Amy's Candy Bar opened in late June, its walls stocked with multicolored treats from across the world: licorice from Holland, Finland, Sweden and Australia; chocolates from New York; gumballs from Canada.

Now, owner Amy Hansen's selection of nearly 100 sugar bombs is joined by her own confections ($8 per container), including top-notch caramels and nougat.

Her small, soft lengths of caramel are made from ingredients befitting a graduate of the French Pastry School, like Plugra butter and organic cream. The sea salt caramel is gently tawny, more delicate in its toasted sugar flavor than many (including another local favorite, the darkly browned caramels at Floriole). It does double duty as the binding of a dark chocolate-cashew turtle ($3.50) as well.

Chocolate caramels are fudgy and rich, made with Belgian Callebaut chocolate. French fruit purées are used for raspberry and passion fruit caramels, which taste purely of their base--and scent the shop irresistibly when Hansen makes them daily.

Her nougat is equally chewy and excellent, with toasted pistachios and almonds folded into orange-blossom honey nougat, one of its ends wearing a coat of Belgian chocolate.

Call ahead, and Hansen can bake a batch of sugar cookies for you too.

Amy's Candy Bar, 4704 N. Damen Ave.; 773-942-6386 or amyscandybar.com