Today I have a special weekend edition post to celebrate Small Business Saturday. I interviewed Maura McKnight, the owner and genius behind the candies and confections at “The Candy Drawer Confectionary”.
Let me tell you: you NEED to try her candies. They are out of this world. My absolute favorites are the Black Salt Caramels and the Milk Chocolate Caramel Marshmallow Bon Bons. I’ve tried quite a lot of her candies and have never been disappointed. Check out her bon bons. They are absolutely gorgeous.
Candy makes for great gifts, and who doesn’t love homemade candy? If someone you know would love to receive a beautiful box of really decadent delicious candy for Christmas, I’ve got the shop for you! (For Christmas gifts you need to place your order by November 28.) Keep them in mind for Valentine’s Day and any upcoming birthdays as well.
Seriously, go to her site right now! But in case you want to read the interview first, I will link all her shop details down below.
Interview with The Candy Drawer Confectionary
Note: The Candy Drawer Confectionary will be taking a break to attend to a family matter. November 28th is the last day to place your order before the shop goes on hiatus.
Cozy Tasty Home: So to start, where did the idea for the name “The Candy Drawer Confectionary” come from?
Candy Drawer Confectionary: The name…I remodeled my kitchen in 2000. I wanted drawers w a false glass front like in the old time general stores that were filled w candy. I put in two of them. We are wracking our brains for a name for our company, Then one morning as I was having coffee at the kitchen table & saw one of the draw fronts filled w candy, it was obvious. My parents didn’t let us have candy when we were growing up except on special occasions. i became a candy maniac. I used reverse psychology & put candy in the drawer. It was mostly full at all times. The strategy worked! My girls aren’t candy maniacs.
CTH: Before starting your business you were an OB nurse and a doula, correct? What made you change track and start a candy business?
CDC: Yeah fabulous careers! Anyhow, I had had a great run as a Birth & Postpartum doula. Beck had graduated from college. I was at a crossroads as a parent and realized that I had put all my kids through college and could probably take a break from being on call and staying up with moms all night or for days. It just seemed the right time to pass the mantle to younger doulas. I was 53 and ready to move in a different direction. I had to redefine myself. It took a couple years and some false starts when the idea to start a baking/candy making business popped into our heads. Oh, also after being my own boss for so long I realized I was too stubborn to work for someone else.
CTH: When did you start making candy? Did you make candy when your girls were growing up?
CDC: I did lots and lots of cooking and baking but not candy making. The girls loved helping. The candy part came about six months after we decided to try to start a business. We made simple things like chocolate bark and caramels, then branched out to include chocolate bon bons. The evolution into the caramel flavors and bon bons was just trial and error. Some recipes worked, others didn’t.
CTH: Your entire family helps run your business, right? Does having their help make it more enjoyable? Do your family members enjoy participating?
CDC: Yeah, Beck is my partner. She and Sarah’s fiancé at the time were the key people in coming up with the business with me. Beck did some baking and she loves packaging (I don’t!). Chris was a mighty fine pie maker. Sarah does quality assurance & watches over my Facebook posts. Mary is our graphic designer, and Steve keeps the books.
CTH: Do you only sell candy online through your store, or is any of it sold through any local stores?
CDC: We have three wholesale accounts.
CTH: Where do you sell at? Is it local stores? And are they small businesses or bigger box stores?
CDC: All small, local places. The Pure Pasty Co. in Vienna, ROOTS at 657 in Lucketts just outside of Leesburg, and Weird Brothers Coffee in Herndon. Also have an account with Whole Foods but with the reorg a couple years ago, we got shifted off to the side so I have to get our Vegan Curry Coconut Caramels back on the shelves.
CTH: Out of all the confections you offer, which one is your absolute favorite?
CDC: My favorite is the dark chocolate caramel marshmallow Bon. It’s a copy of the See’s scotch mallow, my previous fave candy!
CTH: Which candy is your best seller?
CDC: The top seller across the website is Black Salt Caramels.
CTH: Since we’re on the subject of the caramels, may I ask what the difference is between the smoked salt caramels and the black salt caramels?
CDC: Well, smoked salt is regular pyramidal crystal salt that’s smoked. It soaks up the smoke flavor. Black salt is a crunchier pyramidal crystal from Cyprus. It has a bold but not overly salty flavor. We use other smoked salt varieties for different applications. Well, other varieties of salt, not just smoked.
CTH: Where do you get your ideas for new products?
CDC: I look at gaps in our menu. I look at what other chocolatiers are doing and go in different directions. I think of flavor combinations that I love, then try to figure out how the flavors would taste in different chocolate.
CTH: Going in different directions – that’s either very risky or very clever!
CDC: It sets us apart. Think of some of your favorite flavors. Think more about how to make that flavor work in a different product. I got the idea for our Norsk Spiced Coffee Bons from our Hearty Olive Oil Granola
CTH: You offer a variety of seasonal candy. Which seasonal candy is your favorite?
CDC: Def the candy cane bark. I LOOOOOVE the crunch of the candy cane bits & the sparkling sugar. The sparkling snowflakes are also fun. They have (generic) pop rocks in them so they sparkle in your mouth.
CTH: What candy can you recommend first time buyers to get as a gift for someone?
CDC: People seem to love the mint confections during the holidays. And we’ll be back in production in time for valentines day. Our Facebook feed shows a bunch of stuff we only sell at our wholesale locations. Some are smaller quantities that are on the website and others are exclusive to the shop where they’re sold.
CTH: Which confection is your favorite to make?
CDC: Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bons. Why? They are a true labor of love. (My doula practice was Labors Of Love, inc.)
CTH: How do you get those beautiful colors and patterns on your bon bons? They are works of art.
CDC: The filling is made by cooking down a pot of flash frozen raspberries, then put through a food mill, cooked down until they are jammy. Then mixed into dark chocolate ganache. They retain a tartness that balances SO well with the richness of the dark choc. Then I paint the molds with gold & red cocoa butter paint. Some of the patterns are made with transfer sheets printed with cocoa butter. I use specialty magnetic molds that hold the transfers tight so they don’t slip when molding the chocolate.
CTH: Which is the most difficult/complex? Do the bon bons fall into that category, or is there something else you make that is also very complex?
CDC: The Raspberry ones are certainly complex. But since we make all of our fillings from scratch, nothing is simple. Start to finish, Raspberry Bons take the most time but are so worth it.
CTH: Let’s talk a little about running a small business: You are a big proponent of supporting small businesses, right?
CDC: HUGE!
CTH: Why is it important for people to support small businesses?
CDC: Small businesses form communities of like minded people. We strive to succeed on many levels, not just financial. And help each other. Small businesses add to the economy by offering unique products and skills. When small businesses collaborate, everyone wins. Marketing the products we use from other small businesses helps them succeed. There’s a face to what you are buying. Small businesses add more to local economies, too.
CTH: What’s the best way for customers to find a local small business?
CDC: Google Google Google.
CTH: It’s easier than ever these days, right?
CDC: It is. Definitely has helped people find us!
CTH: Besides just buying from a local small business, what else can people do to promote small businesses in their community?
CDC: Use products and services as gifts. Word of mouth is huge for small businesses, share Facebook and Instagram posts of small businesses you use, leave reviews, post pictures of examples of the small businesses you patronize and comment on your experience with the business. Reviews are so helpful. However, if you have a bad experience, contact the business before you post something negative. Most times the business will go above and beyond to make you happy.
CTH: That’s very helpful advice.
The Candy Drawer Confectionary will be taking orders until Wednesday, November 28. (They will be back in time for Valentine’s Day!) Be sure to check out their website at candydrawerconfectionary.com. When you place an order, be sure to leave a note on the order that you are a reader of cozytastyhome.com and you just may receive something special from them!
Also follow The Candy Drawer Confectionary on their social media: