If you like candy, we’ve got you covered—chocolate covered, that is. Caramels, dark
chocolate, marshmallows, milk chocolate, nougat, salt-water taffy, and more. Scroll down for treats for every sweet tooth.
In a small kitchen in Saint Louis, there is a place where tradition and quality are still the most important ingredients in the making of fine chocolate confections. This special place is Bissinger’s, one of the last handcrafted chocolatiers in the world. Bissinger’s has been making fine French confections for more than 350 years and takes pride in the fact that it has not sacrificed quality ingredients, taste or craftsmanship. Even today, in an age of high-tech production, Bissinger’s remains committed to the high standards, heritage and traditions that have made the company what it is today.
The name "Bissinger" has long been linked to fine confections. The Bissinger family began creating their delicacies in 17th-century Paris. At that time European nobility (such as Ludwig of Bavaria and the Rothschilds) were all loyal Bissinger enthusiasts. Bissinger’s confections were once enjoyed by King Louis XIV and were used as a gift by Napoleon Bonaparte to his beloved Josephine upon his return from battle. In fact, Karl Frederic Bissinger, the company's namesake, was named Confiseur Imperial (“Candy Maker of the Empire”) by Emperor Louis Napoleon for his excellence in the confectionery arts.
For Amanda Jones, the good parts of her Tidewater, Virginia heritage have to do with hospitality and food. But since she’s become a vegetarian, and since Virginians somehow find ways to incorporate ham into most everything they cook, she’s left with desserts. Jones learned most of what she knows about Southern cooking, including the original fudge recipe, from her great aunt, Aunt Mae (pronunciation: "Aint Mae").
Aunt Mae symbolized old school Southern hospitality at its finest. She never accepted the advent of pizza, learned to drive, or ever tried on a pair of pants. Only as she approached 90, and only Thursdays, which were the days she spent half of at the beauty parlor getting her hair remolded back into its Lady Bird Johnson coiffure, would she reluctantly allow the eating of fast food. Even so, you had to bring it back to the house, eat it at the table, unwrap you burger and fries and put them on a china plate, and put your soft drink cup on the saucer where the tea glass normally went. Somehow fresh cantaloupe, some type of greens, corn bread and a big chocolate cake would still make it onto the table. Although at the time it seemed ridiculous, Jones now understands. Eating off of a plate is more enjoyable and comforting than eating out of a Styrofoam box, even if it is just a Big Mac, and that enjoyment and comfort is just important as the biological need to fill our stomachs.
Aunt Mae’s example taught Jones several key things: to focus only on making what you eat delicious, beautiful, and comfortable for whoever stops by, to only use fresh ingredients and ones that you know taste good, to prepare them in a way you know that works, and to do these things no matter how inconvenient, messy, time consuming, or irrational that may seem to other people.
Jones started making the fudge a year or so before her Aunt Mae died, and she has been making it ever since to keep the tradition alive. The flavors Jones makes contain things her Aunt Mae never heard of, or ever tried. Since Jones uses different ingredients, intended for a broader audience and a more modern time, and because Brooklyn exemplifies fusion, and has inspired her to look at everything in a different way (including food), the name "Brooklyn Fudge" seemed fitting. Jones doesn’t live in Virginia anymore, but she still carries the best things from that upbringing, which isn't only the original fudge recipe, but the simple philosophy of doing everything possible to make people feel comfortable, loved, and special, by taking your time to make the foods you know they love, the way they love them.
The Dinstuhl family has been making quality candies in Memphis for five generations. These include boxed chocolates, brittles, chocolate covered fruits, fudge, southern favorites (e.g. mallo hash) and more.
The company was started by Charles Martin, Sr. in 1902. Charles Martin, Jr. joined his father in the early 1920’s. They worked together to provide Memphians with the Finest Candies until the late 1920’s when Charles Martin, Sr. retired. Edward Eugene, in his early teens, joined his father to help during WWII. Several years later, Gene received personal instruction from two prominent New York Candy Makers. It was at this time he added new and exciting recipes to his Grandfather’s collection.
In the past few years Edward Eugene’s grandson Andrew Dinstuhl has become involved in the business. This fifth generation candymaker is currently in charge of making the candy and is learning more about the business day by day. Even today, it is still possible to find one of the Dinstuhl's in the kitchen “Cookin up a batch!”
Hammond’s Candy Factory was started in 1920 by Mr. Carl T. Hammond, Sr. His first factory was located in the Platte River Valley. Carl, Sr. retired in 1960 and his son, Tom (Carl, Jr.), and daughter-in-law, June Hammond, ran the factory. In 1997, June sold the company. While there are no Hammond family members working for the company today, there are employees that have been with the company since the early 1980s. Hammond’s Candies moved to its current location at 5735 Washington Street in the summer of 2004.
At Hammond’s Candies®, we still make candy the way Carl Hammond made it, with the same tempting recipes and the same careful craftsmanship. Toffee is still dipped in rich chocolate and hand-rolled in crunchy almonds. And hard candy is still hand-pulled to extra-shine. Yet, even with all that handwork, we still make and offer hundreds of different candies. Chocolates and creamy caramels fill our showcases, along with brittles, lollipops, candy canes, and much, much, more. Admittedly, that’s a lot of variety for one small company. But as Carl Hammond taught us, it’s more interesting, and more fun.
The finest, all-natural homemade candies, including an assortment of rich chocolates, fabulous fudge, tasty penuche, crispy "original" caramel corn, and crunchy peanut brittle cooked by hand in old-fashioned copper kettles over an open fire.
Our candies and "original" caramel corn will bring you back in time when homemade meant the freshest, finest, sweetest treats around.
A little history: In 1904, Jesse Hutchinson started making candy in Salem, Massachusetts at the tender age of 14. A few years later Jesse started his own legacy. In 1921, the first "Ye Kandy Shoppe" was opened on Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts.
His legacy continues with old-fashioned gourmet candies, caramel corn, and brittles. The key to all of our products is our original recipes, all natural ingredients, all cooked to perfection in a copper kettle.
James’and Fralinger’s is most famous for its salt water taffy. This small family business still makes candy the old-fashioned way using the finest ingredients and adhering to strict quality standards.
More than 100 years ago, Joseph Fralinger, a former glassblower and fish merchant, opened a retail store on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Within a year, Fralinger had added a taffy concession and spent the winter perfecting the Salt Water Taffy formula, first using molasses, then chocolate and vanilla, eventually reaching 25 flavors
Confectioner Enoch James and his sons claim to have been making Salt Water Taffy before they introduced it on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the 1880's. After many years of working for large candy companies throughout the country, Mr. James brought his family to Atlantic City to sell their "original" Salt Water Taffy.
The James' product line soon extended to chocolate dipped taffy, filled centers, chocolate taffy pops, macaroons and boardwalk fudge. Enoch James' packaged his confections in seashore novelties such as the "barrel" and "satchel" that are still popular today.
As a fifth generation family-owned business, James' and Fralinger's is proud to continue the candy making tradition begun over a century ago.
Martin Rogak founded JoMart Chocolates on April 15, 1946. Six well-known confectionery shops surrounded the company’s first location in Brooklyn. In addition to sweet shops, there was an abundance of appetizing stores selling nuts, fruits and candies. The presence of so much competition should have sent Rogak to another location. In fact that was the reason Rogak and his cousin Joe picked that location. It was a simple, brilliant plan. People from all over New York would come to Franklin Avenue to buy chocolates and other confections. Rogak would make it fresher and better than all of them. Sixty years have passed and those other shops are long gone, but JoMart’s mission hasn't changed. Rogak’s son, Michael, uses the same stove and copper kettles to make fresh chocolates and confections.
Liddabit was founded with the idea that candy shouldn’t have to be such a guilty pleasure! With an abiding love for all things fresh and seasonal, the two founders set out to create candy bars, jellies, lollipops and other treats that not only taste wonderful, but support local growers and producers, thereby strengthening the community at large.
Liddabit is committed to using as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible to create fresh, delectable, responsibly made sweets. The company strives to take care of and strengthen our neighbors, and our planet.
Liz Gutman and Jen King befriended each other while attending the French Culinary Institute’s pastry program. Realizing a shared passion for sustainably produced, fresh, superior-quality ingredients and sweets, their talk of starting a business together became a reality in early 2010. After gaining a vendor slot at the famed Brooklyn Flea Market and garnering some early publicity, Liz and Jen are thrilled to be spreading their philosophy of “Local, Artisanal, Seasonal” to the natives of – and visitors to – New York City.
Liberty Orchards is the largest maker of “Turkish Delight” in the United States. The company offers a wide variety of yummy Turkish Delights...but you won't find any products labeled Turkish Delight on the Liberty Orchards website. Here’s why: The "locals" call it "Locoum" or "Rahat Locoum" or "Loukoumi". It was the British who came up with the term Turkish Delight to improve its marketability in English-speaking countries.
Turkish Delight is the best-loved confection of the eastern Mediterranean. While it's most closely associated with Turkey, it's equally popular in Greece, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and other countries in that region.
The founders of Liberty Orchards, both Armenian immigrants from Turkey, brought with them to America a wonderful recipe for "locoum" that eventually led to the creation of our first product, "Aplets". Today, almost 90 years later, the company offers a wide variety of high-quality, locoum-style candies to suit every taste.
The blossom-fresh flavor of crisp Washington apples, the tangy goodness of ripe apricots, and the nutty richness of crunchy English walnuts have made the company’s Aplets and Cotlets top sellers since 1920! The company still does most everything by hand, just like when it first began making its famous candies.
Jacques Torres grew up in Bandol, France, a small town in the southern region of Provence. At age 15, he decided to try the world of baking, beginning an apprenticeship at La Frangipane, a small pastry shop in his hometown. After two years, he completed his apprenticeship requirements and graduated first in his class.
In 1980 Torres landed a job at the Hotel Negresco. The relationship lasted 8 years and took Torres around the globe. At the Hotel Negresco, he refined his skills and nurtured his intuitive sense of confectionery artistry.
From 1980-1983, Torres went back to school on his days off to earn the degree of Master Pastry Chef. During the 1980s, he was also honing his skill in preparation for the Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition. In 1986, Jacques was awarded with the prestigious M.O.F. medal, the youngest chef to earn the distinction.
The list of Jacques' culinary awards and achievements during the 1980s included consulting and product development for Cointreau and Valrhona; receipt of the gold medal of the Japanese Pastry Chef Association; winner of the 1986 French Championship of Desserts. In 1988, the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company brought Torres to the United States as Corporate Pastry Chef.
In December 2000, Jacques opened his own chocolate factory serving wholesale and retail markets. Jacques Torres Chocolate specializes in fresh, hand-crafted chocolates that are free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Jacques has given new life to classic recipes. He uses state-of-the-art technology in his custom-designed chocolate factory. Jacques Torres Chocolate is located at 66 Water Street, in Brooklyn, New York. In 2004, Torres opened Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven, a Manhattan chocolate factory at 350 Hudson Street. At this location, visitors can see Torres transform cocoa beans into chocolate bars.
Sanders offers premium chocolates, confections and desserts. With over 100 years of confectionary expertise, Sanders makes memories the old-fashioned way: with original recipes.
Sanders was begun by Fred Sanders on June 17, 1875 with a single retail shop in downtown Detroit. Over the years the company concentrated on expanding its retail stores and eventually grew to over 57 locations in the metropolitan Detroit area. These stores not only sold candy, fudge toppings, and baked goods, but also had fountain counters serving light lunches, as well as an assortment of desserts including ice cream sodas, sundaes and hot fudge cream puffs.
Sanders soon became the leading purveyor of candies in the metropolitan Detroit area. Sanders also began to sell directly to national supermarket chains, as well as to other retailers in the area. Many of the national stores were outfitted with Sanders in-store bakery stations for cake decorating and more, while others featured the Sanders full line of products.
We still follow the simple standards of using the finest quality ingredients in all of our chocolates, candies and fudge toppings. Fred Sanders chocolates and toppings are still made following strict formulas by dedicated lifelong candy makers.
Sweet Riot makes all-natural chocolate treats called ‘peaces’, and works to create a more just and celebrated multicultural world for the next generation.
Sweet Riot uses premium, high quality, and all-natural ingredients. The company believes in fair trade with developing countries. Sweet Riot celebrates culture and diversity through its products. The company creates sweet experiences for our customers, partners and employees.
In 2003, American Classic Tea was purchased by Bigelow Tea. Bigelow grows and cultivates tea on the property, and produces the Plantation's American Classic Tea brand for your enjoyment. In the spirit of proper representation of the property, it is now known as the Charleston Tea Gardens.
Founded in 2006, Taza Chocolate was born out of a desire to combine the Mesoamerican tradition of chocolate with a modern, high-quality product manufactured in a socially responsible way.
Taza is a small bean-to-bar chocolate maker, and the only producer in the US of 100% stone ground, organic chocolate. The company roasts, winnows, grinds, tempers, and molds its chocolate in house and by hand. Taza uses exclusively organic and sustainable ingredients to craft its chocolate.
Taza’s cacao comes from a small cooperative in the Dominican Republic with a hearty and diverse tree stock called La Red Guacanejo. Our sugar is sourced from an innovative company in Brazil called the Green Cane Project. Aside from making remarkable organic cane sugar, they process the spent cane fiber to power their factory and the nearby town. We use true cinnamon (not cascia) and whole vanilla pods, both organic and biodynamically grown, from a tiny plantation in Costa Rica called Villa Vanilla. The same care and attention to detail goes into the procurement of all our ingredients.
Direct relationships with our growers bring us the highest quality ingredients while ensuring fair wages and work practices on the farm.
Our chocolate making process is unique. Taza chocolate is stone ground and minimally processed, and we do not conch. We use authentic Oaxacan stone mills instead of steel refiners to grind our cacao. Due to the imperfect surface of a granite millstone, unrefined cacao particles and sugar granules remain in the finished chocolate. These pop with explosive flavor on the palette, lending our bars their distinctive granular texture.
Taza chocolate has been featured in major publications like Gourmet Magazine, The Art of Eating, Food & Wine, and more.
Trappistine Creamy Caramels are made with the finest ingredients—real cream, butter and chocolate. Candy production is the work of this monastic community and the nuns of the Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey make their candy with tender loving care. They are grateful to God for a business which allows them to be self-supporting.
Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey is a cloistered, monastic community of 30 Trappistine nuns of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. The Abbey is situated on a farm on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, about seven miles from Dubuque, Iowa. The Abbey’s main means of support is the production and sale of Trappistine Creamy Caramels. As Cistercians, the nuns follow the Rule of St Benedict, written in the sixth century.
