Is Taffy Really Made With Salt Water?

Salt water taffy doesn’t actually contain sea water. So how did it get its name?

No one knows for sure how salt water taffy got its name, but one legend holds that it came from David Bradley, who owned a candy store in the late 19th century.

The story goes that Bradley’s candy store became flooded during a major storm in 1883. His entire stock of taffy became soaked with seawater from the Atlantic Ocean, so he began to call it “salt water taffy” as a joke.

If you’ve ever seen taffy being made, you probably were fascinated by watching the taffy being pulled by a special machine. The pulling process is a critical part of making taffy.

Without pulling, taffy would be very hard. Pulling taffy aerates it by capturing tons of tiny air bubbles within the taffy. These air bubbles make the taffy softer & chewy.

Before special taffy-pulling machines were invented, candymakers would pull taffy with a simple hook attached to the wall. They would place a huge glob of taffy (10 to 25 pounds or more!) on the hook & then pull it five or six feet before folding it back on itself & throwing it back over the hook.

They would repeat this process – it was quite a workout! – over & over again until the taffy became soft & chewy.

No one knows for sure how many different flavors of taffy have been made. Since you can make taffy in just about any flavor, the answer would have to be in the hundreds.

Source:  https://wonderopolis.org

Gelato vs. Ice Cream

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” Or do we? 

Here’s the Scoop: 

Gelato, ice cream’s Italian cousin, is continuously gaining popularity in the U.S. & keeping more customers coming back. Sales rose from $11 million in 2009 to $214 million in 2014, which has kept the frozen dessert market above water, according to the market research firm Mintel.

What’s the Difference? 

The Italian dessert staple is, in fact, quite distinct from ice cream. Gelato expert, Morgan Morano, points out a few important differences:

• Creaminess – Gelato contains less air than ice cream, and is therefore creamier, smoother, silkier, and denser than its American counterpart.
• Ingredients – Both recipes call for cream, milk, and sugar. Ice cream, however, is heavier on the cream and typically includes egg yolks to pack the mixture together.
• Fat & Flavor – More cream means more butterfat. Ice cream typically contains between 14 to 25 percent butterfat. Comparatively, gelato only has about 4 to 9 percent fat. Less fat enhances the flavors in gelato by allowing them to be tasted quicker. Because gelato is served warmer, you also get more of the flavor’s intensity.
• Serving Style: Traditional gelato isn’t scooped, it’s served with a spade. Dig it?

You Be the Judge

Want to taste the difference for yourself? Stop in to sample one (or all) of our 12 gelato flavors. If you’ve already had the pleasure of taste testing both, tell us which frozen treat you prefer in the comments!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Delicious Desserts for Diabetics

Why Desserts for Diabetics Make Great Gifts

If someone on your gift giving list is watching what they eat or has issues with blood sugar yet has a penchant for sweets, you may be hesitant to present them with traditional confections. But you can still brighten their Valentine’s Day by sending them treats! At Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge, we understand that an occasional splurge is good for the soul & have developed desserts for those on restricted diets that are indistinguishable in taste from their sugar-laden counterparts. Here are a few of our favorites. 

1. Sugar Free, Low Carb Assorted Chocolates  – This assortment (pictured above) of our finest chocolates makes an excellent addition to the dessert table, as well as a thoughtful gift for those who appreciate high quality homemade sweets & need to keep blood sugar levels in mind. 

2. Sugar Free, Low Carb Plain Chocolate Fudge & Chocolate Nut Fudge – Conquer your chocolate craving without sacrificing your dieting needs. These creamy fudge varieties are additionally low in sodium & superb choices for guilt free snacking & after dinner treats. Nut fudge has the same delicious flavor as our plain chocolate, only walnuts have been added for more texture and crunch. 

3. Sugar Free Salt Water Taffy – These chewy morsels of assorted taffy flavors offer a sugarless option to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge offers several other sugar free options in-store as well for those who don’t want to cut sweets out of their diets completely. The Dairyland Fudge family has been crafting fine candy out of the purest, freshest ingredients available since 1962, ensuring that customers are getting generations of experience in each delicious bite. 

 

Treat Dad for Father’s Day

Father’s Day is just around the corner, and we have a unique and delicious selection of dad approved gifts. His favorite beer will go great with our Beer Pretzel Nuggets. We take pretzel bits and caramelize them in a crispy coating that’s infused with dark beer.

Or maybe Dad would prefer something chewy. If so, he would love a box of our Beer Infused Caramels. We slowly cook our special caramel recipe and infuse it with beer that’s locally brewed at the Port Huron Brewery in Wisconsin Dells for just the right balance between sweet and malty.

     

If his preference is salty and sweet, then he must have a box of our Chocolate Dipped Bacon or a bag of Bacon Caramel Corn.

     

Our newest creation is Salted Beer Caramel Corn. We combine our signature Caramel Corn recipe with stout beer and top it off with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Or you can always get him another tie… but this year, make it a Chocolate Neck Tie instead!

     

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! 

HONOR A VETERAN THIS MEMORIAL DAY — COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

Memorial Day is much more than just a three-day weekend. The holiday was borne as a response to the unprecedented bloodshed of the civil war; in which, an estimated 620,000 men lost their lives in the line of duty. The devastating effect this had on communities throughout the country led to spontaneous commemorations of the dead.

Traditions of decorating headstones to honor the fallen started when women from Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, put flowers on soldiers’ graves following the Battle of Gettysburg. Because of this practice, the holiday was originally called Decoration Day until the federal law declared “Memorial Day” the official name in 1967.

To help continue this long-standing tradition, we would like to invite you to stop in on Memorial weekend and pick up a free rose to place on the grave of a veteran in your local cemetery. If you don’t have a deceased family member who is a veteran, you’re more than welcome to take a flower and decorate the headstone of ANY solider to commemorate the memory of our fallen heroes and bring awareness to the real reason we celebrate Memorial Day.

Come by to receive a rose from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, or 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday. There are 250 flowers available, so be sure to stop in early while supplies last (limit 1 flower per family). Participants are encouraged to take pictures of you and your families decorating the graves and post them on our facebook page, or send them via email to wisconsindairyland@dellsfudge.com. We would love to help honor a veteran you know by sharing your photos.

We’ve teamed up with the Memorial Day Flower Foundation (MDFF) to place 150 additional roses on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. The non-profit organization has been doing this since 2011 with over 250 participating businesses in hundreds of communities across the country to thank those who have served and remember the many sacrifices made for the protection and welfare of our nation. For more information about MDFF visit: http://memorialdayflowers.org/.

CLICK HERE for more details and updated event information. 

A Toast To Spring

Stroll through the heart of Wisconsin Dells while sipping fine wines from around the world, spending time with friends, and celebrating all that Downtown Dells has to offer.

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS:

• Affordable Leather and  More (513 Broadway)
• Alpha Beta Karma (212 Broadway)

COST:

• $25 in advance
• $30 the day of the event

Any profits made from the event will go to benefit the American Legion. 

Start your evening by checking-in at Wisconsin Dells Realty (319 Broadway). Redeem your ticket for a souvenir wine glass to use for the event, along with a booklet featuring participating businesses and wines that will be served. The fun begins at 5 pm! Over 20 locations will be participating, allowing attendees to easily explore and enjoy all that Downtown Dells has to offer.

At Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge, our Chocolate-Dipped Grapes will be back by popular demand and served along with other hor d’oeuvres to enhance the flavors of the Astica Malbec (Argentina) and Re Midas Soave (Italy) wines we will be pouring. Don’t forget to enter to win our FREE GIVEAWAY when you stop in! Sign up for our eNewsletter for a chance to win a handcrafted chocolate box with a mystery gift card inside ($25 total value of box and gift card). The winner will be announced on Monday, April 27.

A good cause, free giveaways, delicious wine, complimentary confections, and a fabulous Friday evening, what more could you want? For additional event information visit: facebook.com/WisconsinDellsWineWalk

Create the Perfect Basket for Every-Bunny

Have you ever wondered where in the world the Easter basket tradition came from? In short, the story originated in Germany, where you can still find many old churches with stone carvings and paintings of rabbits in groups of three (representing the Holy Trinity). Over time, the symbol of the hare was changed into the Easter Bunny. In Germany, the Osterhase (aka the Easter Bunny) magically laid eggs which he carried in a basket to deliver to children on Easter morning.

If you’re looking to rival the Easter Bunny when it comes to gifting pastel packages and sweet treats, look no further! This season, we’re meeting all of your Easter needs to keep the tradition going by creating your own custom basket with a variety of gifts, decorations and, of course, candy. Because all good things come in small, sugarcoated packages.

Did you know you can dye eggs with Kool-Aid you already have at the house (click on the picture above to learn how)? And if you like the chalkboard paint trend, you can use it on your Easter eggs for a unique look.

Then, to take your Easter basket personalization to the next level, CLICK HERE for some inspiration from Pinterest. Or you can click on the picture above and use the free printable to decorate the outsides of your baskets. And fill the insides with sweets from our store!

          

From our family to yours, we wish you an egg-stra happy Easter filled with good company, love, and joy!

St. Patrick’s Day Specials

March 17th has been observed as the saint’s religious feast-day for more than 1,000 years! Be a wee bit Irish this St. Patrick’s Day, but go beyond simply wearing green and giving a pinch to those who don’t. Celebrate the rich Irish culture, history, and customs with a few of our festive recipes.

One of our favorite things to do at Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge is come up with unique and different treats for holiday gift giving and we’ve done it again for St. Paddy’s Day. Our kitchen has been full of the aromas of chocolate, mint, cinnamon, and vanilla as we’ve been busy cooking up treats to celebrate this year.

Since fudge is our specialty and what started it all here at Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge, we’ve concocted a “magically delicious” Luck of the Irish Fudge to spread the holiday spirit!

Irish “Potatoes”, a century old tradition, are the perfect treat for a St. Paddy’s Day party. These yummy confections start off with a fresh coconut butter cream center which are hand formed into cute potato shapes and dusted in cinnamon.

Speaking of traditions, did you know corned been wasn’t even associated with the saint’s feast-day until the turn of the century? According to history.com, Irish immigrants substituted corned beef for their traditional meal of boiled bacon to save money.

    

Cabbage is not the only thing bacon makes taste better. The sweetness of our signature chocolate blend and caramel corn recipes is a perfect match for the smoked bacon’s saltiness. As luck would have it Chocolate Dipped Bacon and Bacon Caramel Corn will also go great with your favorite green beer.

Maybe you crave salty and sweet, but desire a creamy treat that will melt in your mouth, with a touch of beer. Beer Infused Caramels are made with a locally brewed ale for just the right balance between sweet and malty.

Remember, these seasonal treats are available for a limited time only! Most importantly, “May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night,”

How Sweet It Is…

Indulging in chocolate is often referred to as a guilty pleasure, but Valentine’s Day is one exception to splurge. As it’s been often said, the way to someone’s heart is through his or her stomach.

Whether you’re treating your sweetie to a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant or planning to cook a delicious meal in the comfort of your own home, complement these gestures with something sinfully sweet – because no Valentine’s Day is complete without a little chocolate.

For that special someone who makes your heart flutter, we have designed a creamy milk chocolate Valentine Fudge and heart-shaped fudge dipped in sweet milk chocolate and embellished with mini hearts.

   

Or treat your Valentine to Chocolate Dipped Fudge Bites. Of course, the best Smooch of all comes in chocolate.

   

To take an appetizing look at all of our Valentine products, CLICK HERE to peruse our site. We’re sure to have something that will warm the heart and satisfy the sweet tooth of your Valentine.

What is your favorite candy to eat on Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments below!

*Join Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge on facebook for free giveaways and sweet deals.*  

Top 3 Hot Chocolate Hits

Baby, it’s cold outside! The good news is, we have the perfect hot chocolate varieties and recipes to warm you right up! No longer will you fear cold weather reports and future snowstorms. In fact, you’ll hope for bad weather, just so you have an excuse to try all three of these.

1. Hot Chocolate on a Stick is carefully handcrafted of our finest couverture chocolate (premium chocolate that contains extra cocoa butter for incredible creaminess) which is combined with cream and mixed into a decadent mass of chocolatey bliss. Once it cools it is cut into squares and combined with a cube of our homemade special recipe marshmallow. Simply swirl the blocks into steaming milk, and you’ll have a cup of hot chocolate worth lingering over while our homemade marshmallow slowly melts to form a rich frothy topping. Or you can even eat them as is right off the stick to satisfy that craving for something sweet.

2. Salted Caramel Drinking Chocolate is a combination of caramel and chocolatey goodness with a hint of sea salt. Just add your warm milk of choice.

3. If you prefer something a bit more potent, Cafe Terra’s Kahlua & Fudge Hot Chocolate Recipe will warm you right up!

What’s your favorite winter warm-up: coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Or do you prefer something a bit more potent? Let us know in the comments!