As I have mentioned before, many of my candy proclivities that I have carried since childhood are a direct result of the candy my dad enjoyed. For example, my father would stop at a drug store to buy some motor oil while I remained in the car playing Game Boy. When he returned, there would be a half-eaten bag of Twizzlers in his hands for me to share (it’s the only way to explain my adoration for the waxy confection).

But sadly, not all of the candy he favored became staples of my candy lineup. His affinities for Crows and Jujubes confounded me. But the one flavor obsession that my older brother inherited from him and I never did was root beer.

It seemed whenever root beet was invited to the party, I was the third wheel. My dad and brother would go out from root beer floats, grab root beers and chili burgers, and even debate which variety was the most superior. It drove me nuts that they could stomach that junk!

So while my father was visiting for Christmas and I was giving him a restaurant tour of Austin, we hopped into The Korean House for dinner (one of the few restaurants open for Christmas Eve). After having a yummy basket of Yasai Tempura, the waiter left our table a handful of A&W Root Beer Barrels.

Read More »

The after-Christmas candy sale is currently at its zenith for bargains. Everything is 50, 75, even 90 percent off the original price.

Often, there are candies that catch my eye, but for which I don’t feel like shelling out a few bucks. Brach’s Cherry Cordial Nougats are one such confection. But after Walgreens had them on sale for thirty-three cents, it seemed ridiculous not to buy them.

I was taken slightly aback by what these were made of. A cordial, by definition, is a chocolate shell with a fruit filling. The only thing these had even remotely in common with a cordial was that they used cocoa. Well, Brach’s, I hate to break it to you, but you can make a cookie with cocoa powder; that doesn’t mean it’s a cordial cookie!

Aside from my cocoa issues, I wasn’t exactly sure how nougat would fare in the presence of both cherry and cocoa. Reading the ingredients list, I also discovered there are no nuts in this, which is actually a component of a real nougat (if you’re going to get technical).

Read More »

I don’t know why or what it is about Easter Candy: the colors, the designs, the pleasing egg shapes, the promise of spring, but for some reason during this specific candy season I feel compelled to ignore my better instincts and try the grossest and oddest stuff I can get my hands on.

Last year I reviewed Brach’s Chicks and Rabbits, which are like the rejects of the circus peanuts. This year, my fancy was caught by these odd, large, brightly colored eggs. I mean, picking up the bag, it feels heavier than what it looks like it should be. Is this a good or bad sign? I could only shove my good judgment into my back pocket and throw the bag of these babies into my cart. I mean, come on, I’ve had some pretty strange things before. So how strange could these really be?

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a novice to a lot of the Easter Candy out there. My parents, or rather, the “Easter Bunny” preferred to give chocolate rabbits, dyed eggs and Jelly Bellys. So I was never given the pectin jelly beans that everyone goes mad over this time of year. I also never got any of the malted robins eggs, marshmallow Peeps (gasp! I know!) or the purely sugar-based confections like the Bunny Basket Eggs. I mean, I think it wasn’t until high school that I had my first Cadbury Creme Egg! Looking back on it, I’m wondering how hindered I was by this, considering how my love of candy has grown to epic proportions.

Read More »