Four Inane Questions with Pickens Sweet Treats’ Natalie and Nanette Pickens
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The Pickens sisters know a thing or two about the ins and outs of the culinary field. They both spent more than 25 years in the restaurant industry working their way up from daily operations to corporate leadership. “It had been our dream to create a business together—and that dream came true in 2016 when we began Pickens Sweet Treats,” says Natalie.
The duo tells us they learned how to make candy from their mom as little girls growing up. “So, starting up our own candy company was a good fit,” adds Nanette, who handles finances and creates all the in-house recipes. “Everything from our deliciously flavorful and creamy fudge to our perfectly crunchy—but not too hard—buttery toffees.”
And because teamwork makes the dreamwork, Natalie creates the shop’s beautifully curated gift boxes and gift baskets for every occasion. “I also take care of the daily operations and all the marketing aspects of the business,” she says. “Together we make a great team!” says Natalie.
In 2020, Team Pickens began wholesaling their delectable wares nationwide and they recently opened their first storefront located on Main Street in historic Independence Square. When asked what’s flying off the shelves, they didn’t hesitate. “We pride ourselves in specializing in the best toffee and fudge you will ever taste,” says Natalie. “It’s perfect for personal gifting as well as corporate gifting,” Nanette chimes in.
We caught up with the sugar-rific siblings while they were plotting their Valentine’s plan of attack. (Which reminds us—you better get those orders in early, people.) True story—we had to go take a quick nap in our car while the duo answered our whackadoo questions. Sugar crash is a real thing, folks. Bless.
The Pitch: What dish will you absolutely, positively never order at any restaurant?
Natalie: Spaghetti is a dish that I never order at any restaurant. Don’t get me wrong I like spaghetti, but why go out and order such a basic dish of pasta when you could make it at home? I would much rather order a chef-inspired pasta dish that they created with different flavors of sauces, meats, and vegetables.
Nanette: While I’d like to say, “I’ll try any food at least once,” I don’t see myself ever ordering anything made with insects. Delicacy in some areas or not, it’s just not my cup of tea. I admit I’ve never actually tried eating an insect but the thought of putting one in my mouth and crunching down on what I can only imagine is thin bone-like legs, odd-shaped wings, and a little body that squishes when you bite into it is … just not for me.
Answer this age ol’ question—how much meringue is too much meringue? Be honest!
Natalie: A good meringue only belongs on a lemon pie about 2-inches thick and caramelized on top is about the only meringue I like. Really, does meringue belong on anything else?!
Nanette: I first have to admit I’m an extra kind of gal. I like extra sauce on my pizza, extra toppings on my desserts, extra butter on my popcorn and extra dressing on my salad. So, for me, I don’t think there is such a thing as too much meringue. I say the higher the meringue the better! My mom made a delicious lemon meringue pie. (It was my dad’s favorite.) And her meringue was always at least twice the amount of lemon filling with perfect peaks.
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Describe the perfect cup of coffee in extreme, graphic detail.
Natalie: Dark-roasted beans freshly ground and brewed to order. A good amount of ground cinnamon sprinkled in my wide-base ceramic cup then the fresh brewed coffee poured on top adding a little sugar free vanilla creamer. Mmmmm—nothing better than taking that first sip early in the morning sitting on the dock at our family lake house watching the sun come up.
Nanette: My perfect cup of coffee starts with my favorite mug. (We all have them and I’ve had mine for years.) I love a good dark-roasted, earthy blend like Sumatra, brewed fresh and hot. I like mine with a little Stevia and cinnamon with three pumps. Yes, I have a syrup pump on my bottle at home of sugar-free French vanilla syrup—and then I pour my fresh hot coffee into it. I don’t use a spoon to stir my cup, just swirl it around a little and that does the job for me. That first sip feeling gets me going. But the perfect cup of coffee is always better when shared with family and friends!
What’s the most bonkers phobia you’ve ever heard of?
Natalie: Anthophobia—the extreme fear of flowers. I don’t understand how someone can be afraid of flowers? I love flowers! To me flowers are beautiful, happiness, comfort, caring, love, celebration. Seeing a vase filled with a beautiful bouquet of flowers on my table or walking outside and seeing flowers in my garden brings me so much happiness.
Nanette: I’ll admit, I had to Google phobias to come up with this one: phobophobia is having a fear of fear. I agree it’s a big world out there and there are lots of things you can be fearful of, but I think when we have to label being fearful of having a fear of something or anything we may be overreaching a bit.
