Tip #302: 5 Ways to Build Even Better S'mores

With summer around the corner, now is a good time to start thinking about new and exciting summer treats to roll out. S’mores are a summer staple for sure, but why not reimagine flavor combinations that will entice shoppers to take their s’mores to the next level.

Here’s five of our favorite s’mores combinations to spark your creativity!

Simplegirlathome.blogspot.com

The Peanut Butter Cup S’more

For all the peanut butter lovers out there, this addition is a win-win! For a twist, suggest adding a swipe of jam to turn this into a PB&J S’more.

Jessfuel.com

The Sea Salt Caramel S’more

A sprinkle of sea salt will take everything to the next level, but imagine a melty sea salt caramel sandwiched between a toasty marshmallow and two graham crackers. If you have your own caramel sauce, this would be a great tie-in to achieve extra caramelly goodness! Yes, please! 

Sharedappetite.com

The Chocolate-Covered Potato Chip S’more

Encourage shoppers to add an extra layer of crunch to their s’mores with a couple of chocolate-covered potato chips.

Photo by Marty Woodcock

The Mint Chocolate S’more

Instead of a plain chocolate bar, pair marshmallows and a couple chocolate graham crackers with a mint chocolate meltaway.

Epicurious.com

The Toasted Coconut S’more

Adding toasted coconut marshmallows to a s’more is a sure-fire way to make any coconut fan melt. If toasted coconut marshmallows aren’t already part of your summer repertoire, we think they should be! Check out this recipe from Epicurious.

Marie's Candies

Once you’ve brainstormed all the different s’mores combinations available in your store, group them all together and display them as a “Build Your Own S’mores Bar,” as inspiration for shoppers’ to host a gourmet s’mores bar at backyard cookouts, birthday parties and even wedding receptions. We recommend including a sign with suggested flavor combinations featuring your confections, like RCI member, Marie's Candies.

Make your shop a one-stop destination for all the ingredients needed to make gourmet s'mores, including graham crackers, marshmallows and all the creative fixings!

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #301: 5 Ways to Attract & Retain Great Employees

“Cultivating a powerhouse team is key to the success of any business,” said Denise Kestner of ClearPath HR, a presenter at RCI’s 2018 Annual Convention & Industry Expo. Even the most successful businesses are on the lookout for ways to better ensure the right candidates are hired to join their teams. Keep reading as RCI member, Rebecca Craig of Marie’s Candies, shares what she learned from Denise’s presentation.

5 WAYS TO CULTIVATE TALENT:

Lead with Culture

During interviews, skip the complete company history as your intro. Instead begin by sharing benefits that are unique to our organization and appealing to potential candidates. If you offer an exceptional employee culture, that’s a great place to start. If your company history is important to you, stick to the highlight reel.

Start with Why

When crafting role descriptions for an open position, grab candidates' attention in a way that will attract people who share your purpose and values. Click here to check out Simon Sinik’s TED Talk based on his book, Start with Why. 

Be Creative with Benefits

Health insurance, life insurance, retirement, vacation, and etc. are important, but people also value fun things like popsicle breaks during the summer, fun birthday celebrations or even Manicure Fridays.

Try Working Interviews

“A working interview gives the employer a chance to see the applicant’s skills in action," according to employment solutions provider, Friday Staffing. "This arrangement can benefit both parties. Candidates get to see if they like the job. Hiring managers get to see how well the candidate will actually perform in the position. Not only does the working interview give the employer an opportunity to assess the work, but it also gives the job seeker an opportunity to ‘try out’ the job that they will be performing and to get a feel for the office culture.”

Don’t Stop Recruiting

Seek out the server at the restaurant who is passionate about the menu, the teller at the bank, who goes above and beyond to help and approach them about joining your team. You never know where you might meet your next rock star team member!

Give these tips a try and see how they impact your company culture! We want to know what great tips you have for cultivating talent within your business! Share in the comments below.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #300: How to Avoid Oil Migration when Coating Nuts

As consumers, we love chocolate-covered nuts because they represent not one, but multiple craveable characteristics. Crunchy – check! Sweet and salty – check! Plus, as a good source of protein and healthy fats, they are often categorized as being a healthier and more satisfying treat!

However, when combining nuts and chocolate in confections oil migration often presents problems. Oil migration between the chocolate and nut or nut paste leads to changes in the quality of the confection, such as visible surface bloom, hardening of the filling and softening of the chocolate.

While oil migration is inevitable when pairing chocolate and nuts together, the following techniques will help avoid or slow oil migration, pulled from education led by Guittard Chocolate Company and the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board at RCI’s 2018 Fall Regional Conference in Portland, Oregon last fall.

• If using roasted hazelnuts, use a two-step roasting process.
• Select a chocolate with a fine particle size.
• Ensure the chocolate is well-tempered.
• When adding hazelnuts or hazelnut paste to tempered chocolate, the temperature of the hazelnuts should be within 1-2˚F of the temperature of the tempered chocolate.
• A thicker layer of chocolate around a hazelnut or hazelnut filling slows oil migration, bloom formation and textural change.
• Double enrobing with cooling between layers.
• Consider the shape and design of the confection to limit thin spots of coating.
• During storage, limit temperature fluctuations.

With these expert tips for fighting oil migration, you can create truly craveable treats using hazelnuts and other nuts. RCI members: Login at retailconfectioners.org/pasteducation to access this and other education recordings from past RCI events.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Throwback Tip #230: Refresh Your FSMA Knowledge

It has been eight years since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law, which also means if you manufacture food and operate with less than $1 million in sales, September 2018 was the deadline to comply with the FDA's regulations. This week's tip offers a refresher on FSMA in an excerpt from an article written by Michael Koch of Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy for RCI's Kettle Talk magazine, plus tips for next steps.

WHAT IS FSMA?

FSMA was designed to shift the focus on food safety from responding to contamination issues to a more proactive approach of preventing contamination before it happens. Through the passing of this law the FDA has gained more leverage in its ability monitor and control the safety of our food supply chain.

In September of 2015 the FDA published its "Preventive Controls for Human Food" guidelines. As part of FSMA, it outlines the mandatory requirements being placed on all food manufacturers to have and implement a written food safety plan. FSMA requires that your plan be written and managed by a qualified individual. Individuals must complete a certification course to become a qualified food safety administrator.

PREVENTATIVE CONTROLS

Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) is a documented food safety program that addresses hazard risks with preventive controls for every food product you handle in your facility to ensure it will not become contaminated and unfit for human consumption.

VERIFY EFFECTIVENESS

Continuing to verify the effectiveness of your plan ensures preventive controls are consistently implemented and sufficient. Verification includes evaluating the accuracy of process monitoring, calibrating instruments, such as thermometers, and reviewing records to verify monitoring and corrective actions are completed. Product testing and environmental monitoring by a certified third party are also reliable verification methods.

RECALL PROCEDURES

Your plan must contain details on your recall procedures. If a contaminated product is shipped, you must be able to identify where the product has gone and have the ability to perform a recall. A recall plan should include the procedures for identifying the contaminated product. Having important contact information in the plan will help move the process forward. Contacts should include the local health department, local FDA office, news media and anyone else that you may deem important to the process.

FSMA covers a much greater spectrum of the food chain and more details than covered in this brief post. The realm of information and procedures that you are responsible for also cover such things as your supply chain management, good manufacturing practices, corrective actions and etc. The FSMA is no small task and it is designed to protect the consumer from obtaining contaminated products.

WHAT NOW?

Co-chair of the FSMA Operations Team Steering Committee and director of FDA’s Food and Feed Program in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Joann Givens shares next steps for food facilities now that compliance dates have passed for most small businesses.

“The best thing that people in the food industry can do is take the measures required by the new rules – not just the letter of the law but what it represents in terms of transforming the food safety system. They should look at the big picture, at areas in which they could be vulnerable and proactively take action. Promptly responding to problems, even if they aren’t yet violations, can prevent them from getting to the point at which there is a concern about the safety of the food.”

Joann also stresses the importance of a thorough system for documenting what you do. “The better the records, the more a company can demonstrate that it is meeting the legal standard.” With the right processes and procedures in place you’re better equipped to prevent problems before they arise. Joann recommends creating some redundancy in your system, “if one measure fails, another can take its place.”

In order to operate a successful candy making business, it is essential that you are knowledgeable on federal regulations and take the proper action to ensure you are in compliance with FSMA guidelines. Click here for more resources and updates.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. Plus, review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #299: 5 Animal-Themed Treats to Support National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

Did you know April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day?

When there’s a national holiday celebrating everything from potato chips to “talking like a pirate,” it may be difficult to take these holidays seriously. When you find a holiday that speaks to your heart, however, it can create an opportunity for you and your business to support a cause that you may not have otherwise thought would make sense for a candy business.

If helping our furry friends find a forever home makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, consider making these fun animal-themed treats as a way to raise funds for shelter animals in your local community.

Moonstruck Chocolate Co.

Chocolatey Critters

Use your strengths to create fun and creative confections inspired by the critters that melt our hearts. Moonstruck Chocolate Co. of Portland, Oregon has become famous for their four-piece “Critter Truffle Collection,” which consists of handmade truffles resembling a bunny, cat, mouse and none other than a chocolate lab.

kidsactivitiesblog.com and Pinterest

DIY (Decorate-It-Yourself) Dog & Cat Cookies

It will be raining dog and cat-lovers in your candy shop if you invite families to decorate their own chocolate-covered sandwich cookies like their favorite pets, in exchange for a donation to your local animal shelter. Click here for an easy step-by-step tutorial to make these cute cats by kidsactivitiesblog.com.

Party Animal Crackers

Animal crackers hold a special place in the heart of both kids and kids-at-heart, but when coated in chocolate that’s a game changer. When sold in small portions, these make great birthday party favors or a fun snack. Consider donating a portion of your sales of chocolate-covered animal crackers to a charity that serves animals.

Handmade Charlotte

Candy Bar Pups

These treats are so doggone cute, we couldn’t resist sharing! Although these are made using a Twix candy bar for the body, a Tootsie Roll for the ears and a Hershey Kiss for the head, you may be inspired to use other products that you make and sell in your own store. Click here to view the tutorial.

Left to right: Boehm's Candies & Chocolates, Bomboy's Home Made Candy

Pet-Friendly Dipped Treats

We all know chocolate isn’t safe for pets, however, RCI members, Boehm’s Candies Chocolates of Issaquah, Washington  and Bomboy’s Home Made Candy of Havre De Grace, Maryland sell special dog treats made with safe alternatives that don’t contain actual chocolate. Boehm’s Candies offers 1.5-ounce dog treats dipped in peanut butter or white confectionery coating, while Bomboy’s Home Made Candy of Havre De Grace, MD sells Vanilla-Dipped Dog Bones for man’s best friend.

Sharing your animal-themed treats on social media are sure to catch people’s attention, especially if they’re not what your followers are used to seeing from you. Use this opportunity to tell your community about National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and how they can show their support—by donating, adopting or volunteering (contact your local shelter for more ideas specific to your area). Encourage your followers to share your post with their animal-loving friends, and even if they don’t visit your store, at least your efforts will help create awareness about a cause that is important to you.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.