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Spangler Candy

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Dum-Dums Holiday Pops (Limited Edition)

DSC_0107Dum-Dums are pretty basic, kind of small lollipops. They’ve always come in a wide variety of flavors that have changed based on popularity. Only recently has Spangler, who makes Dum-Dums, come out with holiday themed product packages of the pops.

The Dum-Dums Limited Edition Holiday Pops is a bag of eight different flavors of individually wrapped lollipops. I believe they were available in 2014, but I just picked them up this year.

DSC_0113rb

Green Apple Grinch - there’s nothing grinchy about this flavor, it’s straight up fake green apple. The pop is bright green, the flavor is rather thin but definitely sour apple flavor and not actual apple.

Apple Cider is one of the amber colored pops. The flavor is similar to the Green Apple, but less bright, more muted and it has a more apple sauce or honey note to it.

Sugar Cookie is an opaque cream color. It’s pleasant but bland, as are sugar cookies. The flavor is creamy without a heavy dose of butter flavor. It’s a little vanilla, a little marshmallow. Pretty much a good lollipop. If they added a little nutmeg, I’d call it Egg Nog (and I’d be pretty happy).

Sugar Plum is purple and very pretty, like a little gem. I don’t actually know what a real sugar plum is but I can tell you that this one is vaguely grape.

Hot Cocoa looks like the Gingerbread or Apple Cider pop, but it’s a little more milky or opaque. I was expecting this to be horrible, but it’s actually a passable chocolate marshmallow flavor. The cocoa smells a little musty and thin, but the flavor has a creamy vanilla note, like a marshmallow that holds it together.

Gingerbread is one of the beige ones. It’s sweet and has a light note of spice that features a little ginger, a little cinnamon. One of the things about gingerbread-the-baked-good that I like is the molasses, and there’s no note of that here.

Polar Punch is very blue. It’s a tropical punch flavor with a distinct raspberry note to it. There’s a long-lingering aftertaste of the berry flavor that isn’t necessarily unpleasant, but I also had a blue tongue for a while.

Merry Cherry is red. I haven’t had a cherry Dum-Dums for a while, so I can’t say if this is any different. It’s sweet and don’t really have a tangy fruit note to it. It wasn’t like a wild cherry Life Saver, it was more like a cough drop. I find cherry to be rather medicinal, and this was especially so. But I know some folks like the flavor.

I love this idea, and I’d like to see it with a few more specialty flavors, like an Egg Nog, maybe something Cranberry, Peppermint Stick, Rum Raisin. If they’re making things that are bacon flavor, they can absolutely go way out there with Speculoos and Bailey’s Irish Creme.

Each pop is about 25 calories, so they’re a petite treat that should fit into most regular diets. They last a little longer than a traditional hard candy because it’s on a stick and is a bit more interactive. Dum-Dums are made in the USA in a facility free from major allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat and gluten.

Related Candies

  1. Brach’s Christmas Nougats Mix
  2. See’s Holiday Pie Truffles
  3. Christmas Bars: Hershey’s, Niederegger, Ghirardelli & Hachez
  4. Krauterbonbons from Lubeck Christmas Market
  5. Trader Joe’s Classic Holiday Candy Mix
  6. Ghirardelli Holiday Squares
  7. Spangler Candy Canes


Name: Dum-Dums Holiday Pops
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Spangler Candy
Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Echo Park)
Price: $2.69
Size: 10.4 ounces
Calories per ounce: 109
Categories: Candy, Christmas, Spangler Candy, Hard Candy & Lollipops, Limited Edition, 6-Tempting, United States, Walgreen's

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:55 pm     CandyReviewChristmasSpangler CandyHard Candy & LollipopsLimited Edition6-TemptingUnited StatesWalgreen's

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Spangler Marshmallow Peppermint Circus Peanuts

Spangler Marshmallow Circus Peanuts PeppermintSpangler has the strangest new holiday item I think I’ve seen in years: Peppermint Marshmallow Circus Peanuts.

Their website lays out their attributes succinctly: They are white in color, peanut in shape, peppermint in flavor.

Spangler is already one of the best known makers of Circus Peanuts, the ordinarily orange colored, peanut shaped but banana flavored confection. This new version puts Circus Peanuts in play as a new product line for Holiday theming, especially since they made a Halloween version themed for Candy Corn.

DSC_7659rb

They’re white, so they’re difficult to photograph. They’re about two inches long and don’t smell like much at first.

Upon my first bite, I did find that they’re quite minty. The texture of the marshmallow, when fresh, is light though a bit on the grainy side. They’re not the puffs you’d associate with Campfire or JetPuffed brands. Instead these are dense with a little bit of a sugar grain and get quite chewy and tacky when stale.

The mint is mild but definitely refreshing. It cuts the otherwise too-sweet notes of the marshmallow quite a bit. There’s only a smidge of salt in there (10mg) but what’s actually nice about these is that they’re, as far as I can tell, all natural. No artificial colors, because they’re not colored at all.

Ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Gelatin, Pectin, Natural Flavor

Out of curiosity, I added a peanut to my hot chocolate. I pulled it into “marbits” and tossed it on top. They do float, even though they’re a denser fluff than a Peep. The outside does become a little creamy and definitely imparts a minty note. But the center stays a bit grainy and starts to remind me of a wad of toothpaste. Still, it didn’t ruin a perfectly fine cup of hot chocolate. Now I’m wondering if I’d like a classic banana Circus Peanut in my hot chocolate.

Related Candies

  1. Spangler Candy Corn Circus Peanuts
  2. Kraft Jet-Puffed Peppermint Mini Mallows
  3. Peeps Gingerbread Men
  4. Peeps Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookie & Candy Cane
  5. Brach’s Chicks & Rabbits Marshmallow Candy
  6. Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallows + Vanilla, Cinnamon Bun, Strawberry, Chocolate Royale, Gingerbread
  7. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows
  8. Circus Peanuts


Name: Peppermint Marshmallow Circus Peanuts
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Spangler Candy
Place Purchased: Samples from CandyWarehouse.com
Price: $4.00
Size:
Calories per ounce: 112
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Christmas, Spangler Candy, Marshmallow, Mints, 6-Tempting, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:42 am     All NaturalCandyReviewChristmasSpangler CandyMarshmallowMints6-TemptingUnited States

Friday, September 26, 2014

Spangler Candy Corn Circus Peanuts

Melster Marshmallow Candy Corn PeanutsAs if Circus Peanuts weren’t enough of an enigma, now they’re branching out into seasonal varieties.

If you’re not familiar with Circus Peanuts, they’re a fluffy, grainy, marshmallow shaped like a peanut, the same color as an orange creamsicle but flavored like bananas. Every once in a while you see other holiday shapes, like bunnies for Easter. Though I’m only a fan of Circus Peanuts by concept, because once I actually eat one I wonder what I was thinking. They have some sort of hypnotic amnesia field around them, and I often forget I don’t like them and eat them. (I think there’s a genetic component to this, there are some people who are immune to this and know they hate them and can avoid them, then there are others who actually like them so there’s no need for the amnesia.)

Melster Marshmallow Candy Corn Circus Peanuts are basically not banana flavored, but candy corn flavored ... and not just orange, but also yellow and white.

Melster Marshmallow Candy Corn Peanuts

Here are the things that recommend them:
- They’re Fat Free
- They’re Free from Major Allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, shellfish, eggs, fish, wheat and gluten)
- They’re Made in the USA

Melster Marshmallow Candy Corn Peanuts

Here’s the top reason to buy them: You’ve always wanted to like Circus Peanuts but you were turned off by the flavor. Don’t worry, Candy Corn Circus Peanuts have no flavor. (I’m just going to call them CCCP now.)

If you’re a fan of marshmallows in your cereal, like Lucky Charms, these are actually a pretty good version of that as a candy. The original Lucky Charms marbits were Circus Peanuts, but I think these match the flavor better.

Melster Marshmallow Candy Corn PeanutsThese were fresh and do smell lightly like vanilla and sugar. It’s comforting. Rather clean and bright. The bite is soft, but the texture is grainy. They’re like a marshmallow, but much denser ... but not quite a nougat. Really, they taste just like a very sugary marshmallow. If you’ve ever wanted Campfire Marshmallows with more sugar in them, this is for you.

These can’t even muster being divisive like the banana Circus Peanuts, that’s how ineffectual they are. That said, there’s a Peppermint version for Christmas ... Candy Warehouse (who provided these) also sent some of those, I can’t wait!

Related Candies

  1. Brach’s Carrot Cake Candy Corn
  2. Charms Candy Corn Pops
  3. Starburst Original Fruit Flavored Candy Corn
  4. 6 Candy Corn Candies That Aren’t Candy Corn
  5. M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn
  6. Melster Peanut Butter Kisses
  7. Circus Peanuts
  8. Brachs Bunny Basket Eggs


Name: Candy Corn flavored Circus Peanuts
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Spangler Candy
Place Purchased: samples from Candy Warehouse
Price: $4.00
Size: 8 ounces
Calories per ounce: 112
Categories: Candy, Halloween, Marshmallow, 4-Benign, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 7:24 am     CandyReviewHalloweenSpangler CandyMarshmallow4-BenignUnited States

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Spangler Candy Canes

People complain that Christmas comes earlier and earlier each year in the retail world. The decorations are out before Halloween in some stores. It’s kind of funny, I was watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special and he was complaining about the same thing ... which leads me to believe that it’s been going on for a very long time. The funny part of that is that in some factories, it’s always Christmas.

imageCandy Canes are big business, especially for Spangler, which has two factories. Their primary facility is in Bryan, Ohio but they have another factory in Juarez, Mexico as well. The Bryan factory has been operating in three shifts since May just to keep up with demand, churning out 18 tractor trailer loads each day. (Their website says they make 25 million candy canes each year.)

Spangler makes more than just the plain old six inch shrink wrapped cane. They have a huge selection of different shapes and sizes, in more than the traditional red & white peppermint flavor. They make the candy canes for Jelly Belly, Disney and DumDum in all sorts of kooky flavors. I’m a bit of a traditionalist and got a hold of a pretty good cross section of their offerings.

Spangler always packages their canes well, so I rarely get a broken set. The flavor is a mild and pleasant peppermint. Not blastingly strong like an Altoid, more like a starlight mint, but less “foamy” feeling on the tongue.

Right now I’m pretty keen on the Candy Cane Wreaths. They’re a hoop of candy cane (but not joined at the top) around 4” across that have a gift tag already on them, in case you want to use them for decorating packages or gift bags. They’re easy to put on a Christmas tree, and I’m thinking about using them as napkin rings for the dinner table this year.

image

What’s especially cool about them is that all pieces are curved. I love the curve of a candy cane, how I can break off that piece and place it behind my front teeth and suck on it. Well, this is all curve!

I think if I my favorite size though is the tiny one. I know they aren’t wrapped quite as pretty (they’re in a cello pouch that doesn’t allow for hooking the cane on anything) but they’re easy to eat. I just snap it in half at the middle of the straight part of the cane and put the whole thing in my mouth. No muss, no fuss.

image

The last kind they make is the super-large pole.

image

I remember getting one of these when I was a little kid. I went with some neighbors to a parade where Santa rode in a red fire truck and gave these out. As a kid it was a huge amount of candy. A stupid, messy amount of candy. After a while it got very sticky and may have had cat hair on it or lint. So I would keep rinsing it off in the sink, and it would get clean, of course, but smaller and smaller. I seriously doubt I finished it.

As part of my new recipes starting in the New Year, I’ll have some fun tips for what to do with leftover candy canes.

More reading: Toledo Blade article with excellent photos from the factory + Spangler’s Candy Cane Tour on their website.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:52 am     CandyReviewChristmasSpangler CandyHard Candy & LollipopsMints8-TastyUnited States

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