Kid in a Candy Store Episodes
Crunch Time
Adam Gertler is sinking his teeth into confections that take crunch to the extreme. In Oakdale, CA, Sconza Candy is premiering their newest crunchy snack: Lemoncello Almonds, inspired by the Italian liqueur and unwraps the secret to its 12-layer jawbreaker called the Bruiser - a baseball sized candy so big it needs a handle. Then there is the sound of the surprising snap of Watson's Chocolates' Sponge Candy, a Buffalo, NY delicacy that rises like dough in copper kettles. Rounding out the crunchy experience is munchable popcorn that tastes exactly like strawberry cheesecake (and over 50 other tantalizing flavors) at Popcorn Girl in Las Vegas.
Sweetly Deceptive
Adam Gertler is unmasking some of the trickiest treats being made from sugar, chocolate and pure imagination. Find out how deceiving looks can be in New York, where Papabubble's artisans handcraft hard candy into creations like toothbrushes, hats and ice cream cones. Order the startlingly sweet pizza and eggrolls at Max Brenner in Las Vegas, the restaurant where chocolate is served at every course; and visit Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank, CA, the bakery that serves up a picnic basket of corn on the cob, watermelon, and hamburgers - all made from cupcakes.
Bake, Batter and Roll
Adam Gertler is hot on the trail of some of the most unusual cakes ever to be baked, fried or frosted. Line up at New York City's popular Doughnut Plant, where the traditionally round pastry turns square, made with fresh cranberries and coconut. Or get fired up with the house specialty, the Creme Brulee Doughnut. Take a trip to the Danish village of Solvang, CA to scale the Kransekage, an Old World 16-layer tower of cake that is making a comeback. Then in Monroe, WI, find out how the bakers at The Swiss Colony are remaking traditional red velvet by rolling a 60-foot pastry into a Red Velvet Swirl Cake.
Creamiest Confections
Adam Gertler rises to the top of the dessert menu with ultra-rich, creamy creations. In Waterbury, VT, get the scoop on how Ben & Jerry's is mixing its most outrageous ice cream yet. Taste the new flavor of New Orleans' French Quarter, where Aunt Sally's Pralines puts a dash of Tabasco sauce in its famous Creamy Pralines. Then in Chicago, discover the latest luscious recipe at The Eli's Cheesecake Company: citrus paired with wine in the luxurious Blood Orange Champagne Cheesecake.
Childhood Favorites
Adam Gertler is taking a tasty trip down memory lane to see how the candies of his youth are growing up. At the NECCO factory in Revere, MA, Sweethearts break with a century of tradition, rolling out in bold new fruit flavors with brand new phrases. Visit Airheads in Erlanger, KY where the new Xtremes Sweetly Sour Belts stretch for miles. Go behind the scenes at Plush Puffs in Burbank, CA, to learn the gooey secret to making two-pound artisan marshmallows. Then stop at Eclipse Chocolat in San Diego, where Orange Honey Plush Puffs meet chocolate to become decadent Rococo Bars.
Retro Remix
Adam Gertler samples classic confections getting a modern update from unexpected ingredients. An exclusive tour of Tootsie Roll Industries in Chicago reveals the juicy new Pomegranate Tootsie Pop. Visit Gooey Louie in St. Louis, where traditional gooey butter cake is teaming up with fruit, chocolate, caramel and dozens of other fresh ideas. And at Xooro in Glendale, CA, Spanish churros go gourmet. Loaded with rich fillings and rolled in luscious chocolate, Xooro turns out exotic deep fried desserts like tubular Tiramisu and Maple Bacon.
Whimsical Chocolates
Adam Gertler is on a whirlwind tour through the whimsical world of chocolate. At the Jelly Belly Candy Company, fruit flavored jelly beans take a dip in dark chocolate for the first time, emerging as the new Jelly Belly Chocolate Dips. Go hunting for truffles in Menlo Park, CA, where Sterling Confections mixes candied ginger, pineapple and other exotic ingredients with ganache to create huge triangular truffle bars covered in psychedelic designs. Then in Kansas City, MO, check out Chip's Chocolate Factory, where fudge making takes an acrobatic twist. To perfect his spectacularly creamy confections, the owner uses a paddle to flip his fudge up to 20 feet into the air!
Easter Basket
For Easter, Adam Gertler is filling his basket with the season's most inventive and indulgent confections. At Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago, untraditional Easter eggs are served with bacon, and the colorful Enchanted Mushroom blends soft dark chocolate and hazelnut with organic Reishi mushroom before it is decorated by hand. In Alpine, UT, see how the skilled decorators at Kencraft Candy create Panoramic Eggs from pure sugar that last for years. And at Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills, discover the ultimate Easter bunny -- standing more than three feet tall!
Suckers, Sugar Art, Cotton Candy
Adam Gertler uncovers the unconventional candy-making techniques transforming sugar into unexpected, unique confections. At the Charms factory in Covington, TN, a carnival classic is spiked with pucker power to make Tear Jerkers Sour Cotton Candy. In Weymouth, MA, outrageous lollipops made by the sucker specialists at Melville Candy Company taste like buttered popcorn and carrot cake, and look even more bizarre! The shocking sugar shapes even include a mega-pop modeled on Adam's face! At Chicago's Alliance Bakery, see how chocolate is sculpted into realistic driftwood, and molten sugar is blown like glass to build towering works of candy architecture.
Tropical Delights
Adam Gertler takes a tropical tour of the fruit flavors at the heart of classic candy bars and exotic new sours. In Lufkin, TX, see how the Atkinson Candy Company turns a tropical storm of coconut into millions of their famous Rainbow Coconut Bars. Then rediscover Bonomo Turkish Taffy bars. Out of production for decades, the best-selling Bonomo bars are back, in all of the original flavors, including strawberry and banana. And in South San Francisco, pucker up for a new generation of sour chews at Gimbal's Fine Candies, featuring a medley of twelve tartly sophisticated flavors.
Candy Kabobs
Adam Gertler skewers the myth of the ordinary sucker, finding fresh new ways to get a handle on portable confections. At Hammond's Candies in Denver, CO, gargantuan spiral lollipops grow to five pounds, and come in funky flavors like pear, pumpkin and birthday cake. Gourmet candy apples fall very far from the tree in Hollister, CA, where the DeBrito Chocolate Factory covers bushels of Granny Smiths in more than 40 different creative candy coats, from espresso-infused toffee to chili-lime salt. And at the Tootie Pie Co. in San Antonio, TX, cutting-edge slices of frozen Key Lime Margarita pie are dipped in chocolate and served stuck on a stick!
Two For One
Adam Gertler double-dips in the candy dish, finding new confections that deliver twice the bang for the buck. A classic movie-house concession becomes a double feature when Mike and Ike candies meet chewy bubble gum. Original Twizzlers get a flavor injection of tangy candy to become Twizzlers Sweet & Sour Filled Twists. Then visit Harry & David, where caramel corn is pairing with the flavors of root beer and ice cream to make the newest variety of Moose Munch.
Ooey, Gooey, Chewy
Adam Gertler is biting off more than he can handle with candy and confections that are ooey, gooey and chewy. In Tennessee, the sky is the limit for the Chattanooga Bakery, where they are updating the traditional recipe for MoonPies. To make the new MoonPie Crunch varieties, fillings like fluffy peanut butter and mint crème are sandwiched between chocolate cookies. See how a traditional, chewy candy goes from mild to wild in La Porte, Indiana, where the American Licorice Company is releasing new Sour Punch Bits that deliver twin bursts of tart in every juicy bite. Then discover the sensationally decadent candy bars at Zingerman's Candy Manufactory in Ann Arbor, MI, where gooey handmade nougat is layered with original specialties like muscovado caramel and raspberry chocolate ganache.
