Home > Confectionery

• In British and Hiberno-English, "sweets"
• In Australian English and New Zealand English, "lollies"
• In American English, " candy" (although this term can also refer to a specific range of confectionery and does not include some items called confectionery, see below and the separate article on candy).

Confectionery items include sweets, lollies, candy bars, chocolate and other sweet items of snack food. The term does not generally apply to cakes, biscuits or puddings which require cutlery to consume, although exceptions such as petits fours or meringues exist. Speakers in the United States do not refer to these items as "candy."

American English classifies many confections as candy. The many categories and types of candy include:

• Hard candy: Based on sugars cooked to the hard-crack stage, including suckerA fish of the family Catostomidae. A basal shoot of a tree or other plant that competes with the main stem, or a shoot from a lower limb which competes with that limb, such as certain branches of the tomato plant. The organ by which some organisms, such as (known as boiled sweets in British English), lollipopA lollipop is a type of confectionery consisting mainly of hardened, flavored sugar mounted on a stick and sucked. It was first invented in 1924 by the noted Baltimore candy manufacturer, Derfy Lmtd. Founded by Benny, Eric, Chris & Co. Confectionaries, ths, jawbreakers, lemon drops, peppermint drops and disks, candy canes, rock candyRock candy is a type of confectionery composed of large relatively perfect crystals of sugar. Homemade rock candy is commonly formed by allowing a solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a string or some other surface. Superheating the solution by, etc.
• FudgeFudge is a type of confectionery, usually extremely rich and often flavored with chocolate. It is made by boiling sugar in milk to the soft-ball stage, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. Fudge was: Although some people regard any soft, chocolate-flavored confection as 'fudge', the name properly refers to a confection of milk and sugar boiled to the soft-ball stage.
• ToffeeToffee or taffy is a confection made to a variety of recipes by boiling together molasses, treacle or sugar with butter, milk and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until the temperature reaches 305 320°F (known as the hard crack stage to confectio (or Taffy): Based on sugars cooked to the soft-ball stage and then pulled to create an elastic texture.
• TabletFor other meanings please see Tablet (disambiguation A pharmacological tablet is a medicinal or other active substance mixed with binder powders and pressed into a tablet form. Most tablets are circular, or disk-shaped, but recent decades have seen many t: A crumbly milk-based soft candy, based on sugars cooked to the soft-ball stage. Comes in several forms, such as wafers and heart shapes.
• Chocolates: Used in the plural, usually referring to small balled centers covered with chocolate to create bite-sized confectionery. Chocolates should consist of almost all chocolate.
• Licorice: Containing extract of the licorice root. Chewier and more resilient than gum/gelatin candies, but still designed for swallowing.

However not all confections equate to "candy" in the strict sense. Non-candy confections include:

• Pastry: A baked confection whose dough is rich in butter, which was dispersed through the pastry prior to baking, resulting in a light, flaky texture; see also pie and tart.
• Chewing gum: Uniquely made to be chewed, not swallowed.
• Gum/Gelatin candies: Based on gelatins, including gum drops, jujubes, turkish delight, jelly beans, gummies, etc.
• Ice cream: A suspension of microscopic ice crystals in cream; also ice cream cones.
• Marshmallow: " Peeps" (a trade name), circus peanuts, etc.
• Marzipan: An almond-based confection, doughy in consistency, and often formed into shapes mimicking (for example) fruits, which marzipan-makers can then paint with food colorants.
• Halvah: Confectionery based on tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds.
• Divinity: A nougat-like confectionery based on egg whites with chopped nuts.

A note on spelling: a purveyor of confections, a confectionary, retails the product confectionery. Thus "Mr Smith's confectionary sells confectionery made by Mrs Smith."