Helliemae's handcrafted caramels.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: COLORADO COOL STUFF SMALL biz

After Ellen Daehinck worked for McKinsey & Co. and Sun Microsystems for most of the 2000s, her husband Chris urged her to go pro with her homemade caramels in 2010. Three years of triple-digit growth later, Ellen has made a name for Helliemae's small-batch confections. "You caramelize the heck out of the sugar to start with," says Ellen. She adds salt and chili powder, cardamom or coffee to create her four year-round flavors, and also makes seasonal flavors like Harvest, due out in August. Says Ellen: It's like eating a caramel apple without the mess." "So what's with the name Helliemae's? "I wanted that...