Ominous signs

Are you kidding me? Is this some sort of cruel joke? Once again, New England is the target for some heinous weather. Due to power outages and downed trees, Halloween was officially cancelled in my town. It was truly the scariest Halloween ever.
But now the weatherman is saying that Hurricane Sandy will be arriving here on Monday. The First Selectman of my town has ALREADY declared a state of emergency. I should've known something like this was going to happen as soon as I took my Halloween cookies out of the oven:

Scary, right? I followed the directions and put the candy corns on before they went in the oven. Unfortunately, they melted into a molten mess. (I will say, however, that the texture was pretty cool. I might want to experiment with putting candy corns into other baked goods.) For the second batch, I put the candy corns on AFTER, and they came out better, although Mr. Goodbar said they were the creepiest cookies he'd ever seen.

Free candy from Lindt!

Did that get your attention? Check this out: Lindt is kicking off a new promotion ("Chocolate Beyond Compare") by giving away one MILLION bags of Lindor Truffles. How do you score one? Easy.

Just“Like” the company’s Facebook page and visit the Lindt Coupon tab. To keep up with all Lindt news, follow Lindt on Twitter (@Lindt_Chocolate), visit the Lindt YouTube page or check out the Lindt Chocolate Unwrapped blog. 

(Note: I just checked the Facebook page and it seems some people were having trouble printing out their coupons. Probably just a glitch that they're working out, so be patient.)

Candy Corn M&M's

I rarely go to Shop Rite, just because it's not the closest grocery store. But the other day, I felt like I was being drawn there, so I went. Guess what was pulling me there? Candy Corn M&M's! I heard about these last year, but couldn't find them anywhere, so of course I grabbed them this year.
The M&M's are the large size, like the peanut butter ones. They are white, orange and yellow and the inside is candy corn-flavored white chocolate. I didn't really think I'd like them, as I'm not a big fan of white chocolate and the idea of candy corn flavor kind of freaked me out. I have to say, though, they're really good. The flavor is subtle. There are times when I was eating them that I really had to concentrate to get the candy corn flavor instead of just generic white chocolate sweetness. I like the ratio of crunchy shell to creamy insides. I wonder what a regular plain M&M would taste like if it was in this bigger form. I think I would love those, but you never know. In any case, I definitely recommend these to get you in the fall spirit.

Something different

Time to mix things up a little. I've written about all things candy: candy-scented perfume, candy jewelry, and candy vodka. But here's something totally new: sweet-flavored body creme. The folks at Yume Blush offered to send me some samples of their product which they describe as, "A luscious edible treatment (all in one) flavored body butter, massage oil, body cream and lip care." The stuff is 100% vegan and doesn't contain anything funky, unnatural, synthetic or from the center of the earth's core. What the heck? I figured I'd give it a shot. I was particularly intrigued because they said it smooths wrinkles, which are quickly becoming a major problem in my life.
I've got to say, I'm impressed. I'm always wary of beauty products that are "edible." Something about that just freaks me out. But these creams are very light, not at all sticky and, best of all, taste really good. I used the Lavender Lemon as a lip balm and had to stop myself from putting too much on. Another thing that usually bothers me: chocolate-scented anything. More often than not, the chocolate aroma is overpowering and artificial. The Yume Chocolate Raspberry cream, however, smells like a good-quality truffle.
Check it out at www.yumeblush.com. 

Sour Patch winners!

Congrats to Ellen and Axel, the two lucky recipients of the Sour Patch swag! Keep coming back ... we should have more giveaways soon!

Sour Patch Giveaway

Hey, have you heard? It seems the Sour Patch Kids are up to no good, or so it seems. Check out the Sour Patch Kids Facebook page to see all the evidence that fans have uploaded. And, in recognition of this event, the folks at Sour Patch Kids are giving away candy and T-shirts to two lucky Yumsters! Here's all you have to do: leave a comment telling me what your favorite Sour Patch Kid flavor is, and I'll select two lucky recipients. Be sure to leave an email address where you can be contacted. U.S. residents only, please. I'll pick the two winners on Saturday, August 18. Good luck!

Candy bar round up

Okay Yumsters, I have a backlog of candies that I need to review, so I'm just going to do them all in one big lump. Right here, right now. Settle in.

First up, we have Nutffles. I found these at the grocery store for .99 cents and they came in different varieties. (I tried the almond and hazelnut; there's a red velvet variety that looks a little more tempting.) I was so excited to find something new and totally different. Only they weren't that different. Turns out these are a clone of Ferrero Rocher. Same creamy center with a nut, same crunchy outside. I was hoping there would be something really snazzy about them, but they were just okay. I haven't seen them since I initially bought them about six months ago. Like I said, maybe the red velvet ones are more unique.

Next we have Jelly Belly Snapple jellybeans. Back in my taste-testing days, I used to sip all sorts of Snapple flavors. These jelly beans are pretty true to the taste of the drinks, in flavors of Fruit Punch, Kiwi Strawberry, Mango Madness, Cranberry Raspberry and Pink Lemonade. A box on the back of the package says, "We include real ingredients whenever possible to create our famous true-to-life flavors." Um, real ingredients as opposed to what? That's kind of scary. I still prefer the Sour Jelly Bellies to all the other flavors, but if you're a Snapple lover, you'd like these. 

Lindt has two new Excellence bars out: Caramel with a Touch of Sea Salt and Coconut. I was initially surprised by the caramel. The picture on the box shows a square of chocolate with flowy caramel behind it, so I assumed this would be a liquid-center bar. However, the bar had crunchy bits of caramel and sea salt crystals in it. It was delicious, to be sure, but I think some people may be very surprised if they don't read the description first.

The coconut was delicious, as far as I can remember, because the Sugar Baby and Mr. Goodbar devoured most of it. You can't go wrong with dark chocolate and coconut ...

 ... except when it's in a 3 Musketeers. I saw the 3 Musketeers Coconut at a rest stop in Maine this past weekend, so I figured I'd try it, even though I've never had good luck with limited edition Musketeers in the past. This was no exception. To my taste buds, there are two types of coconut: fresh, tropical coconut and artificial, suntan lotion coconut. Unfortunately, this bar fell into the lotion category. It was overly sweet with that grainy, malty aftertaste of a regular 3 Musketeers, with "coconut flavor" thrown in. I'm not a fan.

Hot chocolate

This heatwave we're experiencing is not exactly the best weather for chocolate (or me, for that matter). The kind folks at Alter Eco Foods contacted me a month or so ago and asked if I'd like to try their chocolate. I said yes, and they sent me a few bars. The full-on heatwave hadn't yet started when the bars arrived, so I was surprised when I opened them and found they had clearly reached a molten state at some point during their travels. I don't usually mind trying chocolate that's bloomed or melted, but these had suffered pretty badly. The foil wrapper had melted into the chocolate, so I didn't even try to sample them. When I told the company the sad news, they said they'd ship out another package, which they did. Guess what? It arrived on my doorstep on a 90 degree day. This time, though, I ran the package straight to the fridge with the hopes I could save it.

The good news is, I was able to salvage the chocolate bars. The better news is that it was fantastic. Usually a nibble or two of plain dark chocolate is satisfying enough, but this was so perfectly balanced that I kept wanting more. Even Mr. Goodbar said it was the best chocolate he'd had in a long, long time. I love the descriptions of the chocolate. The Dark Noir is "fruity and malty, smooth and rich with a firm snap, a strong bite and a hint of licorice." The Dark Velvet, with a "touch of milk," is "melty smooth, with a subtle flowery bouquet and honey finish." I love a good chocolate that has a nice snap to it, and I prefer my dark chocolate on the fruity, rather than bitter, side. These bars were so, so good. They have other flavors, including Dark Twist with crystallized orange peel and Dark Quinoa with nutty toasted quinoa. I've got to try those. The Dark Coconut Toffee was incredible. Little bits of crunchy toffee combined with real toasted coconut. Good stuff. They're available at different health food stores and Whole Foods.

Limited edition art from the Sugar Baby

Look what the Sugar Baby brought home from school one day. A candy masterpiece! Admittedly, I didn't know what it was until he told me, but now it seems so obvious. Up top, we have chocolate coins, a candy Lego piece, a stick of rock candy, a lollipop, a wax bottle filled with black syrup and those smiling people? Those are Air Heads. I'm so proud.

Girl Scout Cookies + Nestle Crunch

Remember the good old days when limited edition candy bars seemed to come out one after the other? That's certainly slowed down lately, so when Nestle announced it would be releasing candy bars with a Girl Scout cookie theme, people went crazy. I admit, I was one of them. I love Thin Mints. I love them so much that I don't buy them, because I can eat a whole sleeve in one sitting. I couldn't wait to try the Nestle candy bar version.

When I opened the package, the aroma was definitely similar to a box of Thin Mints. The bar is made up of wafers and chocolate and the top is sprinkled with crushed cookies. So how did it taste? It was good, but ... I found myself wishing that I just had the cookies, not the candy bar. The second one I tried is modeled after the Samoa, with coconut and caramel. This is my second favorite Girl Scout cookie. Again, I thought it was good but not great. The last one I tried was Peanut Butter Creme, an homage to the Tagalong. Strangely enough, I never really liked Tagalongs, but I liked this bar the best.
The bars are exciting in that they're something different for the summer, but overall, I'd rather have a plain Nestle Crunch and a box of cookies.

My kind of vote

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Vermont? On our last trip up there, we went to the charming (albeit overpriced) Vermont Country Store and what did we find? This.













A contest to vote on candy! Talk about being in the right place at the right time. When we stepped up to the table, this nice lady Bev said, "Looks like we have some candy experts here." I told her, "You have no idea!"

Some of the candies on the ballot were gummi butterflies, sour lips, green apple candies, sea salt and chocolate almonds, S'mores, and ZOTZ. The Sugar Baby sampled them all, of course, and voted for the butterflies. I thought I'd go gaga over the almonds, but the S'mores really won me over. I don't know which one won in the end, but it was a fun way to kill a few minutes before we went into the store and dropped a wad of cash on even more candy. (I had a salted caramel truffle that was excellent. No picture, though. I ate it too soon.)

Best Candy Bar You're Not Eating

The candy company Just Born is most famously known for Peeps, but here's what I have to say: they make the most underrated candy bar in America today. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Goldenberg's Peanut Chews are one of my all-time favorite candy bars. According to the company's website, they were developed in 1917 and used in World War I as a ration bar. My memories of them go way back to when I was a kid and my mom stashed them in the candy cabinet in the livingroom.

Just Born is rolling out a new campaign, "Chewin' it Old School Since 1917." I hope this attracts a new generation of Peanut Chew lovers, because they are so darn good and there's no other bar to compare them to. Yes, they have peanuts and chocolatey coating like other candy bars, but there's something truly magical about the molassesy chewy center. The traditional chews are dark chocolate, but there's also the newer milk chocolate variety. They can be hard to find, but if you put your zip code into the finder on their website, you can get directions to the nearest Goldenberg's dealer.

Lindt Vanilla White Chocolate Truffles

You don't run across vanilla candy too often. White chocolate, yes, but vanilla, not so much. Lindt, which makes superb milk and dark chocolate, has now entered a whole new territory with its Vanilla White Chocolate Truffles. A few weeks ago, I received a big, purple box with a pretty white bow.  I opened it to reveal lots of the new truffles. I was pretty psyched to try them. The Sugar Baby, however, was even more enamored with the box. "It looks just like a present," he said. Well, yes, I guess it did.

 Like their other truffles, these have a hard outer shell and a decadent, rich, soft inner core. Mr. Goodbar is the vanilla aficionado in the house, and apparently he really enjoyed them, because I watched the box dwindle pretty rapidly. I love the purple wrappers, which would make them really fun for a party or a wedding.

The rumors are true! Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars

There's big news in the candy world today. A few months ago, rumors started flying around that Nestle Crunch was going to come out with a Limited Edition bar incorporating Girl Scouts Thin Mints. People went wild, including me. I love Thin Mints, so much so that I can't have them in the house. I can down an entire sleeve in no time flat.
Well people, here's the announcement we've all been waiting for. (I'm giving it to you straight from the press release):

Today Nestle Crunch confirmed it has created the new Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars, designated “the world’s most valuable candy bars” by the world’s largest auction house of collectibles, Heritage Auctions. Having officially authenticated the first set of the three limited edition Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars, Heritage Auctions has appraised the bars at $500, an amount almost 200 times greater than the bars’ suggested retail price -- making them the most valuable candy bars currently in existence.

The bars will come in three varieties:

·         Thin Mints™ – Dark chocolate cookie wafers and mint chocolate crème, topped with airy crispies and a rich, dark chocolatey coating

·         Caramel & Coconut – Cookie wafers layered with coconut caramel crème and chewy caramel, topped with toasted coconut and drizzled with caramel stripes

·         Peanut Butter Crème – Cookie wafers layered with smooth peanut butter crème, topped with airy crispies and a creamy, chocolatey coating

Beginning tomorrow, May 9, you can log online to purchase the candy bars through a special, limited supply pre-sale program at www.Facebook.com/NestleCrunch while supplies last. After the pre-sale, the Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars will be available as limited edition candy bars this summer at participating retail stores nationwide, beginning June 1 through September.

Good friends, good cookies

Say what you want about Facebook. Is it an invasion of privacy? Yes. Is it a stalker's playground? Yes. But it also brings some good into the world. For example, through the magic of social networking, I reconnected with an old friend from my high school and Mr. Goodbar's college. Turns out she was in town a few weeks ago, so after 20 or so years, we actually met up with each other again. It was wonderful to meet her family and to reminisce about old times. It was a great visit. Oh, did I mention she brought cookies?
Berger cookies. Ever heard of them? I hadn't. They're a Baltimore thing. The cookies are vanilla and cakey. Not as spongey as a black-and-white cookie, but definitely soft. Each cookie is dipped in thick fudge. They definitely reminded me of something but I still haven't been able to put my finger on it. My first thought was that the fudge was similar to the chocolate center of a Stella Dora Swiss Fudge Cookie, but I don't think that's it. In any case, the cookies are so sweet and so rich that just one will take care of any sweet craving you might have. (Unless, of course, you're me, in which case two is even better.)
You won't find these cookies in a store near you unless you live in the Baltimore area, but you can order them at www.bergercookies.com.

And just a note. Yes, I realize that I didn't take any pictures of my friend and I together, but I did take two pictures of the cookies. So, so lame.