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Marshmallow

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Peeps Chocolate Mousse (Bears & Bunnies)

Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow BearsJust Born is expanding its efforts of Peeps World Domination with a new line of Chocolate Mousse Peeps.

The first version will premiere next Valentine’s Day in the shape of Peeps Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow Bears.

I’m not sure why there hasn’t been a bear shaped Peeps all along, they’re an ideal Valentine’s emblem (and really, why can’t we have Bear Peeps all year round?). However, this package is all about love, with its red wrapper & little hearts.

The packages I got were for evaluation purposes only, so I don’t have the complete nutritional info & ingredients list. I decided to open the Peeps Chocolate Mousse Marshmallow Bunnies for the purposes of the review.

image

Look familiar?

They’re nice looking, medium brown. They’re sparkly with the light sanding of sugar. (I’ve often wondered what corn starch dusted Peeps would be like.)

They’re extremely soft, softer than regular Peeps are, if you ask me. They smell like chocolate breakfast cereal, like Cocoa Puffs.

image

But the big question, at least in my mind, was are these different from the Cocoa Peeps?

I just so happened to have a package of Peeps Cocoa Marshmallow Bunnies (left) for a direct comparison.

Though they looked similar in my memory, putting them side by side, it’s easy to see that the new Mousse Peeps are darker.

The cross section shows that the Mousse Peeps is cocoa through and through, where the only slightly creamy colored on the inside.

Peeps Chocolate Mousse BunniesThe difference in taste? Well, if you’re expecting some sort of decadent mousse-like product, you’re going to be disappointed. The new Mousse version are kind of like a fluffy, watered down Tootsie roll. Pleasant and less-sweet than the ordinary Peeps, but still, not a chocolate phenomenon.

They’re great with coffee but like the Cocoa version, it’s very hard to get them stale. I’ve had this package open for two weeks and they’re still pretty squishy.

However, these are awesome broiled. The center becomes frothy and runny and the sugar dust becomes a crunchy shell. I put them in the toaster over for 3 minutes. Be sure to have them on foil or parchment or else they run all over the place. You also might need a spoon to eat them. Microwaving also gets the same soupy center, but the outside doesn’t get crispy (so it’s the confectionery equivalent of trying to make pizza in a microwave ... it’s edible but it’s not the same).

In the end, I’m more inclined towards the Chocolate Mousse Peeps than any other Peeps to date, but that’s not necessarily a rave review.

For the record, the available shapes for Peeps are:

  • Valentines: Hearts and now Bears
  • Easter: Eggs, Bunnies, Chicks & new Tulips
  • Halloween: Spooky Cats, Pumpkins & Ghosts (love those, no dyes)
  • Christmas: Trees, Snowmen, Gingerbread Men & Stars + the new JOY letters
  • These should be in stores starting in January, but you can also buy many Peeps items all year round now directly from Just Born.

    Related Candies

    1. Peeps Mash Ups - Savory
    2. Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg
    3. Peeps Chick & Bunny Candy
    4. Marshmallow Pig
    5. Candy Wrapper Purses from Endangered Species
    6. Peeps Mash Ups
    7. Peeps
    Name: Chocolate Mousse Peeps (Bears & Bunnies)
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Just Born
    Place Purchased: samples from All Candy Expo
    Price: $1.29 retail
    Size: 2.375 ounces
    Calories per ounce: unknown
    Categories: Marshmallow, United States, Just Born, Valentines, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:09 am    

    Thursday, May 15, 2008

    Bubu Lubu

    Bubu LubuI picked this bar up at Target. They’re not available at all Target stores, in fact, the only one I see them at is the Target in Harbor City here in the Los Angeles area. I think it’s cool that Target has regionally relevant offerings and while this isn’t exactly a local product, I’m sure the folks who requested it and buy it are happy to have a taste of home.

    Bubu Lubu is a Mexican candy from Ricolino. It’s described on the package (in English and Spanish) as strawberry flavored jelly and marshmallow with chocolate flavored coating. I know, I know, why am I buying a mockolate product? How could I not! Look at that metallic blue wrapper, the white marshmallow character with the spiky Lisa Simpson hair and strawberry-flavored scarf & gloves! And the name, people, just say that name out loud a few times.

    They don’t say so on the package, but many folks enjoy Bubu Lubu frozen. (I don’t happen to care for cold candy, but that’s just me, so I ate mine room temperature.)

    Bubu Lubu

    Even the shape of the bar is fun, with its little curves.

    Inside, it’s pretty obvious how it lives up to the description. A white marshmallow base with a stripe of fruity red jelly and then covered in a crackly mockolate coating.

    The strawberry jelly is tart and smooth but overwhelms any delicate vanilla flavors the marshmallow may have. The marshmallow is bouncing and lightly foamy, kind of like a meringue. The jelly creates a bit of a grainy coating, especially when it comes into contact with the mockolate, so it’s yet another texture. The mockolate, well, it’s kind of waxy and only vaguely cocoa flavored. I consider it the edible container for the jelly & marshmallow, not a full participant in this confection.

    The bar is rather light, even though it looks pretty big it only weighs in at 1.23 ounces (35 grams).

    Since there’s really nothing else like this in the American candy bar world, I think it’s great that this is finding its way onto American shelves. Not really a bar for me, the strawberry isn’t authentically jammy enough. But hey, it was 50 cents, so it’s not like I can expect something extraordinary. If you’re watching your calories, the fact that there’s no chocolate in there and all that marshmallow & jelly means that it rings in at a modest 126 calories.

    This actually isn’t the first time I’ve bought Bubu Lubu, but this was the best looking bar I’ve had so far. I’m not sure if I’m not getting them fresh, or this is just the way that they always look. I’m not sure I’d ever find this combination, even factory-fresh with top notch ingredients excellent, but I’m sure that there are many fans of the bar.

    Other views of Bubu Lubu: a review atMexico or Bust, this photo shows what the full character looks like, Candy Addict review and some Bubu Lubu love & nostalgia.

    Related Candies

    1. Marshmallow Pig
    2. Joyva Joys
    3. Littlejohn Caramel Marshmallows
    4. Fry’s Turkish Delight
    Name: Bubu Lubu
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Ricolino
    Place Purchased: Target (Harbor City)
    Price: $.50
    Size: 1.23 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 102
    Categories: Mockolate, Jelly, Marshmallow, Mexico

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:42 am    

    Thursday, March 20, 2008

    Hiding Eggs

    Hiding EggsI really didn’t want to buy these; they couldn’t possibly be better than the Brach’s Bunny Basket Eggs (or worse, for that matter). Which I didn’t like, but have devoted followers. But I have to admit that it’s a valid confectionery expression: a grainy marshmallow covered in a lightly-flavored jelly bean-like shell.

    What convinced me to get these though was the name: Hiding Eggs.

    It seems obvious that Judson-Atkinson Candies is well aware that these aren’t for eating! They’re for hiding ... possibly without any hope of every finding. They’re all individually wrapped, which is great for throwing in Easter baskets or reassuring when you find one stuck in the sofa cushions in August and shrug and eat it anyway.

    Hiding Eggs

    They come in the standard color & flavor variety of fruit jelly beans: Orange, Lemon, Grape, Cherry, Lime and Vanilla.

    I’m not going to lie to you, this is not a comprehensive review, I didn’t eat all of them. I tasted the purple, orange and white ones and that was it. Read the Brach’s Bunny Basket Eggs review for my complete rant on the subject of these candy impostors (not that they’re BBBE impostors, but that they’re masquerading as edible confections).

    The centers are soft and grainy, the shells are crunchy and grainy. The flavor layer is very mild, but the tastes distinct enough that you could probably tell them apart with your eyes closed. Each egg is a substantial hit of sugar, weighing in at a little over 13 grams each and about 50 calories (yes, that’d be 13 grams of carbs!).

    So if you’ve been having trouble finding the Brach’s, or just want a brand that’s made in the USA (most Brach’s products are no longer made here), Judson-Atkinson Candies has your new favorite hiding egg. Added bonus, they were only $1.49.

    The one thing that I find so enchanting about these is that they’re part of a rather extensive line from Judson-Atkinson that includes all different sizes of these eggs. Pigeon Eggs (small marshmallow eggs), Hen Eggs (medium marshmallow eggs) & Turkey Eggs (large marshmallow eggs). The Turkey variety tops out at about 1/3 larger than the Hen Eggs (which I think I’ve reviewed here ... it’s so hard to tell).

    They’re an important part of Easter, I’ll grant you that. I’ve had mine for the year (just like I used to eat my bit of Pork & Sauerkraut for New Year’s as a kid ... for the record it was the pork that I didn’t like, I love sauerkraut), so I should be very lucky. Since they’re wrapped they may make good filler for pinatas, so pick some up on clearance next week.

    These have a marshmallow center, so contain gelatin and are not suitable for vegetarians.

    Related Candies

    1. Circus Peanuts
    2. Melster Marshmallow Eggs
    3. Jelly Belly Deluxe Easter Mix
    4. Peeps Lollipop Rings
    5. Dubble Bubble Chick Eggs
    6. Brachs Bunny Basket Eggs
    Name: Hiding Eggs
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Judson-Atkinson Candies
    Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Echo Park)
    Price: $1.49
    Size: 7 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 106
    Categories: Marshmallow, United States, Judson-Atkinson Candies, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:30 am    

    Wednesday, March 5, 2008

    Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg

    Peeps Milk Chocolate EggThis is another one of those cool idea novelty Easter candies that just doesn’t have a name. Marshmallow Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg just does not roll off a whiny child’s tongue in a desirable way. There is a little ribbon on the top of the box that says “Just Hatched”, so I think if they’d gone for something like Peeps Chocolate Egg Hatchlings or something, it might be a smidge more compelling.

    Names aside, it’s pretty easy to figure out what this is. It’s a solo yellow Peep inside a milk chocolate egg.

    The egg is wrapped in gold foil with a life-sized Peep in yellow. The egg has a little flat spot on the bottom of the larger end so it sits up rather easily, even without the clear plastic packaging.

    Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg

    What I find rather fun about the Peep inside is that it’s an only child. Peeps in the larger broods always have at least one little joint where they’re in the row with their siblings. This one has no conjoining scars.

    The Peep is a little softer than I’m used to, perhaps the moist and nutritive atmosphere of a milk chocolate egg keeps it factory fresh. Still, it’s a Peep.

    The chocolate shell is thick and firm. It’s not great chocolate and includes real vanilla but PGPR. The chocolate is passable, not as good as the Russell Stover Bunny, and certainly not the See’s Hollow Eggs with Novelty or Lindt. The chocolate and Peeps combination is kind of fun, Peeps need a little something with them, if you ask me, but I’d like a stronger milk flavor to my chocolate in this case or something darker to offset the sugar crust.

    The foil is pretty thick and makes it easy to save at least half of the shell for later (the package says there’s two portions ... I’m not sure if they mean that you eat half of the Peep for each portion or not.

    It was a bit pricey at $2.99 for mediocre chocolate ($1.00 an ounce). I think you’re better off getting the classic Lindt Gold Bunny (and you get to choose milk, dark or white these days usually for about $1.00 an ounce) for about the same price and then just get a whole tray of Peeps.

    However, as a learning experience, if you have kids and want to talk to them about where birds come from, this is actually a pretty accurate little candy ... you know, there’s a tiny baby bird inside a chocolate shell. It’s absolutely better than giving live animals to a kid for Easter. (Don’t forget the Make Mine Chocolate campaign.)

    Related Candies

    1. Peeps Mash Ups - Savory
    2. Wonka Golden Egg
    3. Peeps Monster Mash Ups
    4. Peeps Mash Ups
    5. Peeps Spooky Cats & Cocoa Bunnies
    6. Peeps
    Name: Marshmallow Peeps inside a Milk Chocolate Egg
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Peeps (Just Born)
    Place Purchased: Target (Glendale Galleria)
    Price: $2.99
    Size: 3 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 140
    Categories: Chocolate, Marshmallow, United States, Just Born, Peeps, Easter, Novelty

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:27 am    

    Tuesday, March 4, 2008

    Princess Marshmallow Eggs

    Princess Marshmallow EggThis one is just for UK readers who have access to the Princess line of confections from Tangerine Confectionery: the Marshmallow Egg.

    Princess is currently known for their marshmallows and Tangerine is known as the company who manufactures the Anthon Berg line of filled chocolates, so it seems natural that they’d combine these skills for an Easter egg. At about the same size as a Cadbury Creme Egg, they’re still a little lighter. (The package didn’t say, but I’m guessing this is less than an ounce.)

    The pastel foil wrapper holds a very pretty chocolate egg with a swirl on both sides. Mine were pristine and without the usual dings and scrapes that most of the eggs get at the store because they were sent right from the PR folks handing the Princess account. (Yay!)

    Princess Marshmallow Egg

    It smells lightly of milky chocolate and a little like raspberry. In fact, I wasn’t sure if it was a flavored marshmallow until I bit into it.

    The marshmallow doesn’t quite fill the hemispheres, there’s a little gap, as it’s apparent that they fill the halves and then join them together. The marshmallow is pleasantly plump and foamy, a little dry and very pink. It’s a little grainy at times, but not in an unpleasant way. The raspberry flavor is just an essence, a whiff, no hint of tangy berry overtones.

    It was sweet, but not too sticky or overwhelming like I find the CCE. Though I think I still prefer the Russell Stover Marshmallow & Caramel Egg, this one is pretty tasty too, and of course cute and hefty enough to impress any child if it were in the Easter basket on a Sunday morning.

    I couldn’t read the little print on the foil wrapper, but the press kit emailed to me heralded that “Princess Marshmallow Egg contains only natural colours and flavours, no added salt and no hydrogenated fats.” (They actually do have all that stuff on their website, so few American companies actually do that.) There’s actual real vanilla in there too ... I’m kind of jealous that the Brits get to have real chocolate with real vanilla in it for less than a dollar.

    UK readers can pick these little gems up for about 40p in corner shops, garage forecourts and Somerfield supermarkets.

    Related Candies

    1. Peeps Mash Ups
    2. Melster Marshmallow Eggs
    3. See’s Scotchmallow Eggs
    4. Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs
    5. Kinder Egg
    6. Littlejohn Caramel Marshmallows
    Name: Marshmallow Egg
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Princess (Tangerine Confectionery)
    Place Purchased: samples from Tangerine Confectionery
    Price: retail 40p
    Size: unknown
    Calories per ounce: unknown
    Categories: Chocolate, Marshmallow, United Kingdom, All Natural, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:08 am    

    Monday, March 3, 2008

    Russell Stover Eggs

    imageA couple of years ago I was pleasantly surprised by the Russell Stover Cream Easter Eggs. Though I’ve never been much of a fan of the Cadbury Creme Eggs, I wasn’t surprised to see that Russell Stover is now making a similar product and knowing that they did nice things with the other eggs, I thought I’d give this array a try.

    There are some striking similarities between the CCE and the Russell Stover. First, they’re all 1.2 ounces (yes, the Cadbury’s used to be larger, back in 2007 they were changed from 1.35 to 1.2). The Cadbury’s currently come in the classic Creme Egg, Caramel Egg and the newest version is the Orange Creme Egg.

    The Russell Stover Eggs do not duplicate any of these flavors. Instead they’ve gone with slightly different versions.

    image

    The most promising in my mind was the Russell Stover Dark Chocolate Creme Egg. One of my major complaints with the CCE is that it’s far too sweet and lacking in flavor. I figured a dark chocolate egg with a chocolate creme might provide some, I dunno, flavor to balance the sugar.

    It looks good, I have to admit. The dark shell holds a thick and glossy creme. It doesn’t smell like much, but the textures are pretty good. The shell is crisp and easy to bite but doesn’t shatter into a gazillion bits. The creme center is rather like a gooey frosting, it’s not very deep in chocolate-ness, but still pleasant. When eating around the edges and getting more chocolate than creme, it was pretty good. But the proportions towards the center began to make my throat burn it was so sweet.

    Rating: 6 out of 10.

    image

    Russell Stover Chocolate Creme is the same as the dark chocolate egg, only with a milk chocolate shell. It’s not an overwhelmingly milky chocolate, so it doesn’t really do much to add a different flavor to the whole thing.

    I found it much sweeter overall than the dark chocolate version. Still pleasant if you’re the type who eats frosting by the spoonful (which I admit to doing at times). The fudgy-ness of the creme center is more noticeable in this one.

    Rating: 5 out of 10

    image

    I know you’ve probably wondered how they make these. Here’s what I think they do (and I’m just guessing):

    Russell Stover Vanilla & Chocolate Creme

  • The hollow chocolate shell is molded in two pieces.
  • After the shell hardens they fill it with the egg “white” material. Then they deposit the “yolk” in one side of the egg. Both are not flowing goo like it is when you open the eggs, instead it’s a near solid material like fudge. An enzyme is added to it just before filling the eggs that creates a reaction that makes the goo into a viscus liquid in several weeks. (This is how cherry cordials are made.)
  • While they’re still solid the two hemispheres are joined (perhaps a hot iron is used to heat the chocolate shells around the edges and they’re pressed together. They’re wrapped in foil and sent off to stores.
  • If anyone actually knows how this actually happens, please pipe up in the comments!

    The Russell Stover Vanilla & Chocolate Creme was the egg that I least wanted to eat. Milk chocolate with a white creme and a dollop of chocolate cream in the center, the most similar to a Cadbury Creme Egg. I’ll admit that I only ate half of this. The creme did have a strong vanilla flavor (though it verged on coconut sometimes). The chocolate shell was pleasant, but I really couldn’t tell when the chocolate creme kicked in.

    It was better than my previous experiences with the Cadbury Creme Egg, but still not something I’m interested in eating again (or even finish the last bite of).

    I give this one a 5 out of 10.

    image

    The Russell Stover Marshmallow & Caramel egg is a milk chocolate shell with a marshmallow center with a little dollop of caramel for the yolk. This one is actually lighter than the others, as you might guess, and only clocks in at .9 ounces.

    The marshmallow is very moist and has more of a “fresh pie” meringue texture to it. It wasn’t very sweet, instead it was just a little foamy. The caramel had a little salty and buttery taste to it that set off the marshmallow and very sweet milk chocolate well. It’s not at all like a Scotchmallow, but had it’s own wonderful qualities.

    This was a very different sort of egg from all the others that I’ve had and the one I enjoyed the most.

    Rating: 7 out of 10

    Overall, they’re interesting, and certainly attractive and compact. But none of them fit the bill as something I’m interested in indulging in. I’ll stick to what I think they do best, their enrobed eggs. Alicia at The Girl Tastes also found the full line and split them open and displayed their gooey glory as well.

    Related Candies

    1. Cadbury Canadian Creme Eggs
    2. See’s Egg Quartet
    3. Melster Marshmallow Eggs
    4. Wonka Golden Creme Egg
    5. Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs
    6. Kinder Egg
    7. Dove Truffle and Snickers Eggs
    Name: Various Filled Eggs
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Russell Stover
    Place Purchased: Walgreen's & RiteAid (Echo Park)
    Price: $.44 & $.50 depending on store sale
    Size: 1.2 & .9 ounces
    Calories per ounce: unknown
    Categories: Chocolate, Caramel, Marshmallow, United States, Russell Stover, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:21 am    

    Thursday, February 14, 2008

    Marshmallow Pig

    Love PigI’m not sure what I’d think if someone gave me this for Valentine’s Day.

    IIt has a simple name, Marshmallow Lollipop. t’s a pig shaped marshmallow pop, and it’s pretty big at 3.2 ounces of fluffed sugar and gelatin. They’re made by Confectionery Lane and actually come in some much more attractive versions such as decorated hearts. (Serious Eats has the Winnie the Pooh.)

    While the idea of a pig shaped creature holding a little heart that says love may only be compelling to the Cute Overload fanatics, I can see that there may be a niche of people out there that perhaps enjoy food shaped like the ingredients (what is gelatin made of, after all?) or perhaps someone has a nickname of Piglet ... maybe they raise pigs or had one as a 4H project ... oh, maybe they have pink skin!

    Love PigThis sizeable puff has, well, its size going for it. The lettering on it is rather clumsy. The pig’s face is cute enough but the body is kind of hard to understand and of course it’s not really a three dimensional candy, the back side is simply flat.

    It smells kind of like Fruity Pebbles. It tastes like, well, tangy latex.

    The texture is actually rather nice, very moist and consistent. But the flavor is just awful.

    So I thought I’d toast it. It’s already on a stick, so why not?

    Since the marshmallow was so moist it became really runny on the inside rather quickly, but the outside toasted up nicely.

    But a tart and flavored marshmallow is not the same as a regular marshmallow (certainly not like the lovely marshmallows from earlier this week). Really disappointing. I ate about three bites and threw the rest of it out.

    Oddly enough the nutrition label says that a single serving is the whole pop and is 260 calories. (I guess you can’t really cut off pieces and save the rest for later.)

    Confectionery Lane sounds like a quaint company, but really they’re just a brand name used by East-West Distributing Co., which is owned and operated by Walgreen’s.  There are lots of other cute and thoughtful Valentines gifts you can pick up, even on February 15th. This isn’t even worth free.

    Related Candies

    1. Milk Maid Caramel Candy Corn
    2. Melster Marshmallow Eggs
    3. SpongeBob SquarePants Heart
    4. American Value Chocolate Bars
    Name: Marshmallow Lollipops (Pig)
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Confectionery Lane (Walgreen's)
    Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Echo Park)
    Price: $.99
    Size: 3.2 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 81
    Categories: Marshmallow, China, Valentines

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:26 am    

    Tuesday, February 12, 2008

    Little Flower Candy Co

    Little Flower Candy CompanyThings are looking up in Los Angeles. More and more small confectioners are opening storefronts. Last year it was Valerie Confections, where I’ve been picking up teacakes and petit fours along with their toffees and truffles.

    I was so pleased to see that Little Flower Candy Company also opened a cafe in Pasadena at the beginning of the year. Since my whale watching trip was canceled on Saturday morning, my husband and I went over for some lunch and sweets.

    They only make candy during the week, so there wasn’t anything to see in the kitchen except our lunch being made. I had a vegetarian sandwich with a tempeh base, olive tapenade, sprouts and avocado on a hearty whole wheat bread. I also had an excellent fresh cup of coffee roasted by City Bean Coffee.  My husband had a turkey and cheese sandwich on the same bread and we both got super-garlicky and salty pickles. 

    Little Flower Candy Company HoneycombAfter lunch we browsed their selection of fresh candies that include Little Flower’s famous caramels and marshmallows, but I wanted to try something new. So I picked up a package of the stunningly gorgeous Honeycomb and some Marshmallow Puffs.

    Honeycomb is pretty simple stuff, the recipe is easy, most call for something like this:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of baking soda
  • The first three are boiled together to 300 degrees, then removed from the heat and the baking soda is added. (Read more here.)

    The trick with Honeycomb is working quickly and of course having the benefit of low humidity. The fellow behind the counter said what was special about Little Flower’s is that they actually use a bit of honey in there too.

    Little Flower Candy Company Honeycomb

    It smells wonderful. Sweet and a touch like honey and a bit like cotton candy and butter.

    The look of it is also lovely, with the glossy sheen on top and all the nooks & crannies.

    The taste was a little disappointing. The crunch was good and it dissolved well. The honey and burnt sugar flavors were wonderful but towards the end it became a bit of a ball of soft sugar with a very strong taste of salt, metal and baking soda.

    I was so disappointed. But I gave it another try and found the trick was to eat a smaller bite, not a whole piece at a time. But if I did put too much in my mouth I’d just spit out the unpleasant dreck at the end. (I also found it gave me the burps later on, just like soda does.)

    Marshmallow PuffsThis was the big surprise of the whole thing, while I like honeycomb, I didn’t like theirs. And while I don’t usually like marshmallows, I liked these!

    The Marshmallow Puffs sold at the cafe are not like the gourmet, handmade marshmallows that Little Flower Candy Co. is already known for. What attracted me to these first of all was the packaging and the curious cross-branding. The narrow funnel shaped bag is in red, white & blue, in a rather retro design.

    What I found so quirky and adorable about it was that the brand on there, besides Little Flower Candy Co. is Melissa’s, a Los Angeles-based produce company. (I have no idea why, but hey, I’m not going to argue.) They’re actually made in Belgium (not a place I knew did marshmallows.) But packaging & origin aside, what got me to buy the bag was the flavor assortment, Strawberry, Vanilla and Orange Blossom. I tasted one before I bought it and it’s divine. It’s not orange juicy, it’s more of a floral essence that has some strong bergamot overtones.

    It reminds me of honey and flowers and Earl Grey tea and the wonderful marshmallows that make up the bulk of See’s Scotchmallows.

    Marshmallow Puffs

    The marshmallows are all natural and have no artificial colors. The little puffs are extruded drops. They’re rather firm and latexy, but still have a good puff that melts in the mouth.

    Strawberry is fragrant and sweet and reminds me of angel food cake and cotton candy.

    Vanilla isn’t as sweet as I’d feared and tastes, well, like a marshmallow.

    The clerk was kind enough to pick out a package that had a preponderance of orange blossom in it, so I only had three vanilla and five strawberry. The rest are the divine orange blossom. They don’t sell them on the website, but I was told if you called in an order they’d sell them to you. But you may also see them in grocery stores that carry Melissa’s produce as well. (I’d guess look at the more upscale ones like Gelson’s or Bristol Farm style chains.)

    Here’s the review at Colorado Chow that got me off my duff and over there. Little Flower is known for their excellent artisan caramels & marshmallows. I’ve only reviewed the Lemon, Vanilla and Salted caramels on the blog, and can recommend them highly.

    Little Flower Candy Co.
    1422 W. Colorado Blvd
    Pasadena, CA 91105
    (626) 304-4800

    Related Candies

    1. Parkside Candy Sponge Candy
    2. GudFud Stuffed Marshmallows
    3. Melster Marshmallow Eggs
    4. Littlejohn Caramel Marshmallows
    5. Artisan Marshmallows: Plush Puffs
    Name: Small World Chocolates: Select Origin
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Little Flower Candy Co
    Place Purchased: Little Flower Candy Co. Cafe (Pasadena)
    Price: $5.00 & $4.00
    Size: 2 ounces & 5.29 ounces
    Calories per ounce: unknown & 94
    Categories: Hard Candy, Marshmallow, United States, Belgium, All Natural, Los Angeles

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:43 am    

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