By LISA BRITTON

Baker City Herald

Jacki Adams can’t quite decide which flavor of fudge is her favorite.

At the moment she’s partial to a batch called Cinnamon Crumb Cake, made of vanilla fudge mixed with vanilla wafers and cinnamon spice.

andquot;Though the Salted Nut Roll might become my favorite,andquot; she says of a new creation made of vanilla fudge and layers of peanut butter, caramel and peanuts.

Adams owns The Sycamore Tree, and last fall she decided to sell homemade fudge on the advice of Mary Zogg, former owner of The Stoplight in La Grande.

andquot;It worked so well in her store she really pushed me to get it,andquot; Adams said.

Adams works with Calico Cottage, based in New York, and was advised to create a business plan before mixing up even one batch of fudge.

andquot;They ran the numbers and estimated how much fudge we’d sell in a year,andquot; said Lance, Jacki’s husband. andquot;By Christmas we’d already doubled what they’d estimated.andquot;

It seems the andquot;fresh fudgeandquot; sign appeals to lots of people many who might not ordinarily browse through the store.

andquot;There are a lot of people I’ve never seen before,andquot; Jacki said. andquot;People will be driving by, come in and say, ‘I saw your sign.’ andquot;

The fudge is made fresh several times a week in the store’s kitchen area, which was revamped and certified by the state. They use real cream, butter and brand name ingredients (such as Jif peanut butter and Planters peanuts).

andquot;You don’t scrimp on any ingredients,andquot; Lance said.

He’s been the primary candymaker since October, making the fudge after working a full day at his own business, McAdams Insurance.

andquot;Work at the other office until 5, come over here at 6 and work until 10 or later,andquot; he said. andquot;We had no idea it would keep us so busy.andquot;

Making sweets wasn’t really a new venture because he worked as a retail baker for 10 years before entering the insurance business.

Adams said he can make two batches 36 pounds of vanilla, 36 pounds of chocolate in four hours.

andquot;You have to be Lance to do that,andquot; Lorna Tonack said as she poured molten fudge into a measuring bowl.

Tonack is in training for fudge detail, and after only a couple lessons she and Adams can coordinate their movements in the small work space.

andquot;This definitely works better with two people,andquot; Tonack said as she smoothed a layer of fudge while Adams stood ready with another pan.

They mix the fudge ingredients in a kettle heated by a water bath that maintains a constant temperature the trick to producing a creamy, smooth fudge.

andquot;The key to chocolate is the temperature,andquot; Lance said.

So far they’ve tried 30 different types of fudge.

andquot;We try to have a new flavor every month,andquot; Jacki Adams said.

andquot;Chocolate is just one of the options,andquot; Lance Adams said.

They make classic combinations chocolate with walnuts, chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate and mint along with coffee-laced cappuccino, the nut and marshmallow mix of Rocky Road, and one that tastes like a Snickers bar.

Many are layered for full jolts of flavor the Caramel Nut Roll, for instance, with separate layers of fudge, peanut butter, caramel and peanuts.

Bubble Gum fudge appeals to both youngsters and adults with its chewy texture, the result of miniature marshmallows.

One pale green batch is Jalapeno, decorated with dried chili peppers.

andquot;That one’s good,andquot; Lance said.

andquot;There’s some controversy on that,andquot; Tonack said with a smile.

But they do both agree on a favorite.

andquot;I don’t think you can beat dark chocolate,andquot; Tonack said.

They have about 95 fudge recipes.

andquot;There are six different cheesecake fudges,andquot; Lance said.

Customers who linger at the fudge counter are treated to slivers of any flavor they fancy and maybe several tastes if the choice is too tough.

The next recipe Lance wants to try is Red Hot Cinnamon fudge.

andquot;It’s really good for those who love cinnamon,andquot; he said.

Though their system is pretty streamlined, they do admit to the occasional fudge failure.

Well, maybe andquot;failureandquot; isn’t quite the right word.

andquot;Even when it flops, it still tastes good,andquot; Lance said with a grin.