One of the new candies unveiled at this year’s All Candy Expo was this new twist on a classic candy: the Abba-Zaba Chocolate Cream center. When Brian told me about his find on the showroom floor I couldn’t help but respond by asking a gazillion questions about it. For me, a new addition to the Abba-Zaba family was big, big news.

The original Abba-Zaba is a sweet taffy with a stripe of peanut butter running down the center. There’s also a Sour Apple variety with the taffy carrying the flavor and the peanut butter center remaining intact. What I found most exciting about this new Abba-Zaba was the replacement of the peanut butter with “chocolate cream” (ok, so it’s really mockolate), which sort of takes away the consistent component of the candy. I was curious to see if this hurt the formula of the bar at all.

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“They’re here, they’re finally here!” my tummy yelled when a box of Annabelle’s new Rocky Road Supreme bars found their way to my doorstep. I had luckily sampled these at last year’s All Candy Expo when they were still just prototypes. Regardless of the fact that they weren’t finished tweaking the formula, I knew what I was eating was extremely tasty, so I patiently waited until they would be ready to be consumed by the masses.

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Like a true Candy Addict, when I hear the word “Rocky Road” my mind doesn’t jump to ice cream, but instead lands on the candy bar of the same name. Rocky Road is a classic candy made by Annabelle Candy Company, who are the same makers of my beloved Big Hunk and also Abba Zaba. Rocky Road was Annabelle Candy’s first original candy bar, which debuted around 1950. It’s a big seller in its home state of California, where it remains one of the top 40 best selling candy bars.

What makes the Rocky Road so special? Well, it’s a unique combination of flavors to start. Take fresh marshmallow, then layer on some bits of roasted cashews before covering the whole thing in milk chocolate. A classic no matter how you look at it: original, simple and tasty. Over the years Rocky Road has tried on new flavors. Today you can find a Dark Chocolate and Mint variety. This newest version is called “Double Dipped Bits” and they are basically smaller sized Rocky Road bars in movie theater sized boxes.

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Today we have another guest review written by Tanna Reynolds who recently reviewed Mo’s Bacon Bar. (Remember, anyone can write a guest review for Candy Addict, just email us)

Abba-Zaba and I go way back… all the way back to my childhood when I would lord over my trick-or-treat hauls full of Abba-Zaba at Halloween. Recently, I decided it was time for us to be reacquainted. For me and my candy-greedy brother, Abba-Zaba’s chewy peanut taste and taxi cab yellow and black packaging was sweet perfection. Each year, when the final bell rang at the neighborhood-wide open market candy exchange in the days following Halloween, I was dozens of Abba-Zaba’s richer. My wealth could be measured in both sweet sticks and time because my brother was always willing to perform my chores in exchange for an Abba-Zaba. As long as they lasted, my brother was mine.

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One of my most exciting moments at the All Candy Expo was catching sight of the Annabelle Candy booth and seeing Skinny Hunk sitting on the counter. Eureka! I knew if I didn’t find it at the Expo, I was basically doomed to never see it since I live on the east coast where it’s rare to catch any of Annabelle’s regional candies. After having a lovely conversation with the ladies at the booth, I walked away with a few samples and grinning from ear to ear.

To start, don’t let Skinny Hunk fool you. Despite the intention of a healthier portion-controlled snack option (a good example of the trends I saw at the Expo), it’s a large bar for only 100 calories. Upon unwrapping Skinny Hunk, the nougat color is white; very delicate and demure looking. There is no scent, unlike Big Hunk where you get the nutty smell from the peanuts.

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There’s a new girl in town, Candy Addicts! The geniuses over at Annabelle Candy Company have decided to jump on the 100 calorie snack craze and remake their classic favorite, Big Hunk. The result? The Skinny Hunk!

Similar to her big brother (or her boyfriend?) Skinny Hunk offers the same tasty nougat and low fat content but in a smaller, portion controlled package. Dreams of getting your sensible afternoon pick-me-up from a candy bar have now come true! The only difference between the two, besides the size, is that Skinny Hunk doesn’t have any peanuts. Not too much surprise there; we gals always thought guys were nutty to begin with!

So keep your eyes peeled for the newest member of the Annabelle candy family. If you encounter her, be sure to let us know how she is!

• Annabelle Candy Co. Website

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Big Hunk used to be one of those candy bars that I’d see on the shelf and always pass by. That was obviously before I knew any better! For those of you who are unfamiliar with this candy gem, Big Hunk is a long bar made of honey sweetened nougat that is generously studded with whole roasted peanuts. My mouth is already watering.

I remember the first time I tried a Big Hunk. I had seen it on the shelf at my local Ricky’s Candy Store. I recognized it right away, since it was mentioned several times in Steve Almond’s book Candyfreak. I didn’t buy it since the label says it contains peanuts and I tend to dislike nuts in my candy.

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