Sugar Savvy

EDITOR’S NOTE: My Favorite Candy is a getting-to-know-you feature here on Sugar Savvy to help you learn a little more about the people who write about all things sweet here. Enjoy!

It need not be said that I have A LOT to say about A LOT of different candies. There are candies I loved as a child, but only think about fondly in retrospect. And there are the ones that I buy for the sake of “research” and curiosity, the most recent example being the Limited Edition Elvis Reese’s. Yes, I spent too much time in pursuit of that bar, but I ate maybe one half of one cup once I finally got my hands on it.

However, when it comes down to the sweets that I buy for myself, purely for my own enjoyment and consumption, there really is only a small handful that make their way onto that list.

The following are two candies that you will find in my stash box on a regular basis. Correction: these are the ones you will find in my MOUTH; they don’t usually stick around long enough to have much of a lifespan in the box.

DUTCH MINTS (or Holland Mints)

Even though it seems like they’ve always been around, I don’t have memories of them from early childhood. These are pleasing to me on a few different levels. First, I love the way they look. The pastel colors are more saturated in hue than, say, Jordan almonds or Sweet Tarts, for example. The matte finish, as opposed to glossiness of Jordan Almonds or M&M’s, is also appealing.

And always a cheerleader of mint chocolate, they strike the perfect balance of flavors. The sweet, soft mint center is enrobed in dark chocolate, and then coated in the aforementioned pastel candy shell. As I’ve been paying more attention lately to the Dutch Mints, I’ve found that, like candy corn, they are definitely NOT all created equal. The ones put out in the bulk bins by Jelly Belly are (at $7.99/lb) the most expensive ones I’ve come across – yet are far inferior to the ones I can buy in bulk at QFC for $5.99/lb. I was all set to show you a side-by-side comparison of the dueling Dutch mints, including cross-sections of the minty, chocolaty orbs, but -read on…

Sigh. I just rode my bike all the way over to QFC (much further away than the source of the Jelly Belly version) to buy the above-mentioned, superior Dutch Mints. You can imagine my shock and dismay when I found that their entire bulk candy section had been replaced by, you guessed it…Jelly Belly! This is terrible news, and you can be sure that I shared my reaction with the manager (or whomever that innocent guy in the apron was who listened to my heartfelt complaint.

My trip was not wasted, however. QFC was selling 11 oz bags of Zachary brand candy corn for $1. Candy corn, another perennial favorite of mine, was the 1st place winner of the candy corn taste-off that I conducted last fall.

ENDANGERED SPECIES BLACK RHINO BAR

Here’s another thing I buy a lot, even though I already know exactly how it tastes. That is, in fact, exactly why I buy it, because it tastes FANTASTIC. I’ve already waxed about the perfection of this bar on Sugar Savvy, but just to reiterate, this bar totally rules. It is the perfect darkness and has just the slightest smokey hit, laced with almost undetectable bits of hazelnut toffee. I don’t even like hazelnuts, yet I will call this a PERFECT BAR with no hesitation. I almost always have one on hand, at any given moment. Among premium chocolate bars, it is a steal at $2.49, and frequently goes on sale for $1.50 or $2.

Here’s another thing I buy a lot, even though I already know exactly how it tastes. That is, in fact, exactly why I buy it, because it tastes FANTASTIC. I’ve already waxed about the perfection of this bar on Sugar Savvy, but just to reiterate, this bar totally rules. It is the perfect darkness and has just the slightest smokey hit, laced with almost undetectable bits of hazelnut toffee. I don’t even like hazelnuts, yet I will call this a PERFECT BAR with no hesitation. I almost always have one on hand, at any given moment. Among premium chocolate bars, it is a steal at $2.49, and frequently goes on sale for $1.50 or $2.

Note: this list is not nearly complete or definitive. I will add to it as more of my favorites occur to me. The Dutch Mints and Black Rhino are founding members of Joanna’s Favorite Candy Club - membership is indeed open.