Señor Murphy Candymaker – Santa Fe, New Mexico

There’s an ancient New Mexican cuento one of the Land of Enchantment’s most sacred traditions.  The cuento recalls a Texan and his family driving through one of New Mexico’s piñon-studded forests.  Seeing New Mexican families kneeling under piñon trees, he  commented about how devout New Mexicans are.  What he perceived as New Mexicans kneeling in prayer was actually New Mexicans kneeling on the ground to pick piñon.   All across Northern New Mexico, piñon pickers can be seen on their hands and knees, taking part in a tradition spanning generations.  It’s a laborious activity that brings entire families together.

In the Land of Enchantment, piñon is as valuable as gold if not more, particularly in recent years when drought conditions have ravaged acres of piñon forests.  Piñon trees produce good harvests every two to seven years or so with the best bounties being found at elevations between six and eight thousand feet.  The roasted flavor of good piñon is intense–sweet with a subtle hint of pine that will transport your mind and taste buds to New Mexico’s pine forests.  The rewards of a family’s efforts and the soreness of kneeling on the ground all day long are tiny nuts which will be cleaned, roasted, and seasoned for consumption.  Many families make a day of the activity, taking a break for a picnic lunch.  In an age in which family dissolution seems to be prevalent, piñon picking brings families together.

While nature has increased the scarcity of these nuggets, fortunately they are still plentiful at Señor Murphy’s.  For more than 30 years Señor Murphy has been hand-making some of the most seductively sweet confections in the country and shipping them all over the world from its Santa Fe base of operations.  The sweet smell of success begins with quality New Mexico ingredients such as red and green chiles as well as piñon nuts and is punctuated by the creativity and devotion of true master candy makers.  One of the largest candy manufacturers in New Mexico, Señor Murphy produces more than 70 tons of unique gourmet candies in over 100 varieties each year.

Señor Murphy’s piñon rolls and piñon toffee are absolutely divine with taste contrasts that complement one another perfectly.  Caramels, one of the store’s most popular selling items feature vanilla fudge dipped in caramel and rolled in piñon nuts then wrapped in corn husks to resemble New Mexico tamales, are a Christmas gift favorite.  Over the years, we’ve seen the price of Señor Murphy’s piñon rolls rise to more than ten dollars for each of these delectable rolls.  We’ve also seen vendors on the side of the road selling a pound of piñon for upwards of forty dollars.  If you’ve ever experienced the dull ache resultant from a day of picking nutty gold, you won’t consider forty dollars too pricy.

The Garduño family of Peñasco spent many an autumn day picking piñon in the Carson National Forest.  Everyone from grandparents to uncles and aunts participated.  I don’t often remember the soreness inherent with the piñon picking, but I do fondly recall the fun times had by all.  Those fun times are relived every time we visit Señor Murphy in Santa Fe.

Señor Murphy Candymaker
1904 Chamisa Street
Santa Fe, New Mexico
1-877-988-4311
LATEST VISIT: 16 November2025
# OF VISITS: 8
RATING: 21
COST: $$
BEST BET: Piñon Rolls, Piñon Toffee, Pecan Turtles