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The History of the Illustrious Buttercreams

Buttercreams are usually not first-in-mind for chocolate-lovers when deciding on just-the-right chocolatey snack. But, at one time, buttercreams and other cream candies, were the pièces de résistance of the chocolate world. Their story begins, of course, with chocolate itself and culminates in the heyday of chocolate innovations – the mid-1800s through the 1920s.

When did Americans start eating buttercreams?

Before there were buttercreams, there was the cacao tree which originated in Mesoamerica…and from this tree grew the cacao bean. The bean, by the way, springs directly from the trunk of the tree – a true sight to behold!

Cacao pods hanging from bark – Wikipedia

The cacao’s route was circuitous, to say the least, having left Mesoamerica for Mexico, to, variously, Native Americans of the Southwest and Spain with Spanish conquerors, then elsewhere in Europe, via the marriage of royalty from one chocolate-loving nation to another, THEN back on British ships to North America where European settlers got hold of it.

Frothing chocolate depicted on ancient Maya ceramic container

Chocolate in the “New World”

The first sighting of the cacao amongst European immigrants appeared in a petition drafted in 1670 by Dorothy Jones and Jane Barnard “to keepe a house of publique Entertainment for the selling of Coffee and Chucalettoe [sic].” The officials agreed although, as in Europe, chocolate had its detractors, primarily those who considered it a sin.

About 100 years later, an Irish immigrant, John Hannon, started the first chocolate mill, turning the cacao bean and its internal “nibs” into the ingredients for a coveted, if not bitter, drink. Hannon was brilliant but not entirely business-like and not at all wealthy. So, he brought in James Baker, a wealthy Harvard College graduate and businessman, for help.

The Birth of Baker’s Chocolate

After literal nose-to-the-grindstone, the company was producing 900 pounds of chocolate for the Colonists. Not all 18th century inhabitants were equal, of course, and neither was their chocolate. Baker’s shamelessly made three varieties: “No. 1 Premium” or “Best Chocolate” the purest, and most expensive line for the wealthy few; “No. 2” or “Common Chocolate,” was a grade below, and used by workers of European descent; and “No. 3,” known as “Inferior Chocolate” used by enslaved workers in the South and West Indies. This version was thick with rice – more a gelatinous brew than a satisfying drink.

The Hannon-Baker partnership ended for reasons unknown, but one thing is certain: Hannon went on a trip, possibly to the West Indies in search of cacao, and was never heard from again, likely killed in a shipwreck. The business was called “Baker’s Chocolate’, forever misleading people to believe the brand was just for bakers.

 

Card for Baker’s Chocolate

 

Baker’s Chocolate Logo, 1873

Early Chocolate Enthusiasts

Then, as now, chocolate had many fans, some illustrious. One was Judge Samuel Sewall, who, from 1674 to 1729, kept a journal where he recorded uniquely commonplace goings-on, giving historians access to the lives of the Puritans and candy enthusiasts a glimpse of the early life of chocolate.

 

Judge Samuel Sewall, 1729, by John Smibert Wikipedia

In his diary, Sewall wrote in 1697 about having “chockalett” and venison for a breakfast where “Massachuset and Mixco meet.” In 1702, he recorded bringing Minister Samuel Whiting “2 balls of Chockalett and a pound of figs,” because he was “languishing” and Mrs. Stoddard “two half pounds of chockalett” instead of Commencement Cake. Chocolate as medicine and gift was common, as were its alleged aphrodisiac properties. Today, in that regard, little has changed.

Page from Samuel Sewall Diary, from Massachusetts Historical Society

By the way – Sewall was a prominent merchant, and one of the judges who bestowed the tortuous sentences at the Salem Witch Trials. Within five years, he was wracked with shame and guilt, publicly apologized, fasted yearly in repentance, and became an early and ardent abolitionist.

Chocolate and the American Revolution

Other celebrated chocolate enthusiasts included Benjamin Franklin. He admired the exotic bean for its alleged health and medicinal value which included curing smallpox.  His shipments to officers in the French and Indian War included “6 lbs. of chocolate” (plus sugar, tea, coffee, vinegar, cheese, Madeira, Jamaican spirits, and mustard). His friend and fellow Revolutionary, Thomas Jefferson, said: “The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the preference over tea and coffee in America, which it has in Spain.”

Another benefit: chocolate was a great alternative to British tea.

How did Chocolate Taste?

This early chocolate was a bitter drink that wealthy New Englanders enjoyed at various times, particularly at breakfast or, possibly, instead of breakfast. They had to work to get it, too, first by boiling water which they poured over a cake of chocolate, then stirred constantly in a chocolate pot until the chocolate had dissolved, and, at last, the liquid was rich and frothy. (This process changed little from the original where chocolate was poured back-and-forth to create a frothy consistency.) Depending on the hour and purpose, they may have added sugar, spices, milk, or even wine, which they probably needed after all that effort.

An Aztec woman generates foam by pouring chocolate from one vessel to another. (1553) Wikipedia

 

 

A Lady Pouring Chocolate by Jean-Étienne Liotard (1744) Wikipedia
Collection of chocolate post – former home of Wilbur Chocolates. Taken by author. 2016.

 

So – Buttercreams?

Starting in the early 1800s, the Industrial Revolution was on the march and innovations were on the rise. While the U.S. was embroiled in a Civil War, Europeans were creating innovations in the world of chocolate. Among the leaders were the British Quakers with such familiar names as the Cadburys, Rowntrees, and Frys who went on to pioneer the use of factory methods for making chocolate and the steam engine for grinding beans. They also invented the candy bar!

Fry’s Chocolate Ad, 1901

 

The new possibilities for chocolate were endless, producing enrobed creations be they chocolate bonbons, truffles with gnash centers, or creams including “buttercreams.” They were voluptuous, yes, and the best ones of all were French. By French, the chocolates weren’t necessary from France, but were in the “French style,” such as the French style cream-filled candy, introduced in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London. It won an adoring audience in the US, who had long been enamored in all things French.

Chocolate ad Cacao Lacte by Lucien Lefevre-1903

The “French-style” creams and other chocolates were marvelous, sweet, yet gritty. Things changed in 1879 when Swiss chocolatier Adolphe Lindt (yes – that Lindt of Lindt chocolate) invented a “conching” machine, which massaged the gritty chocolate into soft and supple submission.

 

Chocolate Lindt Chocolate Ad 1890

Buttercreams in the U.S.

So popular were these chocolates that some post-war U.S. “chocolatiers” devoted themselves to their existence. Others, such as the illustrious Shrafft’s Confectionary of Boston, made them en masse then wholesaled them to smaller companies. Schrafft also carried chocolates in their own retail shops, complete with the French-ish names such as “D’Or Elegante,” and distinct gold-hued packaging. Their ads said:

“From the French comes the motif for this distinguished package, but only Schrafft could have supplied such chocolates. Search among the most exclusive shops of London, Paris, Rome-you will find nothing to compare to them. The golden box of chocolates is now offered for the first time. It contains the daintiest of our French truffle, nuts, fruits, and cream centers.”

Not all creams were touted as being “French” but all did have upscale sounding assortments with names like “Society Chocolates,” “Lady Fairfax Chocolates,” and “Paradise Chocolate.” Their advertising was sensual and sublime. Here’s one from Mead Chocolate in 1920: “A box of Belle Mead chocolates is an open door to the magic realms of chocolatery where all’s delicious. Made from the purest ingredients moulded into sweets of rare delight-into bon bons and raspberry creams, into peppermint and orange paste, mapled creams and caramels, and many other luscious morsels.”

Belle Mead Advertisement, December 19, 1920

 

Gradually, creams, as well as other glamourous chocolates, found a new home in daily settings. During Prohibition, restauranteurs sold them as an after-dinner replacement for alcohol. During WWI and World War II, chocolate-makers recommended that families at home send packages to the troops – while supplies lasted.

Whitman’s Ad, World War II

Buttercreams Today

Today, creams have returned to their status as the perfect punctuation for events, tucked in Valentine’s Day collections, given as gifts – be it thank-you’s or birthdays, or bought and saved for just-the-right moment. As before, they’re still luxuriously sweet and flavorful.…with roots reaching deep into Mesoamerica.

 

Candy: Taking the Guilt Out of Good

Candy… It’s More Important Than You Think!

To truly appreciate the importance – yes, importance – of candy, we have to look at the importance of fun. The idea of fun seems simple… we enjoy ourselves! And fun should be simple, but like everything else, it isn’t. Americans have a difficult time accepting and, even, enjoying fun without an overlay of guilt or the need to justify that having fun, in that particular instance, is okay. We compartmentalize fun in increments of time such as that paltry break, or vacation time, or the odd festive occasions such as a wedding.

Puritans – Our Anti-Fun Ancestors

This ethos is brought to you by the Puritan aka Protestant ethic from which our nation was founded: work, discipline, and adherence to strict laws of behavior were more than a good idea. They were the difference between the likelihood of being one of God’s Elect, meaning you would be gifted with eternal life, or not. Many consider capitalism, the bedrock of our economic system, a product of the Puritan work ethic: make money and reinvest the money you have made into making more money and – by the way – borrow money to make money which you pay back by making money to make more money…

All Work & No Play…

Of course, some fun events offer hard work-related perks. For kids, playing games such as soccer or baseball is fun and that’s the primary reason they do it. Other perks include a stronger, healthier body thanks to all that running around, and skills such as being a team-player or developing a competitive nature, both of which, I must add, make them better workers and make their parents ever happier that they’re doing it.

Conversely, many people have fun at work. But even these activities, aren’t fun per se. There’s a difference. We have fun doing them, yes, but we don’t do them just because they’re fun. These activities are justifiable and manageable, with an end-result which is not to have a great time.  Not that there’s anything wrong with these activities. I for one, can testify to their importance – I love work. Even writing this blog makes me happy!

So, What is Fun?

Fun, the opposite of work – it’s something we do simply because we enjoy it. Going to parties – fun. Going to plays, movies – fun. Carnivals and fairs – fun. The beach, a cabin in the woods, a vacation, any vacation, fun, fun, fun. Candy? Oh yeah, fun. The quintessential embodiment of fun. That being the case – when it comes to candy, we’re suspicious.

And Now… A Slice of Reality…

Here’s the reality: we need fun. Just about any health care worker from a massage therapist to a surgeon knows that a positive attitude, a sense of joy or well-being keeps the surgical knife away. And should the worst happen, it makes the bumpy road to recovery that much faster. The world of thinking, i.e., books, articles, and blogs, are avalanched with messages about the power of positive thinking, the importance of de-stressing, and thousands of ways to help yourself feel good.

Retro Hard CandiesAs for candy-fun, here are a few reality checks:

  • Depending on the source, candy accounts for roughly 10% of the calories and sugar we ingest. The rest comes from those other things we eat where we don’t feel guilty.
  • We know that candy is a fun-food and, like fun, we modulate. We enjoy it in predetermined quantities. No one actually eats a full meal of candy. No one. Even kids.
  • Candy contains sugar. We know this. That’s the problem with candy… we think. The problem isn’t sugar – it’s too much sugar. See above. THEN, see below.
  • Our bodies need sugar. Without sugar we die. The first taste we have as humans is mother’s milk and all its nourishing sugar. When babies are in pain, the get an IV or dropper of sugar to ease the pain. As people get older and head for natural death, the flavor they can taste as other flavors fade is sweetness. Hence their love of – yes – candy.
  • Candy benchmarks some of our happiest moments. Think Christmas. Think – Easter. Think birthday parties and birthday giftsgummies for kids, sumptuous truffles for the grown-ups. Think gifts of chocolate on how many other happy occasions?
  • Candy is a visceral holder of memories. I don’t have to tell you – those retro candies you love. The Bit O’ Honey, hard candies, chocolate bars, even jelly beans. Mostly everyone has a memory of the parent, teacher, grandparent, friend, who enjoyed them.
  • Candy gives us a break from the effort of hard work. THINK: candy bowls at work. You stop. Relax. Enjoy. Portions so small you don’t even feel guilty. LIFE IS GOOD!

Still Feel Bad About Feeling Good When It Comes to Candy?

Psychology today offers up these additional advantages. This is but a summary – you can get the full story here: The Superpowers of Candy | Psychology Today

  1. People who regularly eat candy live longer than those who don’t according to a multi-decade study from the Harvard School of Public Health.
  2. A shot of sugar can restore your willpower. Studies show that consuming sugar makes people persevere longer on difficult task, better able to focus, and more likely to delay gratification.
  3. Chewing gum can improve your mood, reduce stress, increase your mental focus, and block pain. The act of repetitive chewing shifts the state of your brain… Areas related to attention and self-control become more active, while areas related to stress and pain processing become less active. Chewing gum also seems to increase serotonin levels… chewing Teaberry Gum, Black Jack Gum, or Beemans Gum can improve your mood!
  4. Chocolate may decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study analyzed the chocolate habits of 4970 participants aged 25-93 years. Those who regularly consumed chocolate had a lower risk of heart disease, and higher “doses” resulted in greater protection. Those who ate chocolate five or more times a week were 60% less likely to have heart disease.
  5. Cotton candy can help you grow new blood vessels…. A finding of researchers at Cornell University and Cornell Medical Center. Amazing!

Need Help Finding the Candy That’s Right For You?

You know where to go! Tested and proven for thousands of years! Love retro? We’ve got you covered.

What’s Mom’s Favorite Old Time Candy? We Asked – Answered!

So, What Candies Do Mothers Really Want For Mother’s Day?

A good question seeing that just about all of us are buying or receiving Mother’s Day gifts now. Is candy among them? Should it be? If so, what kinds? Being a research-based candy company, we decided to dig deep. We looked up stats online, compared sales of clothes, flowers, jewelry and, of course, candy. The findings are clear – flowers, jewelry and candy are at the top. Of course, plenty of other favorites were in the mix… some not presents exactly, but ideas like time off! A day of freedom, as in time away from the kids. That came up a lot.

True Treats for Mother’s Day

For obvious reasons, we decided to focus on candy. So, we turned to our Facebook friends for the most reliable data possible about what their mothers’ favorites. Now remember – we didn’t ask our friends’ ages – or for that matter, their mothers’ ages which may have changed the response. We guessed, given the age of our average customer, their moms are likely in their 50s and 60s.

Regardless – the results were surprising to say the least. Here’s what we found…

retro good n plenty, vintage candy ad, old time good n plentyOur Favorite Response:

Our favorite response comes from David Mills who said: “She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn’t like.” We love knowing that. Melanie Mills, a relative, weighed in, indicating David’s Mom was not only a candy lover, but a candy influencer. Melanie said: “She loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. She and my mom would share a box of, I think it was, Good and Plenty.” Hey David and Melanie – did you know Good n’ Plenty is the nation’s oldest brand, made in 1893?

Moms Love Old Time Licorice

Our friends’ list included lots of licorice – a total surprise as licorice isn’t on the horizon of most loved candies for anyone. Good n’ Plenty (circa 1893), as David and Mel told us, plus black jelly beans, general black licorice anything and Twizzlers. When you think about Twizzlers, you probably think 1970s. But this company outdates even Good n’ Plenty. It started in 1845!

Retro Candy – the Big Surprise!

We could have guessed Moms like retro candy – most people lean in that direction. But the kinds of retro were a surprise. For the most part, our friends’ mothers skewed old school. No late 1900s favorites such as Jelly Belly Beans, Zotz or even Gummies (only one mention of these). These Moms went 1800s including the most controversial candy ever – Circus Peanuts, made in the late 1800s for…you guessed it … circuses. Also – Candy Corn, which also started life in the late 1800s. Originally called Chicken Feed, it was a summertime snack at first – not made for Halloween! Gwen Wyttenbach told us her Mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts. Interesting.

What about CHOCOLATE for Mother’s Day?

Industry experts all point to chocolate as women’s preferred flavor. Not so in our Mother’s Day findings. Of all 78 responses, less than half mentioned chocolate and of that number, only a few mentioned chocolate as the only, or most preferred, candy. Is that because chocolate has historically been a man’s food? Remember: chocolate originated as a drink, dating back to Mesoamerica where it was esteemed by men – namely soldiers and tyrannical leaders – who enjoyed the drink for virility and strength. Hmmmm…

ultimate old time chocolate, vintage chocolate, retro chocolateMothers Do Love Chocolate… But Not What You Might Think!

OK – we expected to hear a lot about fancy chocolates – the type that started in the late 1800s when eating chocolate became quite the thing. This line-up includes sumptuous truffles, creams, and other varieties still around today. But our Facebook friends told us about classic candy bars, which got their start as energy bars and part of the first rations in World War I. Among the names named – Snickers, Rocky Road, 1000 Grand, and Almond Roca. Several did mention Cherry Cordials – made popular by the now defunct Brach’s in the early 1930s and chocolate covered raisins, a favorite of yours truly, and a hit in the early movie theater concession stands.

Lots o’ Outliers, TOO!!

We love outliers and are happy to say these included sea foam (from Lucile Allen, a True Treats alumni) and chocolate covered honeycomb – another version of sea foam; halva (we carry this – ancient and Middle Eastern); the gummy-esque Wisconsin Raisins from, that’s right, Wisconsin, little known but shouldn’t be; and my friend and neighbor Karen McMullen’s mom’s favorite – Bit O’ Honey from the 1920s.

vintage candy, old time nougat candy, retro candy

Our Facebook friend Peg Norton Foster told us about “…white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. Peg added: “I know mom had them around a lot in the late 50s and 60s. I am a chocolate freak so she got them mostly to herself.” Peg – we actually carry your Mom’s favorite, although the gum drops have been replaced by it’s candy cousin, jelly beans!

 

 

We Asked Some of Our True Treats Employees… What’s Mom’s Favorite Candy? 

Susan Benjamin, True Treats President – “My mother actually didn’t like candy! But if I had to pick, I’d say the peanut butter cup. She ate one maybe every other year!”

Alvino Sandoval, Web & Distribution Manager – “Peppermint patties and Rolos. My grandma loves butterscotch hard candies and starlight mints… typical grandmother!”

David Bussard, Strategic & Creative Director – “Dark chocolate nonpareils and three color coconut bars.”

MaryAnn Fisher, Social Media & Outreach Coordinator- “Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars!”

Jackie Woods, Packer – “My mother’s a donut and cookie person… but I’m a momma and I love anything chocolate or All-American Caramel.”

Pam, Packer – “Hershey kisses, Hershey with almond… Always Hershey. My favorite candy is Payday, but I love Mounds too.”

Jess, Packer – “Peanut M&M’s and that’s about it!”

Here’s the Full List of Mother’s Day Favorites From Facebook

THANKS EVERONE!! We LOVE your Feedback. And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there!!

French gums, gummy hearts, chocolate covered raisins, and halva. – Andrea Blavat
She liked everything. Seriously, there was nothing that she didn’t like. Hilarious… she loved circus peanuts and she was the one who made me try black licorice. She even got my sister to like black licorice. Her and my mom would share a box of I think it was good and plenty, and I always got the good and fruity for at the drive in. – Melanie Mills
Believe it or not … circus peanuts! – Jennie Gist
My mother’s favorite “of all things” … Candy Corn at Halloween! – Gwen Wyttenbach
My mom would mix them in a dish with “Spanish” peanuts (in reference to candy corn) – Jan Rayl Kierstead
It’s candy raisins from Wisconsin and I’m blessed that she’s still around! – Jennifer Wyatt
Caramels and those white nougat things with little pieces of gumdrops in them. – Peg Norton Foster
Almond Joy – Denise Braithwaite
10000 Grand candy bars. – Laura Lee Bear Lemmon
Probably those cream drops, my mother loved them – Angela Zimmerman
Moth balls (cream filberts) and Opera Creams  – Claire Mojave
Black Licorice – Dwayne Richards
Godiva. If they weren’t available Hershey Special Dark. She was a dark chocolate fiend.- Krissi Bainbridge
Almond Joys and chocolate – Heidi Rohrer
Russel Stovers Caramels in particular – Suzanne Healy Barnhart
Black licorice – Mary T
Coconut cream egg – Shelly Williams
Lemon drops and chocolate covered raisins. – Nell McCollum Tedder
Bit o Honey – Cathy Kisovec Rodgers
Chocolate. Just, all of the chocolate. – Crystal Cruz
I still get her dark chocolate and heath bars – Jennifer Bortman
My mom wasn’t a candy person. Black licorice, I suppose, or Coffee Nips. My dad had the sweet tooth. – Amy Wax Storyteller
Chocolate covered cherries – Josephine Ann Calderone
Black Licorice and black jellybeans! – Brenda Sue Payne
Peanut Brittle – Tabitha Falls
Almond Joy maybe – Kelly Preziosi
Black licorice – Rick Doty
Almond Roca – Randy Hanenburg
Chocolate, peppermint, & lemon drops.- Sandra Lewis
Chocolate-covered cherries and sea foam – Lucile Allen
Snickers candy bars was her favorite. She’s not really a candy fan. Ice cream is where it’s at – Elizabeth Bennett
Snickers but can’t eat them unless it sugar free which I don’t they have it n take one if sugar low due to I am a diabetic – Selina Dion
Black licorice – Marylouise McKillip
Fannie Mae turtles – Anne Marie Trumbla
Chocolate covered cherries. – Karen McMullen
Mary Janes and Fannie May turtles. – Allison May
Rocky road or those mountain bars if she could find them – Jaye Ahkinga
Heath bars… black jelly beans – Patricia Smith Violett
Almond Roca – Linda Mitchell
Black Jelly beans – Francine Rybarczyk Clouse
Almond Roca – Debbie Coman
I don’t think she has a favorite- Matthew Ryan Neely
Coconut watermelon slices. – Carla Johnson Kanthak
Chocolate fudge – Karen Schultz
Candy corn and cinnamon gummy bears – Dana Perkins
Whitman’s cream filled candies – Marilyn Hennessey
Chocolate gingers and cherry cordials – Elizabeth Ford
Starlight mints – Julie Burke
Chocolate covered honeycomb – Bella Kittrell
Hard candy – Betty Jagodzinski Rybarczyk
Baby Ruth – Larry Berkman
Circus marshmallows – Natalie Kreitzman
Chocolate covered cherries, marshmallow peanuts, creme drops, and orange slices – Mary Earp
Chocolates! – Pam Howard
Butterfinger – Marchia Kirkland
Reese’s peanut butter cups – Victoria Ordonez
Butterfinger – Debra Hatcher
Orange slices – Patsy Dickson
Anything Fannie May – Dave Mead
Three Musketeer Bar – Lia Rock-Wright
Butterscotch – Libby Wilson
Reese’s Peanut butter cups – Nancy Shaffer Thiele
Caramels with white filling! (Goetze’s Caramel Creams!) – Rodney Thomas
Everything – Linnet Guidry Lewis
Malted Milk Balls – Karen Lynne
Mike & Ike – Lee Andrews Lawson
Satellite wafers – Sarah Côté
Nestle crunch – Peggy Lynch Verville
Cordial – Amber Nichole
Scorched peanuts – Gail Hart
Wintergreen – Elaine Moore
She is alive, and at last check, a big fan of Whitmans Samplers. – Jasmyn Dawn
Orange Slices – Donnette Sligar Sibille
Hershey bar – Jeannie Clement
Cherry cordials – Donna Marie Reynolds
Twizzlers – Ellen Patterson
Fudge – Martha D Clark Balser

Easter Candy You May Have Missed

Easter Candy You May Have Missed

This Easter, why not discover the Easter candies you may have missed. They taste great and are rich with meaning. One of my favorites is St. John’s bread, thought to be the food that nourished John the Baptist while in the desert. Here’s what’s amazing – and delicious! Saint John’s bread is actually carob which we use as a healthful snack and low cal and nutritious replacement for chocolate. The “bread” is actually the pod which you can eat as-is for a unique culinary experience (not the seeds! they’re impossible to digest). Other favorites are chopped carob pieces mixed with another ancient fruit – dried grapes, aka raisins, the most often mentioned fruit in the Bible. Or try carob chips, mixed with another ancient food and symbol of spring – pomegranate seeds.  AND – don’t forget…carob tea. The possibilities are almost endless…as is the history of this wonderful food.

Here are some other important Easter treats you may have missed:

  • Date, fig, and pomegranate syrup, are among the “honeys” mentioned in the Bible. Great in tea, in baked Easter goods
  • Stuffed dates, stuffed with ancient nuts and simple syrup or a dash on bee’s honey – both known to the ancient palate.
  • Marzipan, and ancient candy made with almonds, a true spring nut. In fact, almonds were long valued as they represented good beginnings. And why? Because almonds were the first tree to flower in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
  • Cinnamon almonds – a tasty duo with ancient roots, familiar and traditional, both cited in the Bible.
  • Mann Salwa. This ancient sweet is rich with flavor, texture, and meaning. Made over 2,000 years ago, many consider it the food God gifted to Moses and the people of Israel to sate their hunger. Perfect with tea, coffee or as a snack. A personal favorite.
  • Turkish delight – a favorite worldwide under many guises. Vegan, all-natural, and rich with association with its starring role in Chronicles of Narnia. Turkish is also a best-seller here at True Treats. This is a wonderful quote from one of our customers: “Rose Turkish Delight is something I leave with every time I visit!” – Ashley G.

What Else Did You Miss This Easter?

On WBUR – A Taste of Hot Chocolate, Sex & Sin in Colonial New England

It’s Valentine’s Day and maybe you’re hoping to spark a little romance in your sweetie with a gift of some stimulating chocolate. Not to thwart your plans, but scientific research shows it’s not really an aphrodisiac. However, one candy historian was eager to take us back to a time when Americans consumed copious amounts of warm, decadent chocolate that she posits had some hidden sensual powers.

A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Benjamin, owner of True Treats Historic Candy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, said early New Englanders were gaga for chocolate, but they weren’t eating it…

From WBUR – Listen to the whole story or read the rest of the article here.

Image: A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Suggests

If you’re looking for something interesting to make for the many celebrations ahead this spring, head to Feeding America library at the Michigan State University’s Website. There you’ll find 76 cookbooks spanning North American history, posted in readable formats. My favorite is Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook. Starting in the late 1800s, Miss Farmer introduced the nation to new concepts of cooking at home -weighing, measuring, and using calculations so every recipe turned out right. We found tempting delights– Boston Cream Pies, chocolates, and hard candies. Of course, there’s plenty more. My suggestion – check out the other fascinating cookbooks on the site, as well and don’t be intimated! The recipes are great and prove the point: everything old is new again.

Want to hear my interview on WBUR – Boston’s NPR affiliate – about Fanny Farmer? Head for my recent blog!

 

 

Fannie Farmer

 

 

Love Through the Ages – Three Romance Inspiring Cocktails Using Ancient Aphrodisiacs

Love Through the Ages – Three Romance Inspiring Cocktails Using Ancient Aphrodisiacs

When you think of aphrodisiacs, chocolate and oysters usually come to mind. While they are delicious, some of the true ancient aphrodisiacs might be surprising. Spices like clove, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger were held in high regard in Asia and the Middle East for their alluring properties. Sweet tasting strawberries, with their visible seeds, and tart pomegranates were ancient symbols of femininity. Planning a romantic evening? Here are three romance inspiring cocktails that look to the alluring flavors of the past.

 

Moscow Mule

Used medicinally in Europe and Asia, ginger was brought to the Americas by Europeans in the 16th century where it grew with ease in the Caribbean. But ginger has an ancient and alluring past. It was highly esteemed as an aphrodisiac in ancient Chinese, Arabic, and Indian herbal traditions. The Moscow Mule, first made in the late 1930s, is a delicious, spicy addition to any romantic evening. Our recipe uses ginger root tea with a candied ginger garnish.

Ingredients:

6 oz. ginger tea

Honey or other sweetener

6 oz. sparkling water or tonic water

1 oz. lime juice

4 oz. vodka

Candied Ginger, mint leaves, lime wedge for garnish (optional)

Prepare tea by adding 1-2 teaspoons of ginger tea to 6 oz. of hot water. Let steep for 3-5 minutes. Sweeten with honey or desired sweetener. Allow to cool. Add ice to two glasses. In each glass, add half the tea, sparkling water, lime juice, and vodka. Stir gently. Garnish with mint leaves, a lime wedge on the rim of the glass, and candied ginger on top of the ice. Enjoy!

 

Spiced Strawberry Bellini 

Strawberries, cardamom, cinnamon, sage, honey. This deliciously sweet cocktail which includes our exclusive Aphrodisiac Tea Blend has all of these romance inspiring ingredients. In Ancient Rome, the strawberry was a symbol of Venus. Timeless cinnamon and cardamom, two wondrous warming spices, have long been appreciated as stimulating to the senses. We’ve added a spicy, botanical twist to the classically sweet bellini, which originated in the 1930s or 40s.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

For the puree –

12 strawberries, quartered

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup strawberry sugar

1/2 cup water

For the cocktail – 

True Treats Aphrodisiac Tea Blend

1 bottle Prosecco

Cinnamon sticks to garnish (optional)

Combine strawberries, cinnamon, and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat and stir. Add water once mixture begins to bubble. Cook for 10 minutes then blend until smooth. Cool. Prepare Aphrodisiac Tea Blend by combining 2 teaspoons of loose tea with 1 cup hot water. Steep for 3-5 minutes. Cool. In a glass, combine one part tea, one part Prosecco, and one part strawberry cinnamon puree. Stir with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!

 

Beloved Hibiscus Sangria

Spicy cinnamon, sweet strawberries, timeless honey, and tart pomegranate all mingle together to make this seductive sangria. Two ancient feminine symbols, the strawberry and the pomegranate, meld with our Beloved Blend Tea – full of flavors mentioned in Song of Solomon, the beautiful and ancient poem of love. Sangria traces its history to Ancient Rome, where additives like fruit or mulling spices were commonly added to wine to make it more palatable and safer to drink. Enjoy this modern recipe full of romance inspiring ingredients.

Ingredients:

True Treats Beloved Blend Tea

1 750ml bottle white wine of your choice

3 red plums

8-10 strawberries

4 oz pomegranate juice

1 cup sugar

 

Bring 2 cups water to a boil and add 3-4 tablespoons Beloved Blend Tea. Let steep for 5 minutes then strain. Cool. Cut up and lightly mash 6 strawberries and 2 red plums. Reserve remaining plums and strawberries for garnish. Add lightly mashed fruit to a pitcher with 1 cup sugar and stir. Pour 1 bottle of white wine, 4 oz of pomegranate juice, and 2 cups chilled tea on top of fruit and sugar mixture. Stir and refrigerate for at least two hours but preferably overnight. Serve over ice with cut fruit as garnish. Enjoy!

From The Colonial Apothecary to Your Kitchen – Four Recipes

From The Colonial Apothecary to Your Kitchen – Four Recipes

Colonial-era apothecaries – or pharmacists – filled their shops with a variety of concoctions, many of which were made using herbs, roots, flowers, and other botanicals that can still be found in herb gardens and in the wild. Spearmint and jasmine were combined to create a Calming Tea that doubled as a fragrant additive to bath water. Horehound, honey, and thyme were blended into a Cough and Cold Remedy Tea. Native American medicinal knowledge was combined with European tradition in North America, resulting in remedies for sore throats and upset stomachs using ginger root, dandelion, cherry bark, and chickweed. All represented in our Native American Blend. For headaches, apothecaries sold a mixture of rose flower, sage, lavender, and marjoram – the Colonial Headache Remedy Tea. All four of these authentic historical teas can be found in our Colonial Apothecary Box, and while they’re delicious on their own, here are four recipes you can make with these exclusive blends.

 

 

Blackberry Mint Jasmine Refresher

When colonists wanted to relax, they turned to this multi-purpose herbal remedy – our Colonial Calming Tea and Sweet Bath. A refreshing, revitalizing blend of spearmint and jasmine. Colonists used this herbal mixture two ways, either as a soothing tea or as a fragrant addition to bath water. A sweet, tart, and delicious fixture in the culinary world, blackberries have also been used medicinally in Europe and by Native Americans for centuries. Blackberry leaf was used to aid in stomach complaints while the fruit was used to make cordials. Blackberries, mint, and jasmine come together in the recipe below in the perfect refreshing drink that can easily become a cocktail with the addition of vodka or your favorite spirit.

Ingredients:

In a saucepan or teapot, simmer water. Add 2 teaspoons Colonial Calming Tea & Sweet Bath. Allow to steep for 3-5 minutes. Chill in refrigerator. Muddle 4-5 blackberries and add to the bottom of two glasses. Add ice to glasses, then the prepared chilled tea and vodka if desired. Top off with sparkling water and add mint leaves for garnish. Stir gently before drinking. Enjoy!

Horehound Hot Toddy

To fight colds in the 1700s, colonists turned to a mixture of horehound, honey, and thyme brewed together in a cough and cold remedy tea. The earliest record of a medicinal toddy, “a beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices” is from 1786, although Robert Bentley Todd is credited with popularizing prescribing the hot toddy in the 1800s. Our recipe below marries these two remedy drinks.

Ingredients:

In a saucepan or teapot, simmer water. Add 2 teaspoons Colonial Cough and Cold Remedy Tea. Allow to steep for 3 minutes. Pour tea into a mug, adding the whiskey, honey, and lemon juice. Add additional sweetener if desired. Stir with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Native American Blend Maple Latte 

Looking for a new way to drink one of your old favorites? Try this easy latte recipe! One of our most popular teas, our

Native American Blend combines dandelion leaf, chickweed, ginger root, and cherry bark in an earthy brew. All valued medicinally and for flavor by the Native Americans. Native Americans used a variety of sugars – fruits, corn, and saps like maple before the introduction of cane sugar from Europe. Maple, of course, is still widely loved today.

Ingredients:

Bring water to a simmer in a teapot or saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons Native American Blend and steep for 3-5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine tea, milk and maple syrup. Simmer, but do not boil. When warm, froth using a frother or a whisk. Add more maple syrup if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Herb Garden Jelly with Rose, Lavender, Sage, and Marjoram

Colonists would have looked to their gardens not just for food but also for medicine. Our Colonial Headache Remedy Tea is a recreation of an herbal remedy tea originally made in the 1500s using flowers and herbs. The fragrant floral notes of the rose and lavender are grounded by the earthy and woody flavors of sage and marjoram. The recipe below puts those flavors to work in a new way – as a jelly!

Ingredients:

In a saucepan, bring water to a simmer. Add Colonial Headache Remedy Tea. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain and add sugar to brewed tea. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and add pectin. Boil for an additional minute. Skim off any foam. Pour hot jelly into jars and process for 20 minutes or freeze any extra jelly. Enjoy on toast, with biscuits, or as a filling for cakes or donuts.

What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Featuring Susan Benjamin – Town Square with Ernie Manouse

 

Snickers. Jolly ranchers. Jelly beans. Gummi bears. What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Are you old school, and love candy corn and licorice? Or are you into extremely sour – or hot – candy? Today, as we continue our Halloween week, it’s all about candy, including the origins of trick-or-treating, retro candy and stories behind some of your favorites. A candy historian and an insider from the candy industry joins us with some “sweet” facts and to field your calls. What do you consider the best and worst candy? Got any favorite Halloween candy memories? Guest: Susan Benjamin: Candy historian Owner of True Treats Author of “Sweet as Sin: The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America’s Favorite Pleasure” Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

LINK TO RADIO INTERVIEW:

Town Square with Ernie Manouse : NPR

*BUY NOW*

🔹GOOD & PLENTY:https://truetreatscandy.com/product/good-n-plenty/

🔹CIRCUS PEANUTS: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/circus-peanuts/

🔹LICORICE: https://truetreatscandy.com/?s=licorice&post_type=product

🔹CHOCOLATE: Assorted chocolates through US History – Made in the USA (truetreatscandy.com)

🔹CANDY CORN: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/candy-corn/

🔹TOOTSIE ROLL: HTTPS://TRUETREATSCANDY.COM/PRODUCT/TOOTSIE-ROLL-BIG-BAR/

 

 

True Treats Tasters Results

Happy Friday! 😃 Thank you to all of our Tasters for getting back to us! We had some surprising and wonderful responses from our Historical Time Period group.

Here’s what we discovered:

•Most said they’d give Turkish Delight, Stain Glass, and Cream Filberts as gifts.

•100% of our participants said they were impressed with the freshness and potent flavor of the candies.

•Several said Black Jack Gum triggered fond childhood memories.

•Our stuffed dates were compared to coffee cake and cinnamon buns! Yum!!!

•Some were surprised at the taste of Sassafras…(It tastes similar to root beer!)

 

Are you curious now? Wanna try them for yourself? 🚨Buy NOW🚨at: truetreatscandy.com

Links are below!

Buckle up, Chocolate Tasters! You’re NEXT!

Sweet Regards,

Your Friends at True Treats

 

STUFFED DATES: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/stuffed-dates/

TURKISH DELIGHT: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/turkish-delight/

SASSAFRAS STAIN GLASS: Hand-Made Stain Glass – Hard Sugar Candies (truetreatscandy.com)

CREAM FILBERTS: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/cream-filberts/

BLACK JACK GUM: https://truetreatscandy.com/product/back-black-jack-gum/

SUMMER FUN with Popeye the Sailor Man!

This month, True Treats is celebrating SUMMER FUN! And, in a true historic tradition, summer fun includes MOVIES. And who better to feature than Popeye the Sailor Man who seems to appear in more beach scenes than any other old time character. It’s interesting to know that of all the characters in the Popeye series, Olive Oyl came first in print in 1919, with her true love  Harold Ham Gravy. No strongman, Gravy was replaced by Popeye in 1929, who was based on the real life Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. Fiegel, who Popeye creator E.C. Segar knew from his hometown of Chester, Illinois, was a one-eyed, one-time sailor, not-to-mention bartender and laborer with an expertise in fist fights. And, true to Popeye’s character, Fiegel had a soft spot for kids and a way of helping out when help was needed. It seems Segar regularly sent Fiegel money as a thank you for being his inspiration.

The first Popeye film was created in 1932 where he appeared with another female cartoon star – Betty Boop. Like Olive Oyl, Betty was a strong, don’t-mess-with-me woman under the guise of being a ditsy dame. Regardless, the Popeye and Olive Oyl combination endured and a slew of cartoons in print and film followed.  At that time, candy was making a presence at movie theaters, where they generated a magical amount of revenue, and at home. Such treats as nonpareils, chocolate covered raisinsMilk Duds, Jujyfruits, Junior Mints, and Dots…among many others, became standard fare. So, it’s interesting that candy  spin-offs of the Popeye theme are few – Think Popeye Candy Cigarettes, now known as “Candy Sticks.” Never heard of them? Then you get my point.  Instead, Popeye culture focused on spinach and more spinach, creating an international demand….A good thing, all must agree.

DON’T WORRY:  As the number of movie theaters are dwindling, you can order movie favorites from old time to today’s Favs at True Treats – with the story of each on the label.

Popeye Creator: E.C. Segar

 

Popeye Inspiration: Frank “Rocky” Fiegel

The Heart at the Heart of Valentine’s Day Candy

The Heart at the Heart of Valentine’s Day Candy

Yes, hearts are at the Heart of Valentine’s Day cards and candy.  Charming, yes, but the origin of the heart is intriguing and well-deserving of its place in Valentine’s Day today. In fact, the heart originated with the silphium plant used by the ancients as an aphrodisiac, medicine, spice and, even, birth control measure. The plant contained a heart-shaped flower and was so celebrated it appeared in artwork, including coins, such as this example dated 510-470 BCE.

and this coin from 550-500 BCE:

Unfortunately, the silphium was so popular the ancient Romans used it into extinction…but the image lived on, especially in the increasingly popular playing cards. These cards are from the Middle Ages:

 

Card Games of the Middle Ages

The heart also became a religious symbol:

 

Flemish Heart, “Trinity”, 17th Century

 

Flash forward to the mid-1800s and British candy-maker Richard Cadbury, of England’s esteemed Cadbury family, invented the first heart-shaped chocolate box.  Around that time in 1866, Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, who spent her whole life single and living in her family home, created the first Valentine’s Day card in the U.S. Here’s an early version – it led to numerous others full of hearts:

Esther Howland, 1870s

 

Valentine’s Cupids with Hearts 1880s

In nearby Boston, Daniel Chase, brother of NECCO wafer inventor Oliver Chase, found a way to print sayings on candy rather than the more cumbersome alternative of the times  – wrap the candy in paper with the saying on it. A few decades later and the candy took on a heart-shape, known today as the “Sweetheart Candy.”

Sweetheart Candy – the Original

Eventually the playing cards, the hearts, and candy came together in a game called “Bridge” where players – usually two sets of couples – played for hours and hours and hours.. starting in the 1920s. So long were these games, the players had no time to eat. The candy bridge mix was one solution. Made of chocolate covered fruits and nuts, it allowed players to eat with one hand and hold the cards with the other including the subject of our Valentine’s Day discussion: the heart. Here’s one of our bridge mix selections:

The illustrious silphium became an image representing fun on greeting cards, boxes, and, of course, candy, its aphrodisiac origins lingering in suggestion only.

Valentines Day Card 1908

 

Sour Peach Hearts

 

 

Valentine for Kids 1950s

 

Sweetheart in a Box Fun for the Whole Family