beta
beta
With all due respect to Mrs. Moore, it's not often I rely on her songs to express my heartfelt affections. But when it comes to chocolate (or gooey caramel, or saltwater taffy...) all bets are off.
Limestone-ensconced country lovin': They've got Jelly Belly by the bulk here, but the standout candy offering is the Fredericksburg Fudge. Crumbly and rich, the pistachio variety is so good, it should be sold as a controlled substance.
Though it was almost lost forever in a 19th century game of poker, Lammes Candies is a testament to business endurance -- and pecan pralines. Their "Texas Chewie" is their #1 bestseller worldwide, and it's not hard to understand why: Pecans, buttery caramel, sugar? What more could you want?
Just look at this place. It's beautiful! And a little dangerous, as so many beautiful things are. Think wall-to-wall old school candy selections in a kitschy circus environment, one that entices you to purchase cupcake-flavored toothpaste that you will never, ever use. Not that that happened to me or anything.
Chocolate for gourmands and bon vivants: This ain't no Hershey's. Delysia has fancy shmancy truffles, handcrafted hot chocolate, and good ol' chocolate bars with flavors like wasabi, coconut, jalapeno and peanut butter.
Like Cracker Jack on steroids: Cornucopia has about 1,000 (ok, more like 30) different varietals of flavored popcorn, ranging from the classy (Salt and Vinegar) to the shameless (Chocolate Covered Cherry).
Invented for those of us from the obnoxious I-Couldn't-Possibly-Have-A-Whole-Slice-Can-I-Try-Just-One-Bite? School, Austin Cake Ball is exactly what it sounds like. Delicious, unbelievably moist little cakes (red velvet, chocolate, buttercream) perched on kicky sticks or tiny wrappers, ready to deliver a tasty - tiny - bit of carby satisfaction.
A moveable sweets feast: I encountered Shortcakes at a wedding, where they catered a "candy buffet" filled with throwback treats (gummy bears, pop rocks, etc.) along with chocolates and little mini-cupcakes. Then I nearly fainted from a sugar high. But! Once I regained consciousness, I realized this was a pretty genius concept, one spreading the word about. Enjoy, sweet teeth.
