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| RER 10.16.12 |
Don’t you just love seasonal candy? I know I do. But, it’s a
gift and a curse. It’s here with abundance one minute, and on sale and gone the
next. And that is the unfortunate part… the gone part (although tummy aches
from mass consumption can also be seen as a downside). Halloween, the candy
high holy day, is right around the corner, but the candy has been in stores for
what feels like months now (time stretches with resistance). A cult favorite
has been flying off the shelves everywhere…Candy Corn.
Candy Corn is one of those old school favorite Halloween
candies, that come loose in a time where people are terrified of germ and
because of that it may have fallen out of favor, forgotten in a realm of mass-produced
fun sized wrapped goodies.
But apparently this year, zee Candy Corn is back and with a
vengeance. There is a slew of Candy Corn inspired seasonal treats that the
crowds are going wild for. According to The Daily News, Candy Corn is “enjoying
a sweet comeback.”[1] Nabisco has
come out with the super elusive Candy Corn Oreo, which is exclusively for
Target (though, every time I have been to Target since I have heard the news on
The Village Voice Blog,
they were nowhere to be found…). The cream middle wedged between the two
vanilla cookies is flavored like the classic candy and orange and yellow. Not
only is Nabisco taking part in this hip revival of the seasonal sweet,
M&M’s has also created a goodie paying homage to the classic; a white
chocolate with Candy Corn flavored candied shell. Candy Corn themes and flavors
are not solely restricted to sweets, but there are rounds of cocktails inspired
by the old school favorite.[2]
Now that is popularity has been restored, let’s look way
back to its inception, which was more than 100 years ago (!!). It was first
invented in the 1880s in Philadelphia, by George Renninger, an employee of the
Wunderle(e) Candy Company.[3]
Many candies at the time were shaped in other plants. Mr. Renninger wanted to
create a candy in the shape of corn, which oddly enough was not a widely
consumed food because of
associations with the low brow. Candy Corn was originally popular with
farmers,because of the shape, but the tricolored delicacy and multilayered
candy awed the public, making it a success.[4]
Soon after, the Goelitz Confectionery Company, founded by a
German immigrant, started commercial production of their Candy Corn in 1898, in
Cincinnati. [5]
Goelitz is now the Jelly Belly Candy Company and remains one of the top
producers.
These candies were labor-intensive involving several
workers. Initially it was only available from March until November, but now,
with our crazy candy machines, Candy Corn has become year round. Before, large
vats or kettles were employed to heat the basic ingredients of the candy;
sugar, water and corn syrup (that addictive little bugger). Fondant for texture
and marshmallow for softness, would then be whipped in. When the correct
consistency was obtained, men called “stringers” would pour the hot mixture
into shaped molds. There would be three passes made, one for each of the tell-tale
colors.[6]
I am not sure any of us really wants the nutrition
facts, because they can’t be anything good. There is
about 3.57 calories per kernel, so if you can limit your intake it's not that
bad.[7]
19 pieces of Brach’s Candy Corn is about 140 calories. Brach’s Candy Corn is
made up of sugar, corn syrup, confectioners glaze, salt, honey, gelatin, and
other less real things. On the plus side it is a fat free candy (wince).[8]
Now, just like back in the day, there are two different
camps; Jelly Belly and Brach’s . It also feels like there are other
brands that make what looks like Candy Corn, but sometimes does not have the
same honey marshmallow like chew. I tend to stay away from imitation Candy Corn,
because it ends up tasting like sweetened plastic, painted to play the part.
I, myself, am a “Brach’s Candy Corn girl.” That’s just how
it is. I think that Brach’s is the brand that my mother prefers and has been
feeding me and my sister since we were old enough to chew. I still just
gravitate towards Brach’s now that I find myself buying Candy Corn on my own,
though rarely (because my mother beats me to it).
Just so you
know, Brach’s is the nation’s top seller of Candy Corn. And produces enough to
circle the Earth about 4.25 times if each kernel was laid end to end (OMG).
Though the National Confectioners Association estimates that about 20 million
(yes, million) pounds of candy corn
are sold each year (holy moly).[9]
After my mother reported, that it was very hard to find our
favorite, I was worried, not looking forward to indulging in the fake stuff.
But my heart rejoiced when I was wandering Target and found their seasonal aisle swarming with Brach’s Candy
Corn. My world was set right. I found my favorite. And my favorite of my
favorites, Brach’s Autumn Mix (!!).
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| RER 10.16.12 |
Autumn Mix is the Candy God’s gift to human kind, a holy
trinity of mellowcremes. This heavenly bag is comprised of three major
elements; Candy Corn, Indian Corn, and Mellowcreme Pumpkins.
Well we all know what Candy Corn is (now)…
Indian Corn is a variation on the classic. People often
remind you to stay away from variations, but this time it is completely
different. Indian Corn, not only has different colors, but it has a different flavor. The brown
at the fat bottom of the kernel is actually chocolate flavored (!!). Not only
is it delicious, but the hint of chocolate transforms the goody into something
magical. This little addition of chocolate can (I am not guaranteeing anything)
help to appease the mild (emphasis on mild)
chocolate lover. Indian Corn is a great addition to the family. Indian Corn is
meant to look like the multicolored kernels of Flint corn, more commonly,
Indian Corn,[10] which was
cultivated by the indigenous peoples of North America. Today we do not eat this variety of
corn, because it is super hard and not sweet, but Native Americans would use
the corn ground up into a meal.[11]
This multicolored festive looking corn is presently used as decoration, rather
than food. So the candy definitely
plays on both past and present uses of the corn.
Last, and certainly not least (not by a long shot), are the
Mellowcreme Pumpkins. I did happen to save the best for last (for me at least).
They are the plumpest, with the most soft, chewy, marshmallowy center out of the
entire bunch. The pumpkins are made of the same ingredients, but they are in
the shape of mini pumpkins; small and orange, with a bright green little stem
coming from the top. This is reminiscent of the era when Candy Corn was
invented, as candies were often shaped into plants according to Gourmet Live
Blog.[12]
Making these pumpkin shaped goodies is not a far cry from the past.
Brach’s has strayed from the tri-colored Candy Corn, and
their Pumpkin and Indian Corn friends and created different flavors, with different
colors (gasp). The flavors were
created a few years back according to Candyblog.net[13]
(a blog I will need to study as I am a candy connoisseur). These flavors are
Caramel Apple Candy Corn, Caramel Corn and Chocolate Caramel Corn. I can not wait to try these bad boys once they
go on sale. There are also various Candy Corn colors to suit other seasons and
holidays, like Bunny Corn, Reindeer Corn, among others, created by Jelly Belly.
Ok, I know that Candy Corn is not everyone’s favorite; it’s
sweet, it’s neither soft nor hard, it’s not chocolate, and it’s not wrapped
(goodness me). But it is one of those fall time staples, like apples or
pumpkins. Not only do we eat it (by the handfuls), we decorate with it. There
is a plethora of recipes for cupcakes, cookies …you name it…that Candy Corn
can be a lovely addition to, especially during this time of year. Not only are
people putting Candy Corn in or on confections, chefs are using candy corn to
flavor other delicious things, like panna cotta or marshmallow cream.[14]
Candy Corn also makes a great decorator of inedible objects as well, topiaries
and centerpieces, and it has also become a pattern for fabrics and such. Talk
about Candy Corn craziness!
If you are ambitious you can even make your own
rendition of
the seasonal classic. Try out Alton Brown’s recipe
(let
me know how that goes). But I think I’ll just stick to my good ol’
bagged
Candy Corn!
Don't forget to check out my sources page to read
more sweet things about the seasonal sweet thangs (p.s. reading is always more
fun when nibbling on Candy Corn).
RER
10.25.12
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| RER 10.16.12 |
[1] Daily News, “This Halloween,
candy corn appears in cookies, M&Ms, cocktails”
[2] Daily News, “This
Halloween, candy corn appears in cookies, M&Ms, cocktails”
[3] National Confectioners
Association “Candy Corn”
[4] Maddie Donnelly “The
History of… Halloween & Candy Corn” Gourmet
Live Blog
[5] Hauntedbay.com “Candy Corn”
[6] Hauntedbay.com “Candy Corn”
[7] Hauntedbay.com “Candy Corn”
[8] Brachs.com “Candy Corn
Nutrition Facts
[9] wikipedia.org “Candy Corn”
[10] Wikipedia.org “Flint Corn”
[11] Victoria Vogt “Everything
You Ever Wanted To Know About Indian Corn” TLC
Howstuffworks.com
[12] Maddie Donnelly “The
History of… Halloween & Candy Corn” Gourmet
Live Blog
[13] Cybele May “Brach’s
Chocolate Candy Corn & Halloween Mix” CandyBlog
[14] Leah A. Zeldes, “Candy corn
is back, and trendier than ever” Sun
Times
[15] Stephanie Watson “What is
candy corn and how is it made?” TLC
Howstuffworks.com
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food for thought...