As I am not the second coming of Betty Crocker, I’m thankful for baking enthusiasts out there who concoct new ways to get baked goodies and heavenly desserts into my belly. Even better? Using candy as a vehicle to further encourage consumption of said goodies (not that you need extra motivation). For example: cake pops. Haven’t heard of them? It’s exactly as it sounds — cake on a stick, like a blow pop, but instead of a gum-based center, you get a moist mouthful of cake.
Are cake pops the new blow pops?
Categories: Candy,Candy News,Candy Recipes,Lollipops,New CandyCandy Review: Charms Black Cherry Blow Pops
Categories: Candy,Candy Reviews,Gum,LollipopsMy love for all things black cherry-flavored originated from living in Los Angeles, haven of Rite-Aids. Now, for those of you who don’t have these drugstores in the states you live in, they are pretty much your CVS or Walgreens – with one exception.
You see, Rite-Aid was originally named Thrifty, a name I actually still use, and they were known for their own brand of ice cream. You might be thinking “Yuck! Drugstore ice cream?†But I assure you that it’s some of the best you’ve ever eaten, with my favorite flavor always being Black Cherry.
As far as flavors go, black cherry is just a specific type of cherry, characterized by its darker and juicier flesh, which tastes more woodsy than the tart of your average cherry. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to consume any since I moved away from Los Angeles.
Passing through a gas station, I spotted Charms Black Cherry Blow Pops. I reviewed the mango-tangerine variety not too long and failed to be impressed, preferring the classic Blow Pops flavors, but I was curious to see how this flavor compared to the original cherry variety.
Candy Review: Charms Tangerine Mango Madness Blow Pops
Categories: Candy,Candy Reviews,Gum,Hard Candy,LollipopsCandy is always good, but when you can successfully combine two different types of candy into one, then you’re in business. And though it’s a seemingly difficult feat, I have always thought the most successful attempt to be lollipops with filled centers.
My personal preference is for Tootsie Pops, the combination of a delicious hard candy shell with chewy Tootsie mockolate in the center. Despite my own proclivities, I recognize the even more popular version is the cousin of the Tootsie Pop, Charms Blow Pops.
Blow Pops were the epitome of candy for me as a child. You had the artificial (in the best possible way) fruit-flavored candy shells, coating a middle of bubble gum. Had I been a fan of gum, I think I would have consumed a lot more of these as a kid instead of just eating the outer shell and throwing away the gum. Grape and cherry were my personal favorites, which was fine since my siblings didn’t care for either and fought amongst themselves for the strawberry, watermelon, and sour apple varieties.
Over the years, new flavors have been introduced, but I never enjoyed blue raspberry or the sour versions as much as the original flavors, so I rarely purchased them. However, on one of my meandering candy scouting sessions through local gas stations, I came across a bin of these: Tangerine Mango Madness Blow Pops. Sounds interesting, right?
Retro Candy Flashback: Charms Blow Pops
Categories: Candy,Candy Reviews,Classic and Retro Candy,Gum,Lollipops
Charms Blow Pops recently caused me a “well, DUH!” sort of moment. (I may have even dramatically smacked my forehead!) A recently acquired bag of traditional-flavored Blow Pops had me thinking how similar they were to Tootsie Pops. Hard outside, chewy inside, and a debate between those who chomp their way to the center and those who lick their way there.
So imagine my amusement when I started researching this article and discovered that Blow Pops are produced by… Tootsie Roll Industries. Bruised forehead aside, I was thrilled to eat my way through a bag of these. They taste precisely how I remember them from my childhood. Nothing about them has changed – which is great, given how much I hate it when candy companies mess with perfection.
Candy Review: Blow Pop Minis
Categories: Candy,Candy Reviews,Gum,Hard Candy,Lollipops,New CandyWhen the long school day was over, the afternoon bus seemed like a sanctuary. True, there were always spit balls to dodge, boys to avoid, and backpacks to trip over. Despite these hazards, I welcomed the world of the school bus for one particular reason: it was prime candy trading time.
Once we settled in for the drive home, my bus companions and I would whip out our respective stashes and embark on a journey through a smörgåsbord of sweets. The candies that would appear most frequently from our backpacks were Fireballs, Red Hots, Jolly Ranchers, Warheads and Blow Pops.
Blow Pops were always a favorite because they combined lollipops with gum, which was forbidden both in school and on the bus. We would consume the Blow Pops with gusto, giddy with our secret rebellion. It was with this same excitement that I approached a bag of Blow Pop Minis – the “Blow Pop with NO Stick.†How would my Blow Pop experience fare now that I was no longer encumbered with a stick?