5 Tricks to Transform Your Existing Treats for Halloween

 

Halloween is expected to look a little different for many communities in 2020. Families may be looking for different ways to treat their kids and close friends this year.

If you already make chocolate-covered pretzels, truffles or marshmallow pops, the following ideas will require very little, if any, additional ingredients and minimal effort. Keep reading for five quick and easy tricks to dress up your existing treats for Halloween.

Credit (left to right):RCI member Apple Tree Chocolate and Desserts Now Dinner Later

Ghostly Pretzels

Your fans will scream with delight over these ghostly pretzels. To accomplish this look, cover bowtie pretzels with white chocolate, then pipe white chocolate into top two holes and embellish with candy eyeballs.

Credit: The Suburban Soapbox

Truffle Eyeballs

Transform your white chocolate truffles into eye-catching treats. Use a red edible marker to create veins all over the white truffle. Pipe a dot of colored chocolate or coating for the iris and top with a black M&M or other candy-coated chocolate as the pupil.

Credit: Livingly

Witchy Fingers

It’s the details that transform ordinary pretzel rods into shockingly convincing witch’s fingers. As pictured, blanched almonds were painted with black gel food coloring to achieve this look (dark-chocolate-covered almonds would work too). A toothpick or wooden skewer may be used to imitate the wrinkles of the top and bottom knuckle. Click here to view a step-by-step tutorial.

Credit: Garnish & Glaze

Pumpkin Pretzels

If you’re looking for something less spooky, these cute pumpkin pretzels are as easy as they are cute. Embellish orange coated pretzels with sprinkles and a green M&M or candy-coated sunflower seed as the finishing touch. Click here to see how Simply As That blog, gave their pumpkin pretzels personality by adding faces.

Credit: Bruce's Candy Kitchen

Spooky Sweet Marshmallow Pops

With this spooky sweet display of chocolate-covered marshmallow pops decorated as jack-o-lanterns, googly candy corn and skeletons from RCI member Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, how could you choose just one? Plus, we love how these marshmallow pops are packaged in folded acetate boxes and tied up with festive ribbons.

Even if Halloween hasn’t traditionally been a big holiday for your business, this year may be the exception. Make sure to share photos of your Halloween treats on social media and on your e-commerce site for greater exposure and sales potential.

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5 Family-Friendly Ways to Generate Sales for Fall 2020

There’s little doubt this fall season is going to look very different for many families and individuals. Thanks to COVID-19, many of our favorite traditional fall events will be canceled or, if not, done very differently.

Here’s five ideas from RCI members for generating sales by creating memorable experiences for families this fall.

Candy-Making Classes: Two Ways

Hosting virtual candy-making classes is a great way to engage with consumers. RCI member, Yelibelly Chocolates, has developed a series of at-home candy-making classes which can be experienced as a prerecorded video or live Zoom call. Further direction can be shared with customers after purchasing a supply kit containing the needed ingredients and supplies.

Known for their in-person candy-making classes for kids, RCI member, PeterbrookeChocolatier, has been able to continue in-person classes by offering small groups of families and/or close friends to take private classes together after local mandates allowed. This approach limits potential exposure to participants by individuals outside their inner circle and creates a more comfortable environment for local patrons to do something fun outside their homes.

Socially Distant Outdoor Events

Is your annual fall festival cancelled this year? Use your creativity to dream up a socially distant outdoor event to generate foot traffic at your store. RCI member Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium plans to host their annual outdoor pumpkin painting party (albeit practicing social distancing) and treat kids dressed in their Halloween costumes with a complimentary goodie bag.

Another idea could include hosting a family movie night in the parking lot by hanging a white sheet on the side of your building and setting up a projector. RCI member, MarshmallowMBA plans to partner with local churches to gain exposure during Trunk-or-Treat events in their community.

DIY Take-Home Kits

Make it easy for shoppers to create special memories for their families. RCI member Stever’s Candies had success over the summer by selling s’mores and ice cream sundae take-home kits, each packed with all the sweet ingredients needed and bundled together for a quick, grab-and-go treat or an easy, yet thoughtful, gift.

Themed Virtual Tastings

Hosting a virtual chocolate tasting may be just the ticket for safely connecting with chocolate lovers near and far. Incorporating themes will make the experience more memorable and potentially lead to customers ordering multiple tastings. RCI member, Blommer Chocolate Company, suggests themes that hypothetically whisk participants away to a virtual vacation destination or even highlight your home base. Check out this video from Blommer Chocolate's Rose Potts for more inspiration on creating a successful virtual chocolate tasting.

For a more local vibe, source local fall produce to highlight as part of your virtual tasting. We think this recipe for apple cider caramels from King Arthur Baking Company would be the perfect addition to a fall harvest themed tasting.

Virtual Factory Tour

Pique the curiosities of children and parents alike by sharing virtual tours of your candy kitchen. After closing their factory to tours, RCI member SnowflakeChocolates has posted a virtual tour of their facility on social media as well as behind-the-scenes videos of how they make chocolate-covered Oreos and maple fudge. After seeing all the yummy confections in the making, invite followers to get it fresh by placing orders online or in-store. 

After a popular children’s YouTube sensation toured their facility, RCI member Boehm’sCandies created an Eat-Along Kit including the confections featured in the tour. If you’re looking to take your virtual tour to the next level, feature your signature confections in the video tour and sell them as a bundle for consumers to purchase and enjoy while they watch your virtual tour.

Businesses that thrive this fall will be the ones that are intentional about creating a safe and comfortable environment for consumers and their families to not only enjoy their products, but create memorable experiences their patrons won’t soon forget. Here's wishing you a sweet and successful fall season!

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.

Tips for Making the Best-Ever Batch of Caramel Popcorn

August may have just begun, but when you see school supplies fill the store aisles, you know fall is just around the corner.

There's something warm and comforting about caramel corn in the fall--but sticky, clumpy caramel corn is no fun at all! After reading this week's quick tip, you will never want to make caramel corn without this ingredient!

If your caramel corn sticks together and becomes difficult to separate, adding lecithin will help. Randy Hofberger of R&D Consultants advises mixing lecithin with a little oil and adding this mixture at the end of your caramel corn recipe. This will help the caramel spread apart easier and save you the hassle of manually pulling it apart. 

Allergy Alert! 

It is advised that individuals with soy allergies do not consume products that contain lecithin. Although lecithin is a byproduct of soy, there is always a chance soy protein will find its way into lecithin. Lecithin derived from sunflower or canola are more allergy-friendly alternatives to soy. 

Don’t cry over spilled lecithin.

Resist the urge to clean spilled lecithin with a damp cloth or spray cleaner, which will cause it to gum-up and make it worse. Instead, cover the spill with sugar and it will clean right up without a sweat.

New Flavor Inspiration

Once you’ve perfected your caramel popcorn recipe, consider experimenting with different flavors and ingredients to take your corn to the next level. Here’s some inspiration for the upcoming fall season.

Bourbon Caramel

Equally suited as a tailgate party snack or a jolly holiday treat, bourbon caramel corn will keep ‘em coming back for more.

Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a South American delicacy made with slow-cooked milk and sugar. A natural fit for caramel corn, it offers a rich, creamy and more complex flavor for your caramel popcorn.

Pumpkin Spice

Is it even fall without pumpkin spice? We don’t think so!

In the past, Starbucks has released their pumpkin spice latte as early as the end of August. Get ready for the craze by introducing pumpkin spice caramel corn for this fall season.

Here’s to making your best batches of caramel corn ever and to a sweet fall season!

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Festive Treats for Fourth of July

Here's some fun ideas for the Fourth of July! Transform your favorite sweets into your festive treats by adding a whole lot of red, white and ooooh!

Patriotic Pretzels

This sweet and salty treat will be hard to pass up with the addition of colored confectioners coating and sprinkles to resemble the American flag.

Pop Rocks^® Popcorn

Offer a package of Pop Rocks^® as an add-on to your festive white chocolate coated popcorn (or really add popcorn treat) for a little unexpected fun this Fourth of July. Click here to read our past blog post with more inspiration, plus a helpful tip for working with Pop Rocks^® in confections.

Freedom Bark

Swirls of red, white and blue are a beautiful sight and make for a sweetly patriotic treat. Consider adding dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries or coconut for added flavor and texture while staying true to the color scheme.

Fourth of July Tie-Dye Fudge

Transform classic white chocolate fudge into a summer holiday hero! Consider a mash-up of blueberry and strawberry flavors to give it a fresh mixed berry vibe!

This Fourth of July will certainly be one to remember! We hope this offers some inspiration for your holiday celebration.

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 #240: Make the Holiday Sweet for those on the Naughty List

Recipe and photo courtesy of LorAnn Oils.

Create some laughter in your stores that is sure to generate impulse purchases this holiday season, with this recipe for cinnamon-flavored Candy Coal from RCI member, LorAnn Oils.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon LorAnn Cinnamon Oil or 1 teaspoon (1-dram bottle) for a hotter cinnamon flavor

1/4 teaspoon LorAnn black powder food coloring or 1-1/2 teaspoons black gel food color*

Use of a candy thermometer is recommended

DIRECTIONS

1.  Have all ingredients and tools assembled and within easy reach of the stove. Line a 9" x 6" loaf pan or 8" x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil allowing foil to overhang sides. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, such as PAM.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup, water and black powder food color (*if using gel color, add at step 4). Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Insert candy thermometer if using, making certain it does not touch the bottom of the pan.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, without stirring. Early in the cooking process, you can "wash down" any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
4. *If using gel coloring, add when syrup reaches 260º F. Do not stir. Boiling action will incorporate color into syrup.
5. Continue to cook and remove from heat precisely at 300º F (temperature will continue rising), or until drops of syrup form hard, brittle threads in cold water. After boiling action has ceased, add flavor and stir. USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM.
6. Pour syrup into prepared pan. Do not refrigerate. Cool completely. Once candy is cooled, lift from pan and remove foil.
7. Break candy into small chunks to simulate coal pieces (see tip). For best results, store candy at room temperature in an airtight container.

For an eye-catching merchandising display, consider placing a clear candy bag of coal candies into cute Mini Glavanized Metal Pails from Oriental Trading Company. Add a chalkboard sticker like the photo above or a cute kraft paper label tied with ribbon or scraps of fabric for a rustic-chic look.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 206: Give Thanks with a Chocolate Cornucopia

Photo courtesy of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate

Turn heads with this bountiful display, which can be filled with chocolates, chocolate-dipped fruits and other fall favorites. Remind shoppers through merchandising that this tasteful cornucopia would make for the perfect dressing for their holiday table or a welcome and thoughtful hostess gift.

Chocolate Cornucopia

Recipe courtesy of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate

Materials needed:

• (1) 12” wicker cornucopia

• (1) one-gallon plastic storage bag

• roll of tape

• pastry brush or latex glove

• vegetable brush

Ingredients:

• Peter’s Lenoir™ semisweet chocolate

• non-toxic, fresh salal leaves*

• gold and copper luster dust (optional)

*Commonly known as lemon leaves. Available through floral supply shops.

Directions:

Cornucopia

Cover outside of 12” wicker cornucopia with a one gallon plastic storage bag, fitting snugly; secure with tape. Using a pastry brush or latex-gloved hand, apply three thick coats of Peter’s Lenoir™ semisweet chocolate over the surface, allowing each application to dry before adding the next. Remove wicker cornucopia; peel away and discard bag.

Chocolate Leaves 

Scrub non-toxic fresh salal leaves* with vegetable brush; rinse thoroughly and air dry. Use a small metal spatula to coat the back side of leaves with Peter’s Lenoir™ semisweet chocolate. Clean edges of excess chocolate. Chill until dry. Grasp leaf near the stem, gently pulling it away.

Decorating the Cornucopia  

Trim ragged edge of the open end. Attach large chocolate leaves along open end, overlapping and extending them slightly over the edge. Use increasingly smaller leaves until entire top and sides of cornucopia are covered. Brush with gold and copper luster dust (optional).

Learn techniques like this and others at RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp in Waterbury, Connecticut February 20-23, 2017. Register now at retailconfectioners.org/bootcamp.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #199: Make Lemonade: Fresh-Squeezed Merchandising Ideas

Photo credit (bottom left to right):2015 RCI Fall Candy Clinic,Stephen Libs Finer Chocolates,
 DIY Lemonade Stand, LilLuna.com, Lemonade Sign, Burton Avenue

Every kid knows that setting up a lemonade stand in the front yard is an easy way to earn some added spending money for the summer. Why can’t the same idea be incorporated into your retail shop to increase sales this summer?

Draw inspiration from this iconic summer enterprise for your next merchandising theme. First, brainstorm ideas to display your lemon-flavored treats. Something as simple as draping one of your existing display table with a swatch of lemon-clad fabric and accessorizing with fresh lemons and a pitcher can set the tone for your lemonade-themed display. If you, or someone you know, is handy with a hammer and nails, erect an actual lemonade stand with scrap wood or old pallets. Don't forget, a hand-painted “lemonade” sign is a must! Click the following links to view DIY tutorials for the Lemonade Stand from LilLuna.com and the Old-Fashioned Lemonade Sign from Burton Avenue.

Take your lemonade stand to the next level by inviting a local children’s organization, like the Girl Scouts or Boys & Girls Clubs, to actually sell lemonade at your shop as a fundraiser, alongside your lemon candies, of course. Maximize the opportunity for PR, but submitting a press release to the local media and encourage the kids and their families to invite relatives and friends to visit your shop and support their cause.

RCI member, Stephen Libs Finer Chocolates of Evansville, Indiana shared this great idea, including the products they incorporated into their lemonade stand, at Candy Clinic during the 2015 Fall Regional Conference in Maine. Members can click here to login and view a video of the presentation by Marjorie Libs of Stephen Libs Finer Chocolates on our website.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business. Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker.

Tip # 197: Go Wild with Sweet Summertime Merchandising Inspiration

Photo credit:Top: DIY Tropical Backdrop, Brit + Co. Left to right: Chocolate Covered Orange,
  GiveRecipe.com, Pineapple with Sunglasses, PlayBuzz.com, Tropical Bark, Shutterbean.com

Once school is out for the summer, there is no doubt consumer’s social calendar will begin to fill up with pool parties, barbecues and family reunions. Impactful summer merchandising can help your business take advantage of opportunities for impulse purchases of your must-have summer treats!

Learn how to create this tropical
backdrop for your retail display.

An eye-catching, tropical summer-themed window display and photos shared through social media can encourage increased foot traffic in your store regardless of your location! Considering showcasing current products that incorporate tropical flavors, such as citrus, banana, pineapple, coconut and mango. Or introduce a limited edition of tropical-themed treats just for summer. Some options could be as simple as dried pineapple or mango dipped in dark chocolate or a tropical white chocolate bark made with toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and candied fruit, click here for a recipe courtesy of Shutterbean.com.

 

Don’t let your tropical ingredients hide out in the kitchen, let them shine in your retail space too! Pineapples, coconut and colorful citrus can be great, inexpensive props for your merchandising displays. Create a statement with a DIY tropical backdrop, click here for step-by-step instructions from Brit + Co.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 196: Coat Marshmallows in Dextrose

The season for s’mores is right around the corner. Variations of this classic summer treat continue to grow in popularity, but don’t let a rise in seasonal demand lead you rock-hard, dried-out marshmallows!

If you’re not enrobing the marshmallow, roll it in dextrose after it is cut to prevent it from drying out. For marshmallows bound for the enrober, adding a little dextrose to the top and bottom will also help the chocolate stick.

Some candy makers use powdered sugar for the same effect, however, the added sweetness from the powdered sugar may make your marshmallows too sweet.

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip # 182: Just Whip It: Truffles

For many, the truffle is the ultimate chocolatey confection. Made with high-quality chocolate and cream, traditional truffle centers are minimally processed offering rich flavor and a velvety mouthfeel.

Try a variation to the traditional truffle recipe, which will quickly become a new customer favorite.

For a light and airy melt-in-your-mouth truffle center, whip the cooled truffle center in a mixer until it becomes fluffy. With the incorporation of air, the color will become noticeable lighter. The final density will be approximately 0.75 gm/Ml giving your truffles a completely different texture, while keeping the same great flavor.

This is an excerpt from the first quarter issue of Kettle Talk in 2014. Click here to view the full article which offers more tips on making delicious meltaways and truffles as written by Randy Hofberger of R&D Candy Consultants, LLC.

Not a member? Learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business atretailconfections.org/join.

Tip #178: Stick To Your Resolutions

It’s day five of 2016. Are you still holding strong to your New Year’s resolutions?

If so, you may be with a dwindling crowd. Did you know that although 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% succeed in sticking to their goals (Statistic Brain)?

Set yourself up for a win-win in 2016, by setting SMART goals!

The SMART acronym can also help you set goals for your team. Click here for a list of questions that will help you define SMART goals for your team.

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

Tip #153: Use Pistachios in Nougat

As has become our custom on the RCI Tip of the Week blog, we’ll make the posts quick and brief this month for you since we know it’s a very busy time of year for candy makers.

For this first quick tip, we are encouraging you to think outside of the box when it comes to nuts in your confections, specifically nougat. For example, consider using pistachios in your holiday nougat for a fun and different color and flavor enhancement. Chef En-Ming Hsu provided this idea during her nougat demonstration at our recent Fall Regional Conference, and many attendees commented on how great the pistachios tasted as well as how beautiful they were.

If you have other fun uses for pistachios in confections, leave us a comment below!

Tip #152: Give Thanks

When is the last time you took a moment to stop and consider how lucky you are to be in the candy business, making people happy with your sweet treats? We’re going to guess that since we’re in the rush of the holiday season it’s been a while. So, in light of Thanksgiving being this Thursday in the U.S., this week’s tip is to take just a moment to make a list of items for which you are thankful.

This list is yours so you can name whatever you want, from people to things to jobs to places. If you want to increase your overall health and level of happiness, you could even make a purposeful attitude of gratitude part of your weekly or even daily routine! Numerous studies have revealed that those who take a moment to write down the good things about their life feel better about their lives as a whole, are happier and are even found to be more connected with others.

So, put everything on hold and take a moment to name five things for which you are thankful. You won’t regret it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tip #151: Get Employees to Flip Large Moulds

It is almost the season for making life-size chocolate Santas. Ok, we realize they aren’t really life-size but some of the pretty large ones could definitely be life-size for a child!

Either way, this week on the blog we have a small but useful tip to help you evenly distribute the chocolate in your life-size moulded Santa Claus. Since these huge moulds aren’t likely to fit on a mould spinner, most candy makers seem to have a special way of spinning and flipping the moulds to be sure the chocolate doesn’t all gather on one side as it hardens. To help with this process our tip is to make a rule for your staff that each time they walk by the mould they need to flip it.

Be sure every staff member knows and understands the reason for this rule is to evenly spread the chocolate inside the mould to help ensure they’ll follow it. Additionally, it would be wise to assign a staff member to be in charge of ensuring the mould is flipped on a regular schedule. For example, if it needs to be flipped every five minutes and no one walks by for 10 minutes, this staff person would be the one to flip it at the five minute mark. It would probably be helpful to have a pen and paper chart nearby for staff to initial and write the time when they flip the mould.

By involving all staff to flip your extra large moulds you’ll be creating a team environment where everyone pitches in, in addition to adding an element of quality control,  

P.S. This tip came from our Mechanics of Chocolate Moulding education course held last fall. Attend RCI’s next education course, Chocolate Boot Camp®, by registering online today at retailconfectioners.org/bootcamp.