Candy Review: Kid’s Brands Icicle Pop

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - by Laurie

Winter is upon us, and though the global warming-induced mildness of the current weather is a far cry from the fierce Canadian winters of my childhood, it’s still an unlikely time to be thinking about Popsicles.

So naturally, I did a double-take when I noticed a familiar-looking logo among the candy canes and red-and-green-wrapped chocolates at Toys R Us. (I was buying a gift to donate to Santa’s Anonymous, not scoping out how much cooler toys are now than when I was a kid… I swear!)

About the length of my finger, this candy Popsi… er, “icicle pop” (wouldn’t want anyone to get sued) is shaped just like the classic frozen treat. It’s made up of two conjoined “bars,” complete with plastic sticks, that you can break apart to share with a friend (or scarf down yourself) – just like the real thing. According to the package, they’re “the icy cool lollipop,” which I took to mean that they’d have some kind of cooling effect in the mouth – from menthol, perhaps, or compressed dextrose. They also have more possible allergens than I can count on one hand, including fish (wow, what other flavors of candy are they making in this factory?)

Though at this time of year I can get all the “cooling effects” I need by stepping outdoors in my shirtsleeves, I was intrigued enough to pick one up along with my Santa’s Anonymous Scrabble board (because there’s no better present for a kid than a solid vocabulary). The pops come in an assortment of flavors – I selected “creamy orange” in memory of one of my favorite frozen treats, the Creamsicle.

The bar (bars?) proved to be rather cute with its little tan plastic sticks. Unlike the vivid orange color of the Creamsicles of yore, it was a pale, almost fluorescent pink/orange, reminiscent of cantaloupe (or some Silly Putty I had once). They had a nice milky vanilla/orange smell like orange Campinos (there’s a candy I haven’t eaten in awhile).

The bar yielded easily to the patented “over a sharp counter edge” technique usually used on its frozen brethren, the thin candy separating the two bars snapping cleanly. For its small size, it was a solid piece of candy, with a more mouth-friendly shape than round or flat lollipops – I found it fit very nicely into the space between my tongue and the roof of my mouth. It had an intense orange flavor mellowed with that artificial cream flavor, like orange Jones Soda or the aforementioned Campinos. No cooling effect was detected – unless it’s psychological.

I wouldn’t normally list lollipops among my favorite items. However, I quite enjoyed the Icicle Pop, despite its status as a “gimmick” candy. It would make a great stocking stuffer – a little taste of summer for kids who are sick of candy canes.

I might even have to go back to Toys R Us and look at toys some more. Er, I mean try the other flavors. Because it may be too cold for real Popsicles, but it’s never too cold for candy.

• Kid’s Brands Website

Buy Icicle Pops Online:

• at Amazon.com