To me, one of the most exciting announcements at this year’s All Candy Expo was the addition of three new additions to the Pieces lineup. Never knew there was a Pieces lineup? Well, there is now, with Hershey’s Special Dark, Almond Joy and York Pieces joining the familiar Reese’s. But are these new additions worthy successors to the mantle of everyone’s favorite candy-coated peanut butter treat? (The Hershey’s folks threw in a sample pack of Reese’s Pieces too, so I’m doing a bonus review of those as well.)

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This Easter, a new chocolate rabbit has hit the scene. Packed with milk chocolate and peanut butter goodness, he is no ordinary Easter Bunny. He is, in fact… the Reester Bunny. And though the market is already well-saturated with rabbit-shaped treats, he’s ready to kick butt and take names – all three of him.

That’s right – Reese’s new Easter treat comes in not one, but three sizes: a big heavyweight bruiser, a middleweight sold in packages of four, and these little guys, only a couple of inches long. The design of all three is basically the same – a flat milk chocolate rabbit filled with – you guessed it – peanut butter. Each bunny is individually wrapped in silver foil stamped with the image of the bright orange, overall-wearing Reester Bunny.

The Bunny himself is a little generic, like the Easter Bunny from a random low-budget Easter special. Actually, his orange color and yellow cheeks make him look like a rabbit version of Garfield. He’s smiling, but there’s something vaguely startled or worried-looking about his eyes, as if he’s just realized it’s Monday or he’s out of lasagna.

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One of the hardest things about dieting is denying yourself all the tasty treats that caused you to need to diet in the first place. The candy displays at the checkout line can be the downfall of a dieter who has only the best intentions. The Kit Kats and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups seem to call your name. “Buy me, eat me,” they say. It’s more than even the most dedicated dieter can resist.

The Hershey Company to the rescue! In 2006 and 2007, Hershey rolled out a new line of chocolate bars that have only 100 calories per pack. The slogan is “More Pleasure, Less Guilt.” Each variety in this 100 Calorie line puts a new spin on an old favorite. They come in a box with seven packs per box. Each pack contains two bars, for a total of 14 bars per box at a suggested retail price of $2.99. Each box should last about a week… or, uh, you know… two days….

I recently treated myself by buying four out of the five available varieties and now have on my desk a most scrumptious display of candy: one package each of Hershey’s 100 calorie Pretzel Bars, Crisp Wafer Bars, and York Peppermint Wafer Bars and two empty packages of Reese’s 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Wafer Bars. Yes, dear readers, I love being a Candy Addict!.

While eating several packs in one sitting completely defeats the purpose of buying 100 calorie candy, that is what I am about to do in the interest of sharing important flavor information with the rest of the Candy Addict world.

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The first thing my little sister said to me when I told her that I scored a gig reviewing candy went something along the lines of the following:

“So what sort of candy are you going to give me?”

I had not even written my first review, and she was already trying to milk the perks. Being the good, older brother that I am, or maybe just feeling guilty remembering all the stuff big brothers put their little sisters through when growing up, I send her care packages every now and then with candy.

When we spoke several weeks ago, I inquired if she had received my latest shipment. She told me she had and continued to explain how she disliked everything I sent her. Mind you, she and I have very different ideas of what constitutes tasty when it comes to candy.

She did explain that as a candy reviewer, I was letting down the general public and her by not devoting enough time to Reese’s products, her all-time favorite. I tried explaining that there were simply no new products to review. This fact failed to placate her. Knowing the wrath a little sister could release, I picked my battle and told her the next time I saw a new Reese’s product, I’d not only review it, but also send her a box of whatever it was.

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Wrigley’s recent purchase by Mars is just the most recent instance of a candy company being “congloberrated” by a larger one. Though you might not realize it, many of your favorite candies were once manufactured independently of the big names that now produce them. Jolly Ranchers is just one popular example.

This also helps to explain one of the most annoying naming blunders in the history of candy. I am talking about Hershey’s and Reese’s. To the untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong about this, but Reese’s is owned by Hershey’s. Maybe I am also a grammar addict, but I don’t like having to say Hershey’s Reese’s products.

But there is more to my rant, including a valid point. You see, as Reese’s operated on its own merits for so many years, its original products were not supposed to match Hershey’s line, as they were two different entities. Reese’s was the peanut butter candy company that carved a niche for itself with its unique flavor.

When purchased by Hershey’s in 1957, Hershey’s did not change the brand names because Reese’s was already associated with such a popular product that it would be bad marketing to make people start buying Hershey’s Peanut Cutter Cups or Hershey’s Pieces (it just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?).

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