Patriotic Treats for Memorial Day

At Sweet Treat Supply, we’re always looking for an excuse to make something tasty. Since Memorial Day is almost here, what better reason to make a sweet treat than honoring our country and soldiers? We’ve searched high and low for the tastiest stars-and-stripes sweets and here are our top picks for Memorial Day!

Patriotic Lollipops — This has to be one of the easiest and most impressive patriotic treats you could make. Use our How to Make Your Own Lollipops Guide and choose the perfect sucker mold for your party — we’d suggest these big flags or these 3-D stars — and you’ll have a treat that everyone will enjoy.

Red, White & Blue Whoopie Pies — Who doesn’t love a good Whoopie Pie? This recipe from NeighborFood Blog uses simple white cake mix, red and blue food coloring and sprinkles to get everyone in the holiday spirit. As an added bonus, these don’t take too much work, and they don’t require any special equipment. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Patriotic Cake Pops — This simple cake ball recipe relies on package cake mix, icing and chocolate melts to save you time. If you’ve never made cake balls before, Memorial Day is the perfect day to try it out, and you’ll love how easy this recipe makes it! To up the Wow Factor with your presentation, arrange the cake balls to look like a flag, dotting the blue balls with nonpareils and adding stripes of frosting to the red cake balls.

Red, White & Blue Rice Krispy Treat Pops — An easy way to make treats for a crowd, these rice krispy treat pops are one of our go-to recipes for any holiday. Red, white and blue are most appropriate for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but save the recipe and change the colors to orange and black for Halloween or red and green for Christmas.

Jello Firecrackers — The cute and jiggly way to celebrate America, these Jello firecrackers are sure to be a hit at any party. Layer blueberry, unflavored and cherry gelatin in a plastic shot glass and stick a maraschino cherry on top as your fuse, and you’ll have these adorable and tasty treats ready in no time!

Red, White & Blue Chocolate Dipped Oreos — This fun patriotic dessert only requires a few ingredients: Oreos and red, white and blue chocolate melts. Start by completely covering the Oreos in white chocolate. Let the chocolate set, and then dip one third in blue chocolate and one third in red chocolate for a cute and quick treat the whole family will devour.

What’s your favorite treat to make for patriotic holidays? Let us know in the comments below!

How to Make Your Own Lollipops

We can all admit to taking an extra lollipop or two from the bank counter or the pediatrician’s office – and who can blame us? Lollipops have been a fan favorite for centuries for both adults and children alike! But did you know that lollipops are actually very simple to make on your own at home? Today we will walk you through the steps on how to make your own lollipops with only a few simple ingredients.

You will need:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons flavoring accent, such as vanilla or cherry
• Assorted sprinkles or candy
• Lollipop sticks

Prepare your station by lining two cookie sheets with wax paper and filling a large bowl with ice water – set both aside. Next, combine your sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Quickly stir the mixture and bring the heat up to medium high, stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved. Continue to stir your mix for five minutes, and immediately place the saucepan in the bowl of ice water, carefully making sure that no water seeps into it. Let the pan sit in the bath for 10 to 15 seconds to allow to cool. If you are using a flavoring accent, this is your time to add a few drops.

Speed is important in our next step – pour your syrup mixture into small circles, making sure to space them out wide enough so as not to mix them together. Immediately press the sucker sticks into the drops, and dust the lollipops with small candies or colorful sprinkles. We even love making glamorous-looking lollipops by adding tiny decorative edible pearls! Let your lollipops cool completely before pulling them off the baking sheet and enjoying!

If you want to skip measuring out your ingredients, try using our easy Isomalt Crystals for making your lollipops for other hard candies. These reduced calorie crystals are perfect for making guilt-free treats at only 2 calories per gram, and can be made just by adding water. Or, if you prefer chocolate over hard candy treats, try any of our chocolate and candy melts and pour into a Lolly Mold!

Have you ever tried making your own lollipops or hard candies? Was it for a special occasion or just an experiment? Share photos of your delectable creations with us on our Facebook page!

Essential Supplies for Beginner Candy Makers

So, you’ve recently decided you want to make your own candy. Great! We’re so excited! Making your own candy is a rewarding and delicious process, and it’s sure to be a hobby your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers will love! Like any new hobby, though, making your own candy can be a little intimidating. Where do you start? What skills do you need ahead of time? What kind of tools will you need to do it right?

At Sweet Treat Supply we like to help anyone take up this delicious new hobby, so we’ve created the ultimate guide to essential supplies for beginner candy makers.

1. Candy Thermometer — The most important tool in your arsenal will definitely be a candy thermometer. Many candies require just the right temperature to set perfectly, so find a thermometer that will hook on to your candy-making pans for accurate measurements. Depending on the types of candies you may decide to make, there are two different candy thermometers you might need: a classic one, such as this Taylor Candy Thermometer, or a Chocolate Tempering Thermometer for chocolate-based candies.
2. Candy Molds — While it’s possible to make candy without candy molds, it’s pretty difficult to get that perfect shape you’d want. When you’re first starting out, choose two or three different shapes that you think you’ll use time and time again. You’ll likely want to add to your collection as you become more skilled, but having a few different shapes to use while you’re starting out is a great strategy. Additionally, be sure to consider whether you’d want hard candy molds or flexible ones, which are typically used with chocolate and other softer ingredients.
3. Candy Funnel — This tool might not immediately come to mind when you think about candy making, but it’s sure to save you on cleanup after your candy is made. Candy funnels allow you to disperse the perfect amount of candy, ideal for pouring into molds. We highly recommend this one-handed candy funnel made specifically for chocolate melting wafers.
4. Chocolate Melting Wafers & Candy Melts — It would be difficult to make candy without the main ingredients, so make sure you have plenty on hand. If you plan to make chocolate candy, you’ll want chocolate melting wafers or disks, which come in a variety of types and are especially easy to temper. Candy melts can be used as a main ingredient in a candy or as an easy coating.
5. Isomelt Crystals — Isomelt crystals are an easy sugar substitute for hard candies. We love using them because they offer a lot of control over the candy’s final color, don’t have as many calories as sugar and are super simple to use in hard candies.
6. Candy Writers — Sometimes, your treats will deserve a little extra decoration, whether you’re planning to write letters to spell out the birthday girl’s name, draw bunnies in time for Easter or decorate just because. That’s where candy writers come in! These look a lot like icing tubes and come in a wide variety of colors, giving you total control over the finished product!

Do you have any other questions about how to make your own candy? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help you!

Essential Baking Supplies for Beginners

If you’ve decided to start learning how to bake, congratulations! You have a fun — and delicious — hobby ahead of you. Baking is a great creative outlet and a wonderful opportunity to make tasty treats for friends, family, coworkers and more! To get started with baking, you’ll need a few tools to help you make the most gorgeous and scrumptious treats around.

Here are our top tools for beginning bakers:

1. Measuring spoons and cups — Especially in the beginning, it’s important to measure every ingredient in your recipe. Consider purchasing two sets of each, so you don’t have to do without if a crucial measuring spoon is in the dishwasher.
2. Graduated measuring cup —Just like with dry measuring cups, graduated measuring cups will be essential to your baking success as you learn how to bake. Graduated measuring cups are for liquid ingredients and have a handy pour spout.
3. A silicone spatula — Silicone spatulas offer excellent heat resistance and are most often used for scraping dough off the sides of mixing bowls. We rely on spatulas that are all one piece, rather than ones that have a separate blade and handle, as they hold up better.
4. A straight spatula — Completely different from silicone spatulas, straight spatulas are often made from metal and are used to shape icing while decorating cakes. As you continue with baking, you may want other icing spatulas, but at the beginning, an 8” straight spatula should do.
5. Decorating tips, assorted — Often referred to as piping or frosting tips, decorating tips help you get just the right design of icing for your cake. As you can see from our selection, there are a ton of decorating tips to make your icing into the perfect shape. We’d recommend starting with a small set and moving up from there.
6. Disposable pastry bags —Paired with your decorating tips, disposable pastry bags enable you to ice your cakes, cupcakes and cookies perfectly every time. (Quick tip: We have a 100-pack of these on sale for only $9.99.)
7. Thermometer — If you’re considering also making candy, a candy thermometer is a must. If you’re not interested in candy making, consider purchasing an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is the correct temperature for your recipes.
8. Cake pans, assorted — This is obvious, but having a good cake pan is essential to making a good cake. However, don’t forget that you might need more than one pan, whether to have different shapes — don’t forget a cupcake pan if you plan to bake cupcakes, for example — or to be able to make layer cakes.
9. Timer — While you may not need a whole new tool for this (your oven timer or even your phone may do), it’s important to figure out what you’ll be using as a timer before you begin baking.
10. Whisk — Many recipes call for whisking ingredients, so don’t forget this vital tool. After a few times baking, you may decide you’d like to have a few whisks of various sizes to help you make your treats even more perfect.
11. Sifter — While fewer recipes you’ll find these days require the sifting of ingredients, you’re still bound to run across a few that ask for sifted flour or other ingredients to make the treat lighter and airier.
12. Baking sheets — Baking sheets are essential to baking cookies, pastries and other delicious treats. Here’s one of our favorites.
13. Cooling rack — Having a set of cooling racks will help you prevent cookies from overcooking and enable you to use your baking sheets while the previous batch of cookies are still cooling.
14. Bowls, assorted — You’ll probably always be amazed by how many bowls you use while baking (we always are!), so go ahead and stock up on a variety of different sized mixing bowls now. You’ll thank us later.
15. Rolling pin — A good rolling pin will help you make bread, cookies, pie crusts and more. We’re partial to the French variety of rolling pins, which are tapered to aid in rolling out thin, uniform circles of dough.
16. Pastry brush — Recipes that require an egg wash or other liquid brushed along the top need a pastry brush. It can spread butter, oil or glaze on food, giving the tops of your baked goods a delicious look and taste.
17. Pastry cutter — Essential for pie crusts and a number of other doughs, pastry cutters help avoid overworked dough while cutting the chilled ingredients, such as butter, into one another.
18. Parchment paper — Parchment paper is ideal for baking. It protects your baking sheets (does anyone want to spend all day scrubbing dishes?) while helping your treats bake more evenly without having to grease the pan beforehand. Our favorite parchment paper is made by NORPRO, and we love it because of its environmentally friendly design.
19. Wax paper — Just like parchment paper, wax paper is an absolute must for some recipes. You’ll use wax paper in recipes like no-bake cookies, candy making and more.
20. Electric mixer — Okay, so maybe you can do everything an electric mixer can do by hand, but do you want to? An electric mixer can help you get the job done faster and easier. Don’t feel like you need to buy a stand mixer right away, though: For many beginning bakers, a hand mixer does the job just fine.

Did we forget any tools you’ve found to be absolutely essential? Let us know in the comments below!

Top Homemade Treats for Valentine’s Day

A month has passed since the last of the pecan pie was scraped from the dish and the stale gingerbread house was tossed out for the birds. Now, with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we are excited to share some of our favorite ideas for festive candy and treats to share with your friends, family and coworkers!

With so many school Valentine’s Day parties, we have found the perfect treat that your kids can help to prepare for their classmates. These white chocolate dipped wafer cookies absolutely scream Valentine’s Day joy! We love the strawberry-flavored wafer cookies for their bright and cheery pink color, but the vanilla and chocolate flavors will work as well. All you need to do is heat some white chocolate wafers until smooth, dip one end of the cookie into the mix, and then dip into a small bowl of sprinkles. Lay on wax paper until dry, and then wrap in a clear cello bag with a bright length of ribbon. Kids will love choosing their favorite sprinkle combinations and sharing with their friends.

Conversation Hearts have long been a divisive Valentine’s treat – you either love them or you hate them. However, we doubt anyone would turn down one of these adorable conversation heart cookies inspired by Martha Stewart. Easily cut homemade or store bought sugar cookie dough into a heart shape using one of our cookie cutters, and choose your own fun sayings to print on the top!

Sweet Treat Supply also has a huge variety of candy molds that are perfect for Valentine’s Day! Choose any of the classic heart molds in both drop and lollypop forms, or choose a flirty shape like our chocolate lips mold for your crush. Whether you choose to fill your mold with chocolate, colored candy drops or hard candies, they are an easy option that anyone will be thrilled to receive.

Regardless of the treats you choose to create for your crowd this Valentine’s Day, Sweet Treat Supply has all of the tools to make your items even more festive! From pink and red oil-based food colorings to edible glitter, sprinkles and pearls, you can create a work of art for your sweetie this year. XOXO!

Best Treats to Give as Gifts

The holidays are the perfect time to show your appreciation for your loved ones and all that they have done for you over the last year. However, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the thought of buying an individual gift for each person, especially those whose tastes you don’t know as well. Fortunately, today we have compiled a list of delicious holiday treats to give as gifts that are perfect for everyone on your list, from your co-workers, to your neighbors, to your children’s teachers.

Caramel Dipped Pretzel Rods
The combination of salty and sweet flavors is one of the hottest food trends today. Using our Peter’s Caramel Loaf, melt in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring regularly. You can also add one ounce of confectioner’s sugar to each pound of caramel to thicken it for the ideal gooeyness. Roll your pretzel rods in the caramel mixture and immediately dust with or roll in your favorite holiday sprinkles. We also love this treat because it is so easy to package! All you need are a few caramel pretzel rods, a brightly colored cello bag and a string of sparkly ribbon.

Cupcakes in a Jar
Mason jars are still one of the hottest items on the baking scene, and are a great way to present your baked treats in an easy and portable way. Using your favorite family recipe or one of our delicious premium cake mixes for quick convenience, bake a tray of chocolate, vanilla or red velvet cupcakes. Using an 8oz jam-sized mason jar, drop one unwrapped cupcake into the bottom and pipe with your favorite creamy frosting. Repeat once more for a double layered effect. For an even more personalized effect, write little notes to recipients on the top of the jar lid, or try printing out your most recent family picture and wrapping it around the jar for an edible holiday card!

White Chocolate Party Popcorn
Party popcorn is one of our favorite treats all year round, and it could not be simpler! All you need is microwave popcorn, white chocolate candy melts and sprinkles of your choosing — we tend to stick to red and green this time of year, but any sprinkles will do. Simply melt the candy melts in the microwave on medium heat, stirring every 45 seconds, and once fully liquefied, slowly pour over a bowl of fresh popped popcorn, mixing as you pour. Kids will love shaking the sprinkles over the mixture, but be sure to add sprinkles quickly while the candy melts are still sticky, otherwise you risk all of your sprinkles falling to the bottom of the mixing bowl. Serve either in a small paper bag or out in a large bowl at your next event!

Peppermint Bark
One of the best items to make in a large batch is chocolate bark. For this version, all you will need is a bag of semisweet dark chocolate drops, peppermint extract, white chocolate melts and crushed up candy canes. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny-side up to prevent sticking. Stir in one ounce of peppermint extract to the melted dark chocolate and spread evenly across the baking tray. Leave aside for ten minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Then, repeat the process with the white chocolate, immediately sprinkling with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing the candy into the white chocolate. Set aside for about an hour at room temperature to allow the chocolate to harden, then break apart into small pieces and wrap in bags or small boxe
s for serving.

We would love to hear if you have tried any other holiday gift recipes! Comment below or share on our Facebook page!

Last-Minute Christmas Candies

Christmas is only a few days away now, which means it’s time to start distributing your Christmas candies to neighbors, coworkers, friends and family. If you’re one of the many people who never got to making Christmas candies during this busy season, you might think you missed out on being able to give homemade gifts to friends, but we have a few last-minute Christmas candy ideas to keep you from having to make a run to the store. Give yourself an afternoon to make these delicious last-minute gifts, and your friends will love their treats.

 Here’s a roundup of our favorite easy Christmas candies:

Martha Stewart’s Peanut Butter Swirl Bark — Four ingredients are all you need to make this delicious bark. If your recipients love peanut butter, they’re sure to enjoy this delightful and gorgeous bark.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars — It’s entirely possible that you have all of the ingredients for these bars in your pantry right now. The delicious peanut butter and chocolate combination makes this treat a must-have!

Triple Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters — This recipe uses the slow cooker to make most of its cooking time hands off, which is perfect when you need to wrap gifts! Once the chocolate melts in the slow cooker, add the peanuts and drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper to cool. It’s that simple.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites — Combining peanut butter, caramel and chocolate with salty pretzels might be the tastiest thing you could do this holiday season. This recipe makes about 100 pretzel bites, so plan accordingly!

Cool Mint Patties — Making popular supermarket candies at home is the surest way to prove you have magical powers. You can keep it a secret that this recipe is a snap to make with only seven ingredients.

Chocolate Mint Candy — For the mint lovers in your life, this chocolate mint candy has to be on your must-make list. This recipe yields about two pounds of candy, which might be the perfect amount for your Christmas snacking needs.

Choc-Cherry Fudge — If you’re looking for an easy fudge recipe, this might be your winner. Maraschino cherries with their stems attached really make the presentation of this fudge something special. The best part? No need for a stove or oven!

Salted Chocolate Pecan Toffee — This recipe doubles easily, so make a couple of pans of this delectable toffee, and you’ll be able to knock out all of your Christmas candy-making in one pass. With chocolate, pecans and a hint of saltiness, what could be better?

Salted Caramel Charms — Salted caramel is a huge hit again this year, so be sure to take advantage of the sweet and salty craze with these gorgeous truffles. Only requiring four ingredients, you know this recipe can’t be too difficult!

Gingerbread Cake Balls — What says “Christmas time!” more than gingerbread? These cake balls offer a new twist on an old favorite and are sure to impress anyone who receives them.

Looking for more Christmas candy ideas? Check out our Pinterest board! Have a Christmas candy that you love to make every year? Let us know about it in the comments below.