Styling and Photography by Laurie Mosco

Home baking continues to heat up, with 2020 baking ingredient sales totaling $26.5 billion, and shows like “The Great British Baking Show” are topping everyone’s watch list (Prepared Foods). Inspired by baking shows, or simply more time at home, consumers want to up their baking game. So much so, they’re purchasing baking kits from some major players like cupcake bakery, Sprinkles, and celebrity baker Duff Goldman (Bake Magazine). But kitting shouldn’t be reserved for major chains. Baking kits are a terrific (and easy) way to get creative with your bulk candy assortment and increase sales post holidays, or any time of year.

No expert baker on staff? No problem!  It doesn’t take much to transform cupcakes from plain Jane to social media sensation. See our fun suggestions to get those creative juices ‘doughing’.

Create Fin-tastic Textures

Home bakers say, convenience and ease are key factors as life starts to pick up (Hershey’s/Wall Street Journal). Texture is easily created with a single color of candy for major impact with little effort. Candy drops grouped together make fish scales full of so-fish-ticated texture.  Loose rock candy grouped in circles rock the geode look.  Licorice pastilles can be laid in argyle or chevron patterns for all sorts of modern designs.    

Candies Used to Create this Design:

• Clever Candy Gummy Mermaid Tails
• Red Chocolate Color Drops
• Yellow Chocolate Color Drops
• Powder Blue Chocolate Color Drops
• Sconza Licorice Pastels

Build Up to A Bear-y Special Finish

Though they might enjoy viewing, no customer wants their baking creation to look like a fail from the hit show “Nailed It!”  Piping frosting into fun shapes can be difficult.  Get decorating skills ‘in the bag’ — minus the piping bag — by offering candies that can be used in place of intricate frosting designs.  This idea really lends itself to creating popular animal faces. The rule of thumb here is to look at different animal faces in terms of shapes.  There are so many different shaped chocolates and candies, chances are you can find a candy that makes a perfect ear, nose, eye or even wing.

Nonpareils, with their circular shape and faux “fuzzy” texture form adorable bear or monkey ears . . . . and a muzzle, too!  Fruit slices are just right for floppy dog ears, or oversized elephant ears. Candy drops make great button noses or tongues.  Round chocolate covered candies or malt balls create sweet dog or cat cheeks. 

Candies Used to Create This Design:

• Nassau Candy Root Beer Fruit Slices
• Nassau Candy Coconut Fruit Slices
• Black Sixlets
• Pink Chocolate Drops
• Nassau Candy Milk Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough
• Nassau Candy Dark Chocolate Nonpareils
• Nassau Candy White Nonpareils

Bring on the Butterflies with Unexpected Combinations

Simple might be best for most, but there are those customers who are up for an advanced challenge.  Combine the ideas of candy as building blocks and creating texture, add just a dash of the unexpected and watch the drama level rise.  Use candies in unexpected ways. Cut a gummy worm a little shorter, it’s now a body for a majestic butterfly or dragonfly.  Nonpareils, all decorated in sprinkles can sprout inspiration when paired with yellow buttons, red licorice pieces or gummy rings to create mini daisies, sunflowers, or any flower with a textural center.

Candies Used to Create This Design:

• Sconza Licorice Pastels
• Mango Chili Fruit Slice
• Pink Chocolate Drops
• Yellow Chocolate Color Drops
• Clever Candy Sour Neon Worms
• Nassau Candy Dark Chocolate Nonpareils

Play with Color

Vivid colors are a great way to make a bold statement. Good thing most candies come in a rainbow of colors!  For those customers who want spectacular show pieces quickly, playing with color is a great decorating strategy.  Everyone loves gummy bears, and their bold colors lend themselves to   fun decor for parties. Placing gummy bears on a white backdrop of frosting makes the different hues of these candy darlings shine.  Play with textures – use gummies with sanding sugar or sour sugar for extra sparkle and shine.

Candies Used to Create This Design:

• Clever Candy Mini Gummy Bears

Our bulk candies can create a legend in the baking