UPLOADED/REDIRECTED Sprinkles and Dreamy Candies

Photography by Dave Bryce. Styling by Brittany Spinelli. Story by Keith Recker.

The tradition of Valentine’s Day gift giving has roots in the 1300s, when the rules of courtly love dictated that men were to lavish gifts and love notes upon their beloveds. Interestingly, Valentine’s Day continues to be the only holiday all year long where men outspend women.

It seems fitting to encourage the gents to spend a bit at some of the ‘burgh’s women-owned businesses!

The River Road Sprinkle Co. came to life in November 2020. It’s the brainchild of Surrae and Rachel, who hand-color sprinkles for cookies, cakes, cupcakes, candies, and more. Their color choices are dreamy and we think you should use them everywhere. riverroadsprinkle.com

Renee Casey of Confections Pittsburgh explores dreaminess with lollies, candies, and heart-shaped chocolates laced with full-spectrum CBD oil. If your beloved tends to be a little tense, perhaps this is a gift for both of you?

Renee shares below the recipes for her candies as well as her delicious cinnamon dusted hearts. For more about her exuberantly sweet offerings: confectionspgh.com

CBD Candies

Recipes by Confections by Casey Renee

Yields 27 candies

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1/8 cup water

Put all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Do not stir. Cook until 310 degrees.

Take off the heat and stir in desired extracts/flavorings (I did 1tsp vanilla paste) and 1 to 2 drops of food coloring. Add Hippie & French Delta 8 CBD distillate per dosage requirements. Stir well.

Pour into candy molds, let set completely. Brush with any fun edible powders or glitters you have and store in an airtight container.

CBD Cinnamon Chocolates

Recipes by Confections by Casey Renee

I tempered the chocolate for this recipe, which is a huge process that can only be used with couverture chocolate, which is not your Hershey’s grocery store chocolate. You’ll need to buy it online or at a specialty chocolate store like Mon Aimee Chocolat in the Strip, and follow the temperature requirements - definitely watch a YouTube tutorial on this process. It’s a lot of temping, heating, cooling, stirring - a labor of love!

Alternately, you can use any type of chocolate: heat until melted, being careful to not overheat, and then store the chocolates in the fridge. They will most likely “bloom” if left at room temperature. This is why chocolate tempering is so important.

Melt chocolate and stir in Hippie & French Cinnamon “Hot Mess” flavored CBD Oil per dosage needs. Pour into molds and sprinkle with sea salt. When cool, dust with cinnamon.