BUCKSPORT FAMILY BUILDS CANDY BUSINESS FROM LOLLIPOPS BY
JODI HERSEY
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF GIMIE CANDY
S'mores marshmallows (right) and lollipops, in flaors like cherry (far right) and strawberryrhubarb (background) are just a few of Gimie Candy's confections.
Maine is well known for its lobster rolls, red snapper hot dogs, and whoopie pies, but if it were up to the Bishop family of Bucksport, the state would also be known for its flavorful lollipops.
Jason and Angela Bishop, creators of Gimie Candy, first dabbled in making lollipops four years ago at the request of their son, Eli.
“He has always been a voracious reader, and he came across a book with pictures of lol lipops and asked, ‘Can we make lollipops?’” Jason said.
The couple decided to give homemade lollipop-making a try using the abundance of strawberries from their garden. Jason said after measuring and boiling the necessary ingredi ents and placing the lollipops in candy molds, he had his wife give them a try. Her taste buds were left underwhelmed.
“So, we practiced and practiced,” Jason said. “Once I felt comfortable with the strawberry [flavor], I was like, what else can we do?”
As the chief candy maker, Jason began experimenting with other natural flavors such as blueberry, raspberry, honey, thyme, and lavender. What the couple didn’t have available in their garden or freezer, they picked up at the store. In fact, Jason admitted he often used grocery shopping as a research opportunity to search for ingredients and flavors that could pair well together. On evenings and weekends, he often found himself stirring a new batch at the stove and reflecting on all the possible opportunities these sweet treats could provide.
“I kept wondering, could I pay for Eli’s college in lollipops? Wouldn’t that be hilarious?” he said.
After handing out their confections to family and friends, the couple decided to make a real go of it. In December 2025, they launched Gimie Candy online, selling their lollipops — made with real fruit and real flavor — by the dozen. Angela is in charge of packaging, photography, the company’s website, and social media pages.
“Gimie stands for our children’s names,” Angela said. “Gi is for Gideon, Mi is for Miriam, and E is Elias.”
One of the company’s most popular flavors has been raspberry hibiscus.
“We have no hard-and-fast rules,” Jason said. “We have six different flavors every month. We keep three and change three, and we work a month ahead. When we ship them, we ship 12 lollipops plus a sneak peek of the future flavor that’s coming.”
Angela is especially proud of the time the family gets to spend together, working side by side on the lollipops.
Strawberry Shortcake, PERFECTED
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
BY JASMINE CABANAW
Despite being an avid baker, I had never made strawberry shortcake until I moved to Maine. My first taste of it here was at a July 4 celebration. After that, I couldn’t help but notice how common this sweet treat was at summer festivities throughout the state. Strawberry shortcake may be a beloved American classic with roots in 19th-century New England, but in Maine, it feels like a seasonal ritual. As the first strawberries ripen in late June and early July, the dessert becomes a celebration of summer’s arrival.
A few years ago, I found myself caught up in that exact experience after a you-pick outing left me with an abundance of strawberries. I was sun-soaked, happy from sharing an afternoon with friends, and energized by the fresh air. It all felt like quintessential summertime, and I wanted to celebrate. Strawberry shortcake naturally came to mind.
I was hosting a July 4 brunch, so the timing was perfect. What better dessert to serve than this strawberry classic? Red, white, and delicious. The trick would be finding the perfect recipe, which, it turned out, I could not. After browsing through dozens of recipes, none felt quite right, so I decided to create my own.
THREE KEY COMPONENTS — THE BERRIES, THE SHORTCAKE, AND THE WHIPPED CREAM — ALL DESERVE THE SAME ATTENTION TO DETAIL IF YOU WANT YOUR STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE TO GO FROM GOOD TO EXCEPTIONAL.
The first step was understanding what was needed for the perfect strawberry shortcake. The three key components — the berries, the shortcake, and the whipped cream — all deserve the same attention to detail if you want your strawberry short-
For the strawberries, nothing beats sun-ripened, freshly picked fruit. We are lucky in Maine to have numerous you-pick farms. This tends to be the cheaper option and is a wonderful summer activity to share with friends and family. It
Other options for fresh berries include farm stands and farmers markets. I had this first component down — baskets upon baskets were crowding my kitchen counter island. The second component required a little more research. I wanted my shortcake to stand out, to be so good it would be memorable. So, I added two things that were a little unconventional: olive
The olive oil was born of sheer laziness; I didn’t want to make an extra trip to the store for vegetable oil. This proved to be serendipitous because the olive oil balanced nicely with the vanilla. The cardamom was a calculated decision because I was obsessed with it that summer. I was
putting it in everything, from my tea to my oatmeal and now in strawberry shortcake.
The whipped cream was the final piece and the one I find is most often neglected. To achieve a memorable shortcake experience, make the whipped cream from scratch. It is surprisingly easy to do and requires few ingredients. For the richest texture and taste, I use heavy cream from grass-fed cows. This is easy to find in Maine, but any heavy cream will do. After that, it is just a matter of using an electric mixer until the cream thickens. I add vanilla, a tablespoon of sugar and, of course, a pinch of cardamom.
For my July 4 party and my dessert’s big debut, I had an assemble-your-own shortcake station, with blueberries available in addition to the strawberry filling for a true “red, white, and blue” theme. When someone commented that it was the best strawberry shortcake they had ever had, I knew I had achieved my goal of creating something memorable. Moments like that are what make summer in Maine so sweet and so worth savoring.
CARDAMOM STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE RECIPE
THE STRAWBERRIES
• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice 2 cups of berries, then mash two-thirds of the berries in a bowl. Add the remaining berries, add the sugar and stir well. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
THE SHORTCAKE
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, olive oil, sugar, and vanilla for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until thoroughly blended.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the water and half-and-half, mixing until blended. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and pour batter evenly into the tin. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove each shortcake from the muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.
THE WHIPPED CREAM
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and blend with an electric mixer until the desired thickness is reached. Do not overblend, or the cream will begin to stiffen.
ASSEMBLING THE STRAWBERRY
SHORTCAKE
Slice the shortcake in half. Layer shortcake, strawberries, whipped cream, shortcake, whipped cream, and strawberries, in that order. Eat and enjoy!
