The Candy Store | Blog

Hiring! Who wants to work at the sweetest shop in town??

2011-08-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Yes, you heard correctly, The Candy Store is hiring!

We are seeking one or two incredibly sweet and outgoing individuals to add to our team. If you think you have what it takes to cut it in the confectionery world and would like to apply, read carefully because here's what you need to know:

all positions are for part-time work
resumes can be brought to the store or emailed directly (see our contact page for info)
this time around we're also asking all applicants to fill out on online form. This is in addition to submitting a resume and will help us get to know each applicant a little better. In order to have your resume considered, you must fill in the online application by Sunday, August 14 at 5:00PM. The online application can be found here: http://thecandystoreottawa.wufoo.com/forms/the-candy-store-job-application/

So skip on over and bring us your resume, then jump online and fill out the application. We look forward to hearing from you and maybe adding you to our sweet staff!

Bon Appetit, Ottawa!

2011-05-03T14:35:00.000-04:00

Want to know the hottest ticket in town tonight?? It's to Bon Appetit Ottawa! Every year this amazing event raises money for local charities and celebrates the best in Ottawa's food community. What's even better, is that this year's event has a Going Green Initiative to help make this year's event a very green affair!

Taking inspiration from all things green, The Candy Store will be at this year's event with a fresh and bright table filled with green and blue delights! From malt balls to bon bons and beautiful little cupcakes from The Cupcake Lounge, we're in for a sparkling night. Please come say hello to us and sample a treat or two!

Didn't get a ticket in time to this sold-out event? Not to worry, we'll be setting up our display in the store later this week so that we can share the spring-like palette. We will, of course, also make sure to snap some photos in between nibbles!

Bon appetit, Ottawa!

May Cupcake Menu

2011-05-03T14:27:00.000-04:00

Celebrate the return of spring with us every Saturday this month as The Cupcake Lounge brings us a selection of seasonal favourites and also something special for Mom!

As always, cupcakes can be ordered in advance (to ensure you get your sweet fix!) by emailing, calling or coming by the store. All cupcakes, including pre-orders, are available as of 11am every Saturday!

Saturday, May 7th
In addition to single cupcakes, a Mother's Day Box will be available featuring all three flavours. All Mother's Day Boxes are available by half or full dozen and only through pre-order.

Red Velvet: Classic red cocoa cake with sweet cream cheese frosting
Lemon Coconut: Pure lemon cake and frosting with shredded coconut
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting

Saturday, May 14th
Vanilla Vanilla: Classic Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake and vanilla bean frosting
Espresso: Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate espresso frosting

Saturday, May 21st
Maple Cinnamon: Canadian maple cake covered in cinnamon sugar
Hazelnut Chocolate: Ground hazelnut chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting

Saturday, May 28th
Strawberry: Fresh strawberry cake and strawberry-flecked frosting
Chocolate Vanilla: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles

April Cupcake Menu

2011-03-29T13:12:00.000-04:00

Wanna hear something sweet?? It's that time again - there's a new cupcake menu and it promises to be a very delicious month! We're already picking which weekends to pick up a few extra to share with friends over an afternoon tea. Speaking of tea, our good pals across the street at DavidsTea have put their thinking caps on and provided tea pairings for each of the cupcake flavours this month - double yum!

As always, we encourage pre-orders (especially for any amount over 6 cupcakes) to ensure you don't miss out on your Saturday snack! Pre-orders can be placed by calling, coming by or sending us an email. Cupcakes arrive at The Candy Store by 11 am and are available for pick up any time after that!

Saturday, April 2nd
Chocolate Vanilla: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Spicy Chocolate RooibosTres Leches: Vanilla cake infused with tres leches and covered in a cinnamon cream cheese icing
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Cinnamon Rooibos Chai

Saturday, April 9th
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Love Tea #7
Strawberry: Fresh strawberry cake and strawberry-flecked frosting
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Strawberry White

Saturday, April 16th
Almond Raspberry: Almond cake with raspberry frosting
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Raspberry Nectar
Dulce de Leche: Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with Argentinian dulce de leche, bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Secret Weapon

Saturday, April 23rd
Available just for Easter weekend: The Easter Box featuring all three of the weekend's flavours wrapped and ready to go! Available by pre-order only - please contact us for more details.
Carrot: Pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Forever Nuts
Chocolate Coconut: Belgian dark chocolate cake with coconut cream cheese icing
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Buttered Rum
Vanilla Chocolate: Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Read My Lips

Saturday, April 30th
The Cupcake Lounge will be closed

March Cupcake Menu

2011-03-01T12:40:00.002-05:00

Happy first day of the month! We're basking in the sun and planning our Saturdays. This month sees the return of some very popular favourites (red velvet, anyone??) as well as a nod to St. Patrick's Day with Bailey's on March 12! Please note, we will not have cupcakes on March 19th - even The Cupcake Lounge needs a break now and then!

As always, we encourage pre-orders (especially for any amount over 6 cupcakes) to ensure you don't miss out on your Saturday snack! Pre-orders can be placed by calling, coming by or sending us an email. Cupcakes arrive at The Candy Store by 11 am and are available for pick up any time after that!

March 5th
Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet
Lemon Coconut: Pure lemon cake and frosting, with shredded coconut

March 12th
Spring Maple: Pure maple cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Cinnamon Rooibos Chai

Bailey's: Dark chocolate cake infused with Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur with chocolate icing (in honour of St. Patrick's Day)
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Buttered Rum

March 19th
The Cupcake Lounge will be closed

March 26th
Chocolate Espresso: Belgian dark chocolate cake with espresso frosting and chocolate-covered espresso bean on top
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Vanilla Oolong

Carrot: Pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top
DavidsTea Recommended Pairing: Forbidden Fruit

Want more Candy Store in your life? Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Super Sweet Cupcake Update

2011-02-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

We're so excited to share this news: due to the overwhelming demand for cupcakes on Valentine's Day, the sweetest day of the year, The Cupcake Lounge, will be making their Sweethearts Box AND making it available for pick up at The Candy Store! Check out their site for the photo of the adorable cupcakes all boxed and ready to give to your sweet heart.

The box will be available in full dozens or half dozens by pre-order only. All pre-orders must be placed and paid for before Saturday, February 12 at 3pm. Pre-orders can be made by coming in, calling or sending us an email.

The full dozen includes:

• Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake and marshmallow cream dipped in chocolate ganache
• Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting
• Strawberry: Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Half dozens will include a mix of the above flavours, as determined by The Cupcake Lounge.

Get in touch with us today and take the guess work out of what to get for your sweetie!

February Cupcake Menu

2011-02-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

Forget California dreamin' on such a winter's day...We can't think of anything better on a snowy day than day dreaming about sweet, moist, decadent cupcakes! Thankfully, The Cupcake Lounge has sent along this month's menu to tantalize us and fuel our cupcake-filled dreams.

As always, we recommend pre-ordering if you know you'd like more than a few cupcakes - we try our hardest, but running out is always a strong possibility. All pre-orders can be made by calling, coming in, or sending us an email and we'll put your precious treats on hold!

There's also some very exciting cupcake-related news coming down the pipeline soon, but we can't spill the beans yet - we'll tell you as soon as we can!!

Saturday, February 5th
Chocolate Almond: Chocolate almond cake with chocolate frosting
Ginger Lemon: Ginger-flavoured cake with lemon cream cheese frosting

Saturday, February 12th
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate
Strawberry: Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, February 19th
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter: Chocolate chip peanut butter cake with chocolate fudge frosting
Mango: Pure mango cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, February 26th
Chocolate Orange: Chocolate, orange zest cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting
White Chocolate Macadamia: White Chocolate Macadamia cake and white chocolate frosting

January Cupcake Menu

2011-01-04T16:29:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a safe and sweet holiday season. At The Candy Store we had a great time, but we're also pleased to move on from holiday music (well, some of us definitely are) and get started on a fabulous 2011. The best way we can think to start the year off right is by offering up this month's cupcake menu! You'll notice there are two new flavours and a change to an old favourite.

Cupcakes arrive every Saturday at 11 am and we always accept pre-orders to ensure you get exactly what you're craving! To place a pre-order you can call, come by the store or email us with your sweet request. We would also like to strongly encourage anyone ordering six cupcakes or more to place their order by Thursday. We know this isn't always possible as last minute plans come up, but when possible, advance notice for larger quantities is appreciated by not only us, but also The Cupcake Lounge who hand crafts each of these delicious gems!

DavidsTea Pairings to come shortly...

Saturday, January 8
Toasted Coconut: Coconut cake with sweet cream cheese frosting covered in toasted coconut
David’s Tea Recommended Pairing:
Chocolate Raspberry: Chocolate raspberry cake with chocolate ganache
David’sTea Recommended Tea Pairing:

Saturday, January 15
Vanilla Vanilla: Vanilla cake flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla and vanilla frosting with white chocolate
David’s Tea Recommended Pairing:
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
David’sTea Recommended Pairing:

Saturday, January 22
Banana: Pure banana cake with Madagascar bourbon vanilla cream cheese frosting
David’s Tea Recommended Pairing:
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles
David’sTea Recommended Pairing:

Saturday, January 29
Apple-Pecan Streusel: Pure apple cake sprinkles with pecan streusel covered in sweet cream cheese frosting
David’s Tea Recommended Pairing:
Hazelnut Chocolate: Hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting and toasted hazelnut
David’s Tea Recommended Pairing:

Imbibing with Candy

2010-12-30T13:17:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve is almost upon us and we know the truth: adults like candy just as much as (and sometimes more than) kids! So in honour of the now-of-age kid inside us all, here are some clever and downright delightful ways that you can incorporate candy into your celebrations with...ahem, alcohol.

Cotton Candy Martini

Ingredients:
2 oz raspberry flavoured vodka
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 tsp grenadine
Splash champagne
Cotton candy

How to:
Chill your martini glass and moisten the rim. Spread the sugar onto a plate and dip
the glass onto it to get an evenly sugared rim.
Place the ice in a cocktail shaker, then pour over the vodka. To this, add a generous
splash of grenadine, and champagne. Shake well for at least a minute.
Place a small piece of cotton candy in the martini glass and strain the mixture over.
Drool.

Thank you to the girls at Dandelions Consignment Boutique for the delicious Cotton Candy Martini recipe! They were actually the inspiration for this post! What better way to ring in the New Year!

Drinks Mixer has a recipe for a drink called Gummy Bear, however, we'd rather try out this infused gummy bear recipe from Instructables.

And while we're on the subject of infusing things, what about tasting the rainbow with Skittles Vodka? Mix That Drink has a clever step-by-step process...and here's a hint: if you want all one flavour of Skittles, we will happily serve that up for you at the store!

Regardless of how you spend your New Year's Eve, we hope it is a sweet one and we encourage you to be safe and responsible!

Countdown to Cupcakes!

2010-12-01T11:25:00.002-05:00

Forget counting down to the holidays - we're counting down to each of the weekends in December! The menu has just arrived and we're already making our list and checking it twice to make sure we get all the scrumptious flavours for our Saturday tea and cupcake ritual. Speaking of tea, our fantastic pals at DavidsTea are working their way through the menu to provide us with the perfect tea pairings - check back shortly for an updated version of this menu with tea recommendations!

We will be closed on the last Saturday of the month, December 25, so as a special holiday gift, cupcakes will be available on Friday, December 24! That's right, cupcakes on Christmas Eve! Betcha Santa would appreciate a cupcake instead of cookies this year. For our special December 24 cupcakes, we are offering pre-order only of either half or full dozens in a decorated Noel-themed box. All Noel Box orders will be available for pick up between 1pm and 5pm when we close. See the menu below for the festive flavours!

As always, cupcakes for Saturdays are available at 11am and can be pre-ordered by coming by the store, phoning or emailing to ensure you don't miss out!

December 4th
Gingerbread Coconut: Fragrant ginger-spiced cake with cream cheese icing and toasted coconut on top
Chocolate Peppermint: Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate-peppermint icing and crushed candy cane

December 11th
Rompope: Pure eggnog-flavoured cake with nutmeg-spiced buttercream frosting
Dulce de leche: Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with Argentine dulce de leche, bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

December 18th
Orange-Cranberry: Fragrant orange cake studded with fresh cranberries and topped with sweet cream cheese frosting
Nanaimo: Chocolate Graham Cracker cake studded with almonds and coconut and vanilla custard icing dipped in chocolate ganache

December 24th
The "Noel" Box offered in 1 dozen and ½ dozen packages pre-ordered for
December 24th only, available after 1pm
Gingerbread Coconut: Fragrant ginger-spiced cake with cream cheese icing and toasted coconut on top
Dulce de leche: Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with Argentine dulce de leche, bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Orange-Cranberry: Fragrant orange cake studded with fresh cranberries and topped with sweet cream cheese frosting

Want more sweet news? Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

Best Little Tea Shop in Town

2010-11-05T11:33:00.002-04:00

If you've been anywhere near Westboro recently, you've likely seen the influx of teal cups being toted from store to store. One of the newest additions to the Richmond Road shopping strip is David's Tea and we couldn't be happier!

So why are we talking tea all of a sudden? Well, it just so happens that the amazingly knowledgeable people across the street from us at David's Tea have a dazzling selection of loose leaf tea that left us reeling. After we stopped spinning, we got to thinking. Taking cues from our own intimate weekend tradition of taking tea with cupcakes we thought: what better partnership is there than tea and cupcakes??

It is with sizzling excitement that we present a divine partnership: tea pairings for each weekend's cupcake flavours! The good people over at David's Tea have poured over our monthly menu from The Cupcake Lounge and have provided their top picks for pairings to suit each flavour. Each Saturday you can now incorporate a little civility into your weekend by enjoying both your cupcake and a hand-picked tea that complements perfectly!

We are positively steeping with anticipation so without delay, here are the pairings for this month's cupcake menu!

November 6th
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Organic Strawberry White

Lemon Raspberry: Light lemon and raspberry cake with raspberry frosting and candied lemon.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Organic Raspberry Nectar

November 13th
Chocolate Mint: Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate-mint icing and a mint chocolate on top.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Mint Chocolate Rooibos

Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Forever Nuts

November 20th
Chocolate Almond: Chocolate almond cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted almond on top.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Secret Weapon

Key Lime Pie: Lime-infused cake and cream cheese frosting with candied lime.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Lime Bang

November 27th
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate ganache.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Quangzhou Milk Oolong

Peanut Butter Banana Cinnamon: Peanut butter and banana cake with cinnamon-sugar frosting.
David's Tea Recommended Pairing: Spicy Chocolate Rooibos

Keep up with all of the pairings on our official Candy Store Twitter feed - we wouldn't want you to miss a thing!

All's fair in love and chocolate

2010-11-03T15:16:00.002-04:00

If dark chocolate could win Oscars, Olivia Chocolat would win hands down in all categories with maple flakes coming in as best supporting flavour. Honourable mention to almonds as well but don't worry, it's all friendly competition between these succulent, dark chocolate bars which we are so proud to have back in stock at The Candy Store.

Olivia Chocolat seems to have it all starting with, but not limited to, making a high percentage dark chocolate that is surprisingly not bitter. Varieties include 85%, 76%, Touch of Maple, Almond, and Touch of Maple with maple flakes. Can you say ambrosia? Their new raw collection which consists of non-roasted beans is also heavenly and really profiles the inherent flavour qualities of the beans. The Raw Line comes in 85%, 76%, and Almond. It can't get much better than this! Oh wait, of course it can. It's also vegan friendly and available at a lower price than ever before!

As well as being made locally, the company is deeply devoted to environmental
sustainability. The chocolatiers are committed to their zero carbon footprint goal by using hydro-generated electricity from the Gatineau River to roast, produce and finish the bars - a process which has been dubbed bean to bar in the industry (for more about Olivia and their beans, check out our previous post about this amazing company). Even the packaging is from a sustainable and certified source which meets the requirements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program.

If we haven't given you enough reasons to try Olivia Chocolat, hold on to your socks because here's another: a higher cocoa content means maximized health benefits. Hooray for anti-oxidants! Let's celebrate by eating some, or lots! Ok, ok, moderation is important but this is truly a guilt-free, healthy pleasure that you can indulge in. Go for it, we dare you.

November Cupcake Menu

2010-11-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

Happy first day of November! We realise that everyone might be just a little bit sugared out after this past Halloween weekend, but we have a sneaking feeling that come the 6th, a little cupcake might be in order! Here is this month's cupcake menu - just try to resist!

As always, cupcakes arrive at 11:00 am on Saturdays and, as always, pre-orders are encouraged to avoid disappointment. You can pre-order in person or by phone or by sending us an email. It's just that simple!

And did you know that if you're looking for cupcakes that aren't on the menu, special pre-orders are available in another flavour of your choice?? (minimum one dozen per flavour - advance notice required)The Cupcake Lounge has a full menu you can peruse for jaw-dropping goodness.

November 6th
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles.
Lemon Raspberry: Light lemon and raspberry cake with raspberry frosting and candied lemon.

November 13th
Chocolate Mint: Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate-mint icing and a mint chocolate on top.
Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet.

November 20th
Chocolate Almond: Chocolate almond cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted almond on top.
Key Lime Pie: Lime-infused cake and cream cheese frosting with candied lime.

November 27th
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate ganache.
Peanut Butter Banana Cinnamon: Peanut butter and banana cake with cinnamon-sugar frosting.

Cornin' Around

2010-10-26T12:58:00.003-04:00

I spy with my little eye, something that is yellow on the bottom, orange in the middle, and white on top… Need another hint? This triangular shaped candy has a smooth, creamy, caramel, marshmallow-like flavour...(are you drooling yet?) If you haven’t guessed it already, it’s Candy Corn!

In honour of this Halloween favourite, we would like to everyone to know that October 30th is National Candy Corn Day. We hope you celebrate this day by… well, eating some! Want to hear a fun fact? According to the National Confectioners Association, 35 million pounds of Candy Corn will be produced this year. That’s enough to circle the moon nearly 21 times if laid end-to-end!

This delectable treat has been around for more than 100 years and was first popular among farmers in the 1900s but because of the lack of machinery to produce it, it was only enjoyed seasonally from March to November. Can you imagine not being able to have Candy Corn every day?!? They must have been so deprived...Ok, a little overdramatic but do not fret because now, “you can have your ‘corn’ and eat it too”… year round AND in a different variety of colours and flavours depending on the holiday. WoooHoo! We know this is a little corny (pun fully intended) but on October 30th we will eat some candy corn proudly and say a big thanks to the creator, George Renninger – yes, the candy man can!

Remember to stop by The Candy Store this Halloween with your trick or treaters! We’ll be handing out treats all day in our best Halloween gear! Ain’t life sweet?!

October Cupcake Menu & Giveaway

2010-09-29T11:40:00.003-04:00

We've got fantastic news: there are five Saturdays in October! That means five different cupcake-filled weekends for indulgence and delight. As always, pre-orders are gladly accepted for must-have flavour selection and can be done in person, by calling or sending us an email.

Saturday, October 4
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Banana: Pure banana cake with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cream cheese frosting

Saturday, October 9 Cornucopia Weekend!
Pumpkin: Cinnamon-spiced pumpkin cake with sweet cream cheese frosting
Hazelnut Chocolate: Hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting and a toasted hazelnut
Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Strawberry: Pureed strawberry cake with sweet strawberry frosting and pink ribbon fondant decorations
Partial proceeds from the sale these special Breast Cancer Awareness Month cupcakes will be donated to The Canadian Cancer Society

Saturday, October 16
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Orange-Cranberry: Pure orange-cranberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and cranberry garnish

Saturday, October 23
Mocha: Belgian dark chocolate cake with mocha frosting and chocolate-covered roasted coffee bean
Chai Latte: Spiced chai tea cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla

Saturday, October 30
Orange: Pure orange cake and frosting, with orange zest
Chocolate Zucchini: Chocolate zucchini cake with sweet cream cheese icing

Still not enough sweet news for you? One of our favourite bloggers, quietfish is hosting a Candy Store giveaway on her blog. Head on over and check it out - you could win a $50 chocolate basket filled with some of our very favourite treats!

September Cupcake Menu

2010-09-01T16:10:00.003-04:00

Though it may not feel like it this week, the calendar is marching forward into fall and there are a number of really exciting new cupcake flavours to reflect this crisp season!

As always, cupcakes can be pre-ordered by calling, dropping by or by emailing us with your sweet selections! Cupcakes arrive every Saturday morning at 11 am and are quickly nipped up.

Also, in other cupcake-related news, The Cupcake Lounge has been listed as #92 on Ottawa Magazine's 101 Tastes to try before you die list. We agree!

Saturday, September 4
Key Lime Pie: Lime-infused cake and cream cheese frosting with candied lime zest on top
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow, iced with chocolate

Saturday, September 11
Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet
Alfajores: Argentinean vanilla cake and dulce de leche icing edged with toasted coconut

Saturday, September 18
The Cupcake Lounge will be on a well-deserved holiday. Thank you for understanding!

Saturday, September 25
Apple Spice: Spicy granny smith apple cake made with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
Nanaimo: Chocolate graham cracker cake studded with almonds and coconut and vanilla custard icing then dipped in chocolate ganache

August Cupcake Menu

2010-07-28T10:56:00.003-04:00

It wouldn't be the last week of the month without a new cupcake menu!
What's going on this month? Lots of favourites as well as some really creative and interesting combinations! As always, cupcakes are available on Saturdays only and we highly recommend pre-ordering to avoid disappointment. All pre-orders can be made either in person, by phone or by email!

Now on with the cupcakes...

Saturday, August 7
Peach: Pureed peach cake with sweet peach frosting
Brownie: Black and white brownie cream cheese cupcake dipped in chocolate ganache

Saturday, August 14
Strawberry: Pureed strawberry cake with sweet strawberry frosting
Hazelnut Chocolate: Hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted hazelnut on top

Saturday, August 21
White & Black: Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Blueberry Rose: Blueberry rose water cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, August 28
Carrot: Pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

July Cupcake Menu

2010-06-24T23:35:00.005-04:00

Happy news! There's a new month coming up and that means a new cupcake menu with new flavours! We get out cupcakes every Saturday at 11 am so if you're in the area and want a sweet fix, drop by for a taste. Better yet, if you know you're eager to eat one (or two or three) and don't want to miss out, because they do sell out quickly, you can pre-order cupcakes by calling, emailing or stopping by to stake your claim to some cute cupcakes!

Without further ado, here are the mouth-watering, tummy-rumbling flavours:

July 3rd
Northern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and Canada Day fondant decorations
Oh Canada Maple: Pure maple cake and icing and Canada day fondant decorations

July 10th
Mango Coconut: Pure mango cake and frosting, with shredded coconut
Mexican Chocolate Almond: Chocolate almond cake with vanilla frosting flavoured with Ancho

July 17th
Raspberry: Pure raspberry cake with raspberry frosting
Chocolate Coconut: Dark chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting covered in coconut

July 24th
Orange: Pure orange cake and frosting, with orange zest
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles

July 31st
Cherry: Pure cherry cake with cherry frosting
Ginger Lemon: Ginger-flavoured cake with lemon cream cheese frosting

Hey...did you notice, now that you've made it to the end? Five Cupcake Saturdays in July! Yay!

June Cupcake Menu

2010-06-02T11:02:00.005-04:00

June's cupcake menu is here with some exciting new flavours and scrumptious favourites! Pre-Orders are still gladly accepted (six or more cupcakes require pre-payment at time of pre-order)!

Saturday, June 5
Black Forest: Moist, Kirsch-flavoured, Belgian dark chocolate cake with poached cherries and sweet cream cheese frosting
Strawberry: Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, June 12
Yes, we will have cupcakes during WestFest! We kindly ask that all pre-orders for this date be paid for in advance. If you’ve ever been to WestFest, you know why – it’s gonna be busy!
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate
Banana: Pure banana cake with white chocolate and cream cheese frosting

Saturday, June 19
Chocolate Orange: Chocolate orange zest cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting
Blackberry: Pure blackberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, June 26
Lemon Coconut: Pure lemon cake and frosting with shredded coconut
Dulce de Leche: Belgian dark chocolate cake filled with Argentine dulce de leche, bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

We like to party!

2010-05-03T08:22:00.006-04:00

Hot on the heels of our participation inWedding Bells Magazine's 25th Anniversary Party where we provided many of the sweets for the sweet spread on their candy table, we're headed to another party!

May 4th is one of our favourite events of the year: Bon Appetit! This is a charitable event that brings the very best and delectable in Ottawa's gastronomic community together at the Aberdeen Pavillion to raise money for 21 local groups, focused primarily on children and the elderly. The Candy Store is so pleased to be a part of this event for the second year in a row and can't wait to show off all the fantastic treats and special surprises we've got for our beautiful buffet!

In honour of this special event, we have a special guest blogger for the day! Inspired by the theme of this year's candy buffet, Gabriella, a seventh grade student at Summit Alternative School, has penned a fitting tribute to whet your appetite!

Lemon Lemon Lemon

Lemon Cordials, Lemon Malt Balls, Lemon everything!

At The Candy Store we officially declare lemon the flavour of the season. What could make you feel like screaming "Spring has sprung!" more than the colour yellow? After all, daisies are yellow, buttercups are yellow and the sun is yellow. Yellow is a happy colour and for that reason we are making our theme of Bon Appetit yellow.

Yellow everything and all different flavours. At The Candy Store, as most of you know, we like to keep things traditional but we are changing things for this event. We are going to have Pina Colada Cordials, Lemon Coconut Macarons, Lemon Coconut Cupcakes, yummy Lemon Meringue Malt Balls and Pastel Yellow Milkies. Dazzle Yellow Almonds add a little pop to the buffet. Lemon Rock Candy and salt water taffy - you guessed it, they are Lemon Salt Water Taffy!

So come see us and come hungry and as Julia Child said, Bon Appetit!

May Cupcake Menu

2010-04-22T16:08:00.002-04:00

It's the last weekend of April, which can only mean one thing: May's Cupcake Menu is ready to go!

As always cupcakes are available on Saturdays by 11:00 am and we welcome pre-orders by phone or email!

We'll keep you posted on a Mother's Day box in the works, but in the meantime, on with the menu...

May 1
Chocolate Turtle Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake covered in caramel and dipped in chocolate ganache
Vanilla: Vanilla cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla with sprinkles

May 8
Key Lime Pie: Lime-infused cake and cream cheese frosting with lime zest
Hazelnut Chocolate: Hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted hazelnut on top

May 15
White Chocolate Macadamia: White chocolate macadamia cake and which chocolate frosting
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

May 22
The Cupcake Lounge will be closed for holidays this weekend

May 29
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Mango: Pure mango cake with sweet mango frosting

Can you get....?

2010-04-08T15:13:00.004-04:00

Our girls at The Candy Store hear it all. From the completely common to the elusive and rare, we are asked all the time if we can get such-and-such candy or if they still make so-and-so bar. We love hearing about what people remember and those little bites of their past that struck enough of a chord to have them yearning for these special treats all these long years later. There isn't a day that goes by where someone isn't surprised at seeing something on our shelves and shares a memory or two related to candy. Many of the candies and sweets from our collective past have become the touchstones for some of our fondest memories.

As a child born at the edge of the '80s, my own "gone but not forgotten" candy is Bonkers. For those born any time after 1985 Bonkers were the (better, in my opinion) predecesor to Starburst only they had a cubed two-tone look about them and a softer texture. I don't remember the commericals - we only had a half dozen channels at that time, but YouTube is full of them. Bonkers were my treat of choice at the Uxbridge Pool after swimming lessons (Tadpole level, thank you very much - far more interesting than the colour system). Bonkers, in fact, are the basis for on of my earliest childhood memories. The vending machine in the lobby of the pool building didn't always have grape in stock and that was my favourite flavour. I still recall the bitter sting of having to choose watermelon one day in lieu of grape. Within the year we'd moved from Uxbridge to Oshawa. I never saw that machine again and not long after Bonkers were gone for good. It was only this past week when the salt water taffy came in (yeah!) that I had a piece of grape taffy and realised how eerily close to Bonkers that candy could be - I'm sure if I were to close my eyes and eat that taffy near a bucket of chlorine (not recommended), it would be just as I remember!

Image courtesy of ffffound

So what about that candy you miss?? Well, many special treats have made their way to the big vending machine in the sky and we're sad to say that we don't know when that coil will spin again bringing them back to us. We have decided to compile a little list, available as a Note on our Facebook Page to help keep track of those items that are gone and their meagre (but sometimes if you shut your eyes they work) substitutes. Book mark this one - we're sure to keep adding as we catch wind of the next disappearance in the candy world!

Got a memory related to candy? We'd love to know - share your memory with us and we could feature you in an upcoming blog post!

Think pink and do something sweet!

2010-04-08T11:10:00.005-04:00

We're so excited, we can't wait to share this with everyone: The Candy Store is participating in the Weekend to End Women's Cancers!

It gets even better: between now and June 4th, all the proceeds from the sale of cotton candy will be donated to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation! Everyone gets something sweet: you get a treat and they get a step closer to finding a cure.

We look forward to helping to make a difference!
To learn more about women's cancers, please visit the Official Weekend to End Women's Cancers website.

April Cupcake Menu

2010-03-19T12:44:00.003-04:00

Hot from the oven, here is the menu for April's cupcake selections!
Not to be missed is the special Easter Box - the box is available by the dozen (pre-order only)for Saturday, April 3 pick up. The Easter Box contains:

Chocolate Coconut: Dark chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting covered in coconut
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles
Carrot: Pure carrot cake with pineapple and walnuts and vanilla cream cheese frosting

April 3
Chocolate Coconut: Dark chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting covered in coconut
Chocolate Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

April 10
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter: Chocolate chip peanut butter cake with chocolate fudge frosting
Vanilla: Vanilla cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla

April 17
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate
Lemon Coconut: Pure lemon cake and frosting, with shredded coconut

April 24
Strawberry: Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting
Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet

Building a Better Bunny

2010-03-09T10:51:00.003-05:00

It’s no surprise that our Easter Bunnies come from Germany. The Easter Bunny himself can be traced back to 17th century Germany roots and, as such, is an important part of the history of Germany’s relationship with Easter. The first edible bunnies weren’t made of chocolate, however, they were pastries made in the 1800s. By the time this tradition made its way to North America (Pennsylvania to be exact) children made brightly coloured nests in hopes that the Osterhase would lay eggs for them as a reward for good behaviour.

Our bunnies come from two family-owned companies in Germany: Klett and Riegelien. Oddly enough, both companies were started in 1953, 250km apart, by the family patriarch. Walter Klett started his company in Nehren while Hans Riegelien chose Cadolzburg. Both are still operated by members of their respective families and have become the leaders in beautiful chocolate figure work for holidays. Riegelein estimates that they use 18,000 tons of chocolate for their bunnies alone each year!

Riegelien, coincidently, was just honoured in January for their work by Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, an organization which honours companies for above standard work in the food industry in Germany. Riegelein walked away with five gold medals, a few of them related to their seasonal sweets (how do we get a job on that judging panel!?).

Today 57% of children get up earlier than usual to see what the Big Bunny has left them and 90% of parents hope for a treat too! At The Candy Store we’re happy to give the Easter Bunny a hand by bringing in some of the most loved and cherished treats of the season. Stop in and see us as well as our beloved bunnies!

Wanderlust and the peanut

2010-02-26T08:59:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we come across an item that has such interesting historical roots that we just have to share the details with everyone. Today we’re thinking Goobers. Goobers, for those who haven’t ripped open a package yet, are chocolate coated peanuts and, aside from sneaking a little extra protein into your day, Goobers also provide us with a neat little lesson in history and geography!

The peanut, the basis of our little Goobers, originated in South America, but before they made it onto North American soil they hooked a right and made it to Africa where they stayed for a couple of centuries before they finally made the trans-Atlantic trip (again!) to North America.

So what does this have to do with a name like Goobers? Well this stop-over in Africa put the peanut in contact with the various Bantu tribes whose word for “peanut” is the ancestor of “goober.” The Kongo people called the peanut “nguba,” the same word for kidney, using the shape of the peanut as their guide. The humble nguba travelled, along with many Africans, to North America and word spread along the South, popularising the nguba and morphing nguba into goober. This slang term for peanuts caught on, though never replacing peanut, and even ended up in a Civil War song that details how soldiers managed to survive starvation by stealing into fields and eating up goober peas (peanuts!).

The Blumenthal Candy Company developed the Goober in its current form in 1925 and chose a name that many Americans would easily recognize, helping them gain a foothold in the highly competitive candy market. While this may not resonate in the areas outside of the southern United States, we can at least appreciate the simple, clean taste of a salty little peanut soaked in milk chocolate! So next time you need a little boost, pick up a pack of Goobers and toast to that little bit of history that connects us all, even through the simple little peanut.

March Cupcake Menu

2010-02-23T14:49:00.003-05:00

Hello fellow cupcake lovers,
We're coming to the end of February which can only mean one thing: a new cupcake menu is about to start! Read on for tantalizing new flavours and solid favourites. As always, cupcakes can be pre-ordered for any Saturday of the month by calling The Candy Store or sending us an email.

March 6th
Carrot: Pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles

March 13th
"Green" Velvet: Light chocolate cake with St. Patrick's-style sweet cream cheese frosting
Bailey's: Dark chocolate cake infused with Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur with chocolate icing

March 20th
Key Lime Pie: Lime-infused cake and cream cheese frosting with lime zest
Chocolate Raspberry: Chocolate cake with raspberry puree and raspberry icing

March 27th
Chai Latte: Spiced chai tea cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla
Chocolate Oreo: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and Oreo crumbles

Bit O....what?

2010-02-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

nataliedee.com

Chances are if you grew up in Canada, you didn't come across this one very often. Bit-O-Honey is an American candy bar with a twist: there's no chocolate! In fact, the chocolate version of this bar didn't do very well and was axed in the '70's. But if you lived in the States or had the fortune to visit, you might have encountered this smooth and sweet bar which first appeared in 1924 from Schutter-Johnson Company, a Chicago-based candy maker now long gone.

Bit-O-Honey is exactly that: a creamy bar sweetened with honey that has a distinctive chew not unlike a good toffee. This bar is often served up in mini size to Trick or Treaters around Halloween, but at The Candy Store you can get the full size version all year round to experience the taste for yourself. Divided into six pieces, the full size version is actually quite low in fat (3g for the whole bar) and calories (160 for the whole bar), making it a good choice for people who want a little hit of sweetness without the extra guilt. In fact, the long-lasting chewy nature of the candy really does make you feel as though you've indulged even after one piece.

Of interest as well is that Bit-O-Honey is an excellent example of a larger company stepping in to buy the rights to a candy bar that would have otherwise disappeared for our shelves and faded from memory. Nestle acquired Bit-O-Honey in 1984 and has since been the sole manufacturer of this nostalgic nosh. And for the legal age among us: check out this drink recipe based on the confection.

Be Mine!

2010-02-09T16:07:00.004-05:00

Kiss me! Both of these statements are part of the original sentiments used on conversation hearts candies by inventor Necco. And if we're talking about conversation hearts, it can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day is upon us and that plucky little cherub has his sights set on candy! At The Candy Store we're all decked out and ready for love - candy love, that is.

Conversations hearts, which were invented in 1900 are one of the most popular Valentine traditions. In fact, 8 billion hearts are made for this season alone and manufacturers actually make them for 11 months to prepare! If, however, you're not in the mood for the original candy hearts, we have a fantastic alternative: solid chocolate hearts wrapped in foil with the same sorts of sayings so you can still make your point and tickle their sweet tooth.

Also available for a limited time only are beautiful boxed Saxon chocolates, brought in only for Valentine's Day; with their lush satin ribbons they're ready to give.
Still not sure what to get? Show them you were paying attention by making a delightful mixed assortment of their favourites. Any one of our helpful Candy Consultants will happily assist you in putting together that pefect treat for someone sweet. And yes, we are open on Valentine's Day from 11am - 5pm, just in case!

The Candy Store will be closed on Family Day: Monday, February 15, 2010

February Cupcake Menu

2010-02-01T14:26:00.003-05:00

As we turn the page on the calendar, it's time to look forward to another month of Saturday Cupcakes! As always, we recommend contacting us at the store or by email to reserve your favourite flavours.

Saturday, February 6
Vanilla: Vanilla cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla with sprinkles
Mocha:Belgian dark chocolate cake with mocha frosting and chocolate-covered roasted coffee bean on top

Saturday, February 13
Southern Red Velvet:Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet
Strawberry:Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Gift Boxed Valentine's Day "Sweethearts" Dozen available for pre-order.
Each Sweethearts Box contains Southern Red Velvet, Strawberry and Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache

Saturday, February 20
Mango: Pure mango cake with sweet cream cheese frosting
Hazelnut Chocolate: Hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted hazelnut on top

Saturday, February 27
Chocolate Orange: Chocolate, orange zest cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting
Banana: Pure banana cake with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla cream cheese frosting.

Wedding Candy 101

2010-01-08T16:01:00.004-05:00

We’re so excited to be a part of the Wedding Palace 2010 Bridal Show this weekend and we thought, in keeping with our weekend, we’d share details on some of the services we offer as well as some insider tips for if you’re thinking of incorporating candy and treats into your wedding or event.

Candy Buffets? Yes! Candy buffets are a huge hit and add that extra element of interest and excitement you might be looking to add to your event. At The Candy Store we can help you navigate the endless stream of sugar to come up with just the right selections for your event based on theme, flavour or colour. Our experience has shown that left overs, while sometimes hoped for, are rare! One of our favourite tips to share relates to this: you’re going to be so busy on your big day that aside from taking a quick peek at the buffet, you might not have the time to load up on the sweets yourself. Ask one of your attendants or friends to fill up a little bag just for you so that you don’t miss out on the decadent goodies if you get stuck on the dance floor or posing for “just one more picture!”

Two recent additions to our buffet catalogue are cupcakes and macarons. The Cupcake Lounge provides us with moist and beautiful little cakes that can compliment any event. Using them in place of a cake, as favors or on your buffet table is sure to put a smile on your guests’ faces. Macarons, which we recently gushed about, not only make beautiful and delicate guest favors, but also can be placed on a candy buffet table in a very impressive cone display. The macarons can be eaten right off the display to the delight of your guests. For your delight they can be colour and flavour themed as well to really complete the look of your candy buffet.

Speaking of favors, we can’t forget those thoughtful little reminders of appreciation. The possibilities are limitless and can be customized based on your theme, colours or favourites. Built to suit any budget, we have a comprehensive selection of container and box options available at The Candy Store and can help you find the right way to say thank you to your guests. We highly recommend placing your favors on each place setting if you’re having a seated meal: if prepared in your chosen even colours, the favors add an added element of décor to your tables and help ensure each guest receives their favor.

Want to talk about your wedding or event with us but can’t make it to the Wedding Palace Bridal Show? We would love to set aside some time to discuss your event! Contact the store or email us and one of our Wedding and Event Coordinators will happily book a consultation appointment with you to explore (and taste!) all of your options and tailor our services to suit your occasion. Not getting married in town but still have questions or need help? Our Wedding and Event Coordinators would still be happy to meet with you and see what we can do to help you incorporate a little sweetness.

One final tip: give yourself some time. We recommend, if possible, making buffet or favor arrangements at least 8 weeks before your event. One very important reason for this is weather: candy and chocolate do not like weather extremes and many specialty confectioners try to avoid shipping in extreme weather situations. And, let's be honest, it's nice to have one less to-do on your plate as your event date draws near. Let us help you tackle this tasty to-do and get it off your mind.

January Cupcake Menu

2010-01-04T16:02:00.002-05:00

Just in time to chase away the back-to-work blahs: the January Cupcake Menu!

January 9th
Carrot: Pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top
Chocolate Turtle Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake covered in caramel and dipped in chocolate ganache

January 16th
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter: Chocolate chip peanut butter cake with chocolate fudge frosting
Strawberry: Pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

January 23th
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate
Lemon Coconut: Pure lemon cake and frosting, with shredded coconut

January 30th
Chocolate-Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles on top
Tres Leches: Vanilla cake infused with tres leches and covered in a cinnamon cream cheese icing

As always, cupcakes arrive every Saturday at 11AM but can also pre-ordered by emailing info@thecandystoreottawa.ca or by calling us at 613-728-7500.

Let them eat...macaron!

2009-12-18T14:32:00.004-05:00

Photo courtesy of Art-Is-In - they have a Facebook Page too!

Paris has come to The Candy Store! Anyone who saw us on A-Channel this past Tuesday and ourFacebook Fansknow what we’re talking about already: macarons! Kevin Mathieson of Art-Is-In Bakery, who spent some time working for Laduree in Paris, has started bringing his heavenly treats to us and we couldn’t be happier!

Macarons were invented in the 18th century in France and were served, most notably at Versailles, but you don’t have to be an aristocrat to appreciate the incredible flavours of these meringue sandwich-like pastries. The macarons we know today were perfected by the Parisian institutuion Laduree who, under the watchful eye of Pierre Desfontaines, took them from single dome-like cookie to otherworldly perfection with the addition of jams, liquors and ganaches.

The macarons available at The Candy Store follow the Laduree tradition (without all the line ups – just ask Katie! She waded through a line easily 80 people long on the Champs Elysee to get her fill of Laduree macarons last month!). On offer at the moment is pistachio, raspberry, chocolate and lemon-coconut – alone or in combination, these pastel luxuries are as impressive as they are divine.
Those with a keen eye will recognize the macarons from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette. Laduree’s macarons are not only sold at Versailles, but also appear in the movie at various points. So dust off your powdered wig and come see for yourself – close your eyes and let us take you to Paris!

Workers at the Laduree on the Champs Elysee help customers select macarons

Ain’t She Sweet

2009-12-09T13:34:00.004-05:00

We’re sure it will come as no surprise that all of us wonderful women at The Candy Store have a pretty decadent sweet tooth. People are always asking us if we ever tire of sweets (answer: not at all – there’s always something different to try when a favourite isn’t hitting the spot). And then there are the skeptics who give us a look and question whether we even eat these fantastic treats (answer: YES! Trust us, these figures aren’t from lack of trying! We’re always munching away – anyone who has come in to find us with a malt ball in our mouth can attest to that!).

This weekend, however, we may finally meet our match: Catherine Burke of Village Buns will be joining us on Saturday for an in-store tasting of her deliciously decadent cinnamon buns.

Catherine is just as sweet as the buns she makes and we're so happy to be able to share her treats with Westboro. In fact, we're not the only ones excited about this - check out this write-up in the Ottawa Citizen and then try them for yourself!

As if all of this sweetness wasn't enough, we've got more sugary good news: The Cupcake Lounge is offering their special Holiday Flavours boxes for pick up at The Candy Store on December 24th! You can choose between Peace On Earth, Joy or Noel combinations (all orders are one dozen - please call to reserve yours as there will be no walk-in cupcakes that day):

The "Peace on Earth" Box:
Southern Red Velvet – Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting;
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache – Belgian dark chocolate cake and marshmallow cream dipped in chocolate ganache, and;
Chocolate-Chocolate – Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles on top.

The "Joy" Box:
Southern Red Velvet – Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting;
Chocolate Peppermint – Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate-peppermint icing and crushed candy cane;
Orange-Cranberry – Pure orange-cranberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting with cranberry on top, and;
Chocolate-Chocolate – Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles on top.

The "Noel" Box:
Southern Red Velvet – Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting;
Orange-Cranberry – Pure orange-cranberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting with cranberry on top, and;
Chocolate-Chocolate – Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles on top.

Between Village Buns Cinnamon buns for Christmas morning breakfast and Cupcake Lounge cupcakes for dessert after your turkey, you're guaranteed to have a sweet Christmas indeed!

December Cupcake Menu

2009-11-30T12:18:00.002-05:00

Fresh from the oven...(sort of)...here is the December Cupcake Menu!

As always, preorders are welcome for any flavour you'd hate to miss. Just give us a call or send us an email and we'll have your order ready and waiting for pick up!

December 5th
Chocolate Coconut: Belgian dark chocolate cake with coconut and cream cheese icing.

Chai Latte: Spiced chai tea cake and frosting, flavoured with Madagascar bourbon vanilla.

December 12th
Southern Red Velvet: Light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese icing and a milk chocolate callet.

White Chocolate Macadamia: White Chocolate Macadamia cake and white chocolate frosting.

December 19th
Chocolate Peppermint: Belgian dark chocolate cake with chocolate-peppermint icing and crushed candy cane.

Orange-Cranberry: Pure orange-cranberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and cranberry on top.

The Candy Store will be closed on Saturday, December 26th for the holidays, so there will be no cupcakes on Boxing Day (but let's be honest, we're all going to be stuffed...at least that's our plan!)

Good Old Fashioned Sweets

2009-11-27T12:24:00.003-05:00

If there’s something we’ve learned in the year and a half we’ve been open, everyone (and we really do mean EVERYONE) has a special candy that really takes them back. Back to grandma’s house, back to summers in the tree house, back to yearly packages from abroad, back to those memories only a very specific taste can revive. We’re an absolute sucker for those stories and find ourselves “going back” from time to time, even when we least expect!

It is safe to say that there are a number of holiday-related treats that take people back and even if the following aren’t a part of your gastronomical memory, you just may find a new sweet to come back to for years to come.

Robertson’s Candy is a Canadian company based in Truro, Nova Scotia and, without intending, they have become a major part of the collective childhood memories for many Canadians, both Maritimer and mainlander. Operating since 1928, this company is still family owned and operated, (a feat unto itself) and using traditional recipes perfected through years of practice, they produce confections such as barley toys, chicken bones, humbugs, ribbon candy and sponge taffy.

Barley toys, or clear toys, may be familiar to you already, especially if you recall the entry from last year where we declared our love for them, but what about the others? Chicken bones are beautiful pale pink candy sticks flavoured with cinnamon and hiding a chocolate center. We get a strange look every so often when offering someone a chicken bone during the holidays, but those moments where they bring back holiday memories and feelings long forgotten are what makes them so special to us. Making them even more special, like much of their candy, Robertson’s only produces them once a year for the holidays – once they’re gone, they’re gone and you’re going to have to ration your supply to make it through the long months ahead (we know – we have!).

Humbugs are perhaps a bit more common, even if only because of Ebenezer Scrooge and his famous line. Robertson’s again, makes these delicately flavoured boiled sweets during the holiday season. Lightly flavoured with peppermint, Robertson’s humbugs evoke holiday memories far and wide as they continue to be a wildly popular treat throughout the UK and Canada. Blackadder fans will no doubt recall the holiday episode wherein Blackadder offered Baldrick a humbug.

Ribbon candy and sponge taffy round out our offerings from Robertson’s and make an impressive showing. The satiny sheen of the delicate and brightly colour ribbon candy almost makes you want to hang it on the tree instead of eat it, but, of course, it won’t make it to our tree! And the sponge taffy, something so simple, is delicious on its own, but becomes even more enticing when used in holiday baking – we’ll let you know how we fare with this next week!

Don't forget this Saturday's cupcake flavours:
Mango: Pure mango cake with sweet mango frosting.

White & Black: Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles.

December's cupcake menu will be up shortly and for all your instant candy news, check out our Facebook Page! Not only will you find the blogs, but also we'll update you whenever a popular or new item is back in stock (malt balls, anyone??). Never miss your fix again!

It’s beginning to look a lot like….

2009-11-18T14:54:00.004-05:00

Ok, we couldn’t help ourselves, but let’s be honest, most of the major holiday events will be taking place in the next month so it's time to start thinking about the holidays (23 days until Hanukkah and 37 days until Christmas, just in case you’re wondering!). We’ve made the switch to the holiday season at The Candy Store and even put up the tree in the window. Our holiday favourites are arriving on a daily basis and the best place to keep track of all the goodies is through instant updates in your Facebook News Feed for The Candy Store! As soon as any new goodies arrive at our store and the elves have put the treats out, we announce it on Facebook so you’ll never miss out on your favourites!

New for us this year are the beautiful Handmade Candy Canes and Ribbon Candy from Hammond’s Candies in Denver, Colorado. The candy canes are nearly nine inches long and come in eight fanciful flavours: cranberry, apple pie, cherry, strawberry, butterscotch, peppermint, wintergreen and cinnamon (yes sweetheart, I’ve already bought you one). The canes are individually wrapped and have already attracted a lot of attention in the 24 hours they’ve been here! Made using their tested and true methods perfected over years of lollipop production, Hammond’s have outdone themselves with these exquisite candy canes. Their production floor looks like so much fun, but you have to see it for yourself – check out this video clip from the Food Network showcasing Hammond’s factory and try not to spend the afternoon thinking of ways to get to Denver!

Natacha, a local teacher, gave us this next tip: Did you know that November 20th is the United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day? 50 years ago the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, an expanded version of a 1923 document adopted by the International Save the Children Union. To mark the 50th anniversary, the International Committee of the Red Cross is working to shed light on the risks and needs of children living in areas of armed conflict and how to protect them. So however you chose to spend your Friday, cherish the children in your life!

Rockets or Smarties?

2009-10-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

If you grew up in Canada, you know the difference between Rockets and Smarties. Or do you? Here's a hint: the Ce De Candy Company makes both. Feeling a little confused? We can help: Rockets are the pressed hard candy we know and love in Canada in the clear and red wrapper, but in the United States, they're called Smarties (we won't even get into the "other" Smarties this time...)!

Their name aside, Rockets (we're in Canada, afterall) are made right here in Canada! In fact, the Newmarket, Ontario plant works 24 hours a day to produce these little pocket-sized treats. All the Rockets produced between the two manufacturing facilities each year would circle the globe three times - and they're only 1cm across! And did you know that Rockets have been in production since 1949, but can trace their lineage back to England in 1928 and a little company, Matlow Bros.Ltd. One of the brothers came to North America in 1949 with the mission of making and selling their popular candies. "Smarties" lore has it that he came with "only two wrapping machines, a rented facility and a lot of ingenuity"

Regardless of what path they took to make it to our loot bags, we're so pleased to have the ever-present white, yellow, pink, orange, purple and green concave discs all year round!

The Wikipedia entry actually has a great little comparison of the American and Canadian-made Rockets (they're labelled Smarties, but we think you'll know what we're talking about!), showing the slight colour variations that the true candy afficiando would appreciate:

No trick - just treat!

2009-10-21T13:30:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of all things spooky, we've been digging into candy's scary past to come up with some eerily interesting facts to get you in the Trick Or Treat-ing mood!

More than 93% of children don costumes and head out for a night of trick-or-treating.

Did you know October 30th is National Candy Corn Day? That's right - this treat invented in the 1880s is a Halloween staple. More than 35 million pounds are going to be produced this year. According to Farley's & Sathers, one of the major candy corn manufacturers, if all the candy corn and mellowcreme pumpkins they produce yearly were lined up end-to-end they would circle the globe four times!

41% of all adults admit to sneaking treats from the bowl on Halloween night while 90% of parents admit to sneaking treats from their kids' sugary haul.

30% of children sort their collected candy before digging in!

The best way to keep your stash from going stale is to store all your candy in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight and away from hidden heat sources (look for the heating vent before tossing your loot-laden pillow case under the bed!).

Check out more fantastic facts and Halloween safety tips at the National Confectioners Association and, as always, Ottawa Police Services has all the information you need for a fun and safe Halloween!

And here's the best tip of all: We love Halloween at The Candy Store! Come dressed in a costume on October 31st and trick-or-treat with us!

This weekend's cupcake flavours:
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles

Carrot: pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top.

New Friends and Good Times

2009-10-09T12:56:00.005-04:00

We've had a lot of fun this week and with Cornucopia on the way, we're expecting the trend to continue! At the beginning of this week, Diane, the owner of The Candy Store had a one-on-one morning with Chris Stewart. Don't know who Chris Stewart is? Tsk tsk. He's the creator and overall mad genius behind Candy Critic, an immensely popular guide to the good, the bad and the odd in the candy world. And the most exciting part is that Chris is based in Ottawa! We invited Chris to come hang out at The Candy Store and try some of our favourites - he details his visit in a post on his blog and, we must say, we're so thrilled Chris enjoyed his visit. If you're a candy person in any way at all (and how could you not be?!), make sure to check out Chris' page. And while you're at it, since it is a long weekend, you could check out his Twitter.

Speaking of long weekends, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and we hope to see you all at Cornucopia tomorrow! If you weren't able to attend Cornucopia last year (its inaugural year), you'll want to make sure put this on Saturday's agenda. Cornucopia is a "Giant Animated Side Walk Sale" that features the best of entertainment, art, fall festivities and shopping. Street performers will be out in full force and everyone along Richmond Road is so excited for this event!

At The Candy Store we'll have cotton candy, Halloween items, Thanksgiving treats, hostess gifts, caramel apples and, as it is Saturday, cupcakes! So cross your fingers that the weather holds and come join us for this spectacular day!

October Cupcake Menu

2009-09-29T15:24:00.002-04:00

Here is the full menu for the month of October, starting this Saturday. As always, you can call us at the store to pre-order your cupcakes for pick up any time after 11AM each week.

Saturday, October 3rd
Southern Red Velvet: light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet

Lemon Coconut: pure lemon cake and frosting, with shredded coconut

Saturday, October 10th
Apple Caramel Spice: spiced apple cake made with fresh apple puree and caramel cream cheese icing

Chocolate: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet dark chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles

Pumpkin: cinnamon-spiced pumpkin cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, October 17th
Hazelnut Chocolate: hazelnut-chocolate cake with Belgian dark chocolate frosting decorated with a toasted hazelnut on top

Strawberry: pure strawberry cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

Saturday, October 24th
Black & White: Belgian dark chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles

Carrot: pure carrot cake with walnuts and pineapple, vanilla cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top.

Saturday, October 31st
Chocolate Marshmallow Ganache: Belgian dark chocolate cake with creamy marshmallow and iced with chocolate

Orange: pure orange cake and frosting, with orange zest

We also recommend that you visit The Cupcake Lounge to get a peek at the cupcakes they make - could they look any more scrumptious?!

The cupcakes are coming, the cupcakes are coming!

2009-09-25T14:48:00.003-04:00

We've had this under our hat for long enough: Cupcakes are coming!

Yes dear friends, The Candy Store has been putting in long hours researching, tasting, re-tasting and then tasting some more to find the perfect cupcakes to brighten up your Saturdays! We're ever-so-pleased to announce that Claudia of The Cupcake Lounge will be fulfilling our baked goods wishes and bringing freshly made cupcakes to us every Saturday starting October 3rd!

Claudia is Ottawa-based and makes all of her cupcakes from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients and lots of tender love. Her cupcakes are all hand iced - no piping! She thrives on producing the freshest, most appealing treats and from what we've tasted, we're hooked!

On October 3rd the flavours will be Southern Red Velvet (light chocolate cake with sweet cream cheese frosting and a milk chocolate callet) and Lemon Coconut (pure lemon cake and frosting, with shredded coconut). We couldn't be happier! We'll have the rest of the month's menu shortly so that you can see what we're getting in advance and mark your calendar for favourites (but seriously, how can you pick favourites??).

One thing that is different, however, about our upcoming Saturday cupcakes, is that they will not be available until 11:00AM each week. So no need to rush out the door on a lazy Saturday to make it to The Candy Store when we open - you can sleep in a little bit extra and still get your sugar fix. Isn't life grand?

Thank you to all of our freelance cupcake consultants for helping us through the cupcakes trials.

Pleasant Surprises!

2009-09-10T15:43:00.006-04:00

We must have made the day of a whole bunch of people this summer because good karma is coming back our way this month! We've been so lucky to be included in a new magazine from a great Ottawa-based publication currently out on newsstands: Ottawa Magazine's special issue, the 2009-2010 Shopping Guide (a first for them and a comprehensive overview of the best of Ottawa's shopping scene - well done!).

It was a complete delight to flip through the pages and see something we weren't
expecting: on page 82, these kind folks were lovely enough to include a picture along with a sweet-as-can-be write up of what we're all about here at The Candy Store.

Thank you so much to all the people at Ottawa Magazine that have been so kind to us!

On another note, we'd like to give everyone a quick apology for a small detail in both this write up and the one in Ottawa Magazine's September issue including 101 Things to Eat in Ottawa. Both sources mention that we carry cupcakes on Saturdays and, while we did when the research on these articles was carried out, those who see us often know that we have not been able to have cupcakes since June 1st. We're sorry to anyone looking for cupcakes - we miss them as much as you do and are on the look out for those miniature marvels again!

A taste of yesterday

2009-09-02T14:54:00.002-04:00

September leaves a lot of people feeling nostalgic. The summer is drawing to a close, the days are shorter and all those back-to-school supplies remind us of days in class spent chewing on a trusty yellow HB pencil and looking out the window. For the big kids among us there might even be a yearning for a simpler time. A time before the mortgage and the corporate ladder. A time where running to the corner store on the way home from school was routine and the toughest decision you had to make that day was what you were going to spend that pocket money on - would it be gum? Penny candy? Soda pop?

Chances are if you have those memories, you remember this tri-coloured taffy from McCraw's and, if you were like my cousins and I, you spent your pocket money on this quite often!

Common legend goes that in 1900 Mr McCraw was in the popcorn business and, on a tip, invested a little capital (supposedly $0.50!) in some sugar, a candy thermometer and a hook. He and his wife set about making taffy and sold it alongside their popcorn until the popularity of the taffy outpaced the popcorn and McCraw's Old Fashioned Taffy was born. Over 100 years later they're back in business and pumping out strips of the famous sticky stuff, using the original recipe. And to make things even sweeter, McCraw's is located in a little town in Texas on Candy Street! Talk about community fixture.

A brief note on McCraw's taffy: this is the tangy, fruity flavoured taffy, not the neapolitan variety. That taffy, Koo Koo, is lost to the ages and while McCraw's does look like Koo Koo, it is not neapolitan in taste. McCraw's has a delightfully light and zippy flavour that is a treat unto itself!

The peoples’ bon bon

2009-08-26T15:00:00.002-04:00

We’re always on the hunt for the perfect “I’m at work and I just need something to munch on” treat that fits the bill but won’t change the fit of our clothes. After searching far and wide, extensive real-world testing (thank you International Department) and lots of chewing we have found our answer: the English Bon Bon! No, not Peggy Bundy’s bon bons – these little beauties come from England and are, at first, slightly hard but they warm up quickly and become a chewy and flavourful delight.

The flavours can’t be beat and we try to keep them all in stock, but demand can often clean us out! Strawberry, lemon, green apple and blue raspberry are the fruit-based bon bons while English Toffee (chewy caramel rolled in icing sugar!) rounds out the collection. So why are they the perfect desktop snack? Well with their chewy consistency you can’t handle more than one at a time and they take a few moments to eat, so you’re never eating them by the handful (not that we ever eat by the handful…*blush*). Essentially they have moderation built right in and that’s good for when you’re sitting at work willing the clock forward! Just don’t tell your coworkers about them…they might not make it through the day.

You butter believe it!

2009-08-19T14:59:00.001-04:00

The French do a lot of things very, very well, especially in the kitchen. One of the things we admire about the way they cook is their unwavering commitment to whole cream and butter. The flavours and the mouth feel of something made with whole ingredients is unsurpassed and when you’re eating something as simple as a caramel, even one little compromise can be tasted immediately.

Thankfully no one has skipped a step or compromised on taste when it comes to the Isigny Ste. Mere Caramel au Beurre carried at The Candy Store. These little treats are deceptive in their white and blue wrapper – they almost feel hard to the touch, but once in your mouth they are melty and buttery and ever-so-flavourful. You can really appreciate the quality of the core ingredients in a treat such as this and savouring one of these caramels is not unlike a mini vacation from reality and back to a simpler, more butter-filled time!

Finishing Strong

2009-08-17T14:57:00.001-04:00

The summer is all about fun, but if there’s a road trip in the works and you’ve experienced anything akin to driving with my family, “fun” isn’t always the first word to come to mind after three hours without a pit stop, an epic battle over music selections and more eye-spy than I care to recount. But never fear, we’ve figured it out! A good road trip kit should always include jawbreakers (more on why after this...)!

Jawbreakers (gobstoppers in the UK!) are actually a fantastic example of the panning process, commonly used in the confectionery industry. Over the course of days, sometimes even weeks, the candy is tumbled to add layer upon layer of sugary goodness. In smaller operations this is done in copper kettles but larger companies use great big drums. The mental image of a cement mixer may not seem very appetizing, but the principles are quite similar and very exciting for the candy enthusiast!

Now, we promised to tell you why jawbreakers should be in your road trip kit. There is a game that you can play when the driver (or perhaps the passengers) has hit their limit and need just a small break from the chatter: everyone pops a jawbreaker into their mouth at the exact same time and the first person to make it through their candy without chewing, is the winner! It refocuses the car and forces everyone into enjoyable silence for upwards of ten minutes at a time. Couldn’t we all use a jawbreaker every now and then?

A long way from home…

2009-08-14T09:42:00.005-04:00

The common jujube has come a long way from its flavour roots. Gone are the days of rose, lilac and spearmint. Cherry, orange, lemon, lime and licorice rule the jube now and we couldn’t be happier about one of the more recent additions to our gourmet candy selection: chocolate covered jujubes! No, you don’t need to adjust your screen – that’s right! Luscious milk chocolate has given soft, fresh jujubes a hug and landed in one of our glass jars.

We already knew we enjoyed the chocolate covered gummi bears and it was expected we’d likely enjoy the chocolate covered jujube, but it wasn’t until we opened the package and took that first exploratory bite that we really feel hard for these little bundles of yum. Half a dozen morsels later and we knew we were hooked – so hooked that it became a challenge: are all the jujube flavours represented? (see what we put ourselves through for you, our lovely blog readers and guests?) Conclusion: yes! Even licorice, which, honestly, tastes fantastic, is included in the mix. We’ve come to really enjoy the moment right after popping a chocolate covered jujube in our mouth where we pause and work out exactly which flavour was hiding inside the chocolate jacket.

Even though we’re no where near National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, we highly recommend having a Chocolate Covered Jujube Day – you won’t be sorry!

Not for who?!

2009-08-13T09:41:00.001-04:00

If you spend any amount of time paying attention to our friends in Britain, you’ll know that they’re a cheeky lot. And you probably also know that their milk chocolate is smooth, creamy and, in short, incredible. Rowntree, now a Nestle company, combined a cheeky sensibility with a chunky, thick chocolate bar to make Yorkie. A response to slim bars, the Yorkie became a vehicle for hooking Britain’s men on chocolate bars. Their packaging touts the slogan “It's not for girls!” and as you can imagine, this has raised some eyebrows! Yorkie has embraced this controversy and even played on their slogan producing a Yorkie in 2006 in pink packaging. Controversy aside, the Yorkie delivers a creamy chocolate that puts many of its North American counterparts to shame and, trust us, this IS for girls!

Wedding Bells

2009-07-22T15:49:00.003-04:00

Tis the season for weddings and weekends are quickly filling up with parties, favours and fun around Ottawa. The Candy Store has a pretty full dance card, but there’s always room for more. We’re delighted to announce that our little Westboro treat boutique has been given a shout-out in the most recent issue (Fall/Winter 2009) of Wedding Bells magazine!

Under the heading of “Candyland” in the Ottawa Planning Guide section, Wedding Bells has this to say about your favourite sweet spot:

The Candy Store (350 Richmond Road., 613-728-7500, thecandystoreottawa.ca) is Ottawa’s premiere treat boutique. With hand-chosen confectionary from around the globe, it’s impossible not to find that perfect sweet. Their shop is literally a feast for the eyes and their selection will make you feel like a kid again. For those with a serious sweet tooth, opt for the Candy Catering service – where their team will come to the reception and set up a delicious buffet.”

We’re positively blushing and couldn’t be happier! Thank you so much Wedding Bells magazine for the lovely nod and we agree – nothing beats a candy buffet at weddings or events! For those planning an event but unsure of what a buffet would entail, give us a call, send us an email or stop by – our Wedding Coordinators would love to give you a personal consultation and assist you with all your sugary desires. We still have dates available for 2009, but are already booking 2010 for those who want to cross something sweet off their to-do list before the New Year!

New kid in town

2009-07-09T14:55:00.004-04:00

We're always on the hunt for something new to offer our friends at The Candy Store and nothing makes us happier than finding something we truly enjoy. We just know that chocoholics are going to rejoice at our most recent find: Nogal Chocolate from Switzerland! Nogal is a little company outside of Basel that makes very smooth and very flavourful chocolate out of the very finest ingredients, sourcing their cocoa beans from Africa and Central America.

Nogal Milk Deluxe and Nogal Dark Deluxe (72%) are the straight goods - full chocolate flavour for when you're craving something without all the fruits, nuts and spices that are currently en vogue. And these bars are hefty too! 100 gram bars wrapped in foil for freshness (remember last week's blog entry on fresh treats??) and slipped into a case that, once opened, the remainder of the bar will slip back into (we know, we tried!).

While we heartily recommend the 72% dark bar, we want to give some love to the milk chocolate bar as well - when was the last time you had real, honest milk chocolate? A gourmet milk chocolate bar, we all know, is hard to come by, so make sure you give this one a taste. The creamy, smooth texture and taste are heavenly

Melting Point

2009-07-02T14:54:00.002-04:00

Summer is all about the heat. From a warm summer breeze to the stifling interior of a car left in the sun, after paying our dues in the long winter months, we’re happy to have heat! Lately we’ve been asked about how the heat affects candy and chocolate, so it seems timely to share some tips on keeping your confections at their optimum level during any weather condition summer may throw your way.

The National Confectioners Association has a lot of really fantastic tips on the life expectancy and ideal storage conditions for treats. In fact, we happen to follow a lot of the same guidelines here at The Candy Store (as well as a few tailored just to us – for instance, our candy rarely stays in the store long – a month is tops for most items!). These tips are simple and easy to apply at home:

• A good rule of thumb to keep in mind for all candy and chocolate is to store them at a temperature no higher than 70ºF (21ºC – that means storing your goodies in the car is not recommended) and with relatively low humidity
• Dark chocolate that is wrapped in foil can last up to two years, but under a year for milk or white. Consider a dark, dry cupboard for storage (preferably not above the fridge where unnoticed heat may be directed) and place in a sealed container if you’re serious about prolonging your consumption
• All chocolate has the ability to “bloom,” that is, the cocoa butter in the bar separates from the cocoa solids due to an increase in temperature – keeping your chocolate at the optimum 70ºF will protect it from blooming. It is also not recommended that chocolate be kept at colder temperatures – when brought back to room temperature the warming can cause bloom too!
• Candy such as gummies can last up to a year if unopened, but let’s be honest, we’re opening them! Count on a maximum of nine months in a cool, dry place out of direct light (office desk drawer anyone?)
• Hard candies will pick up moisture, so make sure to store them in an air-tight container and they’ll be around for a year!
• Our most important tip for keeping those sweets around just a little longer would be: don’t share the location of your stash! Just kidding, candy is better shared and we love having a dish or two around the house just for that reason!

So as we head into the hottest days of summer, consider your confectionery friends and their comfort in your cupboard – when you have a craving you’ll be glad you did!

You can chew gum in this class!

2009-06-23T15:57:00.004-04:00

You don’t have to stop learning just because summer is finally here. In fact, we love picking up little tidbits of information and trivia around The Candy Store, especially if it has to do with candy! That’s why we were so pleased to find out that some very special chewing gum was coming back into production for a very limited time. With the limited release of Beemans, Black Jack and Clove Gum, we’ve been able to learn a little bit more about three chewing gums that haven’t been available commercially for years. Since everything we learned is all so neat, we thought we’d share it with the rest of the class!

Beemans (or Beeman’s Gum after Dr. Edward E. Beeman, the physician) was invented with the idea of being a digestive aid in the late 19th century. The gum was discontinued in 1978, but not before earning the reputation of being lucky for pilots. It certainly wasn’t forgotten either as it was featured in three Hollywood films, The Right Stuff, Hot Shots!, and The Rocketeer. Cadbury Adams now owns the rights to this over 100 year old gum and produces it in small batches every few years, much like Black Jack and Clove.

Black Jack gum is an Adams original gum invented by Thomas Adams, Sr. himself in 1870. It also holds the distinction of being the first chewing gum manufactured with flavour and the first chewing gum made in stick form. If you haven’t tried this gum, you’ll be surprised to know that the flavour is licorice! The chewiness of the gum originally came from chicle, derived from a Central American evergreen tree (yes, this is where Chiclets got their name!) and Adams hadn’t been trying to make chewing gum, he’d been trying to make rubber! Good thing for us candy connoisseurs he realised the chewing gum was a better bet.

Another of Adams’ bets paid off in Clove Gum. After the success of Black Jack and mechanization of his chewing gum manufacturing process, Adams tested out another flavour, adding clove spice to his gum in 1914. The response was overwhelming and he had another winner on his hands. What may have fueled the popularity of this gum, however, was the belief during Prohibition that chewing Clove Gum would mask the smell of alcohol. Regardless of the reason, Clove Gum is one of the longest produced flavoured chewing gums available – and it too is only available in small batches as a limited release.

We highly recommend coming in for a taste of nostalgia and picking up a pack or two. They won’t be around for long and once we’re sold out, that’s it….for another few years at least.

Local Flavour

2009-06-18T13:24:00.003-04:00

When looking for the inspiration for this week’s blog, we didn’t have to look very far! In fact, we just had to look across the river to Wakefield and we were able to spy Olivia Chocolat, Canada’s newest, most innovative and exciting small-batch chocolatier. Started in December 2008, on the birth of a new year, Olivia Chocolat is owned and operated by the head chocolatier, David, and named for his daughter, also as old (or rather as young!) as the company herself!

Olivia Chocolat focuses exclusively on making dark chocolate bars using a bean to bar process. “Bean to bar” is the term given to any chocolate manufacturer who takes the raw cocoa beans and works with them all the way through to the final product you see displayed on our shelves. Surprisingly, this is rare in the chocolate world, but it has many distinct advantages, such as being able to know your chocolate intimately, having smelled, tasted and felt it from the start to the end. Olivia Chocolat, for this reason, is able to exact more control and skill in working with their recipes, perfecting a dark chocolate nearly devoid of any of the bitter qualities often associated with high cocoa, zero milk solids chocolate. In their 50g and 100g bars of 76%, 85%, Almond, Touch of Maple and Maple Flakes, the care and love is evident.

This care doesn’t just stop with the products they produce. Olivia Chocolat is fair trade, holds EcoCert organic certification and puts sustainability at the top of its priority list, taking their five questions into consideration with each decision (see the Sustainable Living section on their website for those five questions!).

If you’re not already excited about learning more about Olivia Chocolat, produced with Criollo and Trinitario beans from the Caribbean and made in Ottawa’s back yard, then this might help: David and Olivia Chocolat will be at The Candy Store this upcoming Saturday, June 20th doing an in-store tasting of their amazing chocolate! That’s right, from 1:00PM until about 4:00PM you’ll be able to drop in and have a taste and chat with these fine people while learning all about their chocolate….and maybe even pick up a bar or two (don’t forget about Dad – Father’s Day is Sunday!).

Summer in the city

2009-06-10T14:27:00.004-04:00

Nothing beats a block party in the summer and unless you’re new to the city or immune to any of the advertising, excitement or hype surrounding one of Ottawa’s finest, then you know that the best neigbourhood party in town is WESTFEST. This is the sixth year for this one-of-a-kind party and it happens right on The Candy Store’s front door. Last year was our first WESTFEST and we had, without a doubt, the time of our lives. Memories amongst the staff range from being covered in candy floss to staring at a sea of faces from across the counter in total bewilderment and awe. We didn’t know what to expect, but we knew it would be memorable!

WESTFEST is happening this week, Friday June 12 to Sunday, June 14 and we’re excited to announce that we’re going to stay open until 11:30PM (shows end at 11PM so you can grab a sweet on the walk home) all weekend to satisfy your sweet tooth! We’ll have our cotton candy machine running all day and we’ve got our ice cream-scooping arms rested and ready for, what looks to be, a warm weekend in the sun. If candy floss and ice cream weren't already the bees knees, we've also got more news: Gotta Paint is coming to set up in front of our store! They'll be doing projects with the kids and it's certain to be a blast. If you haven't booked an event with these fine ladies, we highly recommend it as an awesome activity for all ages. And not to be forgotten, we have a face painter as well - set up right on the street you'll be able to get a little face painting done while taking a breather and getting a snack.

With all the family-friendly activities and shows to take in, we know it’s going to be another memorable year. If you haven’t been to WESTFEST or The Candy Store, consider this your personal invitation to come check out a unique party in one of the warmest, friendliest neighbourhoods in the city. We look forward to seeing you here!

Happy Anniversary

2009-05-29T09:46:00.001-04:00

The first anniversary is traditionally paper. For The Candy Store,
paper isn't really the most fun way of celebrating our first
incredible and thrilling year in Westboro. So in honour of our special
day and as a thank you to everyone for being there along with us,
we're switching paper for floss! Not the dental kind (we hope you're
thinking about that kind of floss more than once a year!), but the
candy kind! On Tuesday, June 2, our first anniversary, we're giving
away free candy floss to all our customers. It's our sweet way of
saying thank you for all the support, kindness, consideration and
friendship we've been so fortunate to receive during this past year.

In fact, this year has far exceeded anything that we could have
dreamed for - from being named the #1 candy store in the city by the
Ottawa Citizen, to the numerous appearances on A-Channel, Rogers and
the CBC. We were so happy to be featured in print such as in issues of
Where Ottawa, Ottawa at Home, Porter Airline's in-flight magazine and
many other great local sources and blogs.

What made this year so special though, is all of the wonderful people
who have made The Candy Store a part of their lives. From the generous
and remarkable staff at The Candy Store, to our lovely neighbouring
stores whom we've grown to know and our always-helpful BIA and the
best Scotia Bank team in the city. Not to be forgotten, of course, are
our supportive and loving families who do more behind the scenes than
most people will ever know. They're a source of strength and cherished
greatly.

As we enter our second year at 350 Richmond Road, we want to say thank
you for the first year and we look forward to having you join us in
the next!

Please stop by on June 2nd to say hello and have some cotton candy on
us. And please note that we'll be closing at 6:00PM that day to take
our hard working staff out to celebrate. They've earned a night out!

Are you a rookie?

2009-05-20T12:41:00.001-04:00

We’re less than two weeks away from our first anniversary here at The Candy Store and we’ve had such an incredible year! We’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people as they’ve come through our door for snacks and delights. If you’re one of the few, however, who hasn’t yet had a chance to take in the sights, smells and tastes of The Candy Store, we understand it can be a little overwhelming at first (especially for the true chocoholic or sweet tooth!). So for the soon-to-be initiated, a survival guide of Ottawa’s sweetest spot:

1. Take your time. There is so much to see here and it really is so much fun to take it all in. Our goodies range from retro, gummies, licorice and bon bons to gourmet chocolates, nougat, British treats and, of course, our malt balls from New York City. With such an incredible array to choose from, you’re going to be thankful for a little extra time. And don’t forget to look behind the counter – it’s so easy to become mesmerized in the store that you don’t even notice our floor to ceiling jars behind the counter until the end – that’s not something you want to miss out on!

2. Make your own mix. With so much selection, it can really be hard to narrow down what you’d like to take home with you. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: you can mix our delicious bulk selections into your own personalized bag. There are bags and scoops around the store for you to help yourself and you can ask any of our cheery candy consultants for help with the over sixty types of items behind the counter. We have one rule: candy with candy and chocolate with chocolate. And yes, we DO have the patience to get you “one of everything from behind the counter.”

3. Ask, ask, ask! If you don’t know what something is or would like some recommendations, please ask us. There are candies and chocolates from all over the world at The Candy Store and we love to be able to share our knowledge of the origins, ingredients, tastes and stories surrounding our selections. We try everything we stock, so we’re an excellent resource.

4. Structure your visit. This is a tip for anyone coming to visit us with little ones: we’ve found they really love to make their own bags from behind the counter. Because we weigh our candy, you can set guidelines for them to follow while making their choices, such as a limit of 100 grams. This a sneaky way to get a little math into the day because after adding each candy we’ll put the bag on the scale for them to count up just how much they have left in their 100 gram allowance. Our veteran candy choosing little ones have gotten really good at learning how much individual pieces of candy weigh and it becomes a game. Alternatively, giving a dollar limit as a guideline works and makes them think about their candy in an entirely different way!

5. Give it a whirl. Our last tip is one of our favourites: Try something new! With so much to choose from, why not branch out a little and get something you wouldn’t otherwise try or find elsewhere. Are you a dedicated gummi girl? Try a few of our chocolate selections – we can even ease you into it with chocolate covered gummi bears. Already a total chocoholic? You might find yourself pleasantly surprised by our English bon bons!

Regardless of how you approach a visit to The Candy Store, we’re certain you’ll always have a sweet time!

Going Dutch

2009-05-13T15:01:00.007-04:00

May is such a busy month! Everyone seems to be out taking advantage of all this city has to offer. If you haven't seen the tulips at the various Tulip Festival sites around town, you've got one weekend left to take it all in. They truly are a fantastic sight and a lovely reminder of the story of Princess Margriet from the Netherlands.

To really "go Dutch" and celebrate while traipsing through the tulips, we recommend Dutch licorice. We have a selection in store of nearly twenty varieties and can offer advice and samples on the types and tastes. Dutch licorice, unlike its North American counterpart, really focuses on the licorice root and does not partake in excess sweeteners. In fact, a common name for Dutch licorice is salty licorice, but don't be fooled: not all of the licorice on offer is salty!

Dutch licorice types are defined by their taste and their texture. Sweet, single salted, double salted and menthol are a few of the taste categories. While soft, semi-soft, semi-hard, hard and stiff are texture categories. For the newly indoctrinated licorice taster, start with something that is more familiar: honing, a honey-sweetened licorice or skoolkrijt, a candy-coated minty flavoured licorice. Both of these have tastes and textures that are common in North American licorice, without being too sweet and offer a great starting point for moving up to the advanced salted licorice!

What is advanced licorice you ask? Well, if you ask some of our regular Dutch licorice lovers, they'll tell you nothing is too salty, but for those who have not acquired the taste (and trust us, you will - this stuff is uniquely addictive!), moving up to munten drop, a sweet but stiff licorice might be a good step. Advanced licorice lovers skip the baby steps and go right to the source: D.Z. Rond, a double salted and hard little drop or zwart & witjes, a salted hard licorice with a menthol taste (excellent for sore throats).

For the more adventurous, try really taking advantage of the large selection found at The Candy Store and choose from each jar! Our licorice is sold by weight and is all the same price, so pick up a bag and tongs and make your own little mix - you just might find that yourself going Dutch more often!

Sweet Mother's Day Treats

2009-05-06T13:43:00.001-04:00

In honour of Mother's Day this Sunday, we'd like to pay tribute to our own mothers and just maybe help you think of a treat for yours! It's no surprise that the staff at The Candy Store love all things candy and chocolate, but did you know that so do our mothers? We each asked our mother to reveal their favourite indulgence from The Candy Store (which, in hindsight, was ill-timed as now all our mothers are all on high-alert, expecting those treats on Sunday. Good thing we're happy to oblige!).

Diane: You’d think the mother of the owner of The Candy Store would have a hard time picking just one favourite! But she knows what she likes. Her number one candy choice is Les Anis des Flavigny. She loves to hear (and tell!) the story behind them—how each little candy takes 14 whole days to make, using old-fashioned techniques. Each one lasts much longer than other mints, and has flavour throughout! She’s always dropping by the store to pick up a tin of them for her purse.

Katie: My mother's favourite is "those malty things - the ones you gave me, remember?" What she was trying to tell me was that she loves the Ultimate Malt Balls. And who could blame her? Four layers of chocolate surrounding a malt center - yes please! Who knows, maybe a package will make it to the post with some of "those malty things" in them for my mother ;)

April: My mother basically raised me on chocolate, so it was no surprise when I asked her what her favourite candy was, she replied: “Anything chocolate!” and after further interrogation, her response turned into “Anything chocolate with coffee or nuts!” That’s why she enjoys it so much when I bring home a sweet little bag of our dark and milk chocolate covered almonds, or the NYC Espresso Mix! Roasted almonds and crunchy espresso beans drenched in creamy milk or rich dark chocolate? That’s definitely her idea of a good snack!

Evie: When I asked my mother what her favourite candy was she replied without hesitation “barley toys!” They are her favourite childhood candy, and anytime she sees them now, she is reminded of the days when she would get barley toys in the toe of her stocking at every Christmas! These succulent sugar candies are a classic seasonal candy from Truro, Nova Scotia, and though my mom is a native Ottawa resident, they still bring back sweet memories for her!

Britt: Every time my Mom comes into the Candy Store, she just has to pick up a few of our malt balls. They are definitely her favourite. She always gets an assortment of whatever flavors we have in stock but I make sure she doubles up on the mint cookie ones. Not only does she like them, but so do I! A bag of these brightly coloured malted milk balls is my Mom’s idea of a perfect hostess gift. I’m so happy my Mom can share my love for these delicious Candy Store treats.

Tessa: When I first asked my mom what her favourite candy was, she responded, “I can’t believe you’re making me choose.” However, after a couple minutes of some hard thinking, she had come to a decision: the licorice all-sorts. She prefers the soft texture, the unique taste, and of course, the fun colours. When snacking on this treat, my mom reflects upon some fond memories of her childhood, a time of penny candies. (Now I know what I’m getting her for mother’s day!)

Andrea: Last August, it was my Mom's birthday. For her gift, I got some of the delicious Belgium Galler chocolate bars that I had sampled once before on a school trip in Europe. A perfect blend of a chocolate shell with a delicious filling… I don’t remember which particular flavours I purchased for her, but I'll never forget the first thing she said right after eating a piece from the first bar, "For Christmas, Easter, my birthday next year, any occasion, please get me more of these. I don't want anything else. Just these!" She came to visit me in Ottawa last year in the fall, and left with at least 2 of the rich bars. And she doesn’t have to worry; she will see many more in future!

Now that we've shared our mother's favourites, what's your mother's weakness? Not sure? Let us help - we have an incredible selection to choose from and can please candy and chocolate lovers alike! We can also help you cover all your bases by putting together a gift that includes something of everything to let your mother indulge in all her sweet whims on her special day. For the moms who have everything and ask for nothing, show them how sweet they are with a gourmet candy selection. It sure beats the plant your brother showed up with (sorry bro!).

Bring on the screams!

2009-04-29T15:11:00.011-04:00

The ice cream has only been in The Candy Store for six days this year, but there's no denying that it is already a huge hit (just ask our girls - their ice cream serving arm muscles are already getting a work-out!). Who doesn't love a big scoop of hard-packed, cold ice cream on a hot, sunny day? Here at The Candy Store we serve up local ice cream from Tracey's in Renfrew in either cones or cups and top each mouth-watering flavour with one of our oh-so-divine and much talked about gourmet malt balls.

Every week we'll be dishing up the three traditional flavours: Chocolate, French Vanilla and Strawberries & Cream with a feature flavour. Currently in rotation as our feature flavour is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. And coming up we have Maple Walnut and Bearfoot Brownie Fudge!

Did you know that ice cream used to be reserved only for those who could afford such luxuries? The icehouses where the ice cream had to be kept before the days of home refrigeration were very expensive to maintain and therefore only the upper ranks of society could indulge in this creamy concoction. Thankfully Marcel Audiffren of France helped to champion the use of personal refrigeration units for the masses allowing us full-time access to one of summer's hallmark treats. Merci monsieur!

In other news, if you haven't already heard, The Candy Store's own Diane Lenihan was on the A-Channel morning show on Monday talking about candy buffets and favours. If you missed the broadcast but would like a look at the buffet presented, it is currently on display in The Candy Store and really makes a statement! Thanks A-Channel for your wonderful hospitality as usual. We had a blast!

This Saturday's Cupcake Menu:
New: Death By Chocolate! Bring a glass of milk...need we say more? So deadly, only a limited number will be available!

Strawberry: a strawberry cupcake mounded with strawberry buttercream. Made with real strawberries!

Taffy Talk

2009-04-22T15:48:00.009-04:00

For a lot of people nothing says summer vacation and the return of warm weather quite like salt water taffy. This creamy, soft, flavourful treat has been pleasing people for over a century and though the story of its birth sounds more like an urban legend than fact, perhaps it really was this simple:

The story goes that along the Atlantic City boardwalk taffy vendors had set up stands for vacationers to buy their souvenirs and pick up tasty treats. In 1883 one vendor’s wares were caught in a storm and covered in salty water – this enterprising gentleman decided to sell the taffy as “salt water” taffy and his creative attempt to salvage his taffy trove was rewarded with booming sales of the not-so-salty stuff. Soon others were following suit and the salt water taffy industry was born.

Now, let’s talk frankly about the composition and process for a minute: salt water taffy actually contains no salt water. In fact, if you’d like to try your hand at making some, the Exploratorium has an excellent recipe and thorough guide to getting your taffy on. Just make sure you really pull the taffy – that’s what gives the treat its light, fluffy texture and soft chew.

Want a taffy fix fast? Our salt water taffy buffet is currently on display and boasts 18 individual flavours with a dozen more hidden in the mixed assortment, tropical assortment and berries & crème mix! Our taffy comes from Taffy Town in Salt Lake City, Utah and is peanut, tree nut and gluten free as well as Kosher (dairy)! In fact, Taffy Town has been making taffy for nearly eighty years and they pride themselves on their dedication to making taffy that “simply melts in your mouth” – come in and see for yourself!

Candy on the big screen

2009-04-15T13:09:00.004-04:00

We've been thinking a lot about candy lately (ok, that's not true, we think about candy all the time!), and how candy has managed to make a name for itself on the big (and little) screen. Imagine what the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would be like without the Wonka bar! The multitude of plot holes aside, it would be unfocussed and fail to really capture that feeling you had as a child with that wrapped bar in your hands. That sense of promise and delight separated from you by a thin cellophane wrapper. Both the 1971 and 2005 films gave candy a friendly pat on the back and now Nestle makes the Wonka Bar, just to keep that feeling alive (chocolate with graham cracker crisps - if you haven't tried one, we highly recommend a movie night with Mr. Wonka - Wilder or Depp, we don't play favourites - and his bar!).

But Golden tickets aren't the only game in town. Seinfeld fans will remember the episode entitled "The Opposite" where Elaine's love of Jujyfruits causes a series of unfortunate events for her (we'll leave the Junior Mints for another day!). Robert De Niro's character in Taxi Driver also loved Jujyfruits - he requests them at the theatre.

While we're on the subject of small screen candy stars, the British among us might recall that in Blackadder's Christmas Carol Ebenezer Blackadder offers Mr. Baldrick a humbug from his bag of sweets. In fact, the British have quite a soft spot for the sweet stuff - Tom Baker, the fourth Doctor in the Doctor Who series always came well armed with a pocket full of Jelly Babies to diffuse any stressful or uncomfortable situations (unfortunately Daleks are the only creature immune to the force of Jelly Babies).

Sharing both the large and small screen in the classic Narnia tale, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Edmund Pevensie falls prey to the delights of Turkish Delight! Thankfully Fry's Turkish Delight will not cause a good vs evil battle for supremacy in Westboro...but it might cause quarrels if you're sharing - best to get two!

And no review of candy on film would be complete without an appearance by Razzles as featured in 13 Going on 30. The repopularized candy-then-gum causes gasps and excitement on a near daily basis when it is recognized in The Candy Store, so it only seems fair to let them have the final word.

Have we missed any on-screen candy moments that should be included here? If you know of one that we haven't covered, send it along to us in the comments or in an email and we'll compile a Candy In Film list of all the sweetest (literally!) cinematic moments!

Want more candy news and updates: check us out here.

When Somebunny loves you...

2009-04-09T01:01:00.005-04:00

Bouncing bunnies and clucking hens? Have you gone into the wrong
store?? Nope! You?re still in The Candy Store and we have some
incredible foil-wrapped German milk chocolate bunnies and hens waiting
to surprise somebunny (pun fully intended!) you love this weekend.

How about feeding those bunnies? We have a bountiful blend of bunny
corn in vibrant spring colours waiting to satisfy curious little
munchers. Speaking of munching, did you know that, according to the
National Confectioners Association, 76% of you prefer to eat the ears
of chocolate Easter bunnies first?

In other tasty news, we have a brand new page on Facebook and we'd like to extend an invitation for you to join us on our page. Did you know that you can access our page without being a member of Facebook? You can even keep up to date with all the latest news from the store and even check out photos and soon candy reviews and discussions - sounds sweet to
us!

And in other sweet news, here is the month's cupcake menu:

April 11
Strawberry - strawberry cupcakes topped with strawberry buttercream
and a fondant flower. Made with real strawberries!
&
Lemon Coconut Nests - a buttermilk lemon cupcake topped with coconut
buttercream and toasted coconut fashioned into a tiny bird's nest
complete with chocolate eggs!

April 18
Boston Cream - a vanilla cupcake filled with vanilla bean pastry cream
topped with chocolate ganache.
&
Chocolate Mint - chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and
topped with smooth chocolate mint buttercream.

April 25
Dulce De Leche - chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and
topped with creamy caramel buttercream.
&
Ultimate Vanilla - vanilla bean cupcake filled with vanilla bean
pastry cream and topped with vanilla bean buttercream.

Egg-cellent!

2009-04-01T15:28:00.017-04:00

Happy April Fool’s Day! We’re not fooling at The Candy Store when we say we love Easter – and what could be more fun at Easter than dying eggs? Egg-dyeing experts know all the tricks and little extras for making beautiful eggs, but if you’re not an expert, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with a step-by-step guide using Germany’s most popular egg dye! Using a packet of the egg dye available at our store and a few other tools, you’ll be on your way to basket-worthy eggs in no time.

Since Easter eggs can be made with hard-boiled eggs or hollow, blown-out eggs, we thought we’d show the more advanced hollow eggs (but you’re welcome to use hard boiled at home – both work with this dye – you’ll just skip to the 6th step!). Our tutorial includes both brown and white eggs.

Tools for hollowing out your eggs:
pin
rubber ear syringe (available at the pharmacy)
dremel bit and a rotary drill

Tools for dying your eggs:
5 glass cups
vinegar
boiling water

Step 1: Using your pin, poke a hole through the bottom of your egg and gently increase the hole’s diameter.

Step 2: Once the hole is noticeable, hold your drill with dremel bit to the hole and apply even pressure while depressing the drill trigger. You want to apply enough pressure for the hole to gradually widen, but not so much that your egg’s hole shatters open (consider your first egg a practice egg to get the feel for the drill). The finished hole should be just over twice the size of the ear syringe’s nozzle.

Step 3: Insert the pin into the newly created larger hole and poke about a little to break up the egg yolk.

Step 4: Over the sink or a bowl, insert the nozzle of the syringe and GENTLY force air into the egg – doing this too hard or too fast can put a lot of fluid pressure on the egg shell from inside and cause a crack. Holding the egg upright, with the hole at the bottom, can help to speed this process along.

Step 5: When your eggs are all emptied, wash them and let them dry (or sterilize them if you plan to make chocolate filled eggs - see Martha Stewart for an incredible staff-tested chocolate egg recipe and the source of this fabulous egg blowing technique!).

Now you’re ready to start dyeing!

Step 6: Open your packet of dye and place a tablet in each cup with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and ¼ liter of boiling water each. Stir the water to dissolve the tablet.

Step 7: Immerse your eggs in the solution (Moms! This is messy business and fingers REALLY have to be scrubbed clean if they come in contact with the darker dyes!) for five minutes or until you’ve achieved the desired colour.

Step 8: Remove your eggs and pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 9: Add any further embellishments or decoration to your eggs. The dyes can also be mixed if you’re looking to do custom colours – just make sure you’ve dyed as many eggs as you want in the basic colours before you start blending!

Finally, for an added shine you can rub your eggs with a little fat to make them sparkle. And don’t forget to have fun! If you make some eggs at home with our new favourite dye, we’d love to see them – send a snap shot along and don’t forget to have an egg-cellent time!

A Sweet Spin on Candy

2009-03-25T11:09:00.025-04:00

Most people believe that cotton candy, also known as “candy floss” in England or “fairy floss” in Australia, is a summer treat for carnivals and fairs. But we here at The Candy Store think it should be available year-round—so we make it fresh every single day!

There are many different stories spinning around about where this sugary treat originated. Quite a number of people have claimed the very first patent on the modern-day cotton-candy machine, the most common story being that it was introduced at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904. Even though the machine may have been a fairly recent invention, the idea of cotton candy goes back hundreds of years! Beginning in places as far away as Iran and Italy, people would melt down sugar in order to lift it in strands that would then be placed over an upside-down bowl. The strands would solidify once cooled, and then the sugar would be lifted from the bowl, creating a nest shape. This was quite time-consuming and messy, however, and not one of the easiest ways to create an everyday treat.

Luckily for us, The Candy Store has its very own cotton candy machine (big thanks to whoever did originally patent that helpful invention). Cotton candy is sticky as well as sweet, so sometimes making it can get a bit messy! But all this history and hard work behind cotton candy only make this melt-in-your-mouth treat even more delightful! Drop by and try some of our fresh cotton candy—whenever!

Sweets for the School-aged

2009-03-18T07:23:00.006-04:00

March break is here, and with the weather beginning to warm up again, it’s the perfect time to take a stroll down to The Candy Store and pick yourself up a treat!
It’s been a tough winter, and you’ve hopefully been working hard at your homework, so while school is out, reward yourself with some snack-sized sweets.Grab-bags are tucked away all over our store! These two-dollar delights are just enough for a quick fix!
We’ve been thinking about how to beat boredom over March break, and have come up with a sweet way to have fun with candy: try using our Assorted Chews gum, a delicious tart gum in pink and blue, as checker pieces!
click here download our printable Candy Store checker board, and you can get gaming right away. The best part is, when you overtake your opponent’s piece, you get to eat it! (Make sure to get enough if you plan on playing more then once!)
You can also try our gumballs. We have a great selection of big and small, sweet, sour, and sprinkled! Try something different—a Hawaiian pineapple or Coffeetime gumball, anyone? Or maybe a super-sweet Tootsie Pop, the first lollipop to contain a soft and chewy surprise centre!
For something extra-special (or if you just can’t decide), give our tickle sticks a taste. A candy kebab with a selection of all our favourite gummy candies? How could you possibly go wrong?

Going Green

2009-03-10T11:28:00.003-04:00

With spring just around the corner and St. Patrick’s Day in a week, we’ve gone green at The Candy Store! Whether you’re planning on a quiet evening in with stew and stout or painting the town green, we’ve got treats in a variety of emerald hues to sweeten your day. No cookie is complete without a little embellishment such as Kelly green Milkies. And Peas & Carrots, a minty and sweet candy, will make them look twice at the dessert table. We’ve also got your little leprechauns covered with gold coins for their end o’ the rainbow pots.

Even our cupcakes are celebrating the 17th – one of this weekend’s flavours highlight one of the most popular “green” flavours: Chocolate Chocolate Mint. A chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a smooth chocolate mint buttercream will have you seeing green!

So for the Irish and the Irish at heart, have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day and we’ll see you at The Candy Store!

Living in Ottawa

2009-03-03T10:30:00.003-05:00

What are you up to on Friday, March 6th? We know what we’ll be doing! We’ll be tuning in to CBC to see The Candy Store on Living in Ottawa! That’s right, your favourite local sweet spot is going to be featured on “your guide to better living in Ottawa” this upcoming Friday at 3PM. Maureen Welch stopped by the store to spend some time with store owner Diane Lenihan discussing candy buffets and treats – you won’t want to miss it!

And you know what’s even better? You don’t have to be home on Friday afternoon or even live in Ottawa to catch us on Living in Ottawa! After Friday you can watch the segment on Living in Ottawa’s website, www.cbc.ca/livinginottawa where you can search for the video by date (March 6) or segment title (Candy Store). We’d love to hear what you have to say about the segment so please drop by the blog to comment or send us an email to let us know what you thought!

Living in Ottawa airs on CBC Television on the following channels:
Channel 8 - Rogers Cable
Channel 208 - Bell ExpressVu
Channel 303 - Star Choice
Channel 4 - with antenna
Channel 2 - Videotron Cable – Gatineau

Thanks again to Maureen Welch and the crew from Living in Ottawa for coming by – it was a real treat!

Easter is in the air!

2009-02-25T10:36:00.004-05:00

Ok, Easter may not be in the air quite yet, but it’s definitely in our window! If you haven’t had a chance to stop by and check out our new window, you’ll be happily surprised when you do! A delightfully bright and colourful tableau celebrating all the vibrant hues of the Easter season is on display to remind us of what is to come when we’re finally released from winter.

Treats such as a pastel rainbow of miniature gumballs and delicately hued “bunny corn” – candy corn given the spring treatment in blue, green, yellow and pink are a welcome sight on these final cold days. Bright panned eggs and jelly beans in a pastel assortment are also not to be missed and will have little ones eagerly counting down the days to the big bunny’s arrival. Speaking of bunnies, not to be left out are foil wrapped bunnies and eggs, perfect for Easter egg hunts…or just a pre-Easter nibble!

With more treats to come and the arrival of spring just around the corner, at The Candy Store we’re starting our celebrations early and hope you’ll hop in to join us!

Candy Catering

2009-02-16T08:05:00.012-05:00

At The Candy Store we offer many candies, chocolates and services but none are as fun as our Candy Catering.

What is Candy Catering you ask?
Well it is a candy buffet that The Candy Store sets up at an event such as a wedding, corporate affair or cocktail party. We come in set up our signature jars filled with chocolates and candies. The guests then get to enjoy the sweets by scooping the treats of their choice into a box or bag that have been provided.

The amazing thing that is original to The Candy Store is that we have many chocolates and candies that can be color coordinated to match the colors the event. If we can't find the color that that you are looking for then some of the chocolates can even be color swatched to match.

There are many different feels to a buffet. The Candy Store has done retro candy buffets with all of the fun blasts from the past. Full Chocolate buffets, who doesn't enjoy as much chocolate you can eat? Kids birthday party parties, or even just a few giant sized martini glasses for nibblies at a cocktail party.

Come meet with one of our Candy Consultants to make your next event the talk of the town!

Sweet Memories Contest Winner

2009-01-05T15:54:00.007-05:00

Congratulations to our Sweet Memories contest winner Jordon Kent! Jordon won a twenty-five dollar gift certificate to The Candy Store. After all of the staff at The Candy Store read through all of the stories, we voted on the winner. It wasn't easy, there were some fantastic Sweet Memories that were submitted but I think it was the Malt Balls that really got to us.

Here's Jordon's Sweet Memory:

My fondest candy-related childhood memory is of malted milk balls. When we were little and our parents would take us to the cottage, my brother and I would walk a mile into "town" to the general store and buy ourselves treats for the weekend. The road to the store was lined with wild raspberry bushes, and we would stop along the way to eat handfuls of the sweet berries, which helped us preserve our candy for later. When we got back to the cottage, we would hide out in our family's minivan, which was our spaceship, secret superhero base, and refuge from monsters. We loved to hang upside-down off the back of the back seat, laughing and scaring each other with wild imaginings of monsters in the woods or martians in the bushes.

This one particular day, I had bought myself a pack of malted milk balls, and my brother and I were hanging upside-down from the seat, as we often were. I was sucking on one of the malt balls, trying to disrobe it of all its chocolate, when Mike made me laugh at something; the next thing I knew, my sinuses were burning and I was sputtering. I flipped myself right-side up, and we realized I had laughed so hard, the chocolate from the malt ball had gone up my nose! At the ages of 8 and 9, you can just imagine how fascinating it then was that, for the next hour, I would blow my nose and chocolate would come out. It was absolutely gross, but now everytime I have a malted milk ball, I think of my brother and I laughing in the summer with raspberry stains on our shirts, martian invasions in the woods, and laughing so hard that chocolate came out my nose.

They are still my favourite treat.

Jordan Kent

Candy Blog round up...

2008-12-26T22:25:00.003-05:00

With the Hanukkah upon us and Christmas just around the corner we're busy here at The Candy Store...to say the least! But we wanted to slip in a few more holiday ideas before you nestle into your beds in your 'kerchiefs and caps for a long winter nap.

For those stockings that are hung by the chimney with care start a new holiday tradition by adding a Candy Store gift card. You can choose the amount and we'll put it on a reloadable gift card you can slip in their stocking. Our gift cards are a great way to let them pick out exactly what tickles their fancy. Make an outing of it by walking to the store or stopping off for a hot chocolate along the way home and spend some special time together over the holidays.
Are there visions of sugar-plums dancing in someone's head but they can't have sugar? We've got your covered at The Candy Store with an ever-expanding variety of sugar free candies, gummis and chocolate. One of our favourite items from this area include Barnier candies from France. These little hard candies are flavoured with real fruit juices and you'd never know they weren't just as sweet as their full sugar counterparts! One of our little Candy Store elves has been seen dipping into this jar more than once for a little mid-shift treat!

What happens when the bundle of toys are opened and the children are more like whirling dervishes than quiet little mice? Crafting with candy is not only a novelty but also very time-consuming and engaging for little ones that would otherwise run a-muck. Our little friends Chewie and Louis as made on air for the A-Channel are great distractions and fun to construct using a few select candies and imagination. Or become inspired by our selection of candies for your gingerbread house - pick up some new treats to mix it up! There are heaps of ideas online and available - we'll help you find just the right candies for every craft idea on your list.

Our Sweet Memories contest closes December 24th so if you're still waffling over submitting a story, you've got a little time left to share your memories and get a chance to win a gift card! So far the entries have been fantastic and we're looking forward to sharing one or two once the winner is chosen. Keep 'em coming, there's one day left!

Nuts about Nougat

2008-12-19T20:07:00.003-05:00

Nougat has its roots far back in the Middle East, but France is where nougat has been perfected. Montelimar is the world capital of nougat. Inhabited since the Celtic area, the region is rich with history and tradtion, nougat being no exception!

Chabert & Guillot nougat is probably the best known of the region and has called Montelimar home since 1800 when it was started as a small family business. That business soon grew into one of the most widely recognizeable nougat makers in all of Europe. To show their gratitude to this incredible company, inn 1991 the town of Montelimar even renamed the street on wchih the factory is situated to be rue Charles Chabert. At The Candy Store we are proud to be able to say that we carry four different nougats from this illustrious company, which, by the way, is still family run two hundred years later!

Another nougat maker owes a debt to Chabert & Guillot. Vital Gormez, a Turk travelling through Europe, learned the secrets to nougat from the Montelimar giants. He then proceeded on to Ghent, Belgium where he met a lovely woman, fell in love and began his life with her. They started Vital Nougat and adapted many of the French recipes for Belgian taste. We carry a number of Vital nougats as well, allowing you to taste first the master's work and then the student's!

Not to be forgotten is another little nougat maker in Montelimar - Au Rucher de Provence is a small nougat maker now available through The Candy Store. With options such as fleur de sel, cranberry and walnut, you'll never grow bored! They pride themselves on using the very best lavender honey in their nougat and it truly is a treat.

Whether you're new to nougat, or a seasoned veteran, you'll find just what you're looking for at The Candy Store...and maybe something new too!

We've got you all wrapped up!

2008-12-18T12:11:00.003-05:00

The biggest weekend of the holidays is almost upon us and you know that
that means: holiday parties! You've probably been to a few already and
are scheduled for a few more, but what are you bringing the host or
hostess? How about candy as an alternative or addition to the dozens of
bottles of wine that everyone gets (whether they like it or not!).
We've got a wide range of options from grand gift boxes to simple
samplers and a lot of choice in between! Luxurious candy is a pleasant
escape during the hectic holidays and will put a smile on their lips
any time of the day or night. An assortment of cordials or malt balls
is always a hit, as are the many international bars to choose from in
the chocolate section. Tied with a satin ribbon and bagged to go, we
make it a snap to get these little to-dos off your list!

And what about the children? Gummi bears in pretty rainbow layers tied
with a ribbon are a treasured gift, or you could select from our red,
green and white candies for a festive twist. Tickle sticks, our
signature candy kabobs, are all wrapped up and ready to give. In fact,
there are many in-store options ready to give, but we're more than
happy to custom create that perfect gift in a matter of moments for you
- no one knows the recipient like you do and we love to be able to help
with suggestions and recommendations from our extensive offerings. We
can create based on colour themes, candy preferences, tastes and many
other fun factors!

Don't forget teacher! This Friday is the last day of school for most
boards - there's still time to come in and see us for a teacher's gift
that will leave them with a sweet reminder during their holiday break.

Let's talk licorice!

2008-12-17T18:32:00.004-05:00

There's an entire world of licorice that many of us in North America know nothing about, but ask a Dane, Fin, German or Swede and they'll smile knowingly and relate childhood stories intertwined with this international treat. Salmiak or salted licorice is higher in ammonium chloride (not sodium chloride, which is table salt) than normal licorice, resulting in a uniquely spicy taste and bears little resemblance to the red stuff most people consider to be licorice. Unlike the red version, which actually contains no licorice extract, the salted stuff is chock full of licorice extract and comes in a variety of shapes, textures and flavours.

At The Candy Store you'll find 14 different varieties of salted licorice and 7 types of North American style licorice. 21 different licorice options in a single store - you've got to see and taste them for yourself!

Munten drop, schoolkrijt, duiten, boerderij drop, schuintjes, dubblezoute, katjes and honing are just a few of the favourites found in the licorice section at The Candy Store. Varying from sweet to minty to oh-so-salty, there's a variety for everyone. Treat someone who remembers or challenge an adventurous foodie's taste buds this holiday season with a traditional cone-shaped bag filled with fresh, salty licorice.

Happy Chocolate-Covered Anything Day!

2008-12-16T16:10:00.004-05:00

According to the National Confectioner's Association today is chocolate-covered anything day! At The Candy Store, that's all we had to hear to know that we wanted to celebrate too! In honour of this special day we'd like to let you know about all the fantastic chocolate covered options we have to appease your sweet tooth (and maybe even tickle your funny bone!).

Our fantastic bulk section is filled with chocolate covered delights from New York City from espresso beans to almonds. But not just any old espresso bean! Koppers was the first candy maker to do a chocolate covered espresso bean and we carry their original bean coated in chocolate as well as their NYC mix - beans covered in six different types of chocolate!

Chocolate covered almonds come in milk, dark and almondola - a chocolate covered almond with a sugar and spice mixture that "tastes like Christmas." There are pretzels too! Not to be overlooked are the milk chocolate, dark chocolate and peanut butter pretzel poppers that take salty and sweet to a whole new level. Try a mixture of all three to really experience the full effect.

If almonds and pretzels aren't your thing, how about some other options? Chocolate covered bing cherries never fail to delight and the pecan cinnamon buns, a pecan covered in chocolate and dusted with cinnamon, is a definite crowd pleaser. Or perhaps you're looking to really make a chocolate covered statement? Look no further than chocolate covered gummi bears! Another first for Koppers, these gummi bears in milk chocolate and white chocolate (called polar bears - collective "aww!") put a smile on everyone's face and taste a little bit like little Turkish Delights but without the rose water. On our list, these are tops!

We hope to see you today celebrating the day with anything at all chocolate covered!

Whew! What a weekend at The Candy Store!

2008-12-15T19:23:00.010-05:00

We barely had time to sit down, let alone get some blogging done. As a thank-you for your patience we've got all your tasty blog entires here in one post - don't want you to miss a single sweet thing!

Les Anis de Flavigny - worth the wait

At the base of every pea-sized candy is an anise seed and four centuries of tradition. Made in Flavigny, France, a town founded in 52 BC by the Romans, and dating back to the Benedictine Monks, these hard candies are layered with flavour. Over the centuries the only thing to change with Les Anis are the tins, beautifully portraying a shepherd and shepherdess in front of the town Abbey. The time-honoured tradition of hand-panning these sweets in large copper bowls takes more than 15 days and takes the seed from 2mg to 1g in size.

Each flavour has an underlying hint of anise paired with delicate notes of original anise flavour, licorice, mint, rose, orange and violet. Each flavour comes in its own unique tin and with six tastes to choose from, you can enjoy finding your perfect match.

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Retro Rules!

Do you remember Pixi Stix? Or Gold Mine Gum? How about Charleston Chew? At The Candy Store, our wide range of retro favourites will have you doing your very own version of the Time Warp! From gum to chocolate bars and candy, there's a wide range of items that used to tickle your funny bone and will do so again - why not introduce them to someone new? At The Candy Store we've had the pleasure of watching a new generation of children enjoy some very old favourites. Like NECCO Wafers, made in the same flavours since 1847! And Pop Rocks, a relatively younger candy, made since 1975.

Adding a few retro treats to a gift or stocking for a youngster is a great way of not only sharing your favourite treats, but also your memories. Take the time to relate a story or memory about your childhood and these treats to create a sweet moment. Or give someone a taste they've long-since forgotten and watch their eyes light up as they experience a time warp.
________

British Invasion!

The British aren't coming...they're already here! The Candy Store has an expansive British selection of confections and we couldn't be more chuffed. From Curly Wurly to Sherbet Fountain, we've got your UK cravings covered and will help you fill the stockings of any ex-pat or Anglophile!

Various treats from Cadbury's, Nestle, Barratts and Thorntons, just to name a few, are all found in store. Buttons, Wispa, Yorkies and Turkish Delight sit proudly on the shelves while Jelly Tots and Jelly Babies look on. Not to be left our are the Flake bars, holding pride of place in original, dipped and praline.

Recently a guest tipped us off to a decadent treat that we just have to share: toast a slice of bread and spread with peanut butter. Then take a Flake bar and crumble some of that smooth milk chocolate on top. If the chocolate doesn't melt enough to suit you, heat the Flake-laden toast briefly and enjoy a gooey and heavenly heated treat!

A solid foundation

2008-12-13T09:02:00.003-05:00

In 1957 Paris-Caramels was established by Guy and Josette Conraux in Paris with only one product: the milk caramel. From these humble beginnings came a whole line of beautiful and award-winning sweets. Using only raw milk, fresh cream, butter from Charentes-Poitou, and natural flavours and extracts, the line of caramels produced by this family-run company are exceptional. In fact, their website puts it best when they say: "Small producers from the Normandy to the Rhone Valley supply Paris Caramels: restricted production, intensive care, and high quality. Productions, which by the way, are too limited and too expensive to interest industrialists. Consequently Paris Caramels knows how to give a remarkable and incomparable aroma and fineness to its products."

There's an unspoken challenge around The Candy Store to make one of the perfect caramel squares last more than one sitting - we've yet to meet that challenge! Their decadent, creamy, salty goodness makes it impossible to walk away from this luxurious French treat. Pick up one of the five different salted caramels today for yourself or a friend and see if you're able to meet this challenge...

Don't forget: the Sweet Memories contest runs until December 24th and we're still collecting all your fabulous memories for a chance to win a Candy Store gift card!

Not all gummies are created equal

2008-12-11T16:00:00.002-05:00

Gummi bears are a classic treat, but quite often they can be overlooked by their newer and flashier counterparts in the gummi section, taken for granted, if you will. Until now. Albanese Gummi Bears are elite gummi bears. They're the heavyweight in the gummi category and have the medals to prove it - most recently the 2008 Non-Chocolate Candy of the Year Award, as a matter of fact!

Gummi bears have come a long way from their "dancing bear" origins in 1922 Bonn, Germany where they were invented and named by Haribo's founder, Hans Riegel. Those bears first transformed in the 1980's in America where they were renamed gummi bears (gummi literally means "rubber" in German) and, at the hands of Albanese experts, they have seen more improvements and innovations, including the use of real fruit juices in their recipes. But it doesn't stop there! Beyond the incredible tastes and smells of these fruitful bears is the shape - they're perfect little bears. With highly detailed faces and feet, these bears have a personality all their own and will make you wonder why you left gummi bears behind for so long.

At The Candy Store we proudly display the Albanese Gummi Bears in their own section, each flavour holding court over their own jar, allowing you to concoct your perfect gummi bear mix with all your favourite flavours. Choose from: orange, strawberry, watermelon, red raspberry, green apple, peach, concord grape, blue raspberry, cherry, lemon, cinnamon and pineapple. Make your mix, pick up a pre-mixed bag or select a layered rainbow cone bag - certain to be a definite hit with the gummi lovers in your life!

On behalf of the gummi bears we say, Welcome Back.

Not your Momma's malt balls

2008-12-10T08:23:00.009-05:00

Even if you're too young to remember malt shops you probably have an image in your mind from films or stories that your parents told. A long counter with a row of stools. Maybe a checkered floor and waitresses zipping around on roller skates. Malt shops popularized the shake, but what about the malt ball?

Popular since the 1930's, this confection has roots much further back - 1887 was the birth of malted milk but the confection didn't follow until 1936. The malt balls found behind the counter at The Candy Store, however, aren't your Momma's malt balls!

Crafted by Koppers in Greenwich Village in NYC, The Candy Store carries between 13 and 15 different flavours of malt balls depending on the season and the range of flavours is staggering! Shown are espresso, mint cookie, raspberry and ultimate (four layers of chocolate surround the malt center), but other flavours that have graced the glass jars include: classic, strawberry & cream, peanut butter, French vanilla, ice cream sundae (four flavours in one colourful assortment), peppermint twist, candy coated and pumpkin spice.

Larger in size than your average malt ball and boasting a flavour selection that is second to none, these malt balls not only taste phenomenal, but also look impressive, whether as a single flavour or in a fanciful combination of colours. So pull up a stool and share a moment with someone special over a bag of premium malted milk balls!

Recipes as seen on A Morning

2008-12-09T09:32:00.004-05:00

NEWTREE Appetizer
Toast slices of your favourite baguette and drizzle with olive oil. Place a piece of brie cheese on each slice and top with a sliver of RENEW (dark chocolate/blackcurrant).

Hot Chocolate two ways:
Adult: Place a piece of REFRESH (dark chocolate/mint) in the bottom of a mug and pour steamed milk over top, stirring. Top with whipped cream and REFRESH shavings.

Kids: Make your child’s favourite hot chocolate, but instead of adding an ice cube (kids seem to always want an ice cube when it’s too hot, don’t they?), drop a few frozen Junior Mints into their mug. It’ll cool their drink and make it minty.

Ice cream mix-ins:
Thaw your favourite flavour of ice cream in the fridge until it is easy to stir. Mix in most of desired candies (chopped or whole) and stir to incorporate. Place the ice cream back in the freezer until you’re ready to serve! When you’re ready to serve, top each portion with a few of the reserved candies.
Suggested combinations: Chocolate ice cream with raspberry cordials
Vanilla ice cream with mint cookie malt balls
Chocolate ice cream with mini gummi worms
Orange sorbet with blood orange cordials

The Five Minute Cheesecake Fix:
Dress up a plain, store bought cheesecake in no time flat! Select a decadent candy and chop into pieces. Sprinkle the chopped candy over slices of cheesecake and place a few whole or halved pieces of candy on top. Use a coordinating dessert sauce or whipped cream as desired.
Suggested combinations:
Classic cheesecake with espresso malt balls
Classic cheesecake with NYC espresso mix
Marbled cheesecake with ultimate malt balls
Cherry cheesecake with dark chocolate almonds
Chocolate cheesecake with pecan cinnamon buns

Scientifically Fun

2008-12-09T03:08:00.005-05:00

NEWTREE has gotten some great press recently, but we're going to give it a little more! This Belgian company has been named to Oprah's O-List and was also a Snack of the Day on the Rachel Ray show, but that's just a taste of the buzz surrounding this relatively new chocolatier. Founded in 2001 by a biochemist, this company finds a balance between exacting science and fun. On the science side, NEWTREE offers GMO free products, often boasting features such as high iron content, numerous antioxidants and polyphenols. If multi-syllabic benefits aren't your forte, take comfort in knowing someone else has done a lot of research into what you're putting in your mouth!

Their claim of putting the "fun in functional food" really stands out when you survey the list of milk and dark chocolate combinations they have on
offer: Pleasure (pure dark chocolate), Vigor (dark chocolate/coffee), Renew (dark chocolate/black currant), Forgiveness (dark chocolate/lemon), Sexy (dark chocolate/ginger), Blush (dark chocolate/cherry), Refresh (dark chocolate/mint), Tranquility (milk chocolate/lavender), Rejoice (milk chocolate/bitter orange & crisped rice) and Crave (milk chocolate/apricot). The names alone make these clever gifts for those on your list! And in two sizes - one a 70g full-sized bar and the other a mini bar box (3 individually wrapped bars per box, making it easy to slip into a pocket or purse for a pick-me-up), there's a size for every gifting need.

Not to be missed is the 9 bar tasting set which includes Cocoon, a milk chocolate/cinnamon bar not available in full size! With mini versions of 9 different bars, the set is an efficient and fun way to determine your favourite flavours and the tasting set's compact packaging allows it to slip perfectly into a stocking or parcel. Just don't take the tasting set out after a holiday dinner with my family: the entire 9 bar set was gone in about 6 minutes of complete silence (not easy to come by!). That's proof of a glowing review!

Dolfin Chocolate: Well Blended

2008-12-07T21:22:00.002-05:00

The Art of Blending is the motto of Belgian chocolate maker Dolfin. Priding themselves on innovation and harmonious combinations, they use both milk and dark chocolate with flavours such as lavender, hot masala and green tea. Not only have Dolfin ensured their bars are preservative free, they are also Belgium's first CO2 neutral chocolate maker, which pleases the soul as much as the chocolate craving!

With bars coming in 30g and 100g servings, they fit perfectly into your life for either a single or multiple serving treat. The 30g bars, with their colourful wrappings, are fun additions to gifts or given in groupings - we have a box perfect for just such a gift and the colours look great together!

Coconut Dreams

2008-12-06T20:27:00.003-05:00

There's a name for Vital's Coco bars at The Candy Store: the coconut converter. These densely packed little bars have given even those with the staunchest aversion to coconut a run for their money. Made by Vital, a family-owned Belgian company based out of Ghent and run by Vital Gormez's grandchildren, these bars are available in coffee, pistachio and vanilla (all with coconut, of course).

The company, formed in 1926, is best known for it's nougat, but these little gems are not to be missed! Best enjoyed with a friend over a cup of coffee, they are a must for the coconut lover (or soon to be lover!) in your life!

Galler Chocolate – The Belgian Chocolate

2008-12-05T22:32:00.021-05:00

There’s chocolate and then there’s chocolate. Chocolate produced by Galler certainly falls under the latter! Galler has the honour of being a member of the Belgian Association of Royal Warrant Holders, a distinction that is not only difficult to acquire, but equally as difficult to maintain. The Warrant was granted to Galler in 1994 and is among the many awards and certificates bestowed upon Jean Galler and his team for their efforts.

His chocolate speaks for itself and The Candy Store carries thirty-one different bars and tablets by this expert chocolatier. The bars come in combinations of dark, milk and white chocolate with a ganache-like filling in flavours such as pistachio, sweet coffee, cognac and praline. The tablets explore specific cocoa bean regions as well as tout the original 70% dark chocolate bar – Galler released this bar in 1993 staking their claim in the dark chocolate world long before most had even begun producing a dark chocolate option.

Perfect for stockings, a treat to keep you sane during holiday shopping trips or for your carry-on bag if you’re traveling (you never know when you might become stranded overnight in, say, an airport in France and need a fix to keep your spirits up!), there’s a Galler flavour for everyone in your life!

Barley Toys: Canadiana on a stick

2008-12-04T21:51:00.003-05:00

Even if you didn't grow up in the maritimes, there's a chance you'll
have a memory of barley toys. These sugary little candy pops are a
maritime holiday tradition and we've fallen in love with them at The
Candy Store. Barley candy was popularized in 17th century England and
transformed into barley toys in the 18th century when the Victorians
began using molds to form Christmas shapes.

Our barely toys hail from Robertson's Candy in Truro, Nova Scotia - a
little factory in a little town, still making the most remarkable and
flavourful treats! Using molds, some over 150 years old, with
traditional shapes (turkeys, bunnies, Santa Claus, peacocks,
boats....), barley candy is cooked and worked to a glossy sheen before
being poured into chilled molds and shaped. Very few ingredients are
required to make this special treat and, as a customer informed us
recently, many grew up making barley sugar candies in home economics
classes around the country!

Robertson's Candy is still a family run business after 80 years and has
become an institution not only in the eastern provinces, but across the
country and around the world for those who grew up with that familiar
taste of a treat that could last all day.

Swing by and check out the shapes we have in store and experience the
simplicity of a bygone era.

Olives de Provence! rounds of applause for the olives

2008-12-03T17:20:00.005-05:00

Hot off the press is the latest issue of Ottawa At Home magazine and our daily installment of sweet treats is featured in the Fab Finds section! Olives de Provence are a clever addition to any holiday party - especially if you lay them out in a martini glass or an olive dish! These chocolate covered almonds masquerade as olives and will cause more than one guest to do a double-take (and they'll be back for more than seconds when they taste them!). Hailing from France and made with the finest almonds and richest chocolate, they will ruin your for all other chocolate covered almonds. But that's alright, we won't let you run dry.

Here's what Ottawa At Home had to say about The Candy Store and this Fab Find:Billed as a premier treat boutique, The Candy Store’s wide range of hand-selected confectionery products from around the world are sure to satisfy just about any sweet tooth. This charming European-style shop carries gummies, licorice, the finest chocolates, buttery caramels, retro candies and much more. Just in from France are fun, festive chocolate-coated almonds made to look like olives.

Zaabär Chocolate Bars

2008-12-02T15:44:00.003-05:00

Do you remember how fun it was to receive those storybook-style candy boxes as a child? You know, the ones where you’d open the packaging like a book and the candy was presented inside. Fast forward to 2008 and find yourself feeling the same way about Zaabär’s Duo Chocolates. These absolutely gorgeous little book-style chocolate bars from Belgium are not only vacuum-sealed for the preservation of freshness, but also made using ingredients that are “entirely natural and free from preservatives, dyes and genetically modified organisms.”

The incredible flavours fulfill the Zaabär promise of “a trip around the world of flavours” and are sure to please even the most decorated chocolate aficionado. Exclusive to The Candy Store in Ottawa are: Cinnamon from Ceylon, Cardamom from Malabar, Lemongrass from Sri Lanka (a staff favourite!), Coriander from Laos, Lavender from Andalusia, Peppermint from Mekong, Pecan Nuts from Taos, Pistachios from Cappadoce and Sage from Barberino.

Combining extraordinary Belgian chocolate with rich, textured flavourings, a Zaabär Duo in anyone’s stocking or gift is certain to delight and impress.

Twenty-four days of sweet gifts

2008-12-01T20:08:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the first of The Candy Store Blog's twenty-four days of sweet gifts and perfect treats for the holiday season! We're so excited to be able to share these wonderful things with you and hope that you'll check out our blog daily (or RSS us and have the blogs delivered right to you, but then you won't see the pictures!).

Today's theme is the hand-selected gift basket. At The Candy Store you could say that the possibilities are as sweet as the recipients themselves! We lovingly custom tailor our baskets for maximum enjoyment - only the very best items makes the cut and there's no filler to disappoint once the wrapping comes off. We're Ottawa's premiere treat boutique for a reason and our gift baskets are no exception to that rule.

From teacher's gifts to secret Santa selections to coworkers and, of course, friends and loved ones, we can help you choose the right items to please anyone and also provide options for wrapping and display. Need to ship that parcel and worried about the contents? Don't fret, we'll make sure that your gift is packed up and secure before you head to the post office. Want to add something special to really personalize your present? We'll gladly include anything you provide to us in your custom basket - the possibilities are endless! Is there someone on your list with special dietary concerns? We're experts on our candy and can help you choose items that are going to fit the bill. In a hurry and don't have time to hand pick all the items? We've got you covered - a variety of in-store creations await you for a quick pick-up, allowing you to cross names off your "nice" list faster than Santa's sleigh!

So this year consider giving a gift basket to those who are hard to buy for, those who have everything, those who love confections and keep an extra couple on hand for those unexpected moments where you need a gift and haven't the time to find one - our treats make everyone smile and they'll know you were thinking of them (even if in the hustle and bustle you forgot - we won't tell!).

2008-11-30T16:25:00.004-05:00

A Taste of Italy

182 years ago, in 1826, on an April day in Turin, Italy, Pierre Paul Caffarel bought a building. With exquisite skill and an eye to the future, he turned this building into one of the most recognizable and renowned chocolate manufacturers in Italy. Lucky for us he did, because Caffarel chocolate is a taste and an experience not to be missed! Made with Tonda Gentile Delle Langhe, a superior type of hazelnut grown in the Piedmont region, Caffarel’s chocolate is still made to the exacting standards for which the company is known.

The Candy Store has the great pleasure of announcing that Pierre Paul’s chocolate is now available for your delight and enjoyment. Currently in store are the beautiful Dolci Torte Artigianali (handcrafted chocolate cakes available in carmelised almond, slightly bitter orange, and whole hazelnut varieties), two different Puro Cioccolato bars (hazelnuts and Gianduja), ficos (filled with a fig reduction), castagnas (filled with a walnut reduction), and the famous Gianduja.

Caffarel’s Gianduja are the original and offer a truly sensory explosion. The four different flavors explore four unique experiences and their diminutive size makes it easy to try them all guilt free! Come taste the Gianduiottino, (the original), Caffe, (coffee), Cannella (cinnamon), and Fondente (dark chocolate) Gianduja.

As a start to the holiday season, The Candy Store will help you find the very best and the very unique for everyone on your list (and even a little something for yourself). Starting December 1st we will be posting one blog entry a day, showcasing gift ideas and fantastic confections guaranteed to please even the toughest recipient!

Also, don’t forget about our Sweet Memories Contest, running until December 24th!

For the love of ginger

2008-11-23T14:30:00.019-05:00

It's safe to say that the cold weather is here for a while, but that doesn't mean we can't hold onto a little bit of heat! With the winter chill knocking at our door, we've been craving something exotic and with just the right spice. Ginger fits the bill and there's plenty of selection at The Candy Store!

For those seeking ginger in a well blended bar, look no further than the show-stealing Sexy Dark Chocolate with Ginger bar by NewTree or Dolfin's Dark Chocolate with Fresh Ginger. Both bars have the right amount of kick and the dark chocolate adds balance. These bars are generous enough to share, but delectable enough to keep to yourself!

The Candy Store's Premium Bulk selections offers another choice for those seeking a chocolate and ginger pairing. The Kopper's dark chocolate covered ginger pieces are perfect for your desk top candy dish, or tucked into a coat pocket on a brisk walk. Made in Greenwich Village, NYC, these decadent morsels are crystalized before being enclosed in smooth dark chocolate. The taste is like no other and ginger takes center stage.

Not to be left out, chewy ginger is worth trying! Buderim's Gingerbons are an Australian chewy ginger candy that comes individually wrapped - perfect for tossing into your pocket or purse to curb your cravings (and trust us, after tasting them, we're sure you'll be having cravings!).

If the flavours and combinations alone weren't enough, don't forget about the health benefits: ginger has been known to help with morning sickness and nausea, indigestion, weight loss and even against the flu and colds - just what we need as we're settling into another Ottawa winter!

Cupcake flavors for November 29: Tiramasu, Peanut butter, Lemon

Sweet Memories contest!

2008-11-16T19:06:00.011-05:00

With the holiday season fast approaching, everyone is kicking into high gear and The Candy Store is no exception!

Whatever your traditions or customs, candy and sweets are sure to be a decadent and lively fixture during your festivities. And with these seasonal treats come the memories of holidays past. Maybe you fondly recall the yearly packages of goodies sent from relatives in another country, brimming with sweets that weren't available locally and tasted like home. Or perhaps it's the taste of that first candy cane of the season that puts a smile on your face. Maybe you have a special recipe handed down from loved ones that incorporates all the smells and tastes that you shared together.

At The Candy Store, we relish these sweet memories - we see them on the faces of our guests every day! We treasure the chance to hear your stories about childhood and holiday treats and are so pleased to be able to revive those memories. That's why we'd like to host a Sweet Memories contest to share those stories! Between now and the 24th of December you can comment here or send us an e-mail info@thecandystoreottawa.ca telling us about your Sweet Memories involving candies from the holiday season. We'll comb through the entries and select one to receive a Candy Store gift card and will repost, with your permission of course, the story for all our readers to enjoy.

So pick up that memorable sweet treat for inspiration and put pen to paper (or fingers to keys!) and share your stories with us for a chance to win!

Christmas gift giving made easy!

2008-11-09T15:35:00.038-05:00

Everyone has been asking when our Christmas window display will be up, well it's here and it's beautiful! It is enough to get anyone into the Christmas gift giving spirit!

The candy store can help make all of your Christmas gift giving easy. Lets face it everyone loves candy and chocolate! Whether you are looking for a hostess gift for a Christmas party, gifts for your co-workers or staff, thank you gifts for all of the people that have helped you along during the year The Candy Store can take the stress away.

If you want to make a lasting impression, we can help you send a unique and memorable message with a candy gift baskets. We carry the best candies and chocolates from around the world along with a huge selection of retro favorites. The gifts that we arrange are wonderful, you can request some of your favorite items or flavors and we can put it all together in a gorgeous display! All we need is a price-range and a little information about the recipients to make them something they will not soon forget.

The Candy Store can make holiday gift giving easier than it’s ever been. Just provide us with a list of people you would like to send baskets to, and we’ll take care of the rest!

When it comes to quality, originality and dependability, look no further than The Candy Store.

We have started our new pointer to our site http://www.thegiftbasketstoreottawa.ca/ it will take you directly to our gift basket and special event page....We are The Gift Basket Store in Ottawa!

Host a Movie Night!

2008-10-26T21:02:00.011-04:00

The Candy Store hopes that everyone had a spooky goolish Halloween! We would like to thank everyone that attended the Mayors Halloween party and enjoyed one of the thousand yummy trick or trick bags The Candy Store prepared for the event.

November is here and everyone is looking for cozy indoor activities to share with friends and family. How about a movie night in complete with a concession stand. Here is how it works, first you send out invitations which includes Monopoly money and instructions for your guest to bring the money along with them to the party. Choose a movie, a good retro one is always fun! Then at intermission everyone gets to go to a full concession stand loaded with all kinds of sweet goodies from The Candy Store like suckers, gourmet gummie bears, jube jubes, chocolate bars you can even use some of your left over Halloween candy. Your guests use their Monopoly money to purchase their treats along with sodas and popcorn. If you want to go all out, rent a popcorn machine. What better way to spend a cool night in. It will be a night that everyone will remember!

Cupcake flavors for November 8th are Dulce de leche, Fairy Princess and High hat

2008-10-15T20:37:00.009-04:00

Welcome to The Candy Store’s first posting, check our site often for The Candy News. We are really excited to share with everyone all of the exciting new products and upcoming events that we will be offering.

Cupcakes anyone? Every Saturday The Candy Store will be carrying the most delicious trendiest cupcakes around from The Ottawa Cupcakery. Come early, they disappear fast!

October is here and it is officially candy season! Let The Candy Store get you into the spirit, How about pumpkin spice Malt Balls or ghoulish chocolate eyeballs, I bet your little goblin would get a kick out of wax fangs. Be the coolest house on the block by handing out treats from The Candy Store. Come in in Costume on Halloween day for a trick or treat for all ages. See you there!