Many of our Signature Shortbreads have included chocolate, both milk and dark, the fun of chocolate chips, and even the tropical touches of coconut, pineapple, Kona Mocha, and other refreshing flavors. And now, in addition to these selections that satisfy the “sweet tooth,” we’ve launched two products that feature a combination of savory seasonings, for a deliciously distinctive experience! When it comes to confections, we like to keep things exciting and mouthwatering, and these two products can certainly be described as such. First up, we introduce you to our Macadamia Nut Shortbread with Everything In It Except the Bagel!
Familiar Flavor; Innovative Indulgence
This new macadamia nut shortbread does not have the taste or texture of a bagel, but it does feature a fusion of familiar flavors: salt, garlic, onion, as well as sesame seed and poppy seed! At first bite, the flavor profile is reminiscent of those seasonings found in an “Everything” bagel. Essentially, all the flavor, but just without the bagel.
You might be asking yourself at this point, “Why did Big Island Candies decide to make this type of cookie?” The answer is that we often hold brainstorming sessions with our team to discuss any new ideas. The concept of savory creations came up, and we thought that could be something interesting. So we started thinking of a more specific list of possible confections that would be flavorful and feasible to produce. We narrowed it down to this new shortbread. We are so fortunate to have our on-site factory here in Hilo, so when our factory team of artisans had an open window to create some production batches, they did so in order for us to taste-test and take notes. To be honest, we ended up having to focus on our production runs for various upcoming holidays, special seasonal items, and our Big Island Crunch Bars were continuing to be in popular demand, so we put the new shortbread idea to the side, but not for too long; we were mindful to come back to this great idea the minute we could, and we did! Here we are, happy to share our Macadamia Nut Shortbread with Everything In It Except the Bagel! Continuing in that spirit of brainstorming and always staying inspired, someone came up with another idea, and that leads us to our second product!
Mix It Up!
We started producing our Snack Mix a few years ago, featuring a medley of crunchy goodness that was not too sweet, not too salty, but just right! It became one of our popular Local Favorites, perfect for parties, as an after-work or -school snack, or for enjoying at home while watching TV or a movie. As we mentioned earlier, someone on the team here suggested that we take the medley, but instead of the sweet and salty profile, try a production run using the savory seasonings. So, we did, and after our test-trials, we also got this Snack Mix just right!
The timing of the launch of these two new products couldn’t have been better! The summer season may inspire you to take a trip to visit family and friends, or perhaps your family and friends will be making their way to visit you. These two non-chocolate items work well while you’re catching up and enjoying the warm weather, maybe outside in the backyard, or at a picnic in the park. Your loved ones might have their classic go-to favorites, but why not share something brand new too, in the form of our Everything In It Except the Bagel Snack Mix and the Macadamia Nut Shortbread with Everything In It Except the Bagel!
Explore These Unique Treats!
Whether you’ve got a taste for something scrumptious and savory, or something that falls more on the “sweet and salty” side, Big Island Candies has a number of options! For example, check out these other captivating confections:
- Homee’s Arare Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Japanese rice cracker, known as arare, has become a snack staple in Hawaii. It’s crunchy, with a salty, soy-sauce-inspired taste. Here in this homestyle cookie, pieces of arare are paired with chocolate chips. (Fun fact: Our line of Homee’s Cookies was, at one point, only available exclusively at our Hilo and Ala Moana Center stores, but due to popular demand, we added them to our website, so more could order and enjoy! Also, the cookies were once sold in clear bags, but we redesigned the packaging and now they’re available in convenient re-sealable bags.)
- Milk Chocolate Covered Corn Chip Crunch Bars: Corn chips, plus a peanut center, all enveloped by creamy milk chocolate. This is a superb “sweet and salty” experience! Interesting story: Around Mother’s Day, we asked some of the moms who work here what their favorite Big Island Candies products are, and we posted their answers on our social media as a way to share some gift ideas for our social-media followers as they shop for their moms. It was so great to see the various answers, understandably since we do have a wide range of gourmet confections. Sure enough, the Milk Chocolate Covered Corn Chip Crunch Bars came up a few times as employee favorites!
- Chocolate Macadamia Nut Crunchies: Continuing with the magical combination of chips and chocolate, our Chocolate Macadamia Nut Crunchies features the surprising addition of potato chips. Yes, you read that right, potato chips. The unique combination of chocolate (milk or dark), macadamia nuts, and pieces of potato chips just works wonderfully. (Quick personal note: The Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Crunchies was one of the first, if not the first product, from Big Island Candies I had when I was growing up here in Hilo. A relative introduced it to my family back in the day, and for years after, while I was living and working in California, my family would send this product to me in a care package as a reminder of home. And now that I’m back living and working here in Hilo, my family and I are still enjoying the fantastic flavor profile of the creamy milk chocolate variety and the decadent dark chocolate option.)
- Hawaiian Red Chili Toffee: At Big Island Candies, we only use the highest grade of ingredients—there is no substitute for quality. Many of our products include a delicious ingredient from right here in Hawaii, for example: Our Hawaiian Red Chili Toffee features a layer of rich dark chocolate, roasted almonds and a touch of hickory smoked salt. Each square is highlighted by the subtle, yet significant heat from the Hawaii-grown red chili.
And there you have it, two new products, plus a few more options that represent our joy for exploring different flavor profiles and unique pairings (chips and chocolate, even a treat with some heat) that we hope you and yours will find new and exciting! Savor not only the savory, and the “sweet and salty,” but every moment of summer.