What to get for a candy fiend.

April 28, 2006 1:58 PM

Birthday gift for someone who really, really likes candy/

A friend of mine is a total sugar fiend. She loves candy, and is not overly partial to specific kinds, she likes all sorts. A LOT. What are some cool candy-related gift ideas for her upcoming birthday? So far all I can think of is a candy gift basket...

posted by TunnelArmr to Food & Drink (33 answers total)

Response by poster: So I made a typo in the question, and when I previewed, I fixed it and made another one... :( If matt or jessaymn sees this, can you make that a question mark?
posted by TunnelArmr at 1:59 PM on April 28, 2006

These guys sell a human heart made of chocolate. They're currently updating their site right now but I'd imagine it will be up soon.
posted by jackofsaxons at 2:00 PM on April 28, 2006

I haven't been there in a long time, but the Long Grove Confectionary always had amazing chocolates in unexpected shapes/configurations.

Their novelty catalog might have something that appeals.
posted by occhiblu at 2:03 PM on April 28, 2006

(Err, didn't realize how small that novelty selection was online. You may want to expand your search through the entire catalog!)
posted by occhiblu at 2:05 PM on April 28, 2006

You could start her a Limited Edition Candy Collection. Buy two of anything "limited edition" you can find—one to eat, one to archive.
posted by interrobang at 2:06 PM on April 28, 2006

How about the book Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America?
posted by divka at 2:06 PM on April 28, 2006

If she likes all sorts, a lot, then you should get her a lot of all sorts of candy. And by "a lot" I mean a ridiculous amount of candy.

It is my belief that, at least when it comes to gifts, quantity eventually trumps quality. A single roll of toilet paper makes a terrible gift. Five thousand rolls, however, makes an incredibly awesome present. You've effectively removed a need and concern from their life. Never again (or, for at least, not for a very long time) will the recipient find themselves in the position of having to run out to buy toilet paper, or use tissues, or paper towels, or newspaper, or magazines, or cardboard boxes pulped in the mouth and allowed to dry in sheets (which is especially bad, because jaw muscles cramp, and feet go numb from sitting on the toilet for so long while waiting for the cardboard to dry).

Storage might be a pain, but it could also be wondrous: imagine a bathroom closet, which when opened reveals a solid wall of toilet paper, rolls and rolls deep! Five thousand rolls of TP might very well become art.

Five thousand toothbrushes, five thousand bars of soap, five thousand bags of assorted candies. All awesome.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:07 PM on April 28, 2006

How old is your friend?
Maybe a retro candy collection?
posted by clh at 2:10 PM on April 28, 2006

I am totally like this chick. Dont' know where you are but a gift certificate to Dylans Candy Bar in NYC would make my day. (Actually I think you can order on line).

I also totally love this adorable candy sushi.
posted by kimdog at 2:12 PM on April 28, 2006

Ummm... and just in case you take herrdoktor's advice on quantity... at least go for variety. Once my exbf bought me a GIANT tin of Necco Wafers. I hate Necco Wafers. I would have rather had TUMS. Not a happy candy gift.
posted by kimdog at 2:15 PM on April 28, 2006

You might troll through the archives of The Candy Blog for some unusual fare. If nothing else, send her the link -- she'd probably love it.
posted by sugarfish at 2:16 PM on April 28, 2006

Dark chocolate tacos with sweet fruit salsa.
posted by I Love Tacos at 2:19 PM on April 28, 2006

I once gave someone 25 PEZ dispensers at once, with, of course, a bunch of refills.
posted by MrMoonPie at 2:23 PM on April 28, 2006

Try Stupid if you think she might like something, uh, stupid.
posted by crosten at 2:26 PM on April 28, 2006

for a more specific type of candy try Licorice International

If you want some rare or retro stuff, check out the Vermont Country Store
posted by Megafly at 2:31 PM on April 28, 2006

If you're considering the chocolate heart, go for the chocolate skull. It's quite expensive, but if I had a friend who was a candy freak I probably would have got them one already.
posted by kindall at 2:33 PM on April 28, 2006

You don't list your location, but if it's in the US, are there any British or European import stores near you? Get a ton of crazy delicious candy that she's never seen before, at least some Lion bars or Wunderbars. They rock.
posted by unknowncommand at 2:45 PM on April 28, 2006

I have a friend who is also a crazy candy nut, and we recently got her a candy machine full of candy. It went over exceptionally well, if i do say so myself.
posted by misterbrandt at 2:47 PM on April 28, 2006

Get her a bunch of Kinder Surprise Eggs. That way, she'll have candy and toys.

If you want to be more extravagant, go for your candy basket idea, but include the eggs, along with some actually decent dark chocolate, some good crusty bakery bread, and a bottle of good red wine.

Oh my god. It's not my birthday but please, someone, get this for me.
posted by melissa may at 2:55 PM on April 28, 2006

Aji Ichiban sells a really cool and unique selection of Chinese candies and snacks. Always a hit, I've found.
posted by saladin at 2:56 PM on April 28, 2006

Try the Old-Time Candy Company. They've got a huge assortment of unusual items at reasonable prices. I have a friend who is a candy fiend, and she loves to order from this place.
posted by jdroth at 2:57 PM on April 28, 2006

Frrrozen Hot Chocolate Mix and Serendipitous Fragrance -- "Cocoa you can wear!" from Serendipity.
posted by ericb at 3:00 PM on April 28, 2006

I bought some candy sushi for my parents. It was beautiful, and they said it tasted very good. The have edible chopsticks too.
posted by obol at 3:35 PM on April 28, 2006

I reccomend something from the Ferrera Pan Collection . They make the classics like Lemonheadss, Boston Baked Beans, and Atomic Fireballs. I've bought from their online store before, and it rocks.
posted by cosmicbandito at 3:39 PM on April 28, 2006

Another voice in favor of Saladin's suggestion: foreign versions of popular candy. I was in Japan and found grape Mentos. They made me so happy I ordered two boxes online (google link by lazy Phred).
posted by Phred182 at 4:39 PM on April 28, 2006

The candy store at Hometown Favorites has a ridiculous selection of just about every type of sugar ever made... including gift box collections from the '50s to the '80s. A friend of mine gave me the '70s collection for my birthday a while back. Not only was it a blast from the past, it was also absolutely delicious.
posted by CMichaelCook at 6:10 PM on April 28, 2006

My old roommate was the same way and I made her a mix CD of songs with the word Candy in them - Candy Girl by New Edition, I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow, Candy-O by The Cars, Candy by Mandy Moore, etc. Most of these songs have covers, so if you don't like the original style, you can find another version too.
posted by blackkar at 6:30 PM on April 28, 2006

Here's one more source for nostalgiac or regional or lesser known candy:Big Tips Candy.

And: Absolutely the biggest candy store anywhere! GUARANTEED!

There have been several very informative askme threads about chocoate including one about a chocolate of the month club. Between those, a NY Times roundup, a slate roundup and various other recommendations I've accumulated quite a chocolate wishlist of my own. Woodhouse - Fran's - Michael Angelo's.

Bruges is a very small local (to me) truffle maker and I can vouch for his quality.

DC Duby are well known for creating innovative combinations of flavors. They also sell a "science kit" which lets you duplicate their feats of molecular gastronomy. (Independent blogger review) And for more traditional DIY chocolate try Chocolate Alchemy.

Sugar Savvy is blog devoted to candy. If your friend is into exotic candy, Sugar Savvy has a regular feature on Asian sweets. (Unless of course, your friend is Chinese in which case these would just be sweets.)

THE ONLY 149 CHOCOLATES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT As a bonus this article also mentions several tours and festivals.

And finally, fudge.
posted by stuart_s at 8:18 PM on April 28, 2006

Funny this should be asked, as I just saw the coolest thing this evening in a candy shop window. It's like a diaper cake that is frequently used for baby showers, but instead of baby stuff it was made entirely of candy. I found this googling for "candy cake", and this could give you some ideas. Since she's not really particular, you could have a lot of fun with this. I've made a diaper cake for a baby shower and even though it didn't turn out as fabulous as the one in my mind was, it was still cool. And it's got the added bonus of having effort and a lot of thought being put into it! In fact, I'm looking forward to my next reason to give somebody a gift so I can make a candy cake! The idea of decorating with lolipops really tickles me for some reason.
posted by Iamtherealme at 11:30 PM on April 28, 2006

If you go to M&Ms' website, you can order whatever color m&m's you like (there's more variety than the usual to choose from), and have your own messages printed on them (instead of the logo).
You must buy in bulk though.
posted by Radio7 at 2:11 AM on April 29, 2006

Fill a pinata with the stuff! And a big hard giant candy stick to beat it with.
posted by smartypanties at 4:14 AM on April 29, 2006

(and with the candy, to be either mean or helpful, maybe that book called Sugar Busters or Kathlene DesMaison's sugar addict book: Potatoes Not Prozac)
posted by smartypanties at 4:14 AM on April 29, 2006

Did you get a present for her yet? Don't leave us hanging.
posted by Iamtherealme at 12:44 PM on May 3, 2006