Holiday Candy

Every year around this time we start getting flooded with emails and calls asking if popcorn balls are in stock.  These delicious treats are only made a couple of times a year, and our fans want to ensure they are the first to grab a box while they’re at the peak of freshness!

Popcorn balls were first introduced way back in 1861 and gained popularity in the 1950s at, you guessed it… Halloween parties!  The 50s were a time when homemade treats were served rather than the packaged ones that are common today.  So chances are if you were invited to a Halloween party back then, the host or hostess probably served up a batch of homemade popcorn balls.

Our Halloween and Christmas popcorn balls come from one of our favorite manufacturers, Kathy Kaye, who only manufactures one thing: popcorn treats.  Their popcorn balls have just the right balance of sweet and salty plus that characteristic crunch we love once we take that first bite.

So while our supply of Halloween popcorn balls is starting to dwindle, we’re getting ready to make way for a fresh batch of Christmas ones to arrive real soon.  So be sure to keep a close eye out for their arrival, as like all seasonal treats and candy, once they’re gone, they won’t be back until next year!

In the candy world, 2020 will forever be known as “The Year Without PEEPS.”  Yes, one of the most popular Halloween treats, Marshmallow PEEPS, were not made for the spooky season due to manufacturing complications thanks to the pandemic.  Fans around the world were disappointed and so were we!

Now that everything is pretty much back to normal, we’re happy to announce that Halloween PEEPS are indeed available for 2022 and our huge candy warehouse is fully stocked with plenty of these frightfully delicious treats!

PEEPS Pumpkins
Let’s start out with Jack himself, Jack O’Lantern that is!  These pumpkin PEEPS are not only great for Halloween, but you can stock up and have them as treats all autumn long.  Besides handing out for trick-or-treat they can also make for a great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert buffet.

PEEPS Ghosts
Boo!  These ghosts aren’t here to scare you… they’re here to delight with their fun expression and delicious marshmallow flavor that everyone loves.  Be sure to stock up on them, because like all ghosts… they will quickly disappear!

PEEPS Skulls
These PEEPS Skulls are not only perfect for Halloween, but they also make for great party favors for your next Day of the Dead celebration!  Artfully decorated and always delicious, these marshmallow PEEPS are one of our top sellers.

PEEPS Monsters
This PEEP may be a monster with a face only a mother could love, but we think he’s actually kinda cute.  It must be that spooky green pallor he has.  Invite this marshmallow monster to your Halloween party and let the fun begin!

There’s plenty of Halloween candy to go around this year, but demand is going to be strong!  We encourage you to order early to avoid being disappointed and to get the best selection of spooky treats for your parties and trick-or-treat visitors.

Fall is right around the corner and with it comes cooler weather.  Nothing is better on a cool evening than warming up with a hot cup of hot chocolate.  Sometimes all you want to do is open up a pack of Swiss Miss and curl up on the couch, but then there are times you want to take your hot chocolate to the next level.  Of course, we’re here to help you do just that with the latest rage… hot chocolate bombs!

As each year passes, hot chocolate bombs increase in popularity not because they taste great, but because they’re also fun!  Now you can look up recipes online to make your own hot chocolate bomb, but that takes time, and creativity, and it’s not exactly convenient to satisfy that last-minute craving.

What exactly is a hot chocolate bomb?  Well, it’s a pretty simple creation.  Tucked inside a hollow shell of chocolate are a heaping handful of marshmallows.  You take the “bomb,” drop it into a hot cup of milk and as the chocolate melts, the marshmallows “explode” out from the center making for a rich, delicious cup of hot chocolate.

Each time we get hot chocolate bombs in for the season, they tend to sell out quickly, so as we start to move into fall, here are some you’re going to want to stock up on for those cool nights!

Halloween Skull Hot Chocolate Bomb
Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or just want to add some spooky to your hot chocolate, you’re going to want to pick up several of these Skull Hot Chocolate Bombs.  Made from delicious Belgium chocolate, once you put the chocolate skull into your glass of hot milk, it explodes with marshmallows!

Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Bomb
Fall is not only spooky season, it’s also pumpkin spice season!  Forget hitting up the expensive coffee chain down the street to satisfy your craving for our favorite fall flavor, pick up a couple of these Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Bombs to create the perfect hot chocolate to celebrate autumn nights and cool breezes.

Caramel Apple Hot Chocolate Bomb
A staple fall treat has always been caramel apples.  Whether you make them yourself at home or pick a few up at the county fall fair, this is one seasonal treat that is simply delicious.  Now imagine the taste of those caramel apples in your hot chocolate!  Can we hear a “YES!?”

Be sure to check out all the hot chocolate bombs we have and be on the lookout for new flavors as fall gets underway and pick up a bunch to find your fall fave.

Just in time to warm up the holidays’ Dunkin’ Hot Chocolate Bombs have arrived and well… they’re HOT!

We’ve known about these for a few months now and have been anxiously awaiting for them to arrive at our huge candy warehouse.  As soon as they got here, we couldn’t wait to grab a few and do some taste testing.  

More on that in a bit…

Available in not one, but two delicious flavors, the Dunkin’ Hot Chocolate Bombs got their inspiration from the coffee and donut chain’s most popular hot chocolate flavors – original and mint.  

The Dunkin’ Hot Chocolate Bomb has a rich, delicious Belgian chocolate shell, while the Dunkin’ Mint Hot Chocolate Bomb’s chocolate shell has a delicious minty flavor perfect for the holidays.  Tucked away inside the shell are fluffy mini marshmallows, because what hot chocolate isn’t complete without them?

Now here’s the fun part… heat up about 6 ounces of milk and pour it into your favorite mug.  Place the bomb inside then pour the hot milk over it.  Watch as the silky smooth chocolate transforms into the best cup of hot chocolate you’ll ever have.

We made a few bombs in both flavors to see which one we thought was the best. While everyone loved the Dunkin Hot Chocolate Bomb and thought it would be great year-round, we all agreed that for the holidays the Dunkin Mint Hot Chocolate Bomb is going to be a top-seller!  After all, Christmas time and minty flavors do go hand in hand and we’ve been known to stir our hot chocolate using a peppermint stick or candy cane.

Christmas time tends to bring out the creative part in all of us.  Whether whipping up some decadent holiday desserts, planning a fun New Year’s Eve party or experimenting in the kitchen with the latest recipes off Tik Tok for a family gathering, there’s no shortage of ways for you to get creative during the holidays.

Here at Blair Candy, each year we see the candy manufacturers get more and more creative with their own creations.  Whether it’s adding new seasonal flavors to popular candy like Candy Cane Marshmallow PEEPS, or transforming a classic Kit Kat into a minty treat made with dark chocolate.

Our friends at Hershey’s are getting into the holiday spirit this year by dressing up some of their own popular chocolate treats and giving you the opportunity to sample them all in a special bag of “Hershey’s Holiday Shapes.”

This 31-ounce bag of goodies features all your favorites including York Peppermint Patty Snowflakes, delicious Hershey chocolate Santas, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees in both white and milk chocolate.  This holiday-themed bag is simply too much fun!

Now, what to do with such scrumptious Hershey candy at the holidays?

Your options are pretty much endless. Make up your own little Halloween-esque candy-filled goodie bags to hand out to family and friends. Unwrap a bunch of the candies and place them in covered bowls for visitors in your home, or make up a Christmas candy buffet composed of all Hershey holiday treats. Or (and you knew we’d suggest this) just buy this bag and eat all the candy yourself throughout the holiday season! Hey, it still feels like Christmas into New Year’s Day!

Having a bigger party that you need Christmas candy for?  Be sure to check out our candy-by-color for setting up a unique candy buffet, or browse our Christmas parade candy perfect for schools and other organizations needing candy in bulk.

The holiday season is right around the corner and for many, it also includes cooler nights.  We can’t think of a better way to warm up on a cool evening or sit around the fireplace waiting for Santa to arrive, than with a delicious mug of hot chocolate.  And what goes best with hot chocolate?  Marshmallows of course!

But we’re a candy company, so we aren’t going to just use regular old marshmallows!  We’re taking it up a notch and we’re going to PEEP our hot chocolate by melting a delicious Marshmallow PEEPS Snowman into our hot chocolate.

Now, you can use your favorite hot chocolate mix to create this warm cup of goodness, but the holidays require something a little more special…. like cinnamon hot chocolate!

Let’s whip some up:

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow PEEPS Snowmen

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

· ½ cup confectionary sugar

· ¼ cup baking cocoa

· ¼ cup nondairy creamer

· ¾ cup nonfat dry milk powder

· Snowmen PEEPS

Directions:

1. Mix the cinnamon, sugar, cocoa, creamer, and milk powder together in a bowl, while your family and friends gather around with their mouths watering.

2. Pour hot milk into your favorite mugs, and add about three tablespoons of your hot chocolate mix into each mug. Blend with a spoon.

3. Plunk a few Marshmallow PEEPS into each mug – for us, the more Christmas PEEPS in our cinnamon hot chocolate, the better! You can also use Gingerbread Men PEEPS for a little extra variety, too.

Allow your cinnamon hot chocolate to cool for a few minutes, and have a sip of the hot chocolate you’ll be making and enjoying for years to come!

We’re sure you’re a big fan of Marshmallow PEEPS too, so be sure to check them out along with our huge selection of delicious Christmas candy.

With the holidays right around the corner, family dinners and parties for friends and co-workers are going to be aplenty!  If you’re looking to sweeten up the event, we’ve got the perfect dessert that everyone will love.  Why?  Because it includes everyone’s two favorite things – brownies and candy.

Now we’re not claiming to be the best bakers out there, so we’re going to rely on a close friend to give us a hand.  You may have heard of her, Betty Crocker!  We love her recipes and especially her brownies which we will fight for a corner piece every time.

This great dessert uses Better Crocker brownies but we give it some Blair Candy flair.  We top them off with a delicious Cella Chocolate Covered Cherry which makes these treats so, so delicious.  By the way, Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries are available in both the milk and dark chocolate variety, so make a batch with both.

Ready to get started?  Great, let’s get baking!

Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries Brownies (Makes 12 brownies)

Ingredients:

· 1 box of brownie mix, plus all ingredients called for on the box

· 1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

· 1 cup mini marshmallows (only the best kind!)

· 1/3 cup drained and chopped maraschino cherries

· Chocolate syrup for the topping

· Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries, for the topping

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9-inch pan. Cook the brownies according to the directions on the box, and then cool for about an hour and a half.

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the whipping cream on high speed, until stiff. Stir in the marshmallows and cherries. Spread over the cooled brownies. Use the chocolate syrup to swirl chocolate strands over the brownies, and place the Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries on the tops of the brownies.

Cover and refrigerator for about one hour, and then cut into three rows of four brownies (or larger if you’d like!).

There you have it!  A delicious dessert to bring along to the office or serve up at your holiday party!  Speaking of parties, we’ve got plenty of Christmas candy to delight your guests as well as sweets perfect for a holiday candy buffet.

As the back-to-school bells ring and the leaves turn to beautiful orange, reds, and yellows, all of us here at BlairCandy.com are busy getting ready for fall. It’s one of our favorite times of the year and there’s no shortage of candy and snacks that you can use for fall-themed parties or weekends admiring the views at the local park.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Apple Cider – Apple cider is an absolute must in your pantry and the perfect accessory to an Autumn party. Most supermarkets carry apple cider on their shelves during fall, so pick up a quart, get the glasses out, and enjoy!  By the way, we prefer to have ours warm and enjoy it sitting next to a fire.

Pumpkin Seeds – We all can agree that pumpkins are the official symbol of fall.  Between carving them at Halloween or making decorations out of them for your Thanksgiving gathering, pumpkins are everywhere this time of year.  But what about what’s inside them?  Pumpkin seeds make for a great snack during the day and we suggest kicking them up a notch by tossing them with cinnamon and nutmeg.  These spices are the essence of Autumn and make nearly everything taste better in the fall.

S’mores Candy Bars – There’s nothing better than marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers, right?  Well, if you’re having a party making S’mores in the middle of your living room could be a challenge – and one we don’t recommend you attempt to tackle.  Instead, we’ve got the perfect solution!  S’mores Candy Bars from Gardener’s Chocolates.  These delicious, creamy, candy bars, are what fall would taste like if it had a taste!  36 in each box, so there’s plenty for everyone at your gathering.

Pumpkin Pie – Mmm, the smell of a pumpkin pie in the oven instantly warms the heart. Whip up a pumpkin pie (or buy one from the store, we won’t tell!) and serve it with a bit of whipped cream on top and some cinnamon sprinkled over it. We have a feeling your guests will be all smiles!

Apple Strudel – Apple-filled puff pastry = yum! Apple strudel is another great fall food and just the right size for an Autumn party appetizer. Be sure to brush the puff pastry with egg whites before you bake it to add a little gleam to your strudel!

We think a fall party is a perfect way to welcome in the Autumn season, after all, fall always seems so short!   Remember, we are the ones to turn to when it comes to candy for all your parties!  If you’re having a theme party and are looking for candy by color, we’ve got you covered!  With Christmas right around the corner, a candy buffet may be something you want to consider for a chic holiday get-together.  And speaking of Christmas, be sure to check out all of our Christmas candy that makes for perfect stocking stuffers.

Candy corn is an orange, white, and yellow Halloween candy staple that many have a love-hate relationship with. Here at Blair Candy, we love grabbing a handful of Brach’s Candy Corn from our office candy bowl and snacking throughout the day.  It’s a simple candy, but so delish! Even better: candy corn is the foundation for a beautiful Fall wreath that only takes a few dollars and quality time to create.

Photo credit: womansday.com

Brach’s Candy Corn Wreath, inspired by WomansDay.com

• • A few bags of Brach’s Candy Corn
  • A Styrofoam wreath, about 16 inches around
  • Black duct tape
  • Hot glue gun
  • Large ribbon to hang the wreath, in a Halloween-themed color

Directions:

1. 1. Wrap the wreath completely with black duct tape. This will serve as your base for gluing the candy corn onto the wreath.
   2. Hot glue Brach’s candy corn onto the black duct tape in neat rows you’ll want to cover the entire front side of the wreath with the candy corn. It does take some time, but that’s why having another bowl of candy corn on hand to snack from while you’re gluing makes the time pass so quickly!
   3. Leave a space at the top of the wreath for you to secure the ribbon. We suggest an orange, yellow, or black satin ribbon. Simply tie it around the wreath and hang it on your door!

Photo credit: womansday.com

Although you can’t exactly snack on your wreath, be sure to pick up a few extra bags of Brach’s candy corn so you and your family can enjoy one of our Autumn candy favorites!

While yellow, white, and orange candy corn is what everyone is most familiar with, there are some other varieties you can use as well:

Brach’s Harvest Candy Corn
The rich brown, orange, and white colors of this candy corn will give your wreath an even more “fall” feeling.

Brach’s Bello Minions Candy Corn
Add a little mischief for your wreath by choosing a wild and wacky color with blue, yellow, and white candy corn, which just happens to be a favorite of those little Minions!

If you happen to get a lot of comments on your completed craft and friends and neighbors start asking you to make one for them, don’t worry!  We’ve got you covered with BIG bulk packages of candy corn!  In fact, big 30 pound boxes of candy corn in multiple colors (and flavors for snacking).

Halloween parties are a lot of fun. Whether you choose to go with something ghoulish or something alive with fall’s colors, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this holiday. If you’re looking to combine together one of the season’s best flavors, caramel, with a fun Halloween craft, then be sure to check out this awesome Halloween lollipop wreath idea.

Using delicious Caramel Tootsie Pops and a few craft supplies, you can put together a wreath that fits in perfectly with Halloween party décor (it’s also a fun way to give candy to trick or treaters). Let’s just say, it’s sure to be a scream at your Halloween get-together!

What You’ll Need:

• A wicker or foam wreath core (you can find these at your local craft store)
• Craft ribbon or curling ribbon
• Minimum of 50 Caramel Tootsie Pops depending on wreath size.

Directions:

1. Begin by cutting the ribbon and making it into a bow. To make things extra festive, choose black and orange or orange and purple ribbon varieties. If there’s Halloween ribbon on hand, use that instead. It’s up to you!
2. Start sticking the Tootsie Pops into your wreath, starting at the top off-center and working your way around the wreath. The pops will take up some space, so feel free to adjust them to make sure that they are distributed evenly. Hang and enjoy!

When your Halloween lollipop wreath is finished, you can hang it up as part of your Halloween décor and have your party guests take a Caramel Tootsie Pop as a favor.

Photo credit: Pinterest

You can also use the wreath as a table centerpiece by putting a glass vase in the middle with a pillar candle or similar. Either way, you have a boo-tiful Halloween wreath that’s sure to get compliments at your next party, plus some great Caramel Tootsie Pops for your guests to enjoy!