We know that companies are making a killing selling 100-calorie and individually wrapped snacks. In the health-crazed culture we live in, people don’t want to give up their favorite snacks entirely. That’s where Hershey’s York Peppermint Wafer Bar comes in. Tasting a bit like the chocolate and mint Grasshopper cookies by Keebler, these York bars are covered in milk chocolate and filled with minty goodness. Two 3-inch chocolate wafers round out the snack, which weighs in at only 6 grams of fat and 11 grams of carbs for those who are counting. I think these York Wafers taste great, with a crisp mint flavor peeking through a chocolate crunchy coating. In fact, I wasn’t expecting to get such a powerful minty taste from such a small package. My only complaint with this snack is that there’s not more to share. But the health-conscious crowd will really dig these new and improved York candy bars.

Since the 1920’s, The York Company (named after its headquarters in Pennsylvania) introduced its famous Peppermint Patty in 1940. After the demand grew for this minty chocolate treat, the company decided to focus on these exclusively and immediately shut off production of their other products, mainly ice cream cones. The York Patty was then sold to the Peter-Paul Company in the mid 1970’s, and was later acquired by Cadbury Schweppes. Hershey’s merged with Cadbury Schweppes in 1988, and the rest is candy history.

In recent years, York Peppermint Patties have mostly remained unchanged (why mess with a good thing?), but I’m quite impressed by the 100 Calorie Wafer Bar. It’s a tasty snack to take with you on the road, and the crunchy texture makes it feel more filling than the traditional peppermint patty. But it’s hard to get too filled by this low-calorie snack. Grab a couple when you’re feeling naughty.

Tags: York, Low calorie candy, wafer candy, mint chocolate, sweets

Atkinson’s most famous candy, Chick-O-Sticks are a cultural icon. Quite a nostalgic treat, these candies are a favorite of the generation that grew up rocking out to Elvis and cutting loose with the Jitterbug or the Lindy Hop. Lucky for us, these candies are still sold widely today. Chick-O-Sticks are made from a recipe of finely ground and roasted peanuts mixed with granulated sugar. The mixture is then rolled into candy sticks and topped with toasted coconut. If you like Butterfingers, you may like Chick-O-Sticks, because the filling of both is virtually the same. Or, like me, you may just wonder where all the chocolate coating went. Still, the Atkinson’s company is doing their own thing, and the resulting candy pieces are flaky, crunchy, and a bit like tightly wound peanut brittle. The taste is good, but these orange-colored nuggets will get stuck in your teeth, so keep a toothbrush handy for afterward. I liked these overall, but I wouldn’t eat a bag full, or even crave them. And that’s coming from a fan of both peanut butter and coconut. A plus to these candies it that they are individually wrapped and they will not melt in the heat. With two grams of fat and 80 calories per serving, you won’t have your fitness instructor on your tail.

Sold in longer sticks or smaller, bite-size pieces, Chick-O-Sticks are founded in a strong candy-making tradition. The Atkinson’s Company has been making sweets since 1932 from their home in Lufkin, Texas. The company is family-owned and produces other quality products like Old Fashion Peanut Brittle, Assorted Sours, Mint Twists, Long Boys (chewy coconut caramels), Rainbow Coconut and Peanut Butter Bars. By far the most popular, Chick-O-Sticks are a great invention, and one that we hope will be around for future generations of candy aficionados.

Tags: crunchy, peanut butter, toasted coconut, honeycombed, sweets

“They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysteriously spooky….” No, these aren’t creepy, but they are Kandy Kookies (pronounced cookie, not kooky). Colorful, candy-coated drops about the size of a Junior Mint, Kandy Kookies are most similar to malted milk balls. But they also have a hint of chocolate chip cookie flavor to them. You could almost identify these bite-size treats as candy-coated Cookie Crisp cereal. Almost.

Available in five-pound bulk bags or smaller eight-ounce gift bags, these candies may be a taste worth acquiring. Here’s the concept: If you are craving a cookie, but don’t want to eat a whole one, you can just eat one of these Kandy Kookies. But I think you will be disappointed if you are expecting a fresh-from-the-oven Toll House cookie. If you come in expecting a piece of candy and not a cookie, you will be much better off, and more likely to walk away with a grin on your face. Note: These candies aren’t bad at all. Like sweet, crunchy M&M’s on steroids, they come in a mix of fun colors, though I can’t distinguish any difference in flavors between the various candy shells.

The Reno-based Kimmie Candy Company is the culprit behind Kandy Kookies. (Just try to say that sentence five times fast). Started only eight years ago, the company was the concept of agricultural worker Joe Dutra. He simply wanted to market his “Sunbursts” (sunflower seeds with layers of chocolate and candy coating) as a snack that is actually healthy to eat… or at least better for you than many other snacks. In less than a decade, the company burst into the scene, expanding nationwide and now distributed internationally. Their other products include Choco Rocks (candy-coated chocolate that really looks like pebbles!), Heart Tarts, Peanut Crunchers, Gold Nuggets, and Baby Dino Eggs among others. Pick up some Kandy Kookies for your candy jar, and don’t forget to share.

Tags: candy coated, candy cookies, chocolate, bite size candy, sweets

In June 2006, Hershey’s first rolled out its 100 Calorie Snacks like Reese’s Pieces mixed with multigrain cereal. Perhaps this was to go along with the trend already set in place by Nabisco with their 100 Calorie Packs of popular cookies and crackers. After all, 100 calories doesn’t sound like a lot for a snack. The average person burns off that many calories sleeping at night—right? In any case, the newest 100 Calorie bar from Hershey’s is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Wafer. At 6 grams of fat and 11 grams of carbs, this snack is surprisingly small and probably more satisfying to a bird than a human. But dieters will delight in this convenient .67-ounce wafer layered with peanut butter and covered in Hershey’s chocolate.

I opened this wrapper a little skeptically, the calorie content staring me back in the face. I was expecting something like a peanut butter granola bar, but what I got was more like a Little Debbie Nutty Bar with only a fraction of the guilt! Inside the wrapper were two very thin, 3-inch-long wafers. The first bite led me to an intense peanut butter and chocolate sensation. This did not taste like diet food—that’s for sure. It is just a smaller portion of the already delectable Reese’s peanut butter and Hershey’s chocolate combo. This wafer had more than a hint of great taste. It was more like an explosion of peanut butter.

Dieters, don’t be fooled into thinking this is good for you—there is no substantial nutritional value. You’d actually be better off eating one bite of the candy bar you are actually craving, but that takes a whole lot of willpower. This already packaged portion is great to pop in your purse or desk drawer and pull out when the craving hits. A hundred calories is a fair compromise for the amount of flavor packed into this little wafer that could.

Tags: Reese’s, peanut butter, chocolate wafer, low calorie snack, sweets

Specializing in old-fashioned candies, Espeez (the candy-making division of Las Vegas’s SP Enterprises) is nonetheless a company on the move. Since 1993, they’ve made sweet treats such as their Rock Candy (the kind on wooden sticks), Gold Mine bubble gum, Aunt Flo’s fudge, and other novelty candy products inspired by a bygone era. But this family-run company, started by brothers Sam and Alan Popowcer, also produce new products that catch on with the kids, like Viper Venom (a sour powder candy that sounds more like torture than a treat to anyone over age 18).

Espeez Peanut and Pecan Log Rolls are unique in the candy industry—no one else really makes this kind of candy the way Espeez does. Each 1.5 to 2 ounce log roll is a hearty size. Good luck finishing this off in one serving, unless you’ve skipped lunch. A sweet and fluffy vanilla nougat center is rolled in finely chopped nuts (either peanuts of pecans) to make this handmade treat so delicious. I like to picture grandma’s kitchen, a place where each layer of nougat is rolled out by hand with love. The peanut log roll is a bit salty, which is a nice complement to the sugary center, while the pecan roll is almost too sweet. But everyone has their own preferences, so you’ll have to try both to see which one is to your liking. I really liked this candy after I got used to eating it. It’s not quite a candy bar, and though it is soft, it’s also not something you can just wolf down. A heavy yet satisfying candy, I had to eat this over several days—and even that was with some help from friends. But isn’t that how a good candy should be…long lasting? So, where do you buy these candies if you have no mom and pop store nearby? Try finding them online at www.espeezcandy.com.

Tags: fluffy candy, caramel and pecans, nougat candy, peanuts, sweets

Coconut—I’ve never enjoyed a flavor so much that other people can’t stand. I’ve been to more than my share of parties where a delicious coconut dessert is served. And, more often than not, I can look around the table to see several people who refuse the delicacy sitting before them with the dreaded line: “I don’t eat coconut.”

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. And for that reason, I say “bring on the coconut.” Island Delights, a company based out of Seville, Ohio, is doing just that. With a passion for island living and the slow pace that comes with a tropical lifestyle, Island Delights creates coconut candies to ship all over the United States. Their Haystacks, a quarter-sized dollop of coconut rolled in sugar and corn syrup, are a bestseller. And why shouldn’t they be? They tailor their haystacks to the consumer who likes variety, with eleven flavors. I tried chocolate and caramel, but the haystacks also come in: vanilla, maple, cinnamon, key lime, cherry, orange, pineapple, lemon, and pina colada. Variety packs allow candy lovers to sample a variety of flavors in one 8-ounce bag. A larger 2-pound bag is available for purchase on their website, www.islandelights.com, and you can also select from smaller 2-, 3-, and 4-ounce bags.

I have to say, I wasn’t blown away by Island Delights Haystacks. The little sugar pods didn’t explode in my mouth or send me away to a tropical island. But the mild chocolate and caramel flavors are a good complement to each other, providing a chewy, sweet treat that complements the coconut this company has grown to love. In fact, it seems the company primarily focuses on their popular Haystacks, creating seasonal and holiday gift assortments of the product. With nine grams of fat in one serving (four pieces), this candy wasn’t worth it’s fat content as far as I am concerned. But the pretty packaging and unique concept make it a great gift idea for the coconut lover in your circle.

Tags: Coconut candy, Island delights, milk chocolate, tropical candy, sweets

Does the “N” in NECCO stand for “Nostalgia?” Not technically—but maybe it should. The New England Confectionery Company (“Necco” for short) has been around since the 1840s and is one of the oldest thriving candy companies in the United States. Headquartered in Massachusetts, the company brings in annual sales up to $100 million. How do they do it? A large part of their product line focuses on holiday candies that everyone loves like Sweethearts conversation heart candies, as well as Halloween and Easter candies.

Necco Wafers are the nostalgia lover’s candy. Available in eight assorted flavors, these pastel-colored wafers are fat free. The flavors are the same today as they were in the days of yesteryear—orange, lemon, lime, clove, chocolate, cinnamon, licorice, and wintergreen. Made from the key ingredients of sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin, Necco Wafers last and last. Unlike other candy bars, one roll of wafers can take just under an hour to eat. Troops enjoyed Necco Wafers during World War II for their tastiness and durability. This is one reason Baby Boomers tend to remember Necco Wafers so favorably. If you don’t care for the taste, these little gems can double as poker chips. Some families have even used the wafers as a practice round for a child’s first communion!

If you want to join with a worldwide community of Necco consumers, you won’t be alone. The company claims to produce four billion wafers each year—enough to wrap around the world twice when placed edge to edge. With all this fanfare, I had to try Necco Wafers again as an adult and see if they were as tasty and “pretty” as I thought they were when I was a kid. Though I’m not wild about some of the flavors, citrus and chocolate varieties were tops on my list. The smooth, flat surface of the wafer (about the size of a half dollar) makes it perfect to enjoy anyplace at any time. A roll of Necco Wafers would make a great nostalgic treat for the Baby Boomer in your life.

Tags: Necco, Wafers, fat free candy, assorted candy, sweets

“Kum-Ba-Yah my Lord . . . Kum-Ba-Yah.” If you find yourself with the strange urge to sing campfire songs when you eat this candy, you won’t be alone. Hershey’s S’mores candy bar was born in 2003. The “snack size” 1.65-ounce treat is the one you’re most likely to find on display in grocery store aisles. The new candy bar was met with such success that a king-size bar rolled off production lines the next year.

Whatever size you choose, you’ll fine a new creation in Hershey’s S’mores. Unlike the traditional s’more eaten over a campfire, the graham cracker here is on the inside. Hershey’s chocolate gets wrapped around a layer of graham cracker bits topped with marshmallow. So bundle up in a sweater, cozy up by the fire, and rip open this candy bar! The ghost stories can wait until you’re done. And you don’t even need to nuke it in the microwave. Just to clarify, please don’t microwave this s’more, or you’ll find yourself with a big mess to clean up!

I think the Hershey’s S’mores bar offers enough variation from a plain chocolate bar to sell on the market. But marshmallow isn’t at the top of most consumers’ top tastes—probably right up there with coconut, which is a kind of love it or hate it flavor for most people. Graham cracker is a brilliant yet overlooked candy bar component—many more candy companies choose some type of wafer, nougat, or crisped rice for their chocolate complement. But it’s the combination of chocolate with these two unlikely ingredients—graham cracker and marshmallow—that makes this bar stand apart in the market. I’m prone to eating other s’mores flavored products, like Quaker Chewy Granola bars, but Hershey’s knows how to put out an even more tasty indulgence. Overcome the temptation to pick up your staple candy bar and give Hershey’s S’mores a shot.

Tags: Hershey, milk chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker , sweets

Brought to us by SweetWorks, Sixlets are the type of candy you loved as a kid and still get the urge to try every now and then. They were a product of Hershey’s until 2003, when the chocolate giant sold the product to SweetWorks, headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. These tiny candy-coated chocolate balls are smaller than M&Ms with a bit less chocolate taste. The cocoa-carob recipe lends to a malted milk ball flavor. You’ll find these plastic-wrapped candy tubes in grocery store aisles, convenience stores, and dollar stores, but they are fairly difficult to find in some states. They come in autumn colors: red, yellow, green, orange, and brown. Different flavors are slightly distinguishable from the candy shells, but the orange one has the strongest flavor. The others taste mostly like sugar, with thicker candy shells than M&Ms. And though some candies claim to melt in your mouth (not in your hand), Sixlets definitely will melt in your hand.

SweetWorks produces various chocolates, hard candies, jawbreakers, and gums, including Chocolate Oranges, Niagara Chocolates, and kids’ candy like Nitwitz Banana Heads. Though the Sixlets package claims the candy is manufactured by Oak Leaf Confections (one of Sweetworks’ brands), it is not featured on Oak Leaf’s website. Perhaps the candy brand is in transition still as Sweetworks figures out which products it will market where.

Even if it is somewhat of a mystery where Sixlets come from, the package is endearing and features a friendly caterpillar with a body made of Sixlets candies and a smile that says “dig in.�? And with that kind of an invitation, how could I resist? These tiny chocolate beads do give off more of a malted taste than I prefer, but I love how tiny they are. You can really pop in several at a time and make the nearly 2-ounce package last and last. Whether you are trying Sixlets for the first time or are picking up a pack for nostalgia’s sake, these little candies are unique, offering something different from M&Ms. But one question remains: If they are “Sixlets,�? why only five colors?

Tags: candy coated,  Sixlets, chocolate candy, sweets, malted candy 

Have a hankering for a golden ticket? You may not find one under the wrapper, but you will discover a gold outer wrapper sealing in the chocolate and graham cracker goodness that is the Wonka Bar. Produced by Nestle, the Wonka Bar and other Wonka candies are pure fun for fans of the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or the 2005 Johnny Depp movie of the same name. (The 1971 Gene Wilder film was named differently: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.) In all of the above stories, young Charlie Bucket finds hope and a golden ticket inside the wrapper of a Wonka Bar, which leads him on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Wonka’s candy factory. For any child or adult who knows the story, there’s a certain magic that comes with opening up a Wonka candy bar, or sucking on an Everlasting Gobstopper. They may imagine themselves on a boat ride through a chocolate river, or even utter those nonsensical words: “Oompah, loompah, doopity doo.�?

The Wonka Bar comes in two sizes, 1.3 or 2.6 ounces. The bar is pure milk chocolate with crunchy graham cracker pieces inside. Sectioned off like a Hershey bar, you can break it off and eat just a square at a time, which is great. I love this chocolate bar, and not just for the nostalgia factor. It’s smooth and chocolately without being boring. The crunchy graham cracker adds significant flavor without taking away from the chocolate.

You may not have realized, but many Nestle products have the Wonka name attached to them. Pixy Stix, Lik-M-Aid, Laffy Taffy, Nerds, Runts, Bottle Caps, Shockers, Tart ‘N Tinys, and Gobstoppers are all Wonka brand products, which only increases the fun factor of these already fun candies. And the Wonka Company, which opened in 1983, still runs golden ticket sweepstakes from time to time, giving away prizes like a trip to see the American Idol finale and results show. But whether or not you can afford just one Wonka Bar or a thousand, the chances of finding a golden ticket are slim. Lucky for you, the chocolate bar is incentive enough.

Tags: graham cracker, milk chocolate, Wonka Bar, crunchy candy bar, sweets