Important information for Yumsters!

Happy holidays Peeps!
Just an update: I've been experiencing major issues with this blog, most notably because I am having trouble renewing my domain name. I'm certainly not a computer geek, but I do know my fair share, and let's just say that many bad words have escaped my lips over the past few weeks trying to give money to Google to let me keep the address "Candyyumyum.com." Hey Google, take my money, please!
So, if you're a regular reader, please set your bookmarks to candyyumyum.blogspot.com to avoid uninterrupted candy deliciousness. I hope everyone had a sweet Christmas!
(Pictured above is a Candy Cane Peep that The Connection snagged from Santa in Times Square. I surprisingly liked it; the chocolate on the bottom was thick enough to give it some heft and the peppermint was a nice addition to the marshmallow.)

Christmas fun!

If you've been nice, chances are you'll find some of these in your stocking this year. I think these are just the cutest little chocolates. They're Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares with white chocolate Christmas trees, Santas and snowmen. Fun gift for teachers, mailmen or your favorite candy blogger!

Halloween 2013: the analysis

It's time for the official analysis of Halloween 2013. As you may know, my friend Alex always sends This year, they split up and went to two different neighborhoods. First, one batch with an alarming absence of Reese's. What?! That's really quite disturbing.

The second haul is so mainstream, I can't stand it. What was up with Halloween this year?

There's something important to be learned from these Halloween hauls, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Perhaps since it was the first Halloween we've had in two years, people were all about giving the "top" candies. I just fear the day when all the kids get are just Snickers and Skittles and they don't get to experience the joy of the random Necco wafers or bubble bath bottle.

Halloween 2013

For the first time in two years, we actually had a normal Halloween, uninterrupted by Mother Nature's havoc.
This year the Sugar Baby wanted to be something scary, so he picked out a Grim Reaper costume. By the time Halloween actually came, though, he was sick of wearing the mask, so he left it home, brought his wand with him and told everyone he was Harry Potter. Good enough.
The festivities started at school, where we had a non-candy party, due to class allergies. As soon as the day was over, the real party began.
First, we headed over to see Father John. If you're a follower of this blog, you know that he doesn't skimp. He gives out full-sized candy bars, and lots of them. Last year, he bestowed upon us some chocolate rats and Salem witches.

This year, however, he totally outdid himself. Check it out.

Yes, my friends, that is strawberry licorice that looks disgustingly like ground beef (or gremlin, in this case). How awesome is that?
Then it was on to Grandma and Pop Pop's, where they were recovering from Mischief Night. Yep, their tree was adorned with a single sheet of toilet paper.

There the Sugar Baby scored a whole package of mini Hershey bars. Full-on trick-or-treating then ensued, this year in a friend's neighborhood. I told the Sugar Baby he was old enough to graduate from a pumpkin bucket to a pillowcase, because it was time to collect some serious candy. Here's this year's stash.

Sadly, though, there wasn't anything unusual. No political bracelets, CDs, leftover Easter bunnies, coupons for "spooktacular" savings or empty bubblebath bottles. (I'm still waiting for Alex's 2013 report.)
All in all it was a success, although there wasn't a single Mounds or Almond Joy, which is tragic. And one other note. Right as dusk was settling in, I got a text from my Partner in Crime. Her 10-year-old daughter was ditching her to go trick-or-treating with friends for the first time. This was devastating news, because it never occurred to me that the day will come when the Sugar Baby won't want me to trick-or-treat with him. I can't even fully process this. That is the biggest trick of all.

Halloween is almost here!

The countdown has begun! Halloween is almost here and the excitement is mounting. This week, Father John sent me this link, which I thought was fantastic, although flawed: The Definitive Guide to Trading Halloween Candy. I mean, seriously, there's no way a Fifth Avenue beats out a 100 Grand.
On the homefront, the Sugar Baby will be going as the Grim Reaper. This is the first year that he is A) dressing as something not cute or interesting; B) is wearing a mask; and C) is more interested in scaring people than the actual candy part. I know this is a totally normal stage, but I must admit, I'm sad. Doesn't he realize that going as a mushroom or The World will garner him more Snickers than a stupid store-bought costume? The Sugar Baby, back in the days when he didn't even know that the Almond Joy he was holding would become part of the Mommy Tax that night.

Butterfinger PB Cups!

Coming soon! I'm thinking these are either going to be awesomely amazing or tragically disappointing.

Cut rock candy from Florida

A few months ago, I wrote about some wonderful cut rock candy that my friend Samantha had brought back from Singapore. (You can read about it here.) I mentioned that I was sad that this kind of candy isn't made in the U.S. and that we're stuck with just plain old dumb hard candies.
Well, turns out I was wrong. I was contacted by Raley's Confectionary of Tallahassee, Florida and they told me that, yes, indeed, beautiful cut rock candy can be found in the good old U. S. of A. They make traditional flavors like cherry and lemon, but also really fun flavors like Red Wine, Pumpkin Spice and Cappuccino. Each of the pieces has a little picture on them, too, like these "Emoticons" with smiley faces and characters.

Some of the flavors I tried are pictured here: watermelon, peach, menorah (oh wait, I think it's blueberry), wintergreen and kiwi. Here's what I love about these candies: they taste super bright and fresh, and they're made with all natural colors, flavors and Fair Trade sugar. Prices start at $5. For more info, visit their website at www.raleysconfectionary.com.

Warning: gummy bears may have side effects

Thanks to Cousin Renee for sharing this hysterical link about sugar-free gummy bears. Click here and read the reviews about the "hell bears" that bring on "colonic hurricanes."

Spice season

You've got to be cautious when you combine chocolate with fall flavors. I love the traditional brown spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger. When they're blended together, they create a magical taste. But when you add chocolate, things can go south very quickly. With that thinking in mind, I was hesitant to try the new Pumpkin Spice m&m's that are out on the shelves now. I figured if I didn't like them, I could always stick them in a candy dish at work. I'm happy to report, however, that they were a big hit with the Sugar Baby. These are milk chocolate m&m's with pumpkin spices. The flavors are subtle enough so that they don't scream "SPICE!" They're more like milk chocolate m&m's with a little pizzazz. Were these my favorite? No, but I wouldn't turn them away, either.

A less successful example of chocolate and spice can be tasted in the new Starbucks Chocolate Chai Tea Latte. I thought, "Yum! I love chai, and I love chocolate!" Yeah, well, turns out they aren't exactly a match made in heaven. The spices are too off balance here. If I had to guess, I'd say the nutmeg and the chocolate are fighting against each other. I'll stick to the regular chai next time.

Hello, Hello!

Hello! Have you met, um, Hello? This is the new line of chocolate from Lindt available at Target. The packaging and flavors are a whole departure from Lindt's usual conservative (although very delicious) offerings. For example, most people are familiar with their round, foil-wrapped truffles. Very rich, very proper. Now, however, we have all new forms: sticks, bars, mini-sticks and these cute little shapes:

 The first one I tried was the Caramel Brownie bar (milk chocolate with hazelnut and caramel brownie filling). It was extremely rich and sweet, although I'm not sure I got much "brownie" taste out of it. In any case, it had the traditional creaminess that one would expect from Lindt with a more aggressive sweetness. Next, I tried the box of chocolates which, in addition to Caramel Brownie, also featured Cookies & Cream and Crunchy Nougat. I'm usually not that into cookies & cream flavored things, but I really liked these. Inside the heart was white filling with little bits of crunchy cookie. What's not to love? The Crunchy Nougat reminded me of European candy bars with hazelnut filling. The last one I tried was the Berry Affair, described as white chocolate with a cherry and blackberry yogurt filling. I've got to be honest here. I hated this bar. There was just too much going on-- sweet, sour, creamy, seedy. It wasn't for me. The Sugar Baby, however, loved it, so there you go. We're a house divided.
If I had to guess, I'd say this new line of chocolates is aimed at a younger, hipper crowd. Perhaps because I'm "of a certain age," I prefer Lindt's traditional line, but I know that young whippersnappers, like the von Schokolat's and No-Nuts, would love these.

A candy miscellany

Let's just pretend I posted this pictures all cuckoo on purpose. Call it artistic expression. I'm working with Windows 8 now, and I don't think I've ever hated a piece of technology more. I borrowed a copy of "Windows 8 for Seniors" from the library, but I only got halfway through before it was due. Clearly I need a tutor. In any case, this is just a random post of some recent goodies.

As you can see, I found a bargain at Target. I got a Sweet & Salty Bark and a Candied Orange Bark for 48 cents. (They weren't close to expiring, so I figured I was safe. I'm guessing these are going to be discontinued.) I actually really liked these. They were a good amount of chocolate without being too much and I liked the combination of flavors. My only regret is that I should've bought more.

And here, if you turn your computer upside down, you can see the new m&m's chocolate bar. It's a candy bar with mini m&m's embedded in it. There's not much you can really say about that except, yum!

And these beautiful truffles from See's. I really love See's candies because they taste great, they're American-made, they ship well and are affordable. They're definitely a permanent selection on my gift-giving list.

Lastly, there's this deliciousness: Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Organic Chocolate. I wrote about some of Alter Eco's other flavors here, and I loved them so much that I knew I had to try the quinoa one when I saw it at Whole Foods. This chocolate is so fruity and smooth and the quinoa gives it a nice crunch. I only wish that Mr. Goodbar hadn't found the second half in my secret drawer and eaten it.  

Sour Punch Punchies!

One of the new candies to debut this year is Sour Punch Punchies. I'll admit, I've had a package of these sitting on my desk for a couple of months now because, for some reason, I figured they'd taste like every other sour, chewy candy out there.
I just learned, however, that I was wrong. The Punchies are little balls with faces on them that come in lemon, strawberry, tangerine, blue raspberry and green apple flavors. The thing that sets these apart from say, Skittles or Sour Patch Kids, is the texture. They're interestingly chewy, almost like licorice, but with a big sour taste. (It's no surprise, I guess, since they're made by the American Licorice Company.)

Here's a selling point: these don't stick in your teeth like other chewy candies, so if you're looking to cut down on dental bills, these might be the candies for you.*

*This product is not endorsed by my dentist, particularly since all of my paychecks will already  be going to her for the crown on my tooth that was cracked by a jawbreaker.

Summer giveaway time!

It's giveaway time, Yumsters! I've been negligent in writing lately, so I'm going to make up for it with a fun summer giveaway! Let me introduce Mike and Ike Limited Edition Strawberry Reunion. This is a perfect summer candy in fun flavors like Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Watermelon, Strawberry Tangerine and-- my favorite-- Strawberry Pineapple.
Here's what you're playing for: two lucky Yumsters will receive the new Mike and Ike Strawberry Reunion as well as one box each of all the other flavors in the Mike and Ike lineup for a grand total of six boxes each. Sweet, right?
So here's all you have to do. Leave a message on this post telling me your favorite way to enjoy strawberries. Maybe you're a shortcake lover, or perhaps a daiquiri kind of person. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you, too. U.S. residents only. Two winners will be selected at random on July 12 at midnight (or more likely, sometime the next day. But the cut-off is midnight.)

Random candy tidbits

I've got a new computer, which should be a good thing, but it came equipped with Windows 8, which is a bad thing. It's the most un-intuitive, difficult abomination of a system I've ever experienced. I'm telling you this because I'm just going to start posting some random candy stuff since everything seems to be working okay tonight. You never know what will happen tomorrow.

First up, candy from Singapore. The Sugar Baby's friend from preschool (who has the same name, only spelled differently), moved to Singapore for a couple of years. But last summer, Shuger Babee returned from the other side of the world, much to everyone's delight. And lucky me! His mom brought me some super yummy hard candies called Sticky. I love these. First of all, they're visually fantastic. The Passionfruit Rock looks like little pieces of passionfruit. The I (Heart) Mango Pudding has little red hearts in the center and the Pineapple Rock has pineapples in the center. The Lychee Pillows are little pink and green puffs. They're adorable. Even better is the taste. They're juicy and tart. Why can't we have hard candy like this in the U.S.?

 

 

 

Next up, a picture of the contents of the Sugar Baby's piñata. He turned 7 in May and I filled his Minecraft Ghast piñata with Ring Pops, Laffy Taffy, SweetTarts, Bottle Caps and other assorted sugary delights.

 

Lastly, we have this York Peppermint Patty-flavored creamer. My boss put these out at work one day and I couldn't wait to try some in my coffee. Looks yummy, right? Wrong. It was too artificial tasting and it didn't do anything to satisfy my chocolate craving.

The aptly-named See's Awesome Walnut Square Bar

This is how I originally started this post:

"It's not often you see candy bars with walnuts in them. In fact, I can only think of two. The British Walnut Whip and ..." (insert long pause here).

I was about to write 5th Avenue. But then I second-guessed myself and looked up 5th Avenue which I haven't had in probably decades. This was a candy bar that regularly appeared in our house, even though it was a dud of a treat. For some reason though, my mother liked these and bought them. I distinctly remember, though, that they were topped with a chocolate-coated walnut half. Yet, when you look at the picture and ingredients of them now, there are no walnuts. Am I imagining this? Am I thinking of another candy bar? It's a mystery! Please chime in if you know what I'm talking about.

In any case, walnuts are rare in the candy world, so I've been intrigued by See's Awesome Walnut Square Bar. When I was offered the opportunity for a sample, I jumped at the chance. The bars come 8 to a box and are individually-wrapped squares. The description on the wrapper says, "Chewy caramel and crunchy walnuts coated in dark chocolate." The chocolate is thick and smooth and the filling is dense and chewy. It's definitely a unique bar. The closest thing I can liken it to is a Goldenberg's Peanut Chew, except that there's more chocolate and the walnuts give it a bitter contrast unlike the peanuts in the Goldenberg's. I loved these little bars. They're a step up from your everyday drug store candy bar, but still down-to-earth and satisfying. In fact, that's what I love about See's candy in general. It's not foofy candy laden with exotic spices. It's good, old-fashioned candy that tastes great and is special. Check them out at www.sees.com.

Eat your words

You've got to love it when you open a package and find this:

This is from Swallow My Words, a chocolate company that combines yummy chocolate, interesting add-ins and words. For example, you could order a Cereal Killa bar which is toasted corn flakes, seasoned Cap'n Crunch, pretzels and orange balsamic caramel. Then you can have them write your own personal saying on it, like "I've made a huge mistake" or "You're killing me, Buster!" I love these because, not only is the chocolate smooth and rich, but the add-ins are unique.The 3-ounce slabs are $5.95 plus an additional $2 for engraving. It's the perfect gift for birthdays, weddings, break-ups and Wombat Day. Check them out at www.swallowmywords.com.

State of candy emergency

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Hooray! For those of you who don't have kids, let me explain what this means. On Sunday night all across the nation, weary parents finally get around to reading their e-mails from the weekend. On this particular Sunday, the e-mail reveals that each day during the upcoming week, little Mary Jane and Baby Ruth have a special assignment to make their teacher feel appreciated. For example, on Monday, each child should bring in a cardboard flower decorated with paint, glue, glitter and so-forth and write why they love their teacher on it. On Tuesday, they should write a poem extolling the virtues of their classroom, and so on and so forth. Tomorrow, the Sugar Baby is supposed to bring in a sweet treat for his teacher. No problem for me, right?
Um. We have a problem. My first idea was to bake cookies, but I realized too late that I didn't have any butter. (I'm already in my pajamas so I'm not going out.) My second thought was the frozen cookie dough I'd made a few weeks ago. Oh, but I gave that to my sister. So it was time to raid the candy stash. Surely the writer of a candy blog, a self-admitted sugar addict, would have something special on hand to pass off, right? This is all I could find:

A package of leftover Peeps and a single Dum Dum.What am I going to do? In times of personal emergency, I know I can always resort to a bag of chocolate chips, but somehow I don't think she'd get the wry wit behind that. I think I might just have to write her an I.O.U. 

You win some, you lose some

Yes, Easter came and went without a peep (no pun intended!) from Candy Yum Yum! I took lots of pictures of some of the new candy that I saw on the shelves, but I just wasn't motivated this season. Even the Easter Bunny didn't really pull through for the Sugar Baby. He brought some jelly beans, some gummies and a chocolate rabbit, but overall it wasn't a big sugar rush here. I guess I've just been in a candy funk lately. That doesn't mean I haven't been eating candy, of course. It's just that there's not much to say about eating half a bag of Hershey Kisses, especially when you only meant to eat four.

In any case, here's something new that I tried recently: a Trader Joe's PB&J Milk Chocolate Bar. My first thought was, why ruin a peanut butter cup with jelly? But then I tried it. It's a different taste experience than a peanut butter cup. Obviously, first of all it's a bar. The peanut butter is very smooth and creamy and the jelly is more like the liquid filling you find in "fancy" candy bars, like the Godiva raspberry bar. It wasn't overly sweet, which I liked. I would definitely do this one again.
However, the same can't be said about the Snickers 3X Chocolate. Snickers with three times the chocolate? What's not to love, right? Well, let me just say that this bar was a dud. It was actually 2 mini bars inside one package. I like that concept, because sometimes you just don't want a whole candy bar. The description says "milk chocolate, chocolate flavored nougat, chocolate caramel and peanuts." All of that adds up to, well, practically no taste difference between the ingredients. I missed the lip-puckering maltiness of the regular Snickers nougat and the chocolate caramel just seemed blah. I really uphold Snickers as probably the most iconic candy bar, so this was a huge disappointment.

Merci winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Merci Chocolates Giveaway. I loved reading all your answers. The winner, chosen from Random.org is: jwfong! Congrats. A box of Merci chocolates, champagne glasses, popcorn holders and some helpful toasting hints are on their way.

Breaking News: Carrot Cake M&Ms!

I just got a text from the Baroness. She found white chocolate carrot cake m&ms at her local WalMart. She is a carrot cake expert and said the m&ms taste just like the real thing. You can try to find them by typing in your zip code at this page: http://see.walmart.com/mms-easter. Sadly, it appears they're no where near me.

Giveaway Time! Merci chocolates

It's that time of year again ... time to put on a Snuggie, pour the champagne and watch the glitterati make their way down the red carpet.  (I don't know why they bother commenting on the men's tuxedos; they all look the same to me.)

To celebrate, Merci chocolates is offering one lucky Yumster a chance to win a "Joy of Thank You Red Carpet Kit," which includes

• A box of Merci chocolates to share
• Four elegant Champagne flutes
• A festive popcorn container 
• A list of tips to help you share meaningful thank yous and toasts

I love these fancy little chocolates. Each box has an assortment of flavors (milk chocolate, coffee and cream, hazelnut-almond, hazelnut-creme, dark cream, dark mousse and praline-creme). The chocolate batons are the perfect size for an after-dinner treat; just big enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

So what do you have to do to be nominated for this great prize? Leave me a message here telling me who you'd thank if you won a big award. 

(If I won an award, say for being the World's Greatest Candy Fan, I'd start by thanking my mom, who taught me to always have candy stashed in your nightstand.)

Here's the fine print: open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends on midnight on Feb. 28, 2013. One winner will be chosen at random.

Happy Hallo--- oh wait, I mean, Valentine's Day!

As I've written in the past, Valentine's Day is the new Halloween. The Sugar Baby came home from school loaded down with with all sorts of sweets from his friends. Note the tube of Skittles arranged like a rainbow. I wouldn't have the patience to make one of those, let alone 20. 

Random sweet thoughts

'Tis a snowy day here in New England. The snow is so deep my mailbox is completely covered. I'm just thankful that I don't have a dog that's whimpering to go out. It's going to take a while to shovel out of this mess. The good thing is, I finally have time to catch up on all the miscellaneous candy posts I've been wanting to share.

I finally tried an Unreal candy bar. You may have seen these around at CVS or Target or other places. The packaging is attractive and funky, and their tagline is "Candy Unjunked." Basically what they've done is recreated candy favorites, like Snickers, Milky Way, M&Ms and Reese's without artificial ingredients, corn syrup or GMOs. Sounds great, right? I tried the Unreal 8, which is the Snicker's doppelganger. I really, really wanted to love it, but I thought it was just okay. Admittedly, I expected it to taste just like a Snickers when I bit into it, but it lacked that sort of zesty tang in the nougat. (Yes, probably from all the artificial crap, I know.) I just found the bar to be bland. If I was super vigilant about eating healthy, I'd definitely be excited about these, but when it comes to candy, all my ethics go out the window. Just keeping it real.

It's been a while since I posted about the Sugar Baby, who alas, is no longer a baby. Here's a picture of him at the library with his Piggy cupcake that he made. 

And speaking of libraries, here's a shot of a-- get this-- bacon, marshmallow, caramel bar that our librarian Kara made for the Super Bowl. How decadent is that?!

Tasty truffles and a discount!

Let's start 2013 off right, Yumsters! On New Year's Eve, we went to a friend's house where much food and champagne was enjoyed, but the standout of the evening was a box of Truffles by Coquette that I brought along. The Classic box contained three types of beautiful truffles: Colette (French caramel with a touch of Fleur de Sel and enrobed in 55% dark chocolate), Annie (a gooey marshmallow filling dipped in milk chocolate and topped with a mini marshmallow), and Katherine (dark chocolate ganache dipped in dark couveture).
One friend said, "I don't even like marshmallow but I love these! You have to write that!" And so, here it is. The truffles were all very smooth, very rich and the perfect way to cap off 2012. And here's some good news: Jennifer, who owns Truffles by Coquette is offering Candy Yum Yum readers a 20% discount. Check out her website at www.trufflesbycoquette.com and enter CANDYYUMYUM in the discount code field.