Sweets For The Sweet

Season offers chance to stroll through candy land

We're all in the middle of the difficult period that's equal distances between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But for the sake of the holiday spirit, and with further gluttony in mind, we sought out some sweet treats to tide you over until Christmas arrives.

We searched to the ends of Northwest Arkansas, nearly developing at least one cavity per person in the process. What follows isn't a comprehensive list of candies and cookies and cakes -- there's just too much to consider.

We just tried to find some sweets you can only get this time of the year.

THE TREAT -- Peppermint Petit Four

THE LOCATION -- Rick's Bakery, 1220 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville, open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

THE TASTE -- Fresh, light and with a hint of peppermint, this sweet mini-cake is perfect paired with a cup of Rick's hot cocoa or sweetened coffee.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 5. This petit four is not as sweet as some of Rick's other cakes, which makes it seem almost refreshing. Not sweet enough? Rick's has a wide assortment of holiday cookies, candies and cakes certain to challenge even the most well-practiced sweet tooth.

INFO -- 442-2166 or ricksbakery.com.

THE TREAT -- Peppermint Chocolate Cupcake

THE LOCATION -- Kirby's Kupcakes, 128 S. 2nd St. in Rogers, open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

THE TASTE -- The fudgy cake pairs well with the bright green mint butter-cream in this understated peppermint treat. The whole thing is topped with snowy sugar and a candy-covered chocolate.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 8. Kirby's luscious chocolate cake is bound to give your sweet tooth a workout, and paired with the sugary frosting and toppings, this treat is a sugar lover's dream come true. Owner Kirby Hamby says people start asking about the Christmas confection in November, but it wasn't available until just this week.

INFO -- 633-8400 or kirbyskupcakes.com.

THE TREAT -- Chocolate Cherry Truffles

THE LOCATION -- Keller's Candies, 121 Main St. S.E. in Gravette, open only Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

THE TASTE -- Customers tell Julene Keller the truffles, made with white chocolate, cherry flavoring, homemade marshmallow and dark and milk chocolate, taste like old-fashioned cherry mashes without the nuts. Keller's Candies also offers peanut butter balls, peppermint patties, peanut brittle and pumpkin pie spice caramel for the holidays.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 6-7. "Our candy isn't overly sweet," Keller says, "but it's very rich. Usually one or two bites will pretty much satisfy you."

INFO -- 586-1491 or kellerscandies.com.

THE TREAT -- Ozark Mountain Grape Pie

THE LOCATION -- Gooseberry Handmade Pies, 2210 S. Walton Boulevard, Suite 12, Bentonville

THE TASTE -- A sweet, but not overly so, fruit pie with a delicate and delicately sugared crust. Proprietors Jerry Leding and daughter Sarah Leding won't reveal the type of grape used but note like most of their pies, cookies and other treats, it comes from a family recipe.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 7. The Ledings, who opened Gooseberry about two months ago, expect to sell many pecan and fruit pies at Christmastime, just like they did at Thanksgiving, when they stopped taking orders six days in advance of the holiday in order to satisfy demand.

INFO -- 224-1318 or gooseberrypies.com.

THE TREAT -- Christmas Candy Cane Tea

THE LOCATION -- Savoy Tea Company at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers or in downtown Fayetteville

THE TASTE -- A mint-heavy, black-tea based beverage with real peppermint bits designed specifically for the holiday season. However, there's a chance it will remain on the menu. A previous holiday creation, a green tea with peppercorn, orange and almond called the Mistletoe, became a full-time offering due to customer demand. That drink is called Misty Meadows in the summertime.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 3-10 (depending on the amount of sugar added). Owners and tea recipe creators Bill and Tina Neyer often sample a sweetened version because that's what most customers request. However, the loose-leaf tea can be made sugarless at a patron's request. Available by the cup or in bulk for home steeping.

INFO -- 372-4995 (Rogers) or 445-6630 (Fayetteville); savoytea.com

THE TREAT -- Peppermint Bark

THE LOCATION -- Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe in Springdale

THE TASTE -- The treat features a layer of mint dark chocolate and a layer of mint white chocolate topped with crushed peppermints. "They're silky and creamy, and they melt in your mouth," says Shelby Riner, who works at Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe and is the daughter of the owners. Peppermint bark is sold in 8-ounce amounts for $12.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- 6. It's not too sweet, but very rich from the gourmet chocolate, Riner says.

INFO -- 750-0044 or shelbylynnscakeshoppe.com

THE TREAT -- Sweet Treats Cookie Tour

THE LOCATION -- A self-guided tour of eight bed and breakfasts in Eureka Springs, including Red Bud Manor, Main Street Inn, Heartstone Inn & Cottages, Rock Cottage Gardens B&B Inn, Crescent Cottage Inn, Arsenic & Old Lace B & B Inn and 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast.

THE TASTE -- For $20 per person, treat lovers can visit eight B&Bs between 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday to taste various cookie and candy recipes. Judie Lockhart, owner of Main Street Inn, says each location will have two different sweets, and none will be duplicates. She will have pralines and peanut butter pumpkin swirl squares at Main Street Inn.

HOW SWEET IT IS -- Depends on which treats you sample. "Pralines are straight sugar," Lockhart says with a laugh. The peanut butter pumpkin swirl squares are not quite as sweet as the pralines, though, she says. Recipes are attached to each of the treats.

INFO -- allianceofbetterbandbs.com; contact any participating inn to purchase a ticket.

-- Kevin Kinder, Becca Martin-Brown, Ashley Batchelor, Allison Carter

NWA Media

NAN What's Up on 12/12/2014

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