Posts Tagged ‘Candy Buffet’

30 Aug

Unique Halloween Candies for 2010 Tricks and Treats 0

Posted by Sue Gillerlain | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I know it’s still August, but I already hung a fall wreath on my front door. I couldn’t help myself. My kids are back in school and I’m sniffing fall leaves from the front porch. I also just bought my daughter a pink wig for her Halloween costume, so I’ve got trick-or-treating on the brain before Target has its “Halloween Headquarters” candy aisles up and running.

Since I’m way ahead of myself (and mass retailers), I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some unique Halloween candies that you may not find locally … but you will find online.

Jack-O-Lantern Truffles If you want to go highbrow this Halloween, Lindt’s milk chocolate truffles wrapped in pumpkin-motif foils will get the attention of even the biggest Halloween candy snob.

Candy Corn Taffy Think outside of the box this Halloween by putting candy corn taffy in your candy dish instead of traditional candy corn. This might sound like fingernails on a chalkboard, but trust me, change is good. If you can’t bare the thought, try adding roasted peanuts to your candy corn. The sweet-and-salty mix is perfect for tailgating.

Pumpkin Pie Nougat Fluff How cute are these little nougats that taste like pumpkin pie? Make a colorful party favor by putting a handful of these pretty pumpkin chews at the bottom of a clear cello bag and top with a box of Dots Candy Corn.

Black Licorice Skulls Here is another Halloween bulk item that scores a 10 on the cuteness chart …

Pop Rocks Pumpkins Pop Rocks were as popular as Dum Dum Pops and Tootsie Rolls when I was a kid, but we never got them in our trick-or-treat bags. It was probably because there was an urban legend floating around that Pop Rocks exploded in your stomach if you washed them down with a soda. Now that time has proven that these candy rocks can safely be paired with a Diet Coke, they are the perfect giveaway for modern day trick-or-treaters.

Orange & Black Mint Twists If you’re gearing up for an October wedding, birthday party,  baby shower, or general Halloween bash, this minty, yet festive bulk item would look killer in a tall glass candy dish.

Halloween Licorice Pastels I am a Good & Plenty fan, so I felt it necessary to include these chewy orange, black, and yellow licorice tubes in my list of unique finds. Like the Orange & Black Mint Twists, Halloween Licorice Pastels would add zing to any candy buffet table or treat bag.

Halloween Early Birds! Save 5% on Candy.com’s Halloween Candy by using Coupon Code “early5.” Offer applies to both wholesale and retail orders. Hurry, this offer ends August 31.

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in Candy, Foiled, Gummy, Halloween, Hard, Licorice, Lindt & Sprungli, Inc., Marich Confections, Nostalgic/Retro, Nougat, Pop Rocks, Sour, Sweet's, Taffy, Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.

9 Aug

Bottoms Up? 0

Posted by Sue Gillerlain | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

A very peculiar novelty candy item arrived in my mailbox last week: Gummy Shotz (edible gummy shot glasses). The “shot glasses” ship six individual flavors per pack and flavors include cherry, grape, orange, lemon, lime, cola, blue raspberry, green apple, pink bubble gum, and pineapple.

I’m guessing these colorful, two-inch-tall sticky vessels were dreamed up for gimmicky 1 oz. drinks like Lemon Drops, Kamikazes, and B-52s … and for more mature events like bachelorette parties, Mardi Gras, luaus, etc.

I get that, but I took these super sweet and somewhat rubbery shot glasses in a more juvenile direction. (How many adults really want to eat a gooey gummy “glass” after downing a shot of Jäger? It’s a heck of a chaser.)

I spent a morning in my kitchen concocting candy crafts by inserting a mini baking cup in each shot glass and filling the mini cups with colorful candies like peanut M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, sour crawlers, gummy bears, and Skittles to play off of the primary gummy colors.

My craft project turned out to be something I would use as a kid’s party favor wrapped in cello and tied with a bow (Candy Land theme anyone?), or as eye candy on a candy buffet.

Per my 14-year-old neighbor’s brilliant suggestion, I also filled some of the shot glasses with whipped cream and topped them with fruit and sprinkles. I don’t think I’d serve these to guests older than 14, though, but they do look pretty on a tray.

I photographed some of my final products with my low-budget 35 mm, so my apologies in advance for the following lackluster visuals:

Now it’s your turn to think outside of the box. What would you fill these gummy shot glasses with?

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in Brands/Companies, Candy, Candy Type, Reviews, Soft

21 Jul

Tricks for Building a Stellar Candy Buffet 0

Posted by Sue Gillerlain | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Now that candy buffets are as common as cakes and cupcakes at weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, etc., I thought I’d check in with a handful of event planners to get their tips on building the best candy buffets, pitfalls to avoid, and trends they’re noticing. I’ve got some gems:

Tracey Baxter, Aisle Do, Charlotte, N.C.

- Offer multiple containers of the same candy to control traffic and add symmetry to the buffet design. If guests can access the same candy at two locations on the buffet, they wait in line for half the time.”

- Use scoops proportional to candy sizes. To determine if guests will get the right amount with each utensil, ask yourself, “Will this scoop provide a handful of this candy?”

- Know when to stop. Variety is important but more than 15 different types of candy presents too many options for a buffet to still be functional. Extreme variety does work well, however, when using a single candy type in multiple flavors such as jelly beans, taffy, rock candy, or chocolate gems.

- If your event is not bent toward specific flavors, name your candies something related to the theme. For example, with a nautical theme, “gummy melon O’s” could become “Melon Life Preservers.”

- Use signs to let guests know what family member or friend picked the candies and/or flavors they are enjoying.

Kim Byers, The Celebration Shoppe, Columbus, Ohio

- I spend a lot of time with others in this industry and I see a lot of candy tables. Almost every single one now has saltwater taffy on it. I think it has a great deal to do with nostalgia and the ability to get it in so many colors.

- In the past five months we’ve created printable candy table/buffet tags. They’re selling like hotcakes.

  • Candy Dish Tags from The Celebration Shoppe

Heather Kuhn, Sweetest Candy Buffets, Carmel, Ind.

- We’re seeing an interest in using multiple flavors of gourmet jelly beans and including “recipes” for eating those jelly beans together.Recently, we have had people inquiring about including unique items on their buffets, such as flavored popcorn or cake bites/balls.

Terri Altergott, ?Something Borrowed, Something New Events, Uxbridge, Mass.

- Routinely, I’m asked to create a visually interesting candy buffet. In a few weeks, we’re adding lots of bling to a candy table. Envision crystals with light dancing off of them and submersible lighting at the bottom of each apothecary jar to illuminate the table.

Lia Moore, Full Circle Eventi, Clawson, Mich.

- While many containers come with lids, this often leads to broken glass and missing pieces. If you love the lids, present your display with the lids in place, but remove and store them away the moment your candy station is open.

- Consider a round table vs. a standard rectangular buffet to eliminate long lines and encourage guests to mingle around the serving station.

- Vase size is important! Use large, wide-mouth containers so guests can see what they’re getting and get at it easily. Variety in vase size and shape also keeps the eye engaged and the display interesting.

- Use thematic take-out pails or cello bags for guests to take candy home. Personalize the packaging with small stickers and ribbons.

Last tips:

- When ordering candy, be sure to place your order well in advance so that you have time to stage the buffet at home before the party and order more candy if necessary.

- Need inspiration? Check out these gorgeous candy buffets by NYC’s event planning guru, Amy Atlas.

Top photos by Amy Atlas

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in Candy, Candy Tips, Chocolate, Nostalgic/Retro, Novelty, Soft