More than 1,000 Houstonians flock to Papabubble each year to craft their own candy canes.
You might feel like you’ve won a golden ticket the moment you sign up for one of Papabubble’s Christmas candy classes. Step inside, and the sharp, refreshing scent of peppermint fills the air—an instant signal that you’re in for something sweet.
Headquartered in Houston, Papabubble is an artisanal candy shop that produces all its sweets in-house. Throughout the year, the team hosts candy-making classes at its Heights Central brick-and-mortar location and offers private bookings for larger groups. During the holidays, however, candy cane classes surge in popularity, drawing couples for festive date nights and families seeking hands-on winter break activities.
According to CEO Jesse Cushman, the classes began as a way to offer customers something beyond simply buying candy—an opportunity to create a new holiday tradition. The idea quickly resonated, particularly with families and corporate groups seeking a festive experience that doesn’t revolve around drinking.
This holiday activity offers a bonding hands-on activity for family and friends.
By Christmas, roughly 1,000 people will have tested their candy-pulling skills in Papabubble’s holiday classes. No specialized skills are required, only a willingness to put your phone down and put your hands to work. Before long, you’ll feel it: the gentle burn of a hand workout from twisting, pulling, and shaping candy into a jumbo candy cane, a Santa hat lollipop, and a classic red-and-white swirl.
The process begins with a precise sugar mixture poured onto a cooling table. Red and white coloring is folded in as a Papabubble team member mixes and molds the glossy mass into two thick, log-like shapes. Those logs are then transferred to a warming table, where the candy stays pliable. This is when the hands-on portion of the class truly begins.
The required techniques—a combination of stretching, shaping, and snipping—can be simple yet tiring.
For the Santa hat lollipop, each participant receives a piece of red candy to shape into a triangle, along with two pieces of white candy they mold into a brim and pom-pom. The pieces are assembled by hand, pressed together, and finished by inserting a stick.
Classic candy canes and swirled lollipops—confections that have delighted generations—begin as large blocks of red and white candy laid side by side on the warming table. Thinner strips in alternating colors are layered beside them. The Papabubble instructor then squishes, stretches, and twists the bundle into a flexible rope that slowly transforms into a gleaming candy stick.
Snip, snip.
Oversize scissors snip the rope into individual portions. From there, attendees bend their pieces into canes or roll them into lollipops, adding sticks as the candy cools and sets. Once hardened, the reward is immediate: tasting your own handiwork.
The sweet result.
