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Easter

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Delight Peeps (Raspberry and Lemon)

Raspberry Delight PeepsJust Born continues with their Peeps limited edition flavors. This season they’ve released three new Delight versions which are fruity flavors dipped in a white confection tinted and flavored to match.

I found two varieties and picked them up: Raspberry Delight and Lemon Delight Peeps.

The Raspberry Delight Peeps package shows both red and blackberries, though the description isn’t any more specific than simply raspberry.

DSC_0525rb

The face that the inside and the outside of the Peeps are color-coordinated is oddly unsettling. The sugar crust is sparkly and a rather vibrant purple, but the innards are oddly dead looking.

The texture is exactly what you expect with a Peep, a crusty sugar shell, a light flavor and bouncy marshmallow texture. I actually enjoy slightly stale Peeps, so I let these packages sit open for a week after taking the photos of them. (So I ate one in its fresh state and the others in their stale state.) The raspberry is very mild, floral and a little jammy. There are little sour crystals in the crust and maybe in the fudge. The fudge is sweet, but also lots more flavorful than the marshmallow. I can’t say that I liked it, but it did add a textural difference and a little creamy note to the whole thing.

In this instance I liked this better than the Candy Corn and Pumpkin Spice Peeps, but not by much.

DSC_0512rbLemon Delight Peeps are lemon flavored lightly yellow Peeps dipped in lemon fudge.

The lemon flavor is mostly sweet and has a “cleaning product” sort of vibe, with the light citrus scent but very little nuance. The flavor also has a few hints of salt and sour, which does give a little respite from the sugary notes. Overall, they’re perfectly edible, but the fudge element is grainy and sweet and waxy.

The Lemon didn’t work as well as the Raspberry, but still came off as a decent piece of candy. I find these little dipped Peeps to be ridiculously expensive for the type of candy they are. I buy them because they’re novelties and there weren’t many other new Easter candies this year. In the future, I’d prefer to just find a good small confectioner that makes their marshmallow in house and uses high quality, high cacao chocolate.

Related Candies

  1. Peeps for Halloween: Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Spice and Candy Corn
  2. Russell Stover Lemon Cake Egg
  3. Peeps Minis Vanilla Creme
  4. Peeps Sweet Lemonade Chicks
  5. Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps
  6. Tootsie Roll Raspberry Cremes
  7. Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg
  8. 3 Musketeers Cherry & Raspberry


Name: Raspberry and Lemon Delight Peeps
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Just Born
Place Purchased: Target (Eagle Rock)
Price: $1.99
Size: 1.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 107
Categories: Candy, Easter, Just Born, Marshmallow, Mockolate, 5-Pleasant, United States, Target

POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:26 pm     CandyReviewEasterJust BornMarshmallowMockolate5-PleasantUnited StatesTarget

Thursday, March 17, 2016

See’s Strawberry Cream Lollypops

See’s is on trend this year with their new seasonal Lollypop variety, Strawberry Cream Lollypops.

See's Strawberry Cream Lollipops

The pop smells mostly of butter, but vaguely like strawberry as well.

The blocky shape isn’t the best for comfort, but it’s certainly a generous amount for a lollipop. For the most part the dissolve of the See’s pops is smooth. It’s more like a hard caramel consistency than a hard candy. The candy isn’t aerated, so there are fewer voids which makes for a creamy experience and a little slower melt.

The strawberry flavor here is very mild. I was expecting something similar to a strawberry ice cream flavor, mostly the sweetness mixed with milk and maybe a little jammy note. There’s no hint of either a fruity tartness or yogurt tang. It’s all sweetness, though not cloying or throat searing. The strawberry has a very slight boiled berry note but mostly it’s the floral scent.

The lollypop is merely pleasant. It didn’t think it’s vivid enough or, if that’s not its intent, creamy enough. I ate all three that I bought, but I’ll switch back to the standards or wait for the exceptional Root Beer to return.

Related Candies

  1. M&Ms White Strawberry Shortcake
  2. Ghiradelli Valentine’s Dark and Strawberry Squares
  3. See’s Caramel Apple Lollypops
  4. Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Creme
  5. See’s Orange Cream Lollypops, Mayfair Egg & Pecan Butterscotch Bar
  6. See’s Cinnamon (Hearts & Lollypops)


Name: Strawberry Cream Lollypops
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: See’s
Place Purchased: See's (The Grove)
Price: $.80
Size: .7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 100
Categories: Candy, Easter, See's, Hard Candy & Lollipops, 5-Pleasant, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:13 pm     CandyReviewEasterSee'sHard Candy & LollipopsLimited Edition5-PleasantUnited States

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs

DSC_0473rbMars has a few seasonal varieties of M&Ms available this year, including the White Strawberry Shortcake and Easter Sundae M&Ms (which are Target and Walmart exclusives, respectively). For the masses who can’t shop at those stores or don’t want a which chocolate product, there’s one other Easter version that’s new this year: Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs.

I was very excited about these by the name, since Mars already has a great line of malt products available in Europe under the Malteser name. This is not that, in any way.

The new Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs are Crispy M&Ms in their format and ingredients. The only difference is not the addition of malt in the center, but butter flavor.

DSC_0480rb

I picked up both the regular M&Ms Crispy in their Easter colors and the Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs for comparison, when a reader alerted me that they were no different.

There are some small format differences. As noted in the name, the Malts are mini, and they are slightly smaller than the regular Crispy M&Ms, but not something that you’d notice right away. But then again, the Malts aren’t really egg shaped at all, they’re just inconsistent so that some of them are kind of egg shaped and others are spherical.

DSC_0483rb

The candies on the left are the Easter colors for the regular Crispy M&Ms and the handful on the right are the new Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs. Slightly different colors, but similar irregular shapes.

DSC_0487rb

The difference isn’t inside, either. The ingredients and the structure are the same. The crispy rice center is light and airy, but basically flavorless, it’s a little like cereal, a little malty. Outside there’s a little hint of chocolate, not much but with a bit of a milky note. The candy shell is crisp. But as I mentioned earlier, this Malt version is not malty, the outside has a butter flavor to it, and I have to emphasize that it’s just a flavor.

I’ve had these two bags for almost a month, I’ve finished the regular Easter crispy M&Ms but I can’t bear to even have the Malt bag open near me. The smell is disgustingly artificial. It’s not malt at all. I don’t know what Mars was thinking with this product version, but they should definitely consult with other parts of the company that actually make malted items in the future.

Related Candies

  1. M&Ms Cafe Mocha
  2. The Recent History of Brach’s Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
  3. Crispy M&Ms (Returning 2015)
  4. Mars MaltEaster Bunnies
  5. Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Eggs (Plus a Bonus)
  6. Malted Crisped Rice Squares


Name: Malt M&Ms Mini Eggs
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Mars
Place Purchased: CVS (Park LaBrea)
Price: $3.00
Size: 9.9 ounces
Calories per ounce: 133
Categories: Candy, Easter, Mars, Chocolate, Cookie, Kosher, M&Ms, 4-Benign, United States, Sav-On/CVS

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:30 pm     CandyReviewEasterMarsChocolateCookieKosherM&MsMalt4-BenignUnited StatesSav-On/CVS

Monday, March 14, 2016

Candyology 101 - Episode 32 - Easter 2016

Candyology101-32

Join me and Maria as we discuss this year’s new Easter offerings and a few other oddities of the season.

 

You can check out the show notes with links as well.

 

POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:29 pm     CandyEasterHighlightRadio Interviews

Monday, February 22, 2016

M&Ms White Strawberry Shortcake

DSC_0291rbEaster is a special time in the candy cycle, because it’s really the only time of year that white chocolate is embraced. Fortunately there are some products that are actually good, not just a white confection but actually made with real cocoa butter and lots of milk. (Many white confections are just sugar and tropical oils.)

The new White Strawberry Shortcake M&Ms are a Target exclusive this year, and if you’re a fan of the other white chocolate holiday versions like the Candy Corn M&Ms and the White Peppermint M&Ms, these may be just for you. 

DSC_0335rb

The pieces are larger than standard M&Ms, they’re puffier and a little less regular. They’re delicate pastel colors in pleasing creamy pink, eggshell and white, kind of like a strawberry shortcake with a whipped cream dollop. That’s about as far as the shortcake theme goes, which is fine with me. (The Dove Strawberry Shortcake Crisp things were weird.)

The package this year holds 8 ounces. Years ago the limited edition flavors came in a 9.9 ounce bag, they’re reliably shrinking over time.

DSC_0340rb

The pieces are uncolored in the center and not layered like some. The white chocolate is creamy and sweet and has the floral flavor of fresh strawberries. There are no dried strawberry bits in there, like some previous products have included.

The shell is crunchy and the center is sweet but balanced with the more milky flavors. There’s a lot of fat in there, from the cocoa butter, but they didn’t have a greasy texture. (But that could be that it’s kind of chilly, the Candy Corn version they make in the fall comes along when things are still warm in my area, and the cocoa butter can migrate through the shell in the heat. The flavor in this case reminds me quite a bit of the old Nestle Qwik strawberry milk.

I’m keen on these, but they push all my buttons. They’re pretty and not overly colored, they have a good flavor that’s not too artificial and the ingredients (though there are artificial colors and flavors) are petty decent. I hope they return next year with a wider release.

Related Candies

  1. Candyology 101 - Podcast Episode 30 - Valentines and Strawberry
  2. Dove Milk Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Crisp Promises
  3. M&Ms White Chocolate Peppermint
  4. Meiji Corot - Strawberry Chocolate Drops
  5. M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn
  6. Whoppers Milkshake Strawberry
  7. KitKat Chocolatier (Strawberry & Green Tea)
  8. KitKat Tsubu Ichigo and Hershey’s Strawberries ‘n’ Creme


Name: White Strawberry Shortcake M&Ms
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Mars
Place Purchased: Target (Eagle Rock)
Price: $3.49
Size: 8 ounces
Calories per ounce: 148
Categories: Candy, Easter, Mars, Kosher, M&Ms, White Chocolate, 8-Tasty, United States, Target

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:54 am     CandyReviewEasterMarsKosherWhite Chocolate8-TastyUnited StatesTarget

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Minion Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg

Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream EggEaster is a time for the iconic Cadbury Creme Egg. However, it doesn’t come in a lot of flavor variations. So it’s understandable that someone else wants to get into the cream egg marketplace.

I found these Minion Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg at Cost Plus World Market. It was hard to find out who actually makes them, because it’s not Cadbury. The foil wrapper was hard to read, but eventually I was able to flatten it out to see that it’s made by a company called Treat Street, that mostly makes licensed novelty treats.

It’s a great idea, to make a cream egg with a different flavored filling, and in this case it’s brilliant that they’ve picked banana and partnered that with a Minion themed foil wrapping. They’re quite arresting when viewed in the full bin. But the most notable part of this design is that all of the eggs are Stuart, as they all have one eye (I suppose they could also be other one-eyed Minions, but it’d be silly to pay a licensing fee to make candies with a minor character).

Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg

My issue with only one design is minor, because the foil itself is quite adorable. The egg inside is completely ordinary looking. It’s the same as a Cadbury egg, except it’s missing a starburst.

The banana center is very yellow, in fact, one might call it Minion Yellow. Before biting the egg just smells like milky chocolate. After biting, well, it’s all banana. The filling is gooey, a little bit thinner than the Cadbury variety and a little less grainy. It is absolutely sweet and has a strong artificial banana flavor, though it’s also a little on the green side. Some banana flavors can have a lot of acetone notes, this one at least seems a little bit more unripe.

Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg

The most disappointing part of the egg construction is that there is not one cream compartment in the center. In the case of these knock off eggs, they’re obviously made in halves which actually have a full coating of chocolate that creates a chocolate septum when biting into the whole egg. This means more chocolate and less filling. It also means that there’s no “yolk”. Though the filling is extremely sweet and quite strongly flavored, there’s so much chocolate to balance it.

As far as a knock-off egg, this one is very good. The chocolate is passably good for a novelty item and the filling is distinctive. Since it adds its own twist with the banana as well as the foil design to go with the Minion character, I’d call it a win. However, I can’t imagine ever buying this unless I was specifically looking for a banana Easter item or something for a Minion fan. The price of $1.49 was a bit steep as well for the quality level.

Related Candies

  1. Chocolate Covered Banana Gummi Bears
  2. Bonomo Taffy Nibbles: Vanilla and Banana
  3. Wild Ophelia Milk Chocolate Bar Peanut Butter & Banana
  4. Cadbury Chocolate Creme Egg
  5. House Brand Creme Eggs
  6. Dove Desserts Bananas Foster
  7. Elvis Reese’s Peanut Butter and Banana Cup
  8. Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs


Name: Minion Milk Chocolate with Banana Cream Egg
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Treat Street
Place Purchased: Cost Plust World Market (Farmers Market)
Price: $1.49
Size: 1.37
Calories per ounce: 136
Categories: Candy, Easter, Chocolate, Fondant, 5-Pleasant, Canada, Cost Plus

POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:50 pm     CandyReviewEasterChocolateFondant5-PleasantCanadaCost Plus

Thursday, April 2, 2015

The Recent History of Brach’s Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Brach's Easter Parade - Life magazine ad April 4, 1960I’m a big fan of Malted Milk Balls and consider the candy coated Pastel Malted Milk Egg to be one of the best holiday candy creations ever. Brach’s has been making a pastel egg for at least 55 years, and malted milk balls for even longer.

Though the Brach’s brand has been around for over 110 years, they’ve changed ownership, leadership and product focus dozens of times. This means that the products themselves also change. The changes can be for consumer-driven reasons, supply issues and costs. I’ve noticed, since Candy Blog is coming up on 10 years, that the Brach’s Fiesta Eggs have changed quite a bit over the years, and have some photos and notes to document it.

2007 Full Review
Brach's Pastel Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Name: Pastel Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Callebaut)
Place Purchased: Long’s (Laguna Woods)
Price: $1.50 (on sale!)
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 132
Type: Chocolate/Malt
Rating: 6 out of 10
Size: 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch
Shell: pastel, crunchy, lightly vanilla
Chocolate: creamy, flavorless, too sweet
Malt: light, airy

Though this was my first year reviewing them, it wasn’t the first time I had them and thought they used to be better.

2011 Full Review
Brach's Fiesta Eggs

Name: Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s  (Farley’s & Sathers)
Place Purchased: Target (Glendale)
Price: $1.99
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 132
Type: Chocolate/Malt
Rating: 6 out of 10
Size: 2/3 of an inch
Shells - white with speckles, thick
Chocolate - Real, fudgy texture, lack of flavor
Malt - cripsy, moderately malty

I’d say that this was a lackluster version, though I liked the center, the chocolate brought the whole thing down.

2012 Full Review

Brach's Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Brach's Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Name: Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Farley’s & Sathers)
Place Purchased: Target
Price: $1.89
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 113
Type: Chalk
Rating: 5 out of 10
Size 1.25 to 1.5 inches
Shell: White with few speckles, very thick, hard to bite
Chocolate: weak
Malt: milky, barely sweet, crisp

These were simply too difficult to eat because of the size and shell. The center was good, especially because the ratio was so high.

2015 Malted Milk Eggs Compared

Brach's Malted Milk Pastel Eggs

Brach's Pastel Eggs 2015

Name: Malted Milk Pastel Fiesta Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Ferrara Candy)
Size: 7.5 ounces
Price: $2.50
Rating: 5 out of 10
Shell: Pastel. It’s crisp and has the texture of actual egg shells, a little bit of crumble, generally flavorless.
Chocolate: It’s passable stuff. It’s real chocolate, but not great quality. The texture is fatty and smooth, but also extremely sweet, there’s very little cocoa flavor to it.
Malted Milk Center: The texture is very dense, with a lot of milky notes but less malt than the others. It’s not overly sweet and not overtly salty.

The center this year is different. It’s darker in color, which does indicate that the recipe or manufacturing process has changed. The colors are great, I like the shell, though many commenters do not like the new version. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong here, except that I don’t plan on buying them again, but I’ll finish the bags I have.

Related Candies

  1. Pastel Malted Milk Eggs Compared
  2. Sugarfina: The Chocolates
  3. Ovomaltine Chocolate Bar
  4. Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Eggs (Plus a Bonus)
  5. Whoppers Milkshake Strawberry
  6. Jelly Belly Deluxe Easter Mix
  7. Naked Chocolate Maltballs

POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:32 am     CandyReviewEasterBrach'sFarley's & SathersFerrara PanChocolateMalt5-Pleasant6-TemptingUnited KingdomHighlightFeatured News

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Candyology 101 - Podcast Episode 11 - Jelly Beans

Candyology_Episode_11

In our latest episode of Candyology 101, Maria and I compare our list of our least favorite Easter candies and then cover Jelly Beans.

Don’t forget we have show notes to accompany the episode if you want to check them out.

You can download the episode directly via the MP3 link.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:03 am     CandyEasterHighlightRadio Interviews

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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.

 

 

 

 

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