These reviews were written by the grandchild of a dietician. My Gran worked at the Dental Hospital in Sydney and had a passion for educating diabetic children and their families. You can probably imagine the type of sweet-deprived childhood I experienced! However my big sister and I experimented with making confectionery from an early age, with the aid of a long out-of-print rural women’s cookbook, that was until we found out my older sister had allergies......This however explains my lifelong fondness for vaguely “medicinal” sweets, for these were all we were permitted.
Peppermint and Liquorice have been long known to contain health-giving properties. In the 1653 publication by physician Nicholas Culpeper, “The Complete Herbal – Natural Remedies for Ancient Ills”, he claims that mint “helps a cold liver, strengthens the belly, causes digestion, stays vomit and hiccough, is good against gnawing of the heart AND stirs up bodily lust”! Liquorice is good for “dry coughs, hoarseness, wheezing, shortness of breath and for all griefs of the breast and lungs”.
You will not be surprised then to find that Salted Liquorice also called drop originated in drugstores that made their own cough elixirs, around the 1930s. In Europe, liquorice is often flavoured with ammonium chloride, which is not to everyone’s taste. While it is well-known in Scandinavia and Germany, the Dutch make and eat more salted liquorice than any European country.
Dutch “Licorice Drop" from the Confectionery Hub www.theconfectioneryhub.com.au do indeed contain ammonium chloride, and as far as the global range of salted liquorice goes, these ones are mild. About the size of a ten cent piece, they are emblazoned with different Euro values, lest you forget they are from overseas. They are true black, as all good liquorice should be.
They are chewy and tough, lasting a long time in your mouth, and even longer between your teeth! They are good value for money, being long lasting. And being mid-way between salty and sweet, you can eat more than one in a sitting.
If you are an expat European or you know one, a pack of “Licorice Drops” will really hit the spot. Or if you love liquorice and crave a change – give these a try. Next time you have a dry cough or wheeze, I recommend you give liquorice a go. Documented as a natural remedy nearly four hundred years ago.
If you are after a small mint that you can pack in your coat pocket and pop before a meeting or date, this is it!. Mini-Mints also get a tick for food miles as they are Australian Made. A Mini-Mint is a mint high on flavour rather than sugar. Not so hot as to cause distress, but perfectly suited to freshening the breath. It is quick to eat, another advantage for the time pressured. It is discreet by nature of its size, for both pockets and mouths. Another great feature is its cylindrical shape. Why? It won’t roll around in a container quite as much as other round mints.
Taken your date out for a spicy meal? Eaten too much garlic (NOT possible!!!!) If you don’t feel. right in the guts or are conscious of your unsavoury exhalations, then these mints are for you. Extra Strong Peppermints are perfect for staving off travel sickness, and they sure beat sucking down toothpaste in the backseat of the car (trust me on that one).
Best for slow sucking, this hard mint releases a steady dose of peppermint flavour. Sweetness is overtaken by the mint, but is balanced enough to still be pleasurable.
As a road-trip companion, or to end a meal with a special friend Extra Strong Peppermints are the perfect mint for the occasion.
This is the first time I have met Empire Granny Mints. Probably the simplest of all the mints at The Confectionery Hub, they are the most nostalgic. I think I now know where all my peppermint home experiments fell short. That four simple ingredients could combine to make such a pleasurable mint is a revelation!
It has a matt-white irregular form similar in size and shape to an almond. It is sweet but not overly minty. Then it starts to dissolve, slowly at first, with such a fine texture – finer even than icing sugar! Sublime! Then it is gone!
A sweet, mild, old style mint. Uncomplicated. It is simply impossible to eat only one. This would make a lovely gift for an invalid or old-timer. Or someone who is dentally-challenged.
Remember the olden days when classrooms still had blackboards? These peppermints will take you back there. Peppermint Pencils have a shape and texture almost identical to blackboard chalk. Fortunately they taste a whole lot better. Harder than chalk but with a flavour that Really Does Get In, these are long-lasting mints. They are somewhat inelegant to eat, however, as they don’t fit in your mouth at about 12cm long. If you chew, the mint intensifies.
I’d recommend these for solo movie nights and for those who are trying to break a habit – overeating, drinking, smoking, talking. All these are hard to do with a peppermint pencil in your mouth. These mints are mild enough to share with your children, thinking of long car trips that could benefit from silence (tested on a five year old).
Mentos Mints need little introduction. Everyone knows the “chewy dragee” that is Mentos. Immortalised in the film clip for “Big Me” by the Foo Fighters, Mentos (or Footos, in the clip) is the Fresh Fighter – license to get up to mischief and get away with it.
From the shiny, mint-rich exterior (the dragee part) to the chewy mild-mint pleasure that is the centre, Mentos are a burst of sweet freshness that is over too soon. If, like me, you can’t resist chewing, you discover that most of the mint flavour is in the coating, and slightly crunchy bits of it remain until the very end.
Mentos are apparently good for science experiments too. Drop one into a bottle of soft drink and see what happens (outside!)
I love Mentos, but have a couple of disadvantages to list. Firstly, you need two hands to open these individually wrapped sweets. Then the plastic sticks to you via static electricity. (On the other hand, these are great mints to share with strangers, like the stinky guy next to you at a concert!)
Also, curiously, there are five colours listed in the ingredients for a product that is pure white...
Arctic Mints, strangely enough, are made in New Zealand. Perhaps they should be named Antarctic Mints? A very appealing aqua colour, they are from the boiled lolly camp and therefore a long sucker. They are a very mild flavoured mint.
Individually wrapped, they are great for sharing and will also survive an extended time lost in the depths of your handbag.
They have only a few ingredients, but one of these is Soy Lecithin, so the intolerant should beware.
There truly is a mint for every occasion at the Confectionery Hub!
Hi Confectionery Lovers! This is my review of some products from the Jelly Belly range.
Out of all I liked the Soda Pop Shoppe Jelly Belly’s from The Confectionery Hub because it reminds you of all of your favourite American sodas and if you haven’t tried them because they are only in America,
your option are these!
Jelly Belly Bean Boozled was a very strange range from Jelly Belly. The Bean Boozled range is for a dare devil with a sweet tooth. The strange thing about this range is that the jelly beans may look alike, but are EXTREMELY DIFFERENT in taste. BEWARE OF THE DIFFERENT FLAVOURS!
Rating - 5/10
Jelly Belly 20 Flavours from The Confectionery HUb is a much more pleasant pack than the Jelly Belly Bean Boozled range! The 20 Flavours are very tasty and strong flavours. This pack shows that Jelly Belly IS the original gourmet jelly bean. This pack comes with the most unique Jelly Belly flavours EVER. My favourite flavour in this pack is licorice.
Rating- 9/10
The Jelly Belly Freezer Pops from The Confectionery Hub are very different to the Jelly Belly range. This time, they aren’t jelly beans, but they are flavoured like some of Jelly Belly’s most popular flavours. The flavours consist of Very Cherry, Berry Blue, Lemon Drop and Green Apple. They taste EXACTLY like the jelly beans. I personally like the Lemon Drop flavour.
Rating - 6/10
I really liked this range of Jelly Belly! You are reminded constantly by eating all of your favourite American soft drinks. You will try CRUSH Orange, A&W Root Beer, Dr Pepper, 7 UP, A&W Cream Soda, CRUSH Grape. They taste AMAZING!!!
Rating 10/10
Jelly Belly Assorted Flavours
The Jelly Belly Assorted Flavours pack is very similar to the 20 Flavours pack. The Assorted Flavours pack consists of 10 flavours. They are all the simple Jelly Belly flavours (not complicated like bubblegum) I liked this pack, but not as much as the 20 Flavours pack.
Rating - 6/10
interviewing the confectionery
Good morning/afternoon we are here today with Jelly Belly jelly beans.
here are some questions for the lolly.
why do you think it had this name?
i think they called it jelly belly because they wanted a more unique name than the general name, jelly beans.
Describe the confectionery
they look like jelly beans, but are much smaller than a normal jelly bean.
Colour?
the colours are assorted and are matched according to what flavour they are. for example, green apple is coloured green.
Texture?
they are super soft and chewy which makes them very nice!
Taste?
it really depends on the flavour you are eating. Most flavours are very bold and tasty. some flavours are overdone and taste very strong!!
Recommendation
If you love sweet and strong tastes you will certainly love jelly belly jelly beans!
Who will like this confectionery?
I recommend this confectionery for around 8-100 years old as no one is ever too old for confectionery. I recommend ages starting at 8 as the flavours may be too bold or complicated for a younger age.
What time of day would you have this?
i would have this candy from 3 pm -5pm as it will give you a nice and refreshing treat after school.
The best part about the lolly is? It is when you are about to swallow it and the flavour bursts out!
TIPS!
For the Bean Boozled range get all of you friends together and dare each other. Get a spinner to tell you which flavour to eat. Put a blindfold on the person who is eating the Jelly Belly because they don't know what they are eating!
Hi! Well, its in, another review by one of our customers Ashleigh Norsa. This is Ashleigh with someone who looks suspiciously like Leonardo De Caprio........Perhaps she can tall us about that in another blog!
I was given a wide variety of lollies to try, and each one of them are so very different, so I have decided to review each one separately.
Watermelon Slices that you can buy at The Confectionery Hub are called this because that’s what they look like, a slice of watermelon! The Watermelon Slices are green, white and red to mimic the colours of a watermelon. The taste is sour to begin with, and becomes sweet after not too long and tastes a bit like watermelon. The texture is soft and smooth. If you like any of the clouds, then you will love the watermelon slices! I recommend the watermelon slices to anyone over the age of 5, as they are a little bit too hard for young teeth and are a sweet that can be enjoyed by all ages! These little watermelons would make a great morning tea snack, or as something small to eat between jobs and classes. The best part is when the sour sugar starts to come off and you have a mix of both sweet and sour, neither of which are overpowering. I give watermelon slices an 8/10!
Musk sticks are called what they are because really, they are just sticks of musk. They look like long sticks, in the shape of a small star. The colour is pale pink, and they are very soft. The taste is a very sweet sensation as you put it in your mouth, and then tastes a lot like musk. If you like anything musk, you will love these musk sticks! I recommend musk sticks for anyone who has a sweet tooth, because they aren’t hard to chew and the taste is for all ages! The best part of eating a musk stick is when you first put it in your mouth, and get the sweetness of the musk. I give them a 6/10!
Slate pencils are called this because they are the shape of a pencil. They look like a stick of chalk. The slate pencils are a grey-purple colour. The texture is hard. It tastes a lot like liquorice. If you like liquorice, you will like these. I think the age group appropriate for this is 13 and up, because it is a very acquired taste that younger children wouldn’t like. Slate pencils would make a great after dinner treat! I give slate pencils a 7/10!
The Rainbow Belts are called this because of what they look like, belts that are rainbow. They are firm, but not too hard. The taste is a little bit fruity; each different colour is a different flavour. If you like the watermelon slices, you will love these! The age group best for this is 5-20 because they are a basic but delicious flavour. The best bit is when you peel the strap into the different colours and eat them separately. I give them an 8/10.
Well another great review, I look forward to more as the weeks go by!
Hi everyone today we are very lucky to have the first one, Michael Frost, of many guest reviewers to The Lolly Lady Blog. We will be doing this on a regular basis so you can find out more about your favorite confectionery! I am hoping Michael will become a regular reviewer on The Lolly Lady because his review of Storms and Clouds was expertly done!
Storms and Clouds By Michael Frost Age 15
This is my
review/comparison of the confectionery – Clouds and Storms.
I found that my favorite of the 9 flavors was the Sherbet Fizz Storms, I
especially liked these ones because they are sour and tangy, and I really like lollies
like those. This flavor didn’t really taste anything like the others, it is
very unique but a little bit similar to the lemonade fizz storms.
The Lemonade Fizzy Storm was
nice, It was probably my fourth favorite of them all, the flavor was quite
subtle and not too overpowering, which was a good attribute about this flavor,
a down-side to this flavor is that the after-taste is quite strange, but it is
still a nice lolly. Top four favorites 1. Sherbet Fizzy Storm 2. Watermelon Storm 3. Strawberry Clouds 4. Grape Clouds These are all nice tangy and
sweet flavors, they were all really good tasting and the flavor lasted for a
good amount of time, they also tasted very much like the flavor it said it was.
5.Blueberry Clouds
I found that the flavor of the blueberry
clouds was very subtle and hard to taste, the flavor lasted for a short period
of time, and was also a bit unrecognizable, but they were still quite enjoyable,
and weren’t too sweet.
6. Bubblegum Clouds
It definitely one
of my favorite flavors, it had many good attributes, the flavor was very
strong and lasted for a while, the lolly itself was spongy and easy to chew,
and the flavor was really nice. The attributes of this flavor were also quite
similar to the Pineapple flavor, this flavor was very simple and not very
sweet, the flavor was strong and not too overpowering, but it wasn’t one of my
favorite tastes.
7. Pineapple Clouds
8. Grape Clouds
9. Multicolor Clouds
This flavor is
quite hard to explain, as it doesn’t really taste like any other lolly I have
had before, the flavor was okay, it was a little bland and really sweet, probably
one of my least favorite of the nine flavors, I liked it how they were all
different colors though, and it left a refreshing taste, just like the Grape
and Strawberry clouds.
Interviewing
the Confectionery
Hi! We are
here today with: Sherbet Fizz Storms
1. Why do u think it had this
name? I think it had this name because it looks
like a storm cloud, and has the same colour as some types of sherbet, and it
also tastes fizz.
2. Describe the confectionery It looks like a cloud, it is quite spongy and has a
streak of white colouring, and a streak of orange coloring.
3.Color- White and Tangerine
4.Texture – Chewy and Soft
5.Taste – Very tangy and sour
6.Give a recommendation If you like Sherbet Fizz Storms, you will love any other
type of Cloud of Storm, or sour rainbow straps.
7.What age group would like
this confectionery? I recommend this for the age group
of 6-16 or older, because it is a confectionery piece that can be enjoyed be
younger kids, as well as teenagers and young adults as it isn’t too sweet or
overpowering.
8. What time do day would you
have this? The best time to have this confectionery
would be in the afternoon, anytime between 1pm – 4pm
9. The best part about this
lolly is when you
take the first bite and it the taste is really strong and tangy
10. 9.5/10
rating
Next time another fabulous review by one of the teenagers that like The Confectionery Hub
Sponsored by www.theconfectioneryhub.com.au open 20th July
Berowra is an untouched part of the world and I love living there. Its surrounded by National Parks with waterfalls, streams and beautiful bush walks. My neighbour has a huge waterfall five minutes walk from his house. Nobody even knows it's there except him and his son. They go for bush walks most weekends and love the beauty of this place:
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Dorothy Mackellar 'My Country'
I live at the end of a long road that goes straight into bush, on misty mornings the fog settles into the valley like a huge white fluffy blanket, the trees black in their silouhettes. Its at times like these I feel very lucky. In writing this blog I almost don't want to share! The beauty of Berowra is such that it remains like a little village on the rim of Sydney - could I ask you not tell anyone? lol!
The village atmosphere is seen mostly as you turn of the highway and go down Berowra Waters Rd till you get to the second roundabout. On the left hand side you see Berowra Shopping Village and that's where you will find The Confectionery Hub, my lolly shop! Funnily enough that's where my nickname comes from, the local kids, will often point at me and say,
'Mum there's the lolly lady!'
If you decide to come up this way, you might start with a bush walk (incidently the Oxfam 100km walk pass by through our lovely bush tracks every year)
After your walk why not head up to the Berowra Shopping Village and have a coffee at Laurella (Vittoria, expertly made) and some lunch. Choose from an extensive menu including all day breakfast, bagels to sumptious steak and seafood.
On the way out visit my shop and grab some of your old favourites or something that reminded you of your trip to America or England. Try the Blairs Death Rain Jolokin Pepper chips, the hottest in Australia! Or just grab our two dollar range of 130 gram lollies over two hundred different types.
If your having so much fun and want to do some more why not visit Berowra Waters:
Berowra Waters is a happy, family area down by the River. It provides the following fun facilities:
Barbeque areas for your friends and family
A spectacular view of the tree life and the river.
Healthy lawn for picnics, even weddings etc.
Bushwalk tracks, allowing you to get a closer look at the
wildlife
Restaurant
facilities and fish and chip shop
Boating and kayaking on a clam river
Another interesting aspect of visiting Berowra Waters is going over
on the punt. See the picture below
If you think there is just way to much to do in one day then why not stay for the weekend! Here are some links to follow to beautiful accomodation with Berowra Waters as your back drop.
One of the kind gentleman who visit my page was lovely enough to point out today was International Chocolate Day. I was wondering why I did not know about this? There was no racous revelrey in the street, dancing in the doorway or catastrophic munching of this cacophonie of cocoa! Here at Berowra Heights we had obviously missed the memo!
Therefore in an act of rebellion I present four ways you can participate in this day!
1.The first one is actually guilt free, checkout Chocolate Massage Beauty and Body shop
Escape your everyday world and spoil yourself or someone special with a delicious Chocolat treat. Fat free indulgence awaits you! Begin with an invigorating salt essence foot spa, followed by foot relexology and leg massage. While nestled amongst soft towels and fragrant oils allow yourself to deeply relax with a divine back, neck, shoulder & scalp massage. (http://www.kiama.net.au/chocolat.htm)
2. There's nothing nicer than a lovely hot chocolate. Why not try and make it out of real chocolate: Maybe some Lindt?
This delightful drink involves dipping the chocolate into hot milk and letting it melt!
3.You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a Dello Mano brownie – just ask Ashton Kutcher who phoned in an order to be flown to Paris for his birthday. It’s not just the decadent brownie flavours that have people flocking to their market stalls and new café in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley for the beautifully wrapped, handmade treats; cookies, truffles and chocolate spread are also on the menu. (http://blog.queensland.com/2012/09/13/5-ways-to-celebrate-international-chocolate-day/)
4. Loving earth chocolate is a natural alternative which I can say from tasting it is very yummy, especially the peppermint. It's sold at The Confectionery Hub or can be found online from the 20/7/13 at:
Hi peeps this is my second blog! Today we are going to talk about:
Things that are edible that usually aren't!
Venezuelan designer Enrique Luis Sardi created a coffee cup you can completely eat, for Italian coffee brand Lavazza.
Edible Crayons
Edible Glitter
This is a recipe for Edible Crayons
Ingredients:
*Pretzel Rods
*Candy Melts (or white chocolate bark/chocolate chips with a little of your favorite food coloring added)
*Paper Labels (make them yourself or download mine here. Print on colored paper of your choice)
Instructions:
-Break or cut pretzel rods in half.
-Melt candy melts or chocoalte chips in microwave on medium heat for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking at 15 second intervals
until melted. Stir well. Add a few drops food coloring if desired.
-Dip ends of pretzels in melted candy.
-Place on wax paper or aluminum foil to dry.
-When dry, wrap with crayon label and secure with tape. "CrayonEatr" got the most giggles since our baby is quite the professional. :)
We put some in inexpensive pencil boxes for back to school gifts!
Notes: You can buy Candy Melts in white or brown at Wal-Mart. They're in the craft section in the wedding supplies. Wal-Mart also had white chocolate bark in the baking aisle. For colored Candy Melts, check your local cake supply store or you can get them at http://www.sugarcraft.com/. On sugarcraft.com, do a search for "compound coating". To color melted white chocolate chips or chocolate bark, oil-based candy food coloring is best. If you have regular food coloring, just make sure the chocolate isn't too hot (just warm) when you add it or it might make it clumpy.
It got me thinking about all the lollies in my shop that are made into things we like, cars, frogs, insects, hearts, clouds, mushrooms and the list goes on! Do you know of anything else that is edible that isn't usually, drop me a line and ill publish your reply. tcattana@gmail.com
The edible crayons come from gourmet mum on the go and this is address:
Jelly Belly Bean Boozled was a very strange range from Jelly Belly. The Bean Boozled range is for a dare devil with a sweet tooth. The strange thing about this range is that the jelly beans may look alike, but are EXTREMELY DIFFERENT in taste. BEWARE OF THE DIFFERENT FLAVOURS!
Rating - 5/10
Jelly Belly 20 Flavours from 
The Jelly Belly Freezer Pops from 
I really liked this range of Jelly Belly! You are reminded constantly by eating all of your favourite American soft drinks. You will try CRUSH Orange, A&W Root Beer, Dr Pepper, 7 UP, A&W Cream Soda, CRUSH Grape. They taste AMAZING!!!
