Something about cotton candy makes people of all ages smile. Now, the sugary treat is available from Puffy Cotton Candy at the Freehold Raceway Mall. In addition to traditional cotton candy, the shop offers intricate characters made of freshly spun cotton candy.
The 960-square-foot shop boasts a “pink and white candy shop vibe,” says Alyssa Corino. She owns the store with her husband, Corey. So far, the most popular cotton candy characters are their rainbow unicorn and puppy. It takes about 10 minutes to make them, since they are large and often have many parts and colors. For reference, it takes about 45 to 60 seconds to make a traditional cotton candy cloud on a stick.
Listen to The Best of New Jersey Podcast!
A Head-Turning Treat
Creations from Puffy Cotton Candy are 100% edible, including realistic facial features like eyes. (Just don’t eat the bamboo stick.) It’s recommended to eat them right after they’re made. Freshly spun, unsealed cotton candy typically remains fluffy and intact for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, air exposure causes it to melt, get sticky, shrink, or fall apart. The characters in particular are delicate, and should be handled gently and enjoyed right away. Cotton candy clouds and characters typically stay fresh and intact for an hour or two if sealed in plastic bags. They’re not meant to travel far or be saved for later as gifts.
In addition to characters and clouds, they also make custom cotton candy cakes. These come in three sizes (8- or 12-inch round cake or 19-inch sheet cake). Cakes can include up to five flavors to be stacked such as orange, vanilla, pink, or strawberry. Puffy Cotton Candy can even create custom cake toppers made entirely of cotton candy with a message and/or design. Cakes can last up to a week if sealed in an airtight plastic container. However, once the package seal is opened and the cotton candy is exposed to air, it will begin to shrink.
Puffy Cotton Candy is made using pure cane sugar, which also contains natural and artificial flavoring and coloring. Their cotton candy is gluten-free, fat-free, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and sesame-free. Most flavors include dyes, but their Birthday Cake flavor is dye free.
About Puffy Cotton Candy
The shop is available for special event catering including holiday and birthday parties, weddings, and corporate events. They’ll bring supplies, equipment and a canopy.
“Cotton candy brings me back to my childhood,” Alyssa says. “I lived at the Jersey Shore and cotton candy was always a go-to when I went with my family to the boardwalk. Kids and adults love it. Now, making it fresh spun and into a cute animal that is 2 feet tall is even more exciting.”
Visit Puffy Cotton Candy at Freehold Raceway Mall, 3710 U.S. 9 #C224 (level 2) in Freehold. Look for them online to learn more.
See the Latest Restaurants Open in New Jersey.
All Photos: © Alyssa Corino