Chocolate, Gifts and Candy Shop Blog: Bucks County PA

Stutz Fudge Comes Back to Long Beach Island

In case you don’t read the papers, we’ll share the news here: Stutz fudge is back at The Shore!

As the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week, we’ve opened our new store on Long Beach Island. We sold our previous location on LBI after Superstorm Sandy back in 2012.

But we’ve always wanted to get back to the Jersey Shore, and we’re proud to say we’ve realized that dream. You’ll find our new store at Long Beach Boulevard and 25th Street in Ship Bottom. It’s not the summer at the shore without our fudge or salt water taffy.

We’re open Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Stop in and see us when you’re on LBI, or visit our stores in Hatboro or Warrington.

Mother’s Day Gift-Giving Traditions Around the World

Did you know that Mother’s Day, which is now an internationally celebrated holiday, has its roots right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania?

It was a Philadelphia woman, Anna Jarvis, who is said to have made a promise at her mother’s gravesite that she would create a day during which all moms, both living and deceased, would be honored.

That was in May 1905. Less than a decade later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law a bill that declared the second Sunday of May an official U.S. holiday. And Mother’s Day was born.

Today, the concept of celebrating the unconditional love, support and strength of mothers is recognized all around the world. Naturally, our Mother’s Day gift-giving tradition at Stutz Candy usually involves a gorgeous gift basket or dark chocolate, shipped directly from Montgomery County.

But here’s how sons and daughters around the world choose to commemorate the May holiday:

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7 Ways to Woo With Gourmet Chocolate and Candy

While many people associate the giving of chocolate with holidays and birthdays, the truth is that chocolate is a universal gift. In fact, chocolate can be given as a great gift for just about any occasion, and at literally any time of year.

To help you woo the most important people in your life, we’ve put together a list of seven potential recipients who are sure to love a gifted chocolate surprise.

Follow these tips for picking the perfect chocolate-based gift. Whether you’re going all out for a special occasion or simply saying “thank you” to a great employee, we’re sure your recipient will be thrilled by the gesture.

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Stock up on Summer Sweets at Stutz Candy

Long Branch, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Spring Lake, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Cape May. For many of us, summer MEANS the Atlantic shore and the many sweet treats available on the Boardwalk: salt water taffy, fudge, peanut brittle, roasted nuts, and more.

Fortunately for those of us who can’t travel to these storied Jersey Shore destinations, you can still enjoy an assortment of summer and boardwalk candy. Summer would not be summer without Stutz candy!

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The Easter Bunny’s Favorite: Stutz Candies

Easter baskets have been providing joy to children in the United States since the 1700s when the tradition was brought by the same German immigrants who introduced the Easter bunny.   Although Easter baskets are closely associated with Easter Sunday for Christians, they actually have pagan roots that go back to ancient times, celebrating Spring and the renewal of life long before the birth of Christianity.

The tradition of feasting on a large Easter meal symbolizes the end of Lenten fasting, which takes place over the forty days before Easter. In earlier times, the Easter feast was brought to church in large baskets to be blessed by priests. Thereby, the link between a religious holiday and Easter treats was created.

Today, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) has estimated that nearly 80% of parents in the U.S. assemble Easter baskets for their children. The NCA also reports that chocolate Easter bunnies are the most popular Easter basket item, with around 90 million sold every year. Jelly beans come second with a staggering 16 billion jelly beans sold annually.

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A Sweet St. Patrick’s Day Treat: Irish Potato Candy

Although people all over the world celebrate on the 17th day of March in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, the revelry and tradition of the day is purely an American invention. Irish-Americans invented St. Patrick’s Day as a way to confirm ethnic identity and to create bonds of solidarity. The first publicly celebrated St. Patrick’s Day was in 1737 Boston, where a large population of Irish immigrants resided.

It is frequently said that on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish −and like any holiday worth it’s weight in green brew, this holiday it rich in traditional food. In Ireland, the day is usually celebrated by eating food such as pink bacon or savory roast chicken. Lamb stew accompanied by traditional Irish soda bread, bangers and mash and Shepherd’s Pie are other tasty ways to celebrate authentically. Surprisingly, corned beef and cabbage is more of an Irish-American tradition than an authentically Irish one.

Irish Potato Candy - Holiday Candy — Paddy’s Day Spuds – A local St. Patrick’s Day favorite and tradition!

Irish potato candy is an example of a St. Patrick’s Day tradition that is not authentically Irish. Rather, Irish potato candy is a Philadelphia-based confection that, despite its name, is not from Ireland, nor does it usually contain any potato. Irish potato candy is typically made of a blend of coconut, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese that is rolled in cinnamon on the outside, making them look like small potatoes. The original creator hoped to erase the awful memories of the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid 1800s by creating the candy concoctions that looks like real miniature potatoes.

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Candy: The Perfect Corporate Gift

The corporate gift you give is a reflection of you and of your company. Show your most valued clients and employees that they are appreciated with a personalized gift from Stutz Candy. You can rely on Stutz Candy to represent your company’s high standards because we share these same values – principles such as pride in our work, the drive to succeed, and an unwavering commitment to please the customer are our hallmarks.

Chocolate and Candy Corporate Gift Giving — Give a personalized business card size chocolate with your company name or logo on it.

Express your gratitude to the valued business associates, clients, customers and employees that have contributed to the success of your business with a gift they will long remember. Delectable corporate gifts include:

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Lighten the Mood with Dark Chocolate

As we get deeper into the first month of the new year, the natural question we ask others and ourselves is “what is your New Year’s resolution? Of the top ten New Year’s resolutions of Americans, according to statisticbrain.com, number four and five are “Enjoy Life to the Fullest” and “Stay Fit and Healthy” respectively. Americans seem intent on improving mental wellbeing, including thinking positively, laughing more, and enjoying life, and at the same time getting physically healthier, including reducing the signs of aging and decreasing the risk for cancer.

If only there was one thing, a magic ingredient, that can help achieve both mental and physical wellness goals. Could such an elixir actually exist?

The short answer is a resounding “Yes!”

Dark chocolate has recently been discovered to have a number of health benefits—both physical and mental. The basic ingredients of dark chocolate include cacao beans containing resveratrol, an antioxidant also found in red wine. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may also be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

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A New Year’s Resolution for Chocolate: Reconnecting With Loved Ones

Boxed Chocolates Gift Tower - Corporate Gift Gifing — A chocolate gift tower is a great way to stay in touch with friends, family or clients.

The new year often brings resolutions for how we will improve ourselves, take care of our bodies and better our lives. For many the focus is inward, on the person in the mirror. Yet January is also a great time to take those last minute gift ideas from December and make them into an out-of-season thoughtful gesture. Whether you start to think about friends, family or business associates, here are some ways that gift baskets and towers from Stutz Candy can provide a little smile during the coldest time of the year.

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Last Minute Chocolate Gift Ideas

Hanukkah is over and Christmas is just around the corner, but corporate gifts and family presents still dominate many of our customers’ shopping lists for the next couple of weeks. While there are a number of do-it-yourself options for last minute chocolate gifts and other homemade delights, Stutz Candy wants to take the hassle out of giving this season.

Gift Baskets or Christmas Towers and Pyramids

Why make the holidays difficult when you can order a variety of chocolates and other treats all in one elegantly wrapped package? Stutz Candy offers three tier towers of a variety of chocolates from nut-based confections to ones with nougat and fruit centers. If you’re looking to go over the top, there are three Christmas periods: the Grand, Royal and Stutz that offer increasingly more tasty choices for your loved ones or lucky business associates.

We also offer gift boxes and baskets for corporate and personal presents to those you care about. These include a variety of treats from truffles to chocolate-covered pretzels to peanut brittle and more. Our customer service specialists are happy to work with you to find the right assortment for family members, friends and corporate partners. We want to ensure that your recipients enjoy our premier chocolate offerings and other gift ideas throughout the holiday season and into 2014.

Extraordinary Additions to Bundled Gifts

If you are looking to make sure that you have a personal touch on your presents, Stutz treat options can still bring a smile to a loved one’s face. Moms may enjoy the prospect of a day at the spa, subscriptions to a book-of-the-month club and more. Yet chocolates are a nice “opener” if the other gifts are subscriptions or items that recipients cannot use immediately. More importantly, as a small treat, family members can enjoy a chocolate covered pretzel or even some taffy and remember the whole package you got them for the holidays.

They also work well when it comes to business giving. Our variety of candies and other chocolate-based gifts appeal to most everyone in an office and complement a wide variety of corporate gift giving options.

Don’t Forget Your Furry Friends

Dogs and cats seem to have a preternatural ability to get underneath while their human parents are trying to hang decorations or move dishes around for family dinners. That is more of an effort to keep you company or “help” keep an eye on dishes that smell wonderful to dogs especially.

While children and loved ones are opening up presents, pets don’t need to feel left out. Stutz offers coated milk bones (chocolate-free, of course!) for a nice change of pace from the normal chew toys. Not only do you get to treat your pooches, but it certainly reduces the likelihood of Fido or Rover making off with tinsel and wrapping paper as you chase them across the house.

Shop Our Treats for Holiday Giving Ideas

Whether or not you have a lot of time or just a little bit to get your presents in order, take away some of the hassle and let Stutz Candy help you out with our chews, fudge, taffy and other treats for the ones you care about. Whether you are looking for an all-in-one present like a gift basket or something to complement another idea you had, our chocolatiers have been serving the greater Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia for five generations.

Perhaps more importantly for last minute gift ideas, Stutz Candy ships most orders within one full business day of receiving them via UPS or USPS Priority Mail to ensure that items get to you or your recipients as soon as possible. We’re looking forward to helping you add a bit of sweetness this holiday season.