I remember a trip I took to Mexico about 13 years ago that got me hooked on spicy sweets. I picked up some random candy from a market in Cancun and that started my spicy sweets obsession. A bit surprising flavor combinations but the flavors worked. Don’t get me wrong, I already had a love affair with spicy foods with my favorite dishes being Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Indian curries, and spicy salsas. The sweet and spicy combination in a candy however was very new to me and the inspiration behind Hot Lollies.
My Search for Spicy Candy
Apparently spicy candy was very common in Mexico but very hard to find in the Northeast. The candies I did find just didn’t measure up; some candies were too grainy, too artificial tasting and not spicy enough. Now we are seeing more chile peppers used in chocolates, baked goods which led me to experiment with my own concoctions. I have spiced up up brownies, sprinkled Cheyenne pepper powder in hot cocoa, and finally decided over a year ago to make my own spicy sweets. I had to figure out a way to satisfy this spicy candy obsession of mine and figured if I couldn’t find what I wanted then it was time to make my own. This is how Hot Lollies the candy shop was born.
Hot Lollies Spicy Lollipops
My lollipop flavors are heavily influenced by my Caribbean background. We grew up eating all sorts of tropical fruits but the mango was my all time favorite. Hot Lollies very first spicy lollipops was a mango habanero blending a beloved island fruit and the Mexican habanero chile pepper. Mangoes are also great with a little sprinkle of chili powder – this brings out the sweetness of the mango. Mangoes are also great to make a sweet and spicy salsa, just substitute tomatoes for mangos.
New Tropical Caribbean Flavors
I also make Coconut Chili made with pure coconut milk, Thai chiles and jalapenos. Another addition is the Ginger Spice, made with ginger root. I’m also working on another flavor using the one of the hottest chiles in the world, yes, you guessed it, the Bhut Jolokia, also known as Ghost Chile pepper. All my lollies are available for sale in in my shop. Just let me know what flavors you like and what you think!
