She teaches yoga at the Nashville Ballet. She’s an assistant to musician Buddy Miller. She’s a silk artist, a single mother, and she makes marshmallows — fancy, homemade square pillows of sweetness. Half dipped in chocolate, her flavors include espresso praline, chocolate chili, toasted coconut, espresso chocolate and rose cardamom.
You might have spotted her Coco Van pulled up alongside businesses across town, selling her wares with steaming cups of hot chocolate.
But as the weather warms, the transplant from Tipperary, Ireland, has yet more tricks up her silk sleeves.
How did you come up with the idea for marshmallows?
Last May, I was with my friend Nina at Cha Chah. They have this wonderful, thick, Spanish hot chocolate, and they serve it with homemade marshmallows. I’m not really that keen on the ones you get at the supermarket.
My mother is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. I spent my youth in the kitchen with her and she taught me to be an intuitive cook, so I experimented with these.
Nina said, “Please make me some for my birthday.” She shoved them into the faces of every person. The next day, I had orders for a couple of events. I registered the business in September, and it’s been flying ever since.
Can you talk about the guns in The Bang Candy Company logo?
I use a lot of gun imagery (in my silk art). It’s a nice juxtaposition. One of my friends suggested Dang Candy. I thought, “Oh, what about ‘bang’!” Everything fits in.
I know it’s insane. First of all, I hate guns. Or, I hate what people do with guns. I had one shoved in my face 13 years ago. So ever since then, they’ve been prominent in my mind.
What’s next for you?
I’ve developed these syrups — habanero-lime, ginger-rosemary, celery, strawberry-mint and lavender. I’m going to sell those on the truck with soda water, like an Italian soda type of thing. At events, it will be with a prosecco bar. We just launched it last week, and it went really, really well.
I’m also doing cocktail-inspired lollipops. Death in the Afternoon is absinthe and Champagne. Love in the Morning is rose, cardamom and brandy. I’m also doing a ginger-rosemary lemon drop.
The main sort of motive for my company is candy for adults, or candy for people with developed palates.
I’m thinking about opening a shop in Marathon Village. It will be a kitchen/laboratory/shop.
How long have you been in Nashville?
It will be seven years in April. There are so many creative people in so many different genres, but everyone’s really helpful. It could be Americans, as well. Americans are very open to seeing people do their own thing. It’s nice.
What could we always find in your home refrigerator?
I dread to think, actually. There’s usually a bottle of wine and some butter. Maybe some milk, and maybe some soggy vegetables. I haven’t had time to cook lately, but I love cooking.
Source: The Tennessean
Read more candy in the news here.