Candy making is an art, and the artists are always looking to create and evolve.
John Burfeindt, owner of Purity Candy, said they do so many different kinds of candy that right now, they are reevaluating their offerings to be more in line with what their customers want.
Over its century-long history, the company has always evolved. New things are added regularly, while some are taken off the shelves.
They often attend trade shows to see what’s new, or the employees will bring back ideas based on candies they discovered at the shore.
It’s an art, but it’s also a business, and Burfeindt said they have to make their offerings reflect the demands of where they’re located.
Their specialty remains making candy that people remember from their childhood, and who now want to share that with their grandkids.
“Although people are always saying you have to change, I think our little niche here is that we don’t,” Burfeindt said. “Things are changing so fast in society right now. Everything is instant, here today and gone tomorrow. Here, they can get the same old thing — and they can look in and see that it’s still being done the same.”
Missy Keeley Shaffer operates Keeley’s Confections out of Old Time Traditions in Sunbury, a gift and home décor shop she owns along with her husband, Dennis, and son, Caleb. She said the three-year-old candy business is one of a small group of confectioners remaining in the United States that produces handmade three-dimensional clear toy candy from antique mold designs.
“We are always adding to our collection as we discover remaining molds.” This year, they acquired a large, three-dimensional steam fire engine mold, and an antique three-dimensional Christmas tree, among others.
She sees candy making as a delicate art that has to be taken seriously. Cleaning and preparing the molds takes time, and knowing when to add flavoring and coloring at a precise boiling point is crucial. Each unique mold requires specific timing until the candy is ready, and “some of the molds have delicate features that break easily,” Shaffer said.
Valley traditions
Purity Candy has a rich history that dates back to 1907. It has been owned by four different families since then, all who had known one another according to Burfeindt, whose parents became the owners 30 years ago.
At the time, Burfeindt, who holds a college degree in horticulture, had no interest in the business, aside from helping out during the winters when his landscaping company was on hiatus. But one day he received a call from his mom.
“Our candy maker quit, I need you to come here,” she told him. That was nearly three decades ago.
Today, Burfeindt is proud of maintaining Purity Candy’s history, family-friendly heritage, and its offering of fresh, quality products.
For Shaffer, Keeley’s Confections is the latest in a long family line of bakeries and candy making, dating back to 1881 with Andrew Curtin Keeley and her great-grandfather, Charles Edward Keeley Sr.
“We love candy of course,” she said, “but we are also committed to keeping the history and tradition of clear toy candy going for future generations to enjoy.”
Nearby trends
Cheri Christian, owner of Sweet Tooth Café in State College, popular for putting PSU logos and photos on its candy, has been committed to ongoing education in candy making, including chocolate and cake decorating classes at Wilton School in Chicago and clear toy candy classes in Lititz.
She and her son Devin have also taken balloon decorating classes in Las Vegas to expand their offerings. Nittany Balloons is now a division of the bakery.
Jess Kost, owner of Fudge-O-Lutely in Harrisburg, is also always looking to offer something new.
“I love experimenting with different ingredients and coming up with new flavors and products,” she said. “I rotate fudge flavors every month so there is always something new and exciting on the board.
Some of her “most eyebrow-raising flavors,” she said, are Earl Grey cardamom, maple bacon and spicy chocolate. Her peanut butter and salted caramel flavors continue to be favorites, and during December, she offers seasonal flavors such as peppermint bark and eggnog fudge.
Kost also carries lots of other sweets besides fudge throughout the year, including marshmallows, toffee, nonpareils, chocolate espresso beans, cotton candy and caramel apples. She plans to change the name of the shop to Sweet 717 soon to reflect the variety she offers.
Christian and Kost, also, thank their family heritage for where they are today. Christian’s grandmother was from Hungary, and she grew up making Hungarian pastries for the holidays.
And Kost’s old-fashioned fudge recipe was her grandmother’s, who taught her how to make it.
Sweet reward
Burfeindt admits that candy making is “a lot of hard work,” and it’s not a career if you want to be rich. But he is proud to say that he has been able to carry on “one of the old-fashioned trades,” and he’s hoping to continue Purity Candy’s legacy for as long as he’s able.
And there’s one thing especially that keeps him going.
“People come in that front door,” he said, pointing to the store’s entrance, “they open it up, they look in, and they just start smiling. Old, young — they just start smiling.”
