Smell… but please don’t eat
The Avenue News, March 19, 2008
By Judy Taylor
THE AVENUE NEWS STAFF
It smells like a bakery. It even looks like a bakery. There are trays and trays of pies, cookies and muffins lined neatly on shelves.
Karen Jones is using a hand mixer. She is mixing crust for pies. She’s been making pies, cookies and muffins among other baked goods for five years.
But what seems to be baked goods … aren’t really baked goods at all. They are candles.
Fizzle Bean Candle Company produces food related candles with scents such as buttercreme, caramel apple, raspberry, sugar cookie, coffee break and snickerdoodle. All are handmade in food shapes so realistic it is hard not to pick up something and take a bite.
Owners Wendy Sinclitico and Barbara Holt bought the company from friends, a mother and her daughter, in July of 2007.
The new owners knew nothing about candle making. The previous owners helped them learn, as did Jones. The candles start as plain blocks of wax. It is melted in four 100-pound melters.
“The wax gets to about 150 to 180 degrees. It’s pretty hot but not enough to scald you,” said Jones.
The scent and coloring is added and the wax is poured into molds. It dries and the smaller berries or melts are dumped out ready to be packaged or added to the pies, muffins, cupcakes or cookies.
The larger items, such as the pies or muffin molds are poured and set to dry with the wick inserted. Most dry overnight.
For the pies, the crust is made with a wax, which is softened and whipped. The wax crusts are molded by hand while the wax is soft. The item must be put aside again to dry.
The fruit topping or filling is then added and a glaze is poured over the pie. The largest of the candles require three days to produce.
Packaging also takes place at the Pulaski Highway location.
Pies go into boxes, the same as any other pie. Cookie tarts, melting tarts and small candies are put in clear boxes. Muffins are wrapped individually.
Specialty items, such as latte mugs, votives and cinnamon buns are also wrapped in clear paper.
“We really got slammed at Christmas for orders. We had friends and family come in and help out,” said Holt.
The holiday season saw snowmen, gingerbread men and many other specialty items, many in holiday baskets for purchase.
At present the company is gearing up for Easter with jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, cupcakes with jelly beans atop and Easter baskets.
“We make specialty orders for baby and bridal showers and wedding favors,” said Sinclitico.
“Our most popular items are the hot apple pies and the apple cinnamon muffins,” added Holt.
Burning the candles takes little care. The instructions are posted on each item’s packaging.
“When you are first burning a candle, you should extinguish it after one hour. Let the candle cool and then re-light it. This lets the candle burn evenly,” advised Sinclitico. “The scent will last forever, even if the candle isn’t used and is left in the packaging for a while. The left over wax after the wick is completely burned can be shaved and used as melts.”
Holt and Sinclitico are now concentrating on growing the business.
They are attending a show in Virginia Beach to show their wares and recently had a booth at the Odd Fellows Hall in Kingsville.
Sinclitico lives in White Marsh and Holt in Kingsville. Sinclitico attended Overlea High School, while Holt attended The Catholic High School and received her degree from Villa Julie. She is a certified public accountant and handles the business side of the company.
Fizzle-Bean Candle Company products are available both retail and wholesale. The web site www.fizzlebean.com is responsible for a good majority of the orders, which are shipped nationwide.
The products are also available at the 9724 Pulaski Hwy. location, The Lot on Eastern Avenue in Middle River and at Fizzle Bean and Friends Country Store, 5007 Honeygo Center Drive.
To contact Fizzle-Bean Candle Company, call 410-838-5085, fax 410-686-4164 or email fbcandles@comcast.net
