Sugar Savvy

When Cate extended the offer to review the Sanders Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, I said “send those bad boys my way.” (Well, that was my mental response, anyway.) A lifelong fan of mint chocolate, I likely possess a greater range of experience about this particular genre of candy than the average sugar-hole stuffing Joe, a fact illustrated by the peppermint patty round-up that I posted on Sugar Savvy last year.

I had never heard of Sanders, as it is a company based in Detroit and appears to be sold only in the Detroit area. Fred Sanders opened his first store in 1875, providing candy, baked goods and ice cream toppings, as well as lunches and desserts at a soda fountain counter. As I read this, I kept saying to myself: “Fred Sanders, man that sounds so familiar,” until I realized that I was thinking of Fred SanFORD of Sanford and Son fame. So, no, this company has nothing to do with a cantankerous junk dealer played by Redd Foxx and his son, Lamont. Different guy altogether.

Sanders retail stores no longer exist, but you can buy the products at various retailers in Detroit, as well as on their website.

I took the box of patties to an Oscar party in order to get additional tasting comments, which generally sounded something like:

“Sanders, huh? These seem sort of Russell Stover-ish.”
“Good, but a little bit too minty.”
“Kind of powdery, like they’ve been sittin’ around for awhile.”
“Nice chocolate thickness.”

I agree with these comments, and will add that while the chocolate has a nice heft, I actually prefer the thinner dark chocolate coating of a See’s or even the lower-end but never disappointing York patty. Also, the mint was a bit toothpaste-y and runny. I like the stiffness of See’s and The Newman’s Mint Patty filling. Dark, as opposed to milk chocolate, is a must for a peppermint patty – providing the proper balance to the sweet mint. Sanders wins points for the chocolate (I found myself chipping the chocolate away from the mint and eating it solo), but loses on the mint fillings’ texture and taste. Additional points must be deducted for the use of hydrogenated fats. There really is no excuse for the trans fats at this point, and there are several great mint patties on the market: Cloud Nine, See’s, Junior Mints and Newman’s that prove this fact.

Based on my enjoyment of the dark coating, I would be interested to sample some other chocolates from their collection, the Burbanet Dark Assortment in particular.

Lastly, any company with a 132-year history in chocolates, ice cream soda fountains and dessert toppings is a winner in my book, toothpaste-y peppermint patties aside.