Cotton candy, candy floss, fairy floss – whatever you want to call it, the universal translation for this confection is Yum! But what is one to do when the carnival/fair is not in season?

I suppose you could always buy a bag of the prepackaged stuff they sell in stores, but it just isn’t the same as having the freshly made variety melting betwixt your fingers and dissolving as soon as it hits your tongue.

While popping in to the convenience store to buy a cup of tea on a particularly chilly morning, I spotted Charms Fluffy Sutff Cotton Candy Pops. Cotton candy in a lollipop? I was skeptical, but the payoff was too great to not try. I mean, if these could accurately mimic the taste of cotton candy, my dilemma would be forever remedied. So I bought my cup of lemongrass tea and the lollipop.

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My favorite candy company that I can never remember is Perfetti Van Melle. Born out of the fusion of Perfetti (Italy) and Van Melle (Netherlands), this company boasts one of the largest confectionery operations in the world.

But, if you don’t recognize the name, you might be wondering what they make. Well, aside from their long list of gums and mints that enjoy mostly a European audience, Americans can buy their famous Mentos and Chupa Chups quite easily in their hometowns.

Oh yeah, they also make Airheads. For those who aren’t familiar with Airheads, they’re an elongated strip (as opposed to a circular blob) of taffy/chew known for their sweet flavors. I’ve actually been a fan of this candy for some years, finding it to be a perfect snack when you don’t want something as filling as a candy bar.

So I was eager to try these new Airhead Pops when I spotted them at Walgreens. Airheads have always been good on delivering flavor, so I reasoned that since the most important aspect of a lollipop is its flavor, these might stack up pretty well.

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Winter is upon us, and though the global warming-induced mildness of the current weather is a far cry from the fierce Canadian winters of my childhood, it’s still an unlikely time to be thinking about Popsicles.

So naturally, I did a double-take when I noticed a familiar-looking logo among the candy canes and red-and-green-wrapped chocolates at Toys R Us. (I was buying a gift to donate to Santa’s Anonymous, not scoping out how much cooler toys are now than when I was a kid… I swear!)

About the length of my finger, this candy Popsi… er, “icicle pop” (wouldn’t want anyone to get sued) is shaped just like the classic frozen treat. It’s made up of two conjoined “bars,” complete with plastic sticks, that you can break apart to share with a friend (or scarf down yourself) – just like the real thing. According to the package, they’re “the icy cool lollipop,” which I took to mean that they’d have some kind of cooling effect in the mouth – from menthol, perhaps, or compressed dextrose. They also have more possible allergens than I can count on one hand, including fish (wow, what other flavors of candy are they making in this factory?)

Though at this time of year I can get all the “cooling effects” I need by stepping outdoors in my shirtsleeves, I was intrigued enough to pick one up along with my Santa’s Anonymous Scrabble board (because there’s no better present for a kid than a solid vocabulary). The pops come in an assortment of flavors – I selected “creamy orange” in memory of one of my favorite frozen treats, the Creamsicle.

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After my review of Tropical LifeSavers, loyal Candy Addict reader, KK, left a comment in regards to my dilemma about being unable to find candy with an accurate mango taste. She recommended that I try Lucas Mango lollipops.

My local H.E.B. carries an assortment of Mexican candy, and though they do stock Lucas products, this specific lollipop was not available for purchase. I did, however, spot a similar confection called Vero Mango.

Vero Mango, like the Lucas version, is a mango-flavored lollipop that is dusted in a red sheath of chili. I am not really a big consumer of foreign candy that doesn’t come from European, Israeli, or Antipodean origins, so I thought this recommendation might be a nice step into the waters of the Mexican and Latin American candy world.

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Continuing with my family’s attempt to create a frugal yet festive holiday, over the Thanksgiving weekend we decided to make something from scratch. My wife has a collection of old cookbooks, so pulling a Betty Crocker book circa the early 1970s from the shelf, I flipped through the sticky, crumpled pages and found the ‘All-time Favorites’ candy section.

Hmm… what sounds good: Fondant-stuffed dates? Spicy sugared nuts? Ting-a-lings? We voted for lollipops. With only six ingredients (including the stick) what could go wrong?

Well, plenty, especially if you happen to like your pots and pans.

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