CANDY & BAKERS: Candy makers and bakers create tasty holiday treats

A CHOCOLATE HOUSE MADE AT PURITY CANDY. Robert Inglis/Inside Pennsylvania

Story by Cindy O. Herman

During the holidays, our mothers and grandmothers spent hours rolling out pie dough, decorating cookies and dipping candies in melted chocolate — something we might do if we had more time. For busy people today, however, a trip to a bakery or candy store can bring the holidays home.

There has been a candy maker in Lewisburg since 1907. Ford G. Birchard started the Purity Candy Company. He used “all natural ingredients, simple machines and carefully tested recipes” to create mouthwatering candies that drew customers to his store. His legacy and the reputation of his candy company continues under the ownership and guidance of the Burfeindt family. The recipes, techniques and commitment to quality remain as the foundation of the company. The secret to Birchard’s success was to make small batches of candy using the purest natural ingredients and the finest chocolate.

PURITY CANDY OWNER JOHN BURFEINDT JR. MARKS CANDY AS IT COMES DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE. Robert Inglis/For Inside Pennsylvania

The result was a delicious treat that quickly became known for its quality. John Burfeindt is now the chief candy maker at Purity. Any time of the year is an excellent time for chocolate, but Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Halloween are very popular holidays to celebrate with chocolate. But, did you know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are also candy holidays at Purity? Again this year, Burfeindt has crafted a giant Thanksgiving Turkey and, in mid-November, Purity will begin selling the handmade candy canes for which they are well-known. Also in Lewisburg is Catherman’s Homemade Candy, founded in the 1940s. In 2006, Bob and Brenda Engle bought the business, which features an array of chocolates, nuts and baked goods.

The Engles added a bakery to Cathermans Candy by calling upon Bob’s expertise as a pastry chef at The Four Seasons, Philadelphia. “I think my first love is the baking part of it,” Bob said as he and Brenda ran pretzels through the conveyor belt of a chocolate enrobing machine. “I love making breads and croissants and those kinds of things. I think I’m more of a baker at heart.” After studying at The Restaurant School of Philadelphia, now the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, Bob

Photo provided WHAT WOULD CHRISTMAS BE WITHOUT CANDY CANES? PURITY MAKES MANY FLAVORS AND COLOR COMBINATIONS, BUT THE PROCESS FOR EACH BEGINS THE SAME WAY.

Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania BRENDA AND BOB ENGLE ADDED BAKED GOODS TO THE SELECTIONS AT CATHERMAN’S HOMEMADE CANDY WHEN THEY BOUGHT THE BUSINESS IN 2006.

worked at various bakeries before starting the business with Brenda. They also have a booth at the Lewisburg Farmers Market, where their granddaughter has taken on the role of chief muffin maker. Holidays keep them busy. “At Thanksgiving, it’s pies,” Brenda said. “Just your traditional pumpkin and apple.” “And pecan,” Bob added. Christmas calls for both candy and baking, while Easter focuses on candy, especially the molded chocolates Catherman’s is known for. Smoothly moving the chocolate-covered pretzels along, they talked about making almost everything from scratch. Bread doughs — with European-style recipes — are kneaded and shaped, nonpareils are piped one-by-one onto a tray, and the Italian butter cream frosting starts with a meringue of egg whites and sugar “Every time I feed my sourdough starter, I just take a deep breath of it,” Bob said with a smile. Explaining that different yeasts produce different flavors, he added, “It just smells so unique.” “When you walk by and smell the bread or croissants baking, there’s nothing like it,” added a friend who had stopped in. Even with the bustle of holidays, people make time to pick up authentic baked goods. “They can buy anything out of a box in a grocery store,

Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania THE ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING STARTS WITH A MERINGUE OF EGG WHITES AND SUGAR AT CATHERMAN’S HOMEMADE CANDY IN LEWISBURG.

Cindy O. Herman/For For Inside Pennsylvania WHITE, DARK AND MILK CHOCOLATE-COVERED COFFEE BEANS ARE FOR SALE AT CATHERMAN’S HOMEMADE CANDY IN LEWISBURG.

but when they hear that you’re making it yourself, putting your heart and soul into it, it’s more personal,” Bob said. Brenda mentioned customers’ appreciation for Catherman’s popular eclairs and biscotti. “They say it’s the best they ever had,” she said. “We’ve had people say it’s very comparable to stuff they’ve eaten in Europe,” Bob said. He recalled watching his mother bake and noted the similarities to his current career. “Everything is hand-done and labor intensive,” he said, but acknowledged, “I love doing it.” Be sure to check hours of operation before visiting.

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 Cindy O. Herman/For Inside Pennsylvania TRAYS OF CHOCOLATE-COVERED PRETZELS SET UP AFTER BEING RUN THROUGH A CHOCOLATE MACHINE AT CATHERMAN’S HOMEMADE CANDY, IN LEWISBURG.

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Now, 30 years and hundreds of real estate transactions later, she remains highly involved in the local real estate market, Now, 30 years and hundreds of real estate transactions later, she remains highly involved in the local real estate market, leading a sales team of nine licensed real estate agents. leading a sales team of nine licensed real estate agents.

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