Jive talking

You might've heard about all the crazy snow we've been having up here in the Northeast. If memory serves me correctly, we've had five snow days since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Crazy. Yesterday I had 2 1/2 precious hours to myself while the Sugar Baby was in school, so I went to the spa went to Costco, the dollar store and, for some unknown reason, Aldi's. Well, actually I know the reason. I made a wrong turn and ended up in the Aldi parking lot and thought, what the heck. Let me just go in. I've decided that place completely and totally creeps me out, but they do have some interesting candy. (At least from what I could see, thanks to the woman who parked her cart right in front of all the chocolate and couldn't be bothered to move it. Harumph!) In any case, I found two things of note. The first was a Route 1 Jive bar: "Crunchy biscuit topped with caramel and a creamy milk chocolate coating." Uh oh, chocolate "coating." But since it was only 49 cents, I figured what the heck. I love the description on the back of the wrapper:
"Candy bars are loved by millions worldwide. With so many made every year, they could easily stretch right across the USA-- all along Route 66!" Um, what? The bar is called Route 1 but now they're talking about Route 66. To further confuse, it's made in Germany. I don't pretend to understand. As for the taste, it was very similar to a Twix, although ever so slightly larger. These weighed in at 2.1 oz., whereas a regular Twix is 2 oz.
When I eat a Twix, I like to pull part of the caramel off the top with my teeth to reveal the little holes in the cookie part underneath. You couldn't really do that with the Jive. The top layer of cookie came off onto the caramel, so I couldn't tell if there were holes in the cookie or not. All in all, though, this was a pretty good candy bar, even if it was chocolate "coating" and for 49 cents, it was a bargain.The other find was a Choceur "Deliciously Crispy Peanuts & Flakes" (Rich Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Peanuts and Cornflakes). Now, you know how I feel about Ritter Sport Cornflake. It is my favorite candy bar of all time. So I was nervous to try this. Frankly, I thought the peanuts wouldn't be a good addition. But I have to say, this is a damn good candy bar. The combination of peanuts and cornflakes gives it an almost peanut brittle-like taste. I still prefer the Ritter, but then I did the math. The Choceur was $1.99 for 7.05 oz., versus the Ritter which is $2.69 for 3.5 oz. Clearly the Choceur is the better choice. I just wish Aldi wasn't so creepy.

My Sweet George: Chocolate Caramels

Like I said a few days ago, I have candy stashed into every corner of my house right now. It needs to get out of sight for a while, until I get back into my pre-birthday rye bread-for-every-meal-and-elliptical machine routine.
But first, I had to try one of the samples I received from My Sweet George Divine Candies. I was sent a bag of assorted candies--Cherry Pecan, Macadamia Nut, Coconut Almond, Lemon Butter, Peanut Butter, and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate caramels. Each piece is handmade and individually wrapped. The presentation is cute and homey. You can definitely tell these aren't machine-made.
Now, as you know, caramel isn't my favorite, but over the past few years, I've developed a taste for it, so I went into this with an open mind. I was particularly excited that it was chocolate caramel, something you don't see very often. I just tried the peanut butter. It was a layer of chewy chocolate caramel atop a layer of salty, crumbly natural peanut butter. It was, I dare say, really, really good. A great combination of sweet/salty/chewy. It was extremely satisfying, and I could've totally been happy with one piece, but I was so intrigued by the lemon butter.
This piece reminded me more of taffy. It had a slick oilyness to it and smelled of fresh lemons. The chew was soft, like taffy, but my teeth are beginning to protest. Apparently I'm pushing my 40-year-old chompers to the limit tonight. As for the taste-- normally I don't like lemon and chocolate together. I love lemon on its own, but I find that it often doesn't pair well with chocolate. In this case, it was surprisingly good. The zestiness was a nice contrast to the dark chocolate, giving it an almost savory appeal.
Here's what I like about these candies: 1) They're homemade. 2) They're satisfying and, according to the website, one non-nut piece is about 70 calories (or two Weight Watchers points). 3) They're different.
A pound of caramels (about 26-28 pieces) is $25. The website is a bit wonky; there isn't an order form directly on the website and the information about the actual candy is buried beneath info on their T-shirts and tote bags. And I'm unclear as to whether or not they actually have a store front.
But so far, so good. The two flavors I've tried are excellent. I'll be trying the others later this week-- after I get over to the gym.

Giveaway Time! Simply Caramel Relax and Enjoy!

Nothing says relaxation like a 90 degree summer day with 99% humidity and a sick kid. Hopefully you all are having a better August than I am! But if not, here's something to cheer you up: a giveaway you're going to love. Two Yumsters will be chosen to receive a "Simply Caramel Relax and Enjoy" gift pack from Milky Way that includes:

• A $75 gift certificate to SpaFinder.com for a yoga class or massage
• Enough Simply Caramel Bars to indulge in for a month (5)

(Yes, I know what you're thinking... you could eat 5 candy bars in a day, right?)

As I may have mentioned in the past, I still haven't tried the Milky Way Simply Caramel because No-Nuts made a midnight snack out of the one I had, but it's described as a Milky Way without the nougat. So here's what you have to do: leave a comment here saying why you love caramel. Two lucky caramelophiles will be chosen on Wednesday, August 18 at high noon Eastern time. Be sure to leave a way for me to get in touch with you and U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Argh! Here Be Treasure, Matey!

Memaw sent the Sugar Baby a big box o' Easter fun (as Memaws are known to do) and included a few fun things for me as well, including a bag of DeMet's Treasures Dark Chocolate Caramels.
My first reaction to seeing the package was, "Wait a minute. Isn't there another candy called Treasures?" My second thought was, "DeMets? Who the heck is DeMets?"
As it turns out, DeMets is a candy company that is located about 20 miles from my house. Go figure. They are probably best known for Turtles in the red striped boxes and Flipz, the chocolate-covered pretzels. As for the Treasures, yes, these used to be Nestle's. Apparently there was a series of buyouts and such, so now the candies bear the DeMet's name with the same "Treasures" logo that Nestle used.
Since I didn't recognize the name right off, I was highly skeptical of these. So much so that I almost considered not eating them. But then I noticed one day that the bag was open (ahem) so I tried one.
Wow! Let me just say ... these are fantastic. The chocolate is smooth with just enough bitterness to contrast with the soft, sweet caramel. If you're a Caramello lover, you will flip over these.
I don't know what the story is behind these. Have they just been released? Or have they been around for a while and I just never noticed them? Whatever the case, I think I see a revolution coming on. The DeMet's website said they're opening a larger facility soon, and I think that's good, because these Treasures just might be the next big thing.

Pillow-Soft Boozey Goodness

Waaaaay back when in 2008, I sampled some boozey-enhanced candies called Crown Nuggets Borrachitos. They came in two flavors: Cafe and-- I say whispering-- ((tequila)). They looked like this:
I just couldn't get myself to try the tequila ones back then and, to be perfectly honest, I still can't. As they say, once bitten, twice shy: one bad night with some cheap tequila will remain forever etched in my brain. I was able to try the Cafe ones, though, and I likened them to happy hour in a candy.
Fast forward to 2010, when I was asked if I'd like to try their new flavor Whiskey. I hesitated at first. Whiskey isn't my drink of choice, either, but at least I can say the word without gagging.
The first big change was obvious. The packaging is a hundred, thousand, million times better. The photo on the package shows some darn yummy looking candies and identifies them as "Creme & Liquor Filled Caramels." I noted before that they almost look like little pastries or cruellers. What I totally forgot about was the texture. It completely surprises me every time. Rather than a dense chew or a crumbly, almost doughy texture, these have a gelatinous feel to them, almost more marshmallowy than caramel. (The website refers to them as "pillow soft.") The alcohol-- up to 4%-- gives them a very definite kick. The whiskey ones taste just like the highballs* my parents used to make on Saturday nights. If whiskey is your poison, then these candies are your treats.
Mr. Goodbar loves these. I've watched as the package has slowly disappeared throughout the week. If you're the type who devours rum balls at Christmas, these are most certainly for you. They aren't really my thing, but I can say they're unique. If, however, they come out with a champagne-flavored version, watch out. Then it will be happy hour for me all the time. You can order these at www.crowncandies.com.

*It wasn't until just this very moment, when I looked up the definition of highball, that I realized that a highball is actually a generic name for a family of mixed drinks. According to everyone's favorite sketchy source Wikipedia, highballs are "composed of an alcoholic base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer." So technically, a gin and tonic or rum and Coke are also considered highballs. Huh. Who knew?

Wah, Wah, Wah....

Yesterday I promised you the great unveiling of the treats I made for the Sugar Baby's party at school. Fortunately, I made two different things.
First, ghost Jell-O jigglers. Easy, fun, festive.
And then, trying to be all Martha, I decided to make mini caramel apples that I saw in a magazine. Here's what you're supposed to do: use a melon baller to scoop balls of apple. Put a lollipop stick in the apple, then dip in melted butterscotch chips and roll in sprinkles. Voila! A cute mini "caramel" apple.
The Sugar Baby's school is very strict about peanut products. We can't even use ingredients that were made in a peanut facility, so I couldn't use the butterscotch chips. "Well why not caramel then?" I thought. Brach's caramels are nut-free.
I spent all night cutting apple balls, drying them, dipping them, rolling them. They were adorable. I even had little candy corn paper cups to put them in. I put the tray of apples in the fridge and this morning, woke up to find this:Wah, wah, wah. The caramel slipped right off the apples. I guess that's why the recipe said to use butterscotch chips. Bummer. Apple on a stick anyone?

Atkinson's Coconut Long Boy: What is This Thing?

This is an Atkinson's Coconut Longboy. Until yesterday, I'd never had a Long Boy (coconut or otherwise; they come in regular and chocolate, too). In fact, I didn't even know what a Long Boy was, just that I'd heard of them and knew they were some kind of candy that are special in the hearts of many.

After a little intense research, I discovered that Atkinson's is located in Texas, and they're proud of their southern heritage. Probably why I'd never had a Long Boy before-- it's a southern candy.

I only bought one of these at a local coffee shop and now I'm sorry I didn't buy two, because Mr. Goodbar would totally dig these. It's caramel (very much like a Bull's-Eye type caramel) with little flakes of coconut throughout. Even though I'm not big on caramel, I could see these becoming an addiction. We're off to Vermont tomorrow, so perhaps I'll get a chance to stop at the Vermont Country Store where, no doubt, they'll have some.

But what about you, Yumsters? Do you know about Long Boys? Are these a candy from your childhood? Come on, share with us!

Caramel Ecstasy

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had bought a bag of Nestle caramel eggs after Easter, thinking they were Nestle Crunch. As a candy, I wasn't too impressed with them. But as an ingredient in a recipe, well now, hoo boy, that's another matter.
I made these Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies from a recipe off of Allrecipes.com. Basically it's a chocolate cookie dough that you wrap around a chocolate-covered caramel. I used Penzey's cocoa powder rather than a cheaper brand since the recipe called for so much of it. The cookie was almost like a brownie: soft and chewy with a nice, complex chocolate taste. The candy in the center got all melty and oozey so you'd bite into this warm caramel filling. These were a huge hit with my weekend guests. I actually took a picture, but it came out really atrocious, so I'll let you imagine them instead. Better yet, make a batch yourself. They're pretty easy and totally worth the effort. I'd like to try this recipe with peanut butter cups. I think that would phenomenol.

The Remains of the Day

I had all intentions of photographing these lovely chocolates from the Newtown Chocolatier that Sue, my kick-ass, firefighter, garden guru friend had bought me, but alas, it was not to be. I had a bit too much wine the other night and went bezerk on the chocolates so you'll have to imagine what these delicious tidbits looked like. The one remaining chocolate was a delightful peanut butter cup. It was a layer of chocolate, then PB, then more chocolate. Anyhow, as I sat enjoying my chocolates in my buzzed haze, I wrote about it in my journal. Here, the transcript:

My God, what is happening to me? I'm turning into someone I hardly know, a stranger in my own skin. What's brought this about? The box of candy sitting on my nightstand.

Sue stopped by with a bagful of goodies for me yesterday. A box of dark chocolate sticks-- yum; a cone-shaped bag of Swedish butter candies-- yum; and a box of delicious chocolates from the Newtown Chocolatier. Last night I had the passionfruit jelly. Tonight I almost went for the chocolate truffle, but then I realized that the dark rectangle was a caramel and I had to have it. Yes, this is me talking. I HAD to have the caramel.

Me, who traditionally prefers crunch over chew.

Me, who views caramels as the candy of the popular crowd, the athlete, the girl with the Le Sportsac bag and Tretorns. Certainly not the candy of the quiet, shy, slightly-freaky-but-not-in-a-funky way wild-haired girl. No, she eats almond clusters and mint cremes. Definitely not caramels.

So why then did I relish every bite of the chewy, creamy, buttery-burnt caramel? This is a rhetorical question because I don't have an answer.

So, who knows. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the total shift of hormones after having a baby. Maybe it's because I'm in my 30s. All I know is that it was delicious. The next night I tried a chocolate that was so fantabulous, I wanted to weep when it was gone. It was round and prickly looking and was smooth chocolate and crispy-- what? I have no idea what it was. It was almost like those Piroutte cookies crushed up into spiky splinters. Whatever it was, it was delightful. So now I must make a trek out to this store and get some more. Maybe this time I'll even take a picture before I scarf them down.

Caramel catch-up

It's been a few days since I've posted. Life is getting crazy around here with a pending move and Henri's first birthday fast approaching. Not to mention the fact that I'm having my annual White Elephant party on Sunday. Woo hoo! I found a great recipe for the party at Candy Addict for Leftover Easter Candy Cake. How awesome does that sound? And why didn't I think of that? A cake with all sorts of candy chopped up and baked into it. I'm going to have to make it.
My candy samplings have taken me down the caramel road, and I can't say I've been too impressed. First up, I bought a package of Hershey's 'n' More Caramel Cookie Bars. I thought they'd be like Twix, but they weren't at all. The caramel was really sweet and the chocolate was very plastic-y, which was a disappointment, since you can usually count on Hershey for some palatable chocolate. The cookie lacked the grainy grittiness of a Twix. There were four in the package, so I tried to pawn them off on my niece, but she wasn't impressed either.
My second new item this week was an Easter item, a Snickers Creme Sports Egg. First of all, let me just say that it bothers me that suddenly sports have entered the realm of Easter candy. Why is this? Can boys not have bunnies and chicks? Now their eggs have to be shaped like soccer balls and footballs? I find that annoying. But I bought this because I was intrigued by the "creme" reference. What could that possibly mean? As it turns out, this isn't just a Snickers in an egg shape. There's no nougat, which was disappointing. Instead the filling is a soft, not quite liquid caramel with peanuts. It was fine but nothing I'd buy again.

What I've Been Eating

Pizza and caramels. These two will forever be linked in my mind as foods that the cool kids liked in grammar school, but that I didn't necessarily care for. It was the cheese on pizza that bothered me. I didn't like its slippery chewiness. As for caramels, they just seemed too "sporty" to me. (What caramels and sports have in common, I have no idea, but I guess you just think of these things when you're little.) In any case, my opinions have changed with age.

I like pizza now. It's not my favorite food, but give me a good pepperoni pie and I'm happy. Same thing with caramels. I won't take the caramel over the nut cup in the Whitman Sampler, but if you offer me a really good caramel, then I'm all over it. So when I received a package of Sander's caramels, I wondered how they would be. To start with, they're pretty. They're covered in milk chocolate but have dark chocolate stripes across the top. (Forgive my lame picture; my camera just isn't cut out for details.) And then the taste: YUM. The caramel is buttery and complex and its chewy, but not hard. I think that's the key to a good caramel: the texture. If it's too hard, you lose the taste. These have just enough chew to keep your teeth busy, but not so much that you'll break your jaw.

I also got a box of Sander's Mint Patties. There's something so wonderful about the initial aroma you get when you open the box. I can't quite place why it makes me so happy, it just does. Again, texture is key with peppermint patties. Here, the chocolate has a nice snap to it, while the peppermint cream is soft and flowy, unlike a York pattie which is stiff and crumbly. The only problem with these is that they're addictive. You think you'll just have one, but then you find yourself reaching for another. And another.

Sander's is based in Detroit and you can order their candy from their website.

Dig in!

I'm addicted to a website that's supposed to be for moms, but really covers every detail of life known to women, including some that really would be best left private. Anyhow, one poster commented on how she was having a dinner party and her husband offered to pick up dessert. She thought he was going to the bakery, but instead came home with a big bag of candy from the drugstore. She was horrified, but it was too late to do anything else. So she said after dinner, she brought out a basket filled with all sorts of fun-sized candy bars and her guests loved it. They went bonkers and everyone had a great time.
That made me think of the big bowl of candy I had in the kitchen. When Henri was about two weeks old, Brian came home from work and said, "What's with the Hello Kitty on the front of the house?"
I had no idea what he was talking about, so I went outside. Yes, there on the front of the house was a giant Hello Kitty pinata. My friend Susan had originally bought it for my baby shower, but she had decided not to use it because she wanted the party to be a classy affair. (She opted, instead, to use the Precious Moments "It's a Boy!" banner, knowing full well that *that* would make me cringe.) So after Henri was born, she left the pinata hanging on the shutters outside my house.
"You might not want to eat the candy," she warned me. "It's been in there for a while." What a tease! How can you give someone a pinata filled to the brim with candy and then tell them not to eat it?!
I dumped it into a big-- HUGE-- bowl and it looked fine. But it was all caramel-based. Those bulls-eyes, square caramels and all different flavored caramel logs. I don't like caramel on it's own. With chocolate, yes, but on it's own, it holds no temptation.
My in-laws, however, LOVED it. First to go were the bulls eyes. Brian and his mom were digging through the bowl to try to find them. My nieces went for the Tootsie Rolls. Eventually the giant bowl dwindled down to a few rogue pieces. It just goes to show, though, that people love candy, even if they won't admit it. It's a great idea to always have a big basket of candy on hand for guests. Candy= FUN!