Monthly Archives: February 2007

Milky Way Midnight

I am a huge fan of dark chocolate, so this one definitely caught my attention: a Milky Way bar covered in DARK chocolate. What more could I ask for??? Original Milky Way bars have been in production for over 80 years, and it was Mars, Inc’s first candy bar! When it was first made in the 1920s, a bar cost only 5¢! For a while, the company changed the name to the “Forever Yours?? bar, but finally in 2000, it earned the name Midnight for its rich, delicious dark chocolate.

Milky Way bars consist of a thick layer of nougat, which is heavily drizzled with caramel and covered in chocolate—dark chocolate in the case of the mighty Midnight. I’ve heard the nougat be described as creamy goodness, and I must say I agree. However, the chocolate coating makes a difference. In the Midnight, the nougat seems to have a more refined, bittersweet taste, whereas the milk chocolate-coated Milky Way bar tastes sweeter. The only downs side to the MW Midnight is that, like other caramel-filled candy bars, the caramel and nougat have an innate tendency to stick to anything, and in this case teeth are the obvious victims…

According to a 13-year-old Milky Way Midnight lover who wears braces, this candy bar is the worst of the best. That is, it’s one of her favorite candy bars, but she constantly gets that “sticky goodness?? stuck to her teeth. Still, she says that doesn’t stop her from enjoying the Midnight bar once in a while.  I tried to avoid so much stickiness by putting the bar in the freezer and trying to break it up and eat it frozen. Don’t try this at home. I’ve known other chocolate-covered nougat bars to taste great frozen, not to mention they’re not as sticky.  However, this one’s too big and just gets too hard to even chew!  Enjoy this at room temperature is my very strong suggestion.

One could even compare the MW Midnight bar to a dark chocolate Twix bar, only chewier. If you’re a fan of Twix bars and want to try something similar, but chewier, I would highly recommend the Milky Way Midnight. Not only is it chewier, but it’s also less sweet than the Twix and regular Milky Way bars. However, be prepared for it sticking to your teeth, because unless you are a master of caramel, this one’s bound to stick on you.

Tags: , , , ,

Snickers Cruncher

I must say that I was somewhat skeptical about trying this new Snickers Cruncher (it’s not really new, but it’s new to me). Seeing as I’m not a big fan of Snickers in general (I’m not a big fan of peanuts or caramel) you can understand my uncertainty. But as soon as I took my first bite, I found myself quickly taking another… and another… and another… Before I knew it, I was down to my last two bites. This incredibly interesting creation has grabbed my attention. Allow me to break it down for you.

The inside contains a most satisfying mixture of crispy rice, not-too-chewy caramel (it’s a perfect consistency that doesn’t cling to your teeth like other kinds), and crunchy peanut chunks.  Though the taste of the peanuts was very distinct, I can’t quite say there was a plethora of peanuts. This is great for me, since I don’t exactly fall head-over-heels for peanut anything; so for all you peanut lovers (I know you’re out there somewhere), your best bet is to stick to the regular Snickers bar.

Alas, don’t turn your back on the Cruncher yet! One thing that really caught my attention about the Cruncher is the texture and consistency of the caramel that holds together the two stars of the show—I’ve gotta give credit to the supporting actor! Because what’s a Snickers without its caramel? The caramel is smooth and creamy, but not so sticky that when you take a bite, the caramel sticks to your teeth (or your dentures). Then there is the chocolate that’s signature of Mars candy bars.

Snickers is currently celebrating over “75 years of Hunger Satisfaction,?? according to their website. And I must say, it’s about time they changed up the recipe. Its new-found crunchiness adds a fresh new twist to the age-old original, and it brings the Snickers name into the picture for the not-quite peanut lovers, like me. By the way, did you know that every day, over 99 tons of roasted peanuts go into making Snickers bars, and each bar contains approximately 16 peanuts!  (www.candydirect.com)

Tags: , , , ,

Lindor Truffles

If Heaven came down to earth in the form of a candy, it would be called the Lindor Truffle. Every little bit of this treat is pleasing to the taste buds. Rolled up in a round ball of chocolaty goodness, Lindor Truffles may very well be the best ball of milk chocolate ever made. Once you put the ball in you mouth, you are introduced to a taste that is unequaled by any other candy. First, there is a thick chocolate coating that your teeth have to bust through before you can get to the other piece of goodness. The outer shell is almost as good as what’s inside, which is a delicious glob of creamy nougat.

I know…sounds awesome, right?

But it’s even better than it sounds. The nougat is chocolate, too. This candy is just chock-full of chocolate that you won’t be able to resist after you eat one. Even if you’ve never had one, the candy will call your name if you’re just looking at it in the store. What chocolate lover can resist something called a “chocolate truffle??? Those two words together are like music to any desert-lover’s ears. The buttery texture of the truffle awaiting on the inside makes you want to eat the whole box. Because of the amount of sugar and calories in each Lindor Truffle, these are treats that are best left for a “once in a while?? desert. Maybe you can use them as a means of celebration or reward. But with their awesome taste, you will want to celebrate and reward yourself as often as you can. The packaging of each individual treat lends itself to a gift-like desert. The shiny foil wrapped around the spherical candy is fun to unwrap which only makes it harder to resist. Once a Lindor Truffle is in your hand, it is futile to even try to resist its temptations.

Chocolate truffles are a favorite desert treat all over the world and have been since their creation in the 1980s. Each culture has a different way that they prepare truffles, but one thing is consistent among the cultural creations – creamy goodness. You will not be disappointed with Lindt’s variation, either. The company produces several different flavors for their chocolates and truffles, including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, hazelnut, and so on.

Tags: , , , ,

Sip N Chew Straw

A huge candy straw? That’s an odd idea for a candy, but it is very intriguing. I was excited to see it was covered in sugar, though. In fact, it looked like it was just dipped in sugar right before being placed in the package. I think this is a product from the same company that manufactures the Sour Patch Kids candies because of its utterly sour taste and the pictures on the package. Sip N Chew Straws are also made by the American Licorice Company, so you can be sure that there is a reputable candy company behind this great idea.

The flavor of the Sip N Chew straw that I tried was the Chargin’ Cherry flavor. That was a bonus because my favorite flavor of any candy is cherry. I took the first bite, which was kind of tough, but the taste packed quite a punch. It was a strong sour taste, which I expected because the package said so. But other than the sour taste, the sugary coating created a delicious sweet combination to offset the amazingly sour taste. The cherry flavoring was strong, too. This candy was just covered in tasty goodness, but it was so sweet it made my tooth hurt a little bit. It was well worth it, though. It was the perfect relief to my sweet tooth cravings. The problem is, now I want to try the other available flavors. The only other flavor I’ve found, though, is apple. I’m not a big apple fan, but I’d be willing to give the Sour Apple Sip N Chew Straw a try.

Although this candy is marketed as a candy straw, I didn’t try it’s straw qualities. I was too focused on just eating the candy. The long slender shape resembles normal licorice, which I used to use as a straw for fun when I was younger. The fact is, the Sip N Chew Straw didn’t last long enough for me to try it as a straw. Once I took a bite, I didn’t want to take a chance in ruining the taste by putting it in a beverage. This was undoubtedly a pleasant treat that is ideal for candy connoisseurs.

Tags: , , , ,

Color Bubbles Bubble Gum Balls

Color Bubbles bubble gum brings back a lot of memories for me. As a kid, I remember going into the candy store around the corner from my house and often buying a cellophane tube of colorful pieces of bubble gum for a quarter. I don’t know if it was the attractive multi-colored balls of gum that showed through the transparent cellophane or if it was because the gum was so good, but it was one of my favorite items at that candy store. Each package contains ten pieces of bubble gum and each of them is a different flavor, although it was quite a pleasant surprise when there were two of the same flavor side-by-side. This meant that I could chew both pieces at the same time for bigger and better bubble blowing capabilities.

Once your teeth bite down for the first time on one of the balls of gum from the package, your taste buds are immediately subject to the sugary taste that you would expect with a piece of bubble gum. But the exciting part about this kind is that you want to hurry up and chew the flavor out so you can move on to the next piece. Some of the flavors include grape, cherry, blueberry, among other common flavors that have a proven success rate of tastiness. The only problem is that the flavor lasts so long in each piece, it could take you a long time to get through the entire pack. With only 15 calories and no grams of fat per piece, you can even chew the gum without feeling guilty about it.

I like putting a few different flavors in my mouth and chewing them together. This creates a tasty combination to chew on for a couple hours or so. The more pieces of gum, the bigger the bubbles you can blow, too. And isn’t blowing bubbles the fun of chewing bubble gum?

The Color Bubbles bubble gum is made in Canada and distributed through the popular Hershey Candy Company. With a name like Hershey behind it, you can be sure that it is a quality product that you will definitely enjoy.

Tags: , , , ,

Myntz! Vanillamynt Blast

I’ve never had a Myntz! before. I’ve seen them in the store, but I’ve just never had the urge to try one with all of the other breath mints on the market with proven reputations. But now I see what I’ve been missing out on. These breath mint candies are bold and refreshing in a way that other mints are not. The flavor I tried was Vanillamynt Blast, which was a different taste, to say the least. I don’t think I’ve ever had a mint or candy that was vanilla-flavored, but now I think more companies should try it. It was odd at first, but the first few seconds, I enjoyed the rest of the time it was in my mouth. One of the good things about these is that they dissolve quickly, but you still feel the breath freshening effects and the taste for hours afterwards. The quick dissolve is why there website boasts “Teeth Optional??? as a selling point to their product. Another attractive quality of the Myntz! is that they come in a handy little tin – called the Thinnie Tinnie –  for carrying convenience and to keep in the freshness.

Myntz! have been manufactured by the Vitech Company since 1996. The odd thing about this is that the Vitech Company specialized in vitamins and nutritional supplements since 1988 and it was a leader in the vitamin industry. In 1996, however, they decided to bring their expertise to the breath mint industry and created an upscale healthy sugar-free mint for consumers. But not only are they sugar-free, but they also contain no aspartame, gluten, and very few carbs for the health conscious breath mint lover. These mints also help to neutralize the acid in your mouth so they are good for your teeth, unlike many other popular breath mints on the market today. The Vitech Company produces several other flavors of Myntz!, including Peppermynt, Orchard Blend, and SuperSourz Tropical Fruit along with a new Instastrip product named Cynnamon. For added health advantages, they also produce a green tea that contains Ginseng. So as you can see, Myntz! are not only tasty, fun, and convenient, but they also give great health benefits. It is quite obvious that the Vitech Company has transferred their knowledge in vitamins to the breath mint arena to create one of the most popular brands of breath mints on the market.

Tags: , , , ,

Pixy Stix Revisited

Please keep in mind that there are other reviews that are posted by others who may or may not have the same opinion on this candy. They will post their own reviews in the future on this candy which they believe to be incredible.

Does it get any better than Pixy Stix? I mean, seriously. It’s as simple as flavored sugar in a paper straw that you can just pour directly into your mouth. The only thing that would make it better is if they could just ingest the sugar directly into your veins. The small Pixy Stix are great if you just need a quick sugar fix and some quick energy, but the bigger mega-sized plastic ones are ideal for an all-night sugar high. With a variety of flavors – cherry, blueberry, grape, and orange, among others – you are sure to not be disappointed by your taste options. The best thing about the small paper ones is that you empty the entire thing into your mouth in a matter of seconds. The trick is to be sure that the paper doesn’t get wet or else it will moisten the sugar and slow it down from getting in your mouth.

I have a long history with Pixy Stix. In high school, my friends and I would go out for a night on the town and my drug of choice was sugar. I would load up on a couple of the giant Pixy Stix (preferably cherry) and a Jolt Cola or two. I would be wired for the entire night. This combination made for some exciting and fun-filled nights that otherwise wouldn’t have been without the Pixy Stix. I also used to carry a couple around with me to my classes. Whenever the teacher started rambling about the Egyptian mythology or something, I would take a few “hits??? from the Stix just to help me stay awake for the entire hour.

I’m sure many other people have similar stories. Since these simple yet awesome pieces of candy genius have been around for several decades. The Willy Wonka Company has added other flavors to the popular Pixy Stix line, too, including cinnamon, apple, melon, and Maui Punch. Since it is a subsidiary of the larger Nestle candy company, confectionary lovers can be sure that their favorite sugar-filled straws will continue to satisfy their proverbial sugar-tooth with its simplicity and sugary goodness.

Tags: , , , ,

Annabelle’s Rocky Road

I bit into this piece of candy not knowing what to expect. I’d never heard of the Annabelle’s candy company before trying their most popular Rocky Road variety. I was hesitant about the first bite because I’m not a big fan of marshmallow, which is what the center is entirely made of. But I was pleasantly surprised. Annabelle’s Rocky Road is a chocolate covered marshmallow treat with cashews on the inside, although I didn’t notice any in my piece. That’s just as well, though, because the minty green marshmallow was enough to get me hooked. There’s just something about the combination of chocolate, mint and marshmallow that I couldn’t resist. It was a very soft chew which is something that I’m always looking for with my candy. I don’t really like crunchy treats or candy that crunches too much, so the marshmallow was just an added bonus to the minty chocolate taste. And with only 45 calories and 2 grams of fat per piece, I think I’m going to the store today to buy a few more.

After eating this, I wanted to find out more about the company to see what other treats they make. The Annabelle Candy Company has actually been around for a long time. A Russian immigrant who wanted to make some of the best candy that the country had seen started it. The company took off in 1950 from San Francisco and was named after the immigrant’s daughter, Annabelle. When he died in 1971, the control of the company was to Annabelle. Currently, her children run the company and it is one of the largest independently owned candy manufacturers in the country.

What’s even better than that? The candy made by Annabelle’s Candy Company continues to be made by hand. What company still does that? You can be sure that your Annabelle’s candy is made with quality products and each piece is handled carefully. It’s almost like each piece was created just for you. Since the company’s beginning, they have also added other flavors and creations, all involving the best chocolate products and treats that are sure to please any candy-lover’s taste buds.

Tags: , , , ,

Bubble Gum Smarties

 

Was there really an improvement needed for the classic Smarties candy? I didn’t think so, but then I tried the Bubble Gum Smarties. While I still enjoy the classic taste of the original Smarties, the bubble gum innovation was clever and still pretty tasty. As a matter of fact, when I first noticed the package, I thought maybe it was just bubble gum flavored Smarties, but then I put one in my mouth and bit down. I was surprised to notice that it was chewy instead of crumbling like their classic counterpart. The Bubble Gum Smarties even come packaged in the original type of package – the small tube of candies wrapped in transparent cellophane. Inside the plastic is 10 small tablets that are full of semi-sour flavored candies that you can’t enjoy one at a time because they are so good. The vivid color of each tablet give it an alluring appearance along with the simple packaging.  The same is true of the Bubble Gum Smarties, only you can chew all of the pieces together to create a medium-sized piece of gum that’s full of flavor. Although these pieces provide for a soft chew, the only problem with the Bubble Gum Smarties is that the gum flavor doesn’t last very long. If long-lasting flavor is your goal, you should savor the pieces by enjoying them one by one. However, if you want good bubble-blowing capabilities, you have to chew at least half of the pack at one time to create a great piece of bubble gum.

The Bubble Gum Smarties are manufactured by CeDe Candy, Inc. Other than the Smarties variations of treats, the company has also been known for candy necklaces, watches, lipsticks, and bracelets that are popular among little kids during Valentine’s Day and other holidays. Other variations include Smarties money themed candies along with Sour Smarties. They also offer their variation of lollipops and double lollipops with the classic taste that candy lovers have come to expect from Smarties. It seems that the CeDe company found a formula that works and stuck with it, which is a good thing. You can buy Smarties brand candies either in individual quantities or in bulk, depending on your needs.

Tic Tac Lime

 

Who’s not a fan of Tic-Tacs? Tic-Tacs are the signature breath freshening candy with the recognizable rattle that everybody is familiar with. As popular as it is, though, Tic-Tacs aren’t the best idea for church or funerals because of their noisy nature. I tried the lime flavored Tic-Tacs, which I’ve never tried before. I was pleasantly surprised. I’m normally not a huge lime flavor lover, but after putting one of these in my mouth, I immediately put another handful in to follow it. I think that’s the best way to enjoy Tic-Tacs. Sure, you can do one or two at a time, but you don’t get the full flavor explosion that you would get by putting half of the box in your mouth at one time. For an even bigger taste experience, you can put all 37 little pieces in your mouth at the same time, but the only problem is that they don’t last as long if you do it that way. But it’s well worth it.

These pill-like breath fresheners have been one of the leading breath candies on the market for a number of years. I can see why. They are very addicting and refreshing at the same time. One of the things that has made Tic-Tacs popular is their many tasty flavors that they have introduced. Their website says that they have flavors that will match any mood or outfit so you can use Tic-Tacs as an accessory to your clothing. Although it’s meant as a joke, it contains some truth to it. The bold, vivid colors for each flavor are sure to match any wardrobe. The Lime ones that I tried are a bold lime green color. Other flavors include Cinnamon (an electrifying red color), Spearmint (a pure white color), and Orange (you guessed it, a vibrant orange color), among many others. The company is constantly adding new bold flavors, too.

Tic-Tac’s website is almost as much fun as the candy itself. It has a little quiz you can take to determine your Tic-Tac “type.??? You will also find links to Tic-Tac related art along with computer arcade games with a Tic-Tac theme. Other links showcase the various Tic-Tac advertising campaigns from past years and current campaigns as well as a list of popular culture references that have included Tic-Tacs. Their website is dedicated to fully saturating the visitors with Tic-Tac related stuff.