Halloween Candy Week- Candy Corn

This whole week Foodie Pantry will be devoted to Halloween candy. I'll be writing about favorites and classics; the treats we loved and sometimes hated. Today's entry will be focused on that Halloween must have :candy corn. This is as much a part of the holiday as costumes and pumpkins and as much a part of our lives as costumes and trick or treating.

Candy corn came about in the 1880's. It's origins are unknown with some thinking it was a home made treat. However because Americans were very familiar with it ,there is the theory that it was mass produced (and probably one of the first mass produced candies at that)by 1900 the Goelitz Candy Company in Illinois. Today Goelitz is known for being one of the creators for the famous Jelly Belly jelly beans.Candy corn is nothing more than honey, corn syrup, marshmallow and water, cooked together to form a fondant and then poured into triangular molds.When candy corn was first made each color was put into the mold separately and allowed to dry. Now it's automated.

Good news to dieters about this treat. It's fat free. Yes, even the chocolate tipped ones have zero fat. Snack on as much as you want although rinse or brush your teeth afterwards. (There's all that sugar to contend with)If you're hankering for corn after Halloween, remember there's the Reindeer Corn for Christmas (red, white and green colored kernels) Cupid Corn for Valentine's day (pink, red and white pieces) and Bunny Corn for Easter(pink, yellow, purple, green and blue striped candy).Nothing beats the Halloween ones though and they're always a fun munch when watching scary horror movies.

Candy corn is the one Halloween classic every candy dish should have. It is a part of the Halloween scene even more than a jack-o-lantern is. Treat yourself to a handful or even a few kernels today!