: 

Easterability: 3.5/5

Is it a sign of spring? 3/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Eggscellent

Comments: Very chewy, different flavors, shapes were cool.

Chocolate Easter Nonpareils

CHOCOLATE EASTER NONPAREILS:

Hannah: 

Easterability: 4/5

Is it a sign of spring? 2.5/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Extra Eggscellent

Comments: Other than the colors, they weren’t very “eastery“, but they were so cute, dark chocolate is more of a winter vibe, but it’s so good 

Claudia: 

Easterability: 3.5/5

Is it a sign of spring? 2.5/5

Catastrophic Carrot or Eggscellent: Extra Eggscellent

Comments: I love the colors, like how it’s the same classic candy, but with the colors to make it “eastery“; dark chocolate isn’t very “eastery“, but it’s still good; I love the taste 

Overall we loved all of them, and they made us eager to get into the spring spirit. 

These five candies are just a tiny taste of what we have in our spring selection for Easter at CandyFavorites. 

 If you want to see all we offer, check out our 2022 Easter Candy Catalog to fill your baskets with eggcellent candies that will have every bunny bouncing for joy.