Hastings Couple's Business Saved By Old Family Caramel Corn Recipe

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Hastings store that began with a box of chocolates came to fame after incorporating an old family recipe.

It's not exactly Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, but the mom and pop shop Creative Confectionaire, Dave and Cindy Blomquist's Hasting's basement, seems to have found the trick to their treats inside.

"Dave is the official chocolate taster," Cindy Blomquist said.

Cindy started making chocolate treats two decades ago.

It all started when she was looking for something to pass the time while staying at home with her children.

"I started just playing with some frosting and made a ganache," Cindy said.

Her husband Dave brought some samples to Byerly's in Burnsville and they were an instant hit.

"[The Burnsville store manager] said 'Let me take a look at it and we'll get back with you,'" Dave said.

Davie works at EcoLab in St. Paul, but takes off a full week of work leading up to Valentine's Day.

"He called up within a couple hours and said 'Hey that's stuff is really good,'" Dave said.

However, during the recession their sweet sensation went sour.

"I wanted to do caramel corn for a while," Cindy said.

So, once again Cindy put her hands to work, only this time popping up a family favorite thanks to her late mother, Edna.

Dave calls it "hail-Mary" pass, but it turned out to the best decision the couple ever made.

This bag can now be purchased in every Lunds and Byerly's in the metro.

Cindy did tweak the recipe a little though, she added chocolate.

"I try to go both directions because I think if you like chocolate on your caramel corn, every bite that you get you like to have chocolate on it," Cindy said.