"Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger." That popular slogan was Bart Simpson's catch-phrase for quite some time during the 1990's. Butterfinger has been a popular candy bar that has quite a delicious history.
The First Candy Bar
Chocolate had its early beginnings as a crop for Olmec Indians. Years later, chocolate was used to create a drink for the wealthy Aztecs. Over centuries, chocolate was experimented with, resulting in the wonderful creation of the candy bar. In 1847 Joseph Fry made a paste by mixing melted cacao butter with cocoa powder and sugar, pressed it into a mold, and made the first candy bar.
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Birth of the Butterfinger
In 1923, the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago created the Butterfinger candy bar, a long candy bar with a crisp, flaky peanut-butter center covered in chocolate. One Butterfinger is 270 calories...but who is counting?
The Recipe is Lost
The Curtiss Candy Company was founded in Chicago in 1916 by Otto Schnering. The company did very well and grew quickly. Butterfinger became one of their popular sellers along with the Baby Ruth. In 1981 Nabisco acquired the Curtiss Candy Company. The story is, when Nabisco gained control of the Curtiss Candy Company, the recipes for the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger were lost, but similar recipes were developed by Nabisco to keep the public happy and sales up.
New Kinds of Butterfingers
The Butterfinger has become a popular treat among people of all ages. To keep up with demand, Nestle, which acquired the brand in 1990, began to create new and improved items that featured the great peanut-buttery taste of Butterfinger. Some of the Butterfinger products featured today include the classic Butterfinger in various sizes, Butterfinger crisp (mini and king size), Butterfinger BBs (small, round pieces of Butterfinger) and the Butterfinger ice cream bar. During holidays there are jingle-bell-shaped Butterfinger candies as well as egg-shaped Butterfinger candies.
Butterfinger Recipes
Today, many Butterfinger fans have created their own recipes that incorporate the sweet taste of Butterfinger. Some recipes are cakes, ice cream, cookies and brownies.
Butterfinger Today
Butterfinger has lived a long life as one of America's favorite candy bars. Despite losing the original recipe, people still enjoy whatever recipe Nestle is using today.