Fowlers Chocolates

Since we were traveling through Buffalo to get to Toronto for the Sweets Expo, I did a little research and found that Buffalo is known for their sponge candy. Now... my dad is from Buffalo. I make my friends stop in Buffalo to get all the foods I learned to love from visiting family in Buffalo. We make multiple stops at Anderson's for frozen custard. We stop at Ted's for hot dogs even though I usually don't even like hot dogs much except when I'm at an O's game. And we get Beef on Weck from my favorite Beef on Weck place, Rock Bottom. Yet somehow, I do not recall ever having had sponge candy. With my love of food, and especially of candy, I can't imagine why my loving parents never shared this delicacy with me. Turns out my mom doesn't like the stuff (crazy, I know!). I haven't asked dad about it yet...

But anyways... after a bit of research, I found that one of the big sponge candy companies in Buffalo is Fowler's. And, wouldn't you know it, there happens to be a Fowlers a block away from both a Ted's and an Anderson's. It's fate I tell you. Well...on the final day of our Tour de Food, we made a stop there and picked up some sponge candy. The lady working there was incredibly nice and had free milk chocolate animal samples she was giving out. And she also opened a box of sponge candy for us so those who had never tried it could sample it. Well, it paid off because it was REALLY good, and we purchased a few boxes. We sampled the milk chocolate. And bought the orange chocolate and dark chocolate. And also bought a few other things from the candy case: dark chocolate almod butter crunch, dark chocolate butterscotch thing and Tom got some maple cream eggs.

It's really hard to describe sponge candy. It's basically like chocolate covered cruncy sweetness. It's a spun sugar candy and very light and airy and crispy. It's kind of like a Cadbury's Crispy, but not quite the same. The milk chocolate sample we had at the store was very good. I don't really know how else to describe it.

While at the airport, Tammy opened the box of orange chocolate ones to try and offered us some. At this point, I uttered words that nobody who knows me would ever have thought I would say: "I think I'm all sugared out." There was a brief look of shock on Tammy and Grace's faces (probably waiting for the implosion of the plant or something). But then I said "well, okay, I guess I have to try one." This one was also very good. The same light, crisy sugar middle with a chocolate coating with a nice orange flavor to it.

The almond butter crunch was also very good. But then again, how can something made with butter, almonds and dark chocolate not be good?

Haven't tried the other items yet, but I'm sure they'll delight as well.

Also, the lady at the store informed us that over Columbus Day weekend in October, Fowler's has this factory tour thing. Soooo.... we might just HAVE to go back to Buffalo for my 30th birthday. Darn the luck.