But first, a few words about these decadent candies!  These artisan nut butter brittles in unique flavors including sesame, which is traditional in Iran, and almond, another Iranian flavor, as well as cashew, pecan and macadamia – coconut.  Kathy and Rohy strive for a true homemade taste, using only the finest all-natural and Kosher ingredients including pure honey, 100% maple syrup and real butter.  “My mom will taste batch after batch and if it doesn’t have that authentic homemade taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture, she won’t sell it,” said Kathy.  The duo also has firm standards on the density of nuts in their brittles, which is another defining characteristic of Mama’s Goodies.

My favorite? I was intrigued by the sesame brittle, which is actually very delicate.  And true to her word, the brittles really do melt in your mouth – not the sticky, gooey brittles that leave you looking for a toothpick.  My next favorite is the cashew, which is my favorite nut – it’s a really good balance of the sweetness of the honey and the saltiness of the nut. But having said that, I loved the pecan as well.  So you’ll just have to try them for yourself and tell me your favorite.

Mama’s Goodies Nut Brittles can be ordered online at http://mamasgoodies.com and are priced at $4.99 for a 4-ounce bag.  The Cashew Nut Brittle and Almond Nut Brittle both highlight the traditional flavors of those nuts. The Pecan Nut Brittle has a toasted pecan flavor with dark pecan chunks throughout. The Macadamia and Coconut Nut Crunch features sweet toasty coconut with a signature macadamia nut flavor. Finally, the Sesame Seed Butter Nut Crunch exhibits toasty flavor notes with an almost-Asian flair, and is the traditional nut brittle eaten in Iran.

Now for their truly inspirational story:

In 1979, Rohy Khorshidian, her husband and their four young daughters fled Iran for a better life in the United States.  They left behind their personal belongs but retained the things deeply rooted in their heritage.  And one of those things was Rohy’s old-world family recipe for nut butter brittles.

In those early years as new immigrants, Rohy strived to help her family adjust to their new life.  One thing she did to “make her feel at home” was to work in the kitchen making her nut brittles that she had become known for in Iran.   She began with the traditional flavors of sesame and almond.   Before long, Rohy was recognized throughout the community for her nut brittles, often taking them to family gatherings and giving them to neighbors as gifts.  When she was invited to an event, the host would often call and say, “don’t bring anything except your nut brittle.”

Her daughter Kathy saw an opportunity.  As a former businesswoman turned stay-home-mom, Kathy saw an opportunity to market her mother’s brittles, but also to teach her young children the importance of following your dream. Kathy lost her husband to a sudden illness when her children were only 9 and 5 years old.  Today, her son Ryan is 14 and her daughter Dana is 10 years old.   She wanted to show her own children the importance of pursuing your passion, moving forward and feeding entrepreneurial spirit.

And thus, in 2008, Mama’s Goodies was born.

Today, Mama’s Goodies produces five unique flavors of nut butter brittles – sesame, almond, cashew, pecan and macadamia-coconut.  Although their product is produced in a commercial kitchen, Rohy and Kathy are always there to taste and approve each batch to insure they have that old-world, homemade quality.