Fact Friday: Toffee Apples

Did you know that the first ‘toffee apple’ was made over a hundred years ago?

Attributed to American confectioner William W. Kolb, the first batch of candy apples (known as ‘toffee apples‘ in the UK), were created in 1908.

With their distinctive red, hardened sweet glaze, toffee apples have become an autumnal food favourite. But this signature look and taste came about by accident! Kolb was experimenting with a red cinnamon sugar syrup while attempting to create a new line of candies for the Christmas period, when he dipped (or dropped) an apple into the mixture and set it aside. The result was a glossy, crimson, sugar-encrusted bauble that captured the attention of his sweet toothed patrons. Kolb sold his first batch for five cents, and their popularity quickly grew as a fall treat.

Vintage American advert for candy apples by Planters

The abundance of apples during the autumn harvest meant that the toffee [candy] apple quickly became a fall food favourite.

Despite their English name, there is no dairy to be found in these ‘toffee apples‘. Toffee traditionally refers to the process of boiling sugar. The first reference to a ‘toffee apple‘ in print was in 1917, when it appeared in a Christmas edition of the B.E.F Times – a newspaper for British soldiers deployed to the trenches of WWI. But the term ‘toffee apple’ was most likely in verbal circulation long before then.

Whether you eat them for Halloween, Bonfire Night, or all autumn-round; or call them a ‘candy‘ apple, or a ‘toffee‘ apple…I think we can all agree that they make one tasty treat…and will inevitably will rip fillings from your teeth, or get stuck in your hair!

Who thinks we can market these as ‘toffee apple baubles‘ and have them during Christmas too?

Fact Friday: Mr York of York, Yorks

Did you know that the artist who designed Britain’s famous WWI poster ‘Your Country Needs You‘ also created Rowntree’s mascot ‘Mr York‘?

Following the outbreak of war, artist Alfred Leete was commissioned to create a poster that would bolster the number of enlisted men. In 1914 he produced ‘Your Country Needs You‘ which featured a portrait of the Secretary of State of War, Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener.

‘Your Country Needs You’ by Alfred Leete (1914)

Later in his career he was approached by Yorkshire-based confectioners Rowntree to design a new mascot and in 1928 produced ‘Mr York of York, Yorks’ (to give him his full name).

Mr York is a full-faced, clean shaven ‘plain’ Yorkshire gentleman. Sporting a top hat, suit and spectacles, Mr York swiftly began appearing in Rowntree poster adverts across the country.

A 1930’s collaboration between Rowntree’s and Hovis producing chocolate biscuits, ft, Mr York

A year later in 1929, Mr York of York, Yorks appeared in [what is claimed to be] the ‘first advertising talking cartoon ever made’; a eight minute long film which features a live action scene at the beginning, an animated Mr York (and other characters) with synchronized voices, and ends with Mr York throwing a bar of Rowntree ‘York Milk‘ chocolate to the live animator.

Watch Mr York of York, Yorks 1929 animated debut here, Yorkshire Film Archive: //www.yfanefa.com/record/4479

Although he was designed by Alfred Leete, Mr York was animated by Joe Nobel in the cartoon advertisement, but he is given ‘apologies‘ in the end credits!

Throughout his career, Mr York appeared in the Rowntree newsletter, in games, had his own song, was turned into an automaton, and even a train hired by Rowntree for its workers!

Illustrations of Mr York by Alfred Leete

Wrapper Wednesday: McVitie & Price’s Digestive

It’s Wrapper Wednesday! But I have neither a wrapper or sweet to share with you today…instead I have this fantastic salesman sample tin for a classic British biscuit – McVitie & Price’s Digestive.

Now simply ‘McVitie’s’, the Scottish-born business is well known in Britain for their biscuit lines such as Jaffa Cakes* (1927), Penguin (1932), Hobnobs (1985) and the original Digestive (1892).

Digestives are a semi-sweet, malty, brown wheat biscuit (that’s what we call ‘cookies’ in the UK). They got their unusual name due to the high levels of baking soda which was thought to aid digestion once taken after a meal…there’s no scientific proof behind this, but the name stuck!

This tin once held free samples of Digestives, and dates to approx. 1920’s as the slogan ‘Britain’s Premier Biscuit’ was used from this time onward (although if anyone can confirm this, that would be great).

The Premier Biscuit – McVitie’s Digestives

The royal seal of approval can be seen on the top left corner, which was originally granted to McVitie and Price in 1893. And since the tin references ‘his majesty the King’, it must be pre-1952 at the very least.

I love the that the red colour scheme is still used to identify McVitie’s Digestives over a century later. Although the modern day packets look somewhat less ‘premier’ than this bold, tactile and superior boasting tin!

How do you eat your Digestives? Do you dunk them into your tea? Suck on them a bit until they turn mushy? Or do you prefer to eat them with a slice of cheese? (not forgetting chocolate Digestives too of course).

*Jaffa Cakes were deemed a ‘cake’ and not a biscuit following a legal dispute in 1991.

Sweet Spotlight: Pancake Day

It’s Pancake day! So that means for us in the UK, and other English-speaking, predominantly Christian countries, ’tis a time for sweet feast!

Traditionally known as ‘Shoves Tuesday’, the term originates from the Anglo-Saxon Christians (5th-11th centuries), when the congregation would go confession in order to be ‘shriven’, or absolved of their sins, before the Lent period commenced. As people began to prepare to fast and to give up luxuries such as meat and dairy, making pancakes became an easy and accessible way in which to use up eggs and fats before embarking on a more restricted diet.

Pieter Aertszen, The Pancake Bakery (1508)

Pancake flipping becomes the vocal point in the kitchen

Making pancakes on this day is a centuries old tradition, but like many religious holidays, has adapted and lost some of its religious meaning as society had changed…but no matter where you are, how you live or pray, most of us use this day as an excuse to get into the kitchen, have a little fun, and come together over a plate of pancakes!

A traditional pancake is made with a simple batter of eggs, flour and milk (same as Yorkshire Puddings), and are thin, like a crepe, and served immediately out of the pan. Traditional sweet toppings are sugar and a squeeze of lemon, but today anything goes! Jam, peanut butter, golden syrup, maple syrup and especially Nutella are firm favourites on Pancake Day. And move over egg and spoon! Pancake Day races are a popular custom on this day too!

Pancake Day community activities bring people together (1960’s-70’s)

Traditional pancakes with sugar and lemon

I’m actually making American-style blueberry pancakes with maple syrup! So whether you’re getting ready to give up a particular luxury for the next forty days, or not, enjoy those pancakes on their ‘official’ day!

How are you making your pancakes today?

Review: Cadbury White Mini Eggs

Look familiar Britain? Look again…

These white chocolate candy-shelled Easter treats are made under the Cadbury name, but they’re manufactured by The Hershey Company – so where as these do look similar to our British Cadbury Mini Eggs, these are in fact, an American import!

And I must say, these taste much nicer than the American (Cadbury) milk chocolate mini eggs (which I tried last year). These are rich and creamy, but not too claggy or sweet, like some white chocolate products can be. They are pretty sickly though, so I can only manage a few at a time, but they are certainly an Easter treat indeed.

It would be nice, however, if the candy shells were speckled, just like the milk chocolate version, and like on the packaging – just to add a little more something to their aesthetic design.

As of yet Cadbury in the UK are not producing these as a seasonal line…but that’s ok, because we’ve still got milk chocolate Mini Eggs. But you can buy these online from places like Ebay and Amazon.

Have you tried these? Which do you prefer – US milk or white?

Let me introduce myself…

Hullo and welcome to The British Candy Connoisseur blog!

Ever since my aunt sent me an American candy care package some twenty years ago, I’ve been scouting for foreign and exotic sweeties from my base here in the north west of England.

In that original sampler I received was Neapolitan astronaut ice cream (freeze dried and powered), a bar of Hershey’s milk chocolate and a square roll of original Jolly Ranchers…my obsession began with these candies!

Neapolitan astronaut ice cream

Over recent years American imports have become more commonplace, making these treats more accessible, but it doesn’t make it any less exciting when I find a new exotic candy to nibble and investigate! Discount stores, foreign supermarkets, gifts from a pen pal, and a couple of trips abroad have provided me with ample supply…but I feel I must share my findings!

So here in this blog you’ll find reviews and where you can also find these Asian, American, European (you name it) treats near you, delve into the history of British and world confectionery and reminisce of sweets gone by.

Me? My background is in art and design, and more recently, museums and history – I often find myself drawn to wrappers and advertising first…what’s inside is an added bonus!

The British Candy Connoisseur is my new project in assimilating my weird, wonderful, colourful and tasty findings. Join me and share in my findings – I want to know more about the world of sweets!

You can also follow my blog here on Instagram #the_britishcandyconnoisseur