New Centre County business specializes in sweet treats rooted in family traditions

This month, Tammy Hosterman launched Comfort Cravings in Penns Valley. However, this new business — which she describes as a combination bakery and confectionary — has been a long time coming, rooted in traditions passed down from Hosterman’s mother and grandmother.

“I always tell my husband, you have to dream it first, to make it come true, and this is something I’ve been dreaming of for quite a few years,” she said. “I’ve always loved to bake and make candies ... and I grew up doing those things with my mom and grandmother, who are the inspiration behind a lot of what I’m doing.”

Both at events throughout Centre County and via custom orders, Hosterman offers gourmet cookies, caramel apples and candies like hand-rolled caramel creams and fudge, utilizing her and her family’s original recipes. Already, she said, she’s been receiving positive feedback from the community.

“We’re really excited and humbled by that, and have had a lot of fun,” she added.

December, Hosterman had decided, was the perfect opportunity to debut the business, with many of her items appealing to a certain holiday nostalgia and not widely available just anywhere in Happy Valley.

“I made, for the holiday season, [my grandma’s] peppermint patties and potato candy. Those are both a huge hit, because people grew up with those kinds of things at their grandma’s table, but it’s not something they would see out at a fair ...” she said.

Other items in the lineup have easy year-round appeal, like Hosterman’s homemade “buttery, sweet, silky” caramel, which appears in the hand-rolled caramel creams and on the caramel apples, as well as the fudge, which comes courtesy of Hosterman’s mother’s recipe. Both the peanut butter fudge and caramel creams, she said, have easily been her top-sellers thus far.

Looking to 2026, Hosterman hopes to expand into other specialty treats, like chocolate-covered caramels and turtles, and more fudge flavors (current flavors include chocolate, chocolate walnut, peanut butter, teaberry and creamsicle), plus tap into even more family recipes, while also incorporating some seasonal items into the mix.

“February we’ll be focusing on the Super Bowl. We’ll be planning some sweet trays for your Super Bowl gathering, and then Valentine’s [Day], of course, and then we will head into Easter. We have a lot of goodies planned for that. We’ll be doing our fudge eggs in many different flavors. Then, of course, we’ll move into Mother’s and Father’s Day, and I hope to be part of a few spring and summer fair lineups,” she said.

And if you’re already thinking ahead to your Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day plans, Hosterman hints at tempting upcoming options like specialty chocolate gift boxes, chocolate-covered Oreos and pretzels, and football and Valentine’s Day-themed caramel apples.

All the hard work, Hosterman hopes, will culminate in, eventually — possibly as soon as in a year or two — a brick-and-mortar storefront. She’d like to keep her business in Penns Valley, but wants to prioritize a location with a nostalgic feel and high foot traffic.

“We’ll just have to see how things go. We’ve been incredibly humbled with the support and reviews that we’ve received from the community thus far,” she said.

Hosterman added that her new business would not be possible without the support of her family and friends.

“ I’m excited to see where this goes,” she said. “It’s been a dream for a very long time. We believe that our treats are perfect for any gift or gathering, and that’s what we hope to see as we move forward, is Comfort Cravings at every gathering or kitchen table, no matter how big or small.”

Customers can view Comfort Cravings’ current menu and prices at comfort-cravings.com. Orders can be placed right on the website, on Facebook and via email, at tamhosterman@gmail.com.

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.