The Chocolate Box — See’s Piece-by-Piece #41 — Mayfair
Don’t get me wrong. See’s Candies’ chocolates are among my favorites. It’s a dream come true to have it my “job” to taste every candy under the glass counter in those art deco black and white shops. But sometimes I find See’s a little too, shall we say, not exotic. I yearn for chocolates flavored with flecks of chilies or maybe the tiniest pinch of curry or perfectly blended tea. Oh, for a floral note or a little sprinkle of smoked sea salt. I want a candy that will push me out of my comfort zone.That’s why I picked the Mayfair (a name trademarked by See’s Candies) to taste this week. While not exotic, its flavor profile is certainly not plain Jane. But is that a good thing? Read all about it below.
Tasting Report
Description: Oops, sorry this candy is not shown on the website and my in-house sample was consumed before photographic evidence of its true colors could be taken. Typical of See’s, Mayfair has a roundish lump of milk chocolate covering. Inside the filling is the color of pink bubble gum and is full of chunks of English walnuts and artificially colored cherries.
Taste: No surprise, I’m sure, this candy pushed me out of my comfort zone and right into uncomfortable. It is easily one of the most disappointing candies I’ve had from See’s. The skin on the cherry chunks was hard and chewy and got caught in my teeth. The color and sweetness of the filling were off putting. Only the fresh, crispy nuts and the always good chocolate coating were commendable.
See’s Trivia: Check out the website to get a preview of what candies the company will be offering this holiday season. You can look, but not eat. These goodies won’t ship until November 17th.
Also, you still have a few months to sign up for the company’s “12 Months of Treats” contest. Every month a new winner gets a year of chocolates, a great prize.
Ingredients: Milk chocolate coating (sugar, milk, cocoa butter, chocolate, soy lecithin, vanillin), sugar, cherries (with artificial color red 40), cream, English walnuts, corn syrup, butter, salt, and vanilla.
Well Fed Network Ratings: Like its close cousin, the Milk Chocolate Covered Cherry, this candy gets a score of one out of 10 as compared to other See’s Candies. It was going back and reading that post that reminded me I had tried this particular confection before and had a similar reaction. It was the free sample the day I bought the chocolate covered cherries. Pros: You get a free sample when you go into See’s Candies shops and buy this or any other candy. Cons: Filling was too sweet and the color of it was suggestive of Pepto Bismol. The cherries were too chewy. I won’t be adding this candy to The Chocolate Box.
[…] 3. Ask for what you want in life. After a year of buying See’s Candies weekly in my neighborhood shop, I overheard a patron requesting a specific free sample. Now, I’ve just taken what ever free candy the sales clerk was interested in passing out, so this was a revelation. I think sometimes I’ll still just take the fatalistic approach and see what See’s is handing out rather than making a request (that’s how I discovered the Dark Chocolate Butter Chew, after all), but no more Mayfairs or Peanut Butter Patties for me! I intend to speak up and ask for what I want. […]