Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Andes Mints & Dessert Indulgence

Andes MintsOne of my favorite candies as a teen were Andes Creme De Menthe Thins.

I’d buy them by the tray, which was usually about 99 cents at the IGA that I rode my bike past on my way home from my art class on weekends. They seemed a suitable treat for a budding artist. Wrapped in pretty foil ... named for a mountain range in Peru, but called by the French liquor flavor creme de menthe. At that time in my life I despised alcohol, except for a drizzle of Creme de Menthe on vanilla ice cream.

Over the years those tray package became more expensive and they started putting fewer candies in there. I recently bought a box for $1.00 and it had a scant 2 ounces in it ... but hey, it was back to the original price point! The candy is mockolate with a mint confection in the middle. They make a pretty cross section of dark looking chocolate flavored coating and the light green stuff in the middle. They have a cool feeling on the tongue and of course a pleasant mintiness that doesn’t overwhelm.

Andes Dessert IndulgenceRestaurants that serve them with the bill may even be perceived as classy. (Well, it’s classier than getting nothing at all!) The Tootsie site even claims that Andes Mints are the number one selling after dinner mint. I wonder what the number one before dinner mint is? I give them a solid 6 out of 10 as an adult, but back when I was a kid they were probably an 8 out of 10.

Andes has come out with a few other versions over the years ... none that I’ve tried. But I saw a display of the new Andes Dessert Indulgence at the All Candy Expo and was fixed up with ample samples. The Limited Edition Dessert Indulgence array comes in an 8.5 ounce bag with an assortment of three flavors: Raspberry Cream, Lemon Meringue and Key Lime.

Each piece is individually sealed in a plastic wrapper instead of wrapped in foil. They’re substantially bigger than a standard Andes Mint as well. Why? I have no idea. But the base ingredients are still the same: sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

Andes Mint & Dessert IndulgenceKey Lime has only two layers, a base of light green and then a top level of a lighter green with little flavor crystals which is kind of like faux zest. The scent is fresh, like limes. However, as most folks who have had both key limes and more commonly used Persian lime there is a difference. Key Limes have a deeper flavor and a strange thick consistency to their juice. Persian limes have a high intensity and clear flavored tartness and a wonderfully bitter zesty flavor. This tastes like Persian lime ... or Lime Blossom candles.

Dessert IndulgenceLemon Meringue flavor should be characterized by a nice tart custard with a balancing toasted meringue that is less that a sweet complement and more of a fluffy cooling bath for the mouth. The Lemon smelled, like the lime, a bit floral and pleasant enough for me to want to stick a wick in it. The texture evoked similar feelings, as it wasn’t nearly as creamy as I’d hoped. It did have a pleasant tartness to it, but not that toasted, almost marshmallow flavor to complement it.

Raspberry Cream was such a disappointment. It smelled really strong ... too strong. The ingredient list does boast “freeze dried raspberry puree” and I have no doubt about that. The waxy texture and overly sweet start is then met by a strong taste of chopsticks ... or dried grass clippings. I know what the taste is, it’s raspberry seeds. It’s that taste you get when you puree unstrained raspberries and the seeds get in there, but in this case they became a really noticeable flavor. Hey, maybe it added some fiber!

Sometimes I like “white confections” but in this case, I felt pretty sick after eating five of them while typing them up (I’ve had about 10 total since I took the photos over the weekend). They just didn’t sit well with me. I really wanted them to be something else, which is always a bad idea. I should just accept them unconditionally for what they are. But they don’t have cocoa butter in them and the flavors are just ... well, not satisfying to me, not enough to get me to eat any more of them. So into the Limited Edition Giveaway they go! They only get a 4 out of 10.

Each piece contains 50 calories (regular Andes Mints have only 25 each).

Related Candies

  1. Junior Mints Deluxe
  2. Frey Supreme: White, Lemon & Lime and Citron & Poivre
  3. Confetti & Agrumetti
  4. Terry’s Chocolate Orange Confection
  5. Mountain - Regular & Raspberry
Name: Andes Mints & Limited Edition Dessert Indulgence
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Tootsie
Place Purchased: Dollar Tree & samples from All Candy Expo
Price: $1.00 & Unknown
Size: 2 ounces & 8.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 150 & 158
Categories: Mockolate, Mint, United States, Tootsie, Kosher

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:58 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. They also have a fall (harvest?) mix. It includes toffee, orange, and cocoa flavors. They are AMAZING.

    Comment by Jac on 10/30/07 at 1:12 pm #
  2. I like Andes Mints, but the dessert flavors don’t seem very appealing.

    Comment by Alicia on 10/30/07 at 1:16 pm #
  3. hmm..i had a totally different take on the fall harvest ones than Jac…the chocolate for me was..unpleasant…reminiscent of those cheap easter coin chocolates.
    BUT…i really do still love the classic andes mints. I’ll stick with those.

    Comment by cheryl on 10/30/07 at 1:38 pm #
  4. I could eat a tray of those right now.  MMmmmm!  Choco-mint flavored Crisco.

    Comment by Dave on 10/30/07 at 2:35 pm #
  5. I think that After Eight’s are tastier.

    Comment by Tiffany on 10/30/07 at 3:16 pm #
  6. Mockolate? I didn’t realize and wouldn’t have guessed.

    These are great chopped up and mixed into vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

    Comment by The Velvet Blog on 10/31/07 at 3:41 am #
  7. Just wondering, do you know of any good online candy sales today? Godiva has already marked all of their halloween candy down on their website but I wasn’t sure of other retailers who may have similar sales.
    Any tips?

    Comment by Katie on 10/31/07 at 3:54 am #
  8. I bought the cherry cordial variation of Andes Mints a couple years ago (sold around Christmas). I normally love cherry cordial chocolates, but this one was two thumbs down.

    Comment by Cairogal on 10/31/07 at 7:16 am #
  9. You may know the answer to this:

    When I was younger, my grandma used to always bring me and my family a box of “mint bark” whenever she came to visit.  It was the most delicious stuff.  It was thin rectangles of a whitish-green mint flavored substance (probably white chocolate) covered with dark chocolate drizzles.  She lived in New Jersey.  I’ve never been able to locate it. 

    Any ideas?

    - Buttercup

    Comment by buttercup on 10/31/07 at 10:53 am #
  10. I always preferred the ‘reverse’ Andes Mints - the ones that were green (mint) on the outside and chocolate on the inside. But I haven’t had any in ages - like you, this was something I preferred when younger!

    Comment by Tricia on 10/31/07 at 4:50 pm #
  11. I still love the Classic Andes Mints.  But I wish I could eat them layer by layer - like I do with Kit Kats.  Weird, I know.

    Comment by cindy on 11/01/07 at 2:47 pm #
  12. Raspberry seeds- There’s a type of raspberry hard candy I’ve bought while in Taiwan (I’ve family there). The candy itself is a delicious sweet raspberry- but it is studded (by studded I mean packed) with whole raspberry seeds. For me, the seeds ruin the candy a little because they taste really woody/grassy (read:strong!). They’re better swallowed whole then chewed.

    Comment by Trish on 11/13/07 at 11:54 am #
  13. Note for above: Although, the seeds did make a nice texture to the candy.

    Comment by Trish on 11/13/07 at 11:55 am #
  14. I recently made your “flourless cake”  and lost the recipe.  Now, my granddaughter wants the recipe so she can make the cake.

    I would appreciate it if you would email the recipe to me.

        Thanks,
          Ginger

    Comment by Ginger on 12/29/07 at 10:44 am #
  15. Not good at all.  Very disappointed.

    Comment by Nette on 2/28/08 at 8:50 am #
  16. the absolute worst candy ever.  It tasted just like i was eating a scented candle. A great disapointment.  I could only take a nibble of each, and had to restrain from being ill.  Not acceptable, I don’t know how they get away selling this product.

    Comment by Amy on 2/29/08 at 4:40 pm #
  17. I recently had a keylime and lemon candy from your company.  I asked the person where they bought them and she told me it was in an Econo food store 1 hour away where my son lives.  I went to that store just to get them and they were all out.  I looked everywhere for these candies and to no avail.  Why are they so difficult to find?  Thank You.

    Comment by Sue Busbani on 3/25/08 at 3:40 am #
  18. I’m going to be so mad if I can never find the dessert flavors and have to buy them on ebay.

    Comment by Meghan on 4/29/08 at 7:01 pm #
  19. I LOST YOUR RECIPE FOR"FLOURLESS CAKE” COULD YOU KINDLY EMAIL ME THE RECIPE SO I CAN INDULGE MY CRAVINGS,           
                        THANK YOU
                       
                        CHOCOLATE LOVER

    Comment by LORI on 8/15/08 at 5:22 pm #
  20. I am looking for Andes Mints baking chips. I can’t seem to find them in our local grocery stores.

    Comment by Mary Sue Russell on 11/02/08 at 12:11 pm #
  21. I am looking for the Andes Mints baking chips.  I can;t find them and my family really liked the cookies I made with them last Christmas.  Please tell me where I can find them.  I have looked everywhere.  Thank you, Barbara Krisak

    Comment by barbara krisak on 11/20/08 at 4:42 am #
  22. I found the baking chips at our local Super Walmart !

    Comment by Mary Sue Russell on 11/20/08 at 10:51 am #
  23. were can you buy the andens mints i been look for them cannor seem to fine them.

    Comment by Mary Cates on 6/20/16 at 5:58 pm #
  24. I purchased 4 boxes of Andies crème de menth thins just before Christmas.
    They are all outdated. I bought them to have for our Women’s association in February. They are dated 14. I would like to get a refund. I will not use smething over 2 years ol.

    Comment by Carol on 2/04/17 at 10:38 am #
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