Sweets for Valentine’s Day…and Year Round

Delicious candy made right at Kellerhaus. (Courtesy Photo/Kellerhaus)

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Much is happening at Kellerhaus, and it’s only partly due to the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

“We are busy year-round,” explains co-owner Daryl Dawson. “We do a lot of prep, and it gets busy the week of Valentine’s Day. We see a lot of customers come in that week - and even Valentine’s Day – to choose candies and other gifts for their special someone.”

No one knows the wide variety of homemade candies available like the chocolatiers at Kellerhaus. The Kellerhaus chocolatiers craft candies year-round, and they have a good feel for the many candies customers love and buy for themselves or others. In other words, Kellerhaus really knows chocolate.

Exactly what is a chocolatier? Daryl explains, “It is someone trained in culinary arts with a specialization in chocolate.” The Kellerhaus chocolatiers have a combined experience of over 30 years making chocolates and candy. Kellerhaus chocolatiers are experienced in making chocolate molds, creams, caramels, brittles, toffee, and the many other varieties of candies and chocolate.

“For Valentine’s Day, we have specialty heart-shaped Oreos, hot chocolate bombs, boxes of candies with heart-shaped windows, among many other sweet items. During holidays like Christmas, we are very busy, and our handmade candy canes are something we are very proud of. It’s just one of many traditions here at Kellerhaus,” Daryl points out.

Chocolate pops are also very popular, as well as items from the gift shop, where browsers can find everything from handmade items to the well-known JellyCat plush. Also offered are greeting cards made by a local artist and other wonderful items, such as Christmas ornaments.

“I am working on bringing in more locally made items, which we know customers appreciate,” Daryl continues.

When Daryl bought Kellerhaus in 2017, he sought something completely different from his prior career. He found it at Kellerhaus. Kellerhaus still uses Keller family recipes and also creates new confections for the shop. “Kellerhaus has nostalgia and history, and I wanted to continue that,” he says.

Many people return to Kellerhaus again and again because it holds very special memories. People recall visiting as children (Kellerhaus started in 1906 as a confectioner’s shop in downtown Laconia). The original owner, Otto G. Keller, ran the business for many years until it was relocated to a beautiful home-turned-candy shop in Weirs Beach.) Older customers bring their children and grandchildren, carrying on a sweet tradition.

These and other customers love that much of the handmade candy still uses old Keller family recipes. “We use recipes for buttercrunch, fudge, peanut brittle, candy creams, and caramels,” Daryl explains.

Because Kellerhaus knows chocolate and how to create the most delicious candies, they have a sense of what customer favorites might be. “The most popular candies are chocolates, of course, as well as buttercrunch, chocolate pops, and dark, milk, and white chocolates.

“We make candies daily to keep up with demand; we produce a lot. As well as walk-in traffic, we have an online store where customers can buy their favorites,” he adds.

Always experimenting, Daryl smiles when asked about last summer’s pickle ice cream. All Kellerhaus ice cream is made in-house, and the assortment has grown over the years, but pickle was a fun specialty flavor.

“We used to have a few ice cream flavors, but now we offer over 30, including sugar-free and sorbets,” Daryl explains. “Vanilla and Cookie Monster are still the favorites.” Vanilla is also great for those who enjoy the topping bar.

The pickle ice cream was a source of consternation for many who saw the flavor advertised on the exterior Kellerhaus sign last summer. Kellerhaus chocolatiers and ice cream makers understand the methods for working with sugar and flavors for candy and ice cream. They strive to be inventive with their flavor choices and pickle ice cream was a great flavor to try. Kellerhaus hopes to find more innovative flavor combinations in the future.

The brave experiment was a hit. Many ice cream lovers tried the pickle ice cream and found it delicious. The flavor was so unusual and popular that the TV show NH Chronicle came to Kellerhaus to film a segment about it. (The Chronicle staff who attended sampled and liked the ice cream, too!)

The topping bar is extremely popular, with a wide variety of flavors to complement any Kellerhaus ice cream. All toppings are homemade at Kellerhaus, including hot fudge, chocolate, caramel, marshmallow, and more, along with candies and nuts. Sundae lovers can complete a trip through the ice cream bar with a generous squirt of whipped cream and a charming little American paper flag to finish off a sweet treat.

There is always something new in the works to improve the offerings at Kellerhaus, and presently, Daryl and his staff are focused on the wedding world. It stands to reason that sweets and weddings go together, and Kellerhaus is offering a wide variety of handmade chocolates (and other candy) for boxed wedding favors.

Wedding favors have always been offered at Kellerhaus, but they are expanding the variety and flexibility for brides. Focusing on “turning chocolates into timeless memories,” brides can select gourmet chocolates, truffles, creams, caramels, jellies, and meltaways—all handcrafted in small batches from Kellerhaus recipes.

Custom decorating is another way to personalize a wedding; the candy makers at Kellerhaus can match wedding colors or theme for a unique favor.

Candy boxes for wedding favors can feature the bride and groom's names, wedding date, and special sayings. Some brides opt for custom bags for candy, fudge, or chocolates. Custom tags are another option.

The favors offered include two- and four-piece chocolate boxes, truffle boxes, custom chocolate, and candy bags. Oreo cakes are available for those who want a unique wedding cake.

Valentine’s Day is definitely a special time, with orders for candy and other confections coming in at Kellerhaus. The staff relish this time of year when customers arrive looking for something sweet for their sweetie and leave with smiles, knowing they are gifting a special someone the best treat possible.

Giving back to the community is important to Kellerhaus, and in keeping with that commitment, they are hoping to work more with some local schools to do fundraisers. If anyone is interested in doing fundraisers for their school, reach out and see what Kellerhaus has to offer.

At Kellerhaus, you will always find a sweet, unique, and chocolatey treat, whether it’s Valentine’s Day or any time of year.

Go to www.kellerhaus.com, call 603-366-4466, or visit Kellerhaus, located at 259 Endicott St. North in Laconia, NH.