Fudge shops and coastal locales seem to go hand-in-hand. And most seaside fudge I’ve tried is, well, fine. Roly’s English Fudge ($13/pound) is in a class by itself. It’s slightly dry, yet still has a creaminess, packed with buttery caramelized flavor that keeps you nibbling away.

Roly’s is a branch of a chain of fudge shops in Great Britain, brought to us by Mike and Peggy Bristow. The couple retired in 2006 from the aviation field. “We decided we wanted to do something together,” says Mike. “We happened to think about the fudge business, and we went in search of the best fudge we could find, and it happened to be in England.”

The Bristows tasted all kinds of fudge, but realized they were on to something when they tried the crumbly confection from Devon. “Historically, fudge in this country has developed into being a soft, mushy consistency,” Mike asserts. “Roly’s is a throwback to fudge that was originally made before corn syrup was invented. I theorize they started using corn syrup because it’s cheaper and more forgiving.”

Roly’s has no corn syrup, just sugar, butter, milk, and other wholesome goodies. There are at least 10 flavors, with various specials, but, Mike says, “we probably sell more Roly’s Original than the rest of them combined.” When they opened, they called this flavor what it’s called in England: Vanilla Clotted Cream. “That name didn’t work,” Mike laughs. But if you’ve ever had clotted cream, a thick, sweet cream the texture of mascarpone with the taste of whipped cream often served with scones at teatime, then you can see the appeal.

Still, the Cadbury Chocolate is delicious as well, as is the Dark and Stormy, a flavor the Bristows created as a nod to Bermuda, where they like to travel. It’s made with rum and Chinese ginger.

The Bristows searched high and low for the optimal location, and first opened in Kennebunkport. In 2009 they sold that store and opened in Portsmouth. You can order Roly’s fudge online – but if you stop by the shop, you can also try the refreshing Gelato Fiasco from Brunswick, Maine.

Winter farmers’ markets are a fun place for food discoveries, and that’s where I met Tracey Brown and John Valdes, owners of Seacoast Butters in Amesbury. They were offering samples of their extensive line of compound butters, plain or spread on warm bread.

Compound (flavored) butter is not a new concept—it’s been used in French cooking forever. It’s great as a spread, of course, but cooks like these butters for what they can bring to a dish. A teaspoon on top of a steak or salmon fillet melts in and adds depth of flavor. Brown (the chef of the team) has obvious culinary talent, as evidenced by creative offerings like Ginger Lime Scallion and Berbere, an Ethiopian-inspired blend that includes Guajillo peppers, smoked paprika, cardamom, and other spices.

Each of the dozen-plus varieties is dense with flavor—a little goes a long way. Brown starts with organic sweet butter and adds just enough sea salt to complement the other ingredients. I love the Roasted Red Pepper, made with freshly roasted red bell peppers. Chipotle Orange has a subtle hot spike, slightly smoky, with a hint of sweetness from orange zest. It’s great melted on popcorn.

On the sweet front, Maple is perfect on pancakes. The Chocolate is incredible—deep, dark, and buttery, it can turn a simple piece of toast into a swoony dessert. Seacoast Butters are $5.75 for a 3-ounce container and are available at Wild Garlic in Amesbury and the Newburyport Winter Market. Check the website for other area stores.

I have a weakness for homemade preserves. Whenever I’m at a market, I check out the shelves for those local goodies, in search for something unusual. I hit gold when I discovered Amelia Maes & Co., with their line of hot pepper jams and jellies. Raspberry Thai Jam caught my eye – and my taste buds, since raspberry is a favorite in our house. It’s got the expected fruity sweetness of raspberry jam – and then a subtle kick from Thai and habanero peppers, plus a savory edge from red bell peppers.

Dagne (pronounced Donni) Goodwin founded the company in March of 2009. The Christmas before she had participated in a holiday craft show, selling over 150 jars of her homemade jams – and her husband Keith’s special Goodies Barbecue Sauce. When she was laid off from her human resources job a few months later, she capitalized on that success, and had her home kitchen licensed to produce jams and jellies, and the sauce. Keith is the chef behind that item (“He won’t give me the whole recipe,” Goodwin laughs). She included sweet jams like Spiced Blueberry (with cinnamon) and the best-selling Crimson Jam (with raspberries, strawberries, and cherries).

But the hot pepper line is among the most popular. In addition to the Raspberry Thai, there’s Golden Hot Pepper Jelly, with yellow bell peppers, speckles of red Thai peppers, and garlic. It’s great with cream cheese or goat cheese on crackers, and as an easy glaze for chicken. The Pineapple Habanera Hot Pepper Jelly packs a bit more heat, nice with salmon or pork. While not part of the pepper line, Cranberry Horseradish has its own bit of heat. It’s a terrific condiment in a turkey sandwich.

Amelia Maes line is available at area markets, online, or at the Goodwin’s house (call in advance). Each 8-ounce jar is $6.50; the 12-ounce bottle of barbecue sauce is the same price. Goodwin is fun to talk to, with lots of creative ideas for the different hot jellies. I’m looking forward to making a spicy raspberry Thai vinaigrette for a spinach salad.

The first time I visited Chococoa, it took a few minutes to find the store. It’s off the beaten track, a few blocks away from the main shopping area of downtown Newburyport. But it is on the Rail Trail, great for an indulgent stopover, and well worth seeking out.

Chococoa makes whoopie pies, and nothing but whoopie pies – but these are not your mother’s – or grandmother’s – whoopie pies. They are petite, compared to the usually oversized affairs, barely two inches across. But take one bite, and you know you’re experiencing something in a class of its own. The cake part is rich, moist, and intensely chocolate. Less is truly more here. “We use three types of chocolate,” says Julie Ganong, who owns the company with her husband, baker Alan Mons. Then there’s the filling, a buttercream made with organic butter, not snow-white Crisco and Fluff. There are no added preservatives of stabilizers, and the flavors are clean and pure.

There are various fillings available, in addition to classic Vanilla. Seasonal for this month is Peppermint; if you pick it up at the bakery, it comes festively decorated with crushed candy cane on the sides. A must for chocophiles it the Chocolate Chocolate, with a truffle-like chocolate ganache filling. There’s also an Espresso for coffee lovers, and a cheery pink Raspberry.

There are a couple non-chocolate whoopies, offered seasonally. For the fall and winter there’s Pumpkin, with a ginger cream cheese filling. It’s replaced in the spring with tangy Lemon cakes with a lemon cream cheese filling.

Chococoa whoopie pies are available at the shop for $1.68 a piece, or three for $4.98 (plus tax). You can also order them online, and find them in local stores. The bakery is worth a visit, as the couple carries original baked treats from several small startup companies, so you can sample all kinds of goodies.

Lagniappe

A perfect stocking stuffer: Markets of New England by Christine Chitnis (The Little Bookroom, 2011, 211 pages, $15.95). This lovely little volume is a like a compressed coffee-table book, with gorgeous photos. Chitnis offers detailed info and links to farmers markets and craft shows in the six New England states. A useful and beautiful resource.