Bliss Candies-Gourmet Sweets made to order

The Shop:
The first thing I noticed about this shop is how delicious everything looks! Even the banner shows yummy chocolates and sweets that are simply irresistible! The first time i found this on Etsy, my boyfriend turned around and said 'ooh, that looks yummy!'. After flipping through some of the pages, 'yummy' quickly became an understatement. These items arent just yummy, they are downright delicious!
One of the first items to catch my eye were the CARAMEL-icious Dipped Oreos. In my opinion, oreos are the most addictive cookie of all, so to have chocolate caramel oreos is simply a little slice of heaven. These cookies are prepared to perfection-handmade, and hand dipped. Best of all, they are totally affordable- $7.50 for 6 delicious cookies!

So many things looked delectable, but these looked simply unbelievable! Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, talk about a sweet tooth attack! As a kid, I always wanted to lick the spoon when we made cookies. Unfortunately, raw egg is a BIG no-no for small bellies. This cookie dough is 100% safe to eat, as there aren't any eggs in it! These are not only beautiful, but have a whimsically delicious element that is sure to make anyone happy to receive these! $7.50 gets you an 8 piece box in the flavor of your choice: Milk, White, or Dark chocolate covered. These arrive pre-packed, with a beautiful bow on top; the perfect thank you gift for anyone!

What I think:
I had the pleasure to sample some delicious sweets from Bliss Candies- and I have to say, they were SO good! They arrived packaged with a nice little tag, all tied up with a ribbon. My personal favorite was the Pina Coolata macadamia nut cookie- it tastes just like a real pina coolata! Totally addictive, and totally delicious.

Interview:

When did you start making sweets?
I've actually been making sweet treats since my teenage years (so 15+ years), and almost went to culinary school for college, but my mom talked me into getting a business degree instead (which was a good thing!). I never gave up on baking and creating though, as it really is a passion of mine and I just love trying out new recipes and giving homemade goodies away as gifts, you should see the smiles (and sometimes fights for the goods) it creates!

Why did you decide to sell them on Etsy?
Since I love to bake and make candy so much, I give a lot away as gifts to friends, family, and business contacts. For the last 2-3 years everyone that has gotten my gifts has been telling me that I really need to start my own business, but I would just brush it off thinking they were just trying to be nice to me, LOL. Then one day a close friend of mine mentioned Etsy and I mulled it over in my mind for a bit, not really sure if it would pan out or be worth the time and money I would need to invest in doing it. While I was thinking this over, a new business contact of ours actually asked for a catalog of our goods, as they wanted to buy some to give to their clients as "thank you" gifts. So I created a small catalog of offerings for them, taking pictures and pricing things out, etc... Then I just thought to myself, "I've done this much work so far, why not give it a try?"

What is your favorite part of sweet making?
My favorite part is hearing that others enjoy the sweets and goodies as much as I do! I really think that you can taste, see, smell, even feel the difference between something made with love and something mass produced. It's always great to know that my efforts are being well appreciated!

Out of all your products, which is your favorite?
This is probably one of the hardest questions for me, as my "favorite" changes often! It comes with doing this for so long though, as I get to taste sweets on an almost daily basis (I "test" every batch of goods to make sure it is up to my standards). In general though my favorites are bars, as I love the thick and dense texture, something I can really sink my teeth into. So for right now, my favorite "everyday" treat is the "GET OUTTA MY WAY Almond Toffee Cookie Bars with Chocolate Chips" and then for an extra-special treat I love the "Bittersweet Chocolate MELT-A-WAY Brownie Truffle Bars", so decadent! Oh, and to chime in for my husband, his favorite are the "Salted Almond Jumbo Turtles", you can never go wrong with those!

Do you accept custom orders, and if so, are there any limitations?
Yes, we definitely accept custom orders! In fact, we get many requests for wedding orders and just this week have had an inquiry for a large baby shower and a corporate gift basket. Right now I don't have any limitations on custom orders. As long as I can get a hold of the recipe (if I don't have it already), ingredients, and have enough time to fulfill the order, I'll take it on!

If you had to pick one item for someone to try, what would it be and why?
HHmm...one...are you sure I can only pick one?? Well, if it had to be just one I would have to say one of our turtles. Though my shop has a lot of chocolate involved, my main love and the reason why the shop was opened is the because of the caramel. So you will see caramel incorporated in much of what we offer. Though we only make 2 flavors right now (traditional Vanilla and Callebaut Milk Chocolate), I plan on adding a few more great flavors ove the next couple of weeks. For those that do not like caramel, i would definitely suggest trying the Red Velvet cake truffles! they are one of our most popular items, and everyone that has tried them just RAVES over them, even those that normally don't like Red Velvet cake!

Do you have any sweet advice for our readers?
For those who have had a dream of doing something for a long time, or are passionate about something, I encourage you to explore your options! Start small if you need to, but definitely don't let your dreams pass you by. There are so many good resources out there, and so many needs that need to be filled. Just try to find your "niche" and then go for it!


Anything else you would like to add?
If you happen to be on a budget or want a variety of items to taste, we have "sampler" packages at very affordable prices. I also suggest checking the shop on Friday night or Saturday mornings, as we often run "weekend only" sampler packs, those are usually 25%-35% off the normal price.

Also, we offer a really fun monthly NIBBLER package, which goes on sale the last week of each month and gets sent out the first week of the following month. These are different then our normal samplers as they incorporate a lot of items that we do not normally offer in small quantities, PLUS they usually have either limited edition flavors or new items that are not even in the shop yet. We only offer so many of these NIBBLERS per month and they are packed with at least 8 different items, these are well prices as well.

Lastly, I just want to mention that my husband and I run a very professional shop and we have been doing business online for over 7 years now, it's all we do in fact. Though Bliss Candies is a small business at the moment, we hope that it really takes off for us and love to hear feedback from our customers! Everything is professionally packaged and ready for gift-giving, and we are more then happy to add a special note in the package for you!

Giveaway Contest: Create the Next Sweet Treat!

Soury wants you to help her come up with the next great idea for Bliss Candies! The winner(s) will have their idea made into reality, and send to them to enjoy!

To entry, simply visit Bliss Candies, and once you have an idea, come back here and fill out the entry form! One entry per person, please. Contest ends August 20th at midnight. Be sure to enter before then!