Friday, December 11, 2009

Sweet Time Candy Canes With Gel Candy

Thisis going to be a quick review because I didn't eat any of the 2 ounce Sweet Time candy canes, they're too large and decorative.
The thing I like best about these Candy Canes with Gel Candy is their usefulness. They work as a candy cane then hold their own as an ornament, not too heavy to pull down the branches of a small spruce.

Candy Cane with Gel CandyThey come three to a pack, two with Christmas gummis and one plain, and can be found among the other canes and decorations at Walgreen's.
The Snowman and Santa canes will end up on top of two kids presents along with some kind of RC rodent and Twihard gear.
Hang them, gift them, eat them. If you do the latter let me know what they taste like—I think it's time to call on some guest bloggers anyway.

Plain Candy CaneSpeaking of other people writing about candy, I stumbled across On Motivation and Chocolate, tagline: In a World Where There's Chocolate, We Should Never Feel Dispair. If you're looking for prolific holiday candy reviews, this is the blog for you (as opposed to this one). It's authored by a motivational speaker, which explains the enthusiasm.
Safety Tip: Do not hang your candy canes too close to the center of the fireplace.

Melted candy cane
The beaded glob part was burnt and sour (formerly a Sour Patch Kids Candy Cane). Now that I think of it, the wrapper was still intact—how did that glob get on the hearth rug, what did I just eat? The cane shaped part was hollowed out and crunchy-chewy. I recommend pre-melted, that way you know you're not eating ornaments.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Snow Day Candy Cane Review: Sour Patch Kids

First real snow of the season
Everyyear I'm on the look out for tree worthy candy canes and every year the mass market disappoints. I thought it was back to classic peppermint, Heshey's Chocolate Mint, or hand dipped canes (all fine choices), until I discovered that Sour Patch Kids had thrown their gummis into the ring.
The Frankford Candy & Chocolate Company could have easily produced another too sweet, generically bland cane vaguely reminiscent of it's original brand flavor, but no.

Sour Patch Kids Candy CanesSour Patch Kids Candy Canes are as close to the original flavor as you can get in a cane, just the right amount of sweet, tart, and chew. They're aromatic, have four distinct flavors—Redberry, Lime, Lemon, Orange—and sparkle with sour powder. I think the glistening substance helps make them chewy (if you masticate it like someone with good dental insurance).
I was surprised to see they're out of stock on some Web sites (don't worry, you can look here among other places), but Walgreens has them. Walgreens has everything, don't they?
Looking for a candy cane good enough to tie to a present or serve with a plate of cookies (if that sounds like overkill you're reading the wrong blog) has always been a challenge, especially when you love black licorice and eschew the artificial cherry flavoring imposed upon so many canes. That makes the Sour Patch Kids cane especially sweet.

Dr. McGillicuddy's schnapps
Some Canes That Didn't Make The Cut: Dum Dum, Sour Punch (although I haven't tried all the Spangler brands and am intrigued by their Cinnabon cane) and Life Savers; anything cherry flavored.
The candy cane photo above is from last week, here's what it looks like today.
Annoyingly High Pitched Note: It's not that I'm ignoring you, or that you can prove that I am, but my other blog is less fattening and I've had to play catch up. So now that I'm caught up, relax, let it snow. Does anyone know if they make a McGillicuddy's candy cane?
Final Note: I don't recommend Sour Patch Kids Candy Canes and Dr. McGillicuddy's, although a classic hot cocoa and schnapps can still tolerate a peppermint cane.

I Guess That Wasn't The Final Note Note: Did anyone notice that Barbara Walters was welcomed into the White House with open and well toned arms, but couldn't get an interview with Brett Favre for her 10 Most Fascinating People?