At the All Candy Expo, Mike and Ike shared some of their new flavors of 2009. For those of you who are Mike and Ike fans, you might be wondering why I’m reviewing the Berry Blast flavor as new when we already reviewed it in 2007. Well, Mike and Ike have updated the Berry Blast to include some new goodies. You get the same Mike and Ike consistency and texture, just a different mix of flavors.

Blueberry: This dark blue candy has an artificial blueberry flavor that lacks the mixed sweet-tartness of a more genuine blueberry experience. Instead, the emphasis here is on sweetness.

Blue Raspberry: Not to be confused with the darker blue Mike and Ikes, the light blue candies are a blue raspberry flavor. These were the strongest flavor in the bunch – as soon as I put one in my mouth I could taste the blue raspberry before I even started chewing. The flavor here wasn’t as sweet as the blueberry, offering a little more complexity.

Read More »

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, the latest big food fad to hit grocery stores is… No, not bacon. Darn it all, why do you people always want to talk about bacon?

The OTHER big food trend of the past couple of years is the so-called “superfruit.” The theory behind superfruits is that certain fruits like pomegranates and goji berries contain high levels of nutrients such as antioxidants, which just might help to prevent cancer and other diseases.

Though there’s considerable debate about whether superfruits are really the disease-fighting powerhouses the companies marketing them claim they are, I guess any trend that encourages people to eat more fruit can’t be a completely bad thing. (That argument probably doesn’t hold water when applied to fruit-flavored candy, though.)

Read More »

Purdy’s Chocolates is one of the go-to chocolate companies in many parts of Canada. From their famous hazelnut chocolate hedgehogs to filled chocolates and chocolate bars, and even a selection of sugar-free items for the compromising Candy Addict, they’ve got something to please anyone.

I’ve written previously about Purdy’s Chocolate Chewie Bar and how I always associate the company with special occasions. Well, what should turn up in my Christmas stocking this year but – surprise! – a Purdy’s item. This year, it was the Purdy’s Blueberry Almond bar, a combination of 70% dark chocolate, almonds, and dried blueberries.

At first, I was a little skeptical of this combination. I love fresh blueberries, but often have trouble getting behind blueberry-flavored candies – it’s one of those fruit flavors that just doesn’t take the transition to artificial form very well. But real dried blueberries combined with two of my favorite candy ingredients – very dark chocolate and almonds – sounded like a completely different animal altogether. Would this combination change my feelings about blueberries and candy?

Read More »

Despite being raised in a Jewish family, the one holiday I anticipated most anxiously the whole year was Christmas. It might seem strange, but it’s the truth. No, it wasn’t that I liked the It’s a Wonderful Life marathons or the endless playing of carols on the radio. The truth is, I adored Christmas candy.

And no other candy represents Christmas to me as much as the candy cane. It’s the one time of the year when I specifically go for something peppermint flavored, even though they’re basically the same as those after-dinner mints, just in a different form.

As I have grown, so too have candy canes. They have branched from their traditional form into new flavors, colors, and fillings. Though I typically purchase the classic variety, this year I felt compelled to mix things up a little.

Staring me down at my local Walgreens was an entire display of candy canes – so many to choose from that it was intimidating. I went back and forth between what to buy, but ultimately, I decided it would be best to try something simple, just like the original. With that framework in mind, I grabbed a box of Bob’s Blueberry Candy Canes and headed to the checkout line.

Read More »

Despite being siblings, my brother and I had differing opinions on everything. He was a Los Angeles Dodgers fan while I preferred the Angels. He liked sci-fi stuff, and I… well, I just didn’t like/understand it.

And even on Thanksgiving, the day of the year where all families sit down together, he and I were contentious. You see, my mom had this tradition where she would let one of her kids pick the dessert to create. He always wanted pumpkin pie while I craved blueberry cheesecake. It was always a tempestuous dinner if your dessert wasn’t picked.

All these years later, I still like my preference over his, but in honor of the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a candy recipe that combines both loves: A blueberry pumpkin cheesecake fudge bar that I call the Harmony Bar.

Read More »