Friday, March 20, 2009

Elmer’s Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash & Gold Brick Eggs

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash EggA few years ago, after trying a petite box of Valentine’s chocolates from Elmer’s Candy Company I decided to track down their two most famous products: Heavenly Hash Egg and Gold Brick Egg. Oddly enough last week I was contacted by Elmer’s as they were promoting their new introduction, a dark chocolate version of both of the flagship products (can there be two flagships?).

I requested that they send along some of the original, as I’d tried very hard to find them in my area and they had no webstore. Sadly, they didn’t include them so this review today is in a bit of a vacuum.

The packaging is rather bold, a black background with a fluffy blue and white cloud for the logo & description. (It does look like it belongs with the Hot Tamales Licorice Jelly Beans from yesterday’s review.)

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash EggThe Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash Egg is rich dark chocolate, tender marshmallow and roasted almonds. This is a pretty big egg, clocking in at 1.33 ounces. I’m guessing these are sold individually like the Russell Stover eggs are, though mine arrived in a tray of six. For reference the Toasted Marshmallow Eggs I tried a couple of weeks ago were just .75 ounces each.

The eggs are pretty big, though each was a little different ranging from 3.5 to 3.75 inches long and about 2 inches at the widest.

From the description, I assumed that the almonds would be crushed bits mixed in with the marshmallow. I don’t know why that was what I was expecting, but when I saw the candy out of the package, I thought it was really lovely. A marshmallow plank with four or five little lumps (almonds) covered in rippled and shiny dark chocolate.

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash EggThe chocolate has a nice snap to it and adheres to the marshmallow well, I didn’t have any issue with flaking. The almonds, when encountered, provide a crisp crunch. They’re well roasted, most I came across had a good toasted flavor. And it was pretty easy to plan my bites so as to get some almond in each one.

The marshmallow is sweet and moist, but it’s a bit soft and forms little peaks when I bite it. (Vastly different from the Pete’s Gourmet, as you can imagine.)

There’s very little flavor to the marshmallow, though every once in a while I got a bit of a honey note from it (though none is listed in the ingredients).

The dark chocolate isn’t complex but is definitely less sweet than the milk chocolate from the Toasted Marshmallow Eggs, which is definitely a plus. However, since I still had a Toasted egg left, I tried one and much preferred the cotton candy flavor of that center to the rather plain Heavenly Hash. In the end, the textures and overall execution is much better with the Heavenly Hash.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Gold Brick EggThe original Elmer’s Gold Brick candy bar was introduced in 1936. It was priced at ten cents, twice the regular price for a bar at that time. Now they’re sold as an egg during Easter.

The Dark Chocolate Gold Brick Egg package describes it simply as dark chocolate covered pecan melt-a-way.

The wrapper is similarly bold & dark, a black background with a bright yellow egg holding the logo.

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Gold Brick EggIt clocks in a bit lighter than the Heavenly Hash, at only 1 ounce instead of 1.33 ounces (which was also far bigger because it had fluffy center).

This piece consists of a molded center, which is the melt-a-way which is then enrobed. Some of mine had big puddly feet, but the one I chose to photograph was more crisp looking.

There’s a slight rippling on the enrobing. They smell sweet, but a little more like fudge or hot cocoa than chocolate. It didn’t seem promising. Neither did the ingredients. It went like this: sugar, dark chocolate, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, pecans, chocolate, skim milk ... and so on to list the less than 2 percent ingredients.

Elmer's Dark Chocolate Gold Brick EggI had to nibble away pretty far on the one in the picture to make sure I got a pecan in there. (I did eat some pecans along the way, just no cross sections.)

Instead of a soft and melty melt-a-way, what I had here was more of a waxy and fudgy center. The texture wasn’t quite crumbly, but it certainly didn’t have that mouthfeel of even some candies made with tropical oils (coconut oil is good for that).

The flavor is rather empty, a bit like cocoa but not at all like deep, rich chocolate. There were a few pecan pieces, but they only provided some scant texture and not much on the flavor front.

Rating: 4 out of 10

I’m interested to taste the original Heavenly Hash, but have no interest in the Gold Brick. But they do have something called a Gold Brick Malt Egg that seems to be tempting me against my better judgment.

The Girl Tastes did a roundup last year of the classic milk chocolate Elmer’s Eggs (with similar results): Heavenly Hash & Gold Brick plus Pecan Egg & Eggceptionals

Related Candies

  1. Pete’s Gourmet Confections: Marshmallows
  2. Hershey’s Bliss
  3. Princess Marshmallow Eggs
  4. Russell Stover Orange Marshmallow Pumpkin
  5. Elmer’s Chocolate
  6. Boyer’s Mallo Cup
  7. Cup-O-Gold
Name: Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash & Gold Brick Eggs
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Elmer's Candy Company
Place Purchased: samples from Elmer's
Price: retail $.50 each
Size: 1.33 ounces & 1 ounce
Calories per ounce: 128 & 160
Categories: Chocolate, Nuts, Marshmallow, United States, Elmer's Candy Company, Easter

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:39 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. Hi,
    I very much enjoyed your review of Elmer’s!  I am a native of New Orleans, and when I was growing up, no Easter basket was complete without plenty of Elmer’s candy.  They are the seasonal product I look forward to every year.  While my father swears by the plain and malted gold brick, I am more of a heavenly hash fan.  The eggs are divine, both plain and strawberry flavored, and they’re particularly tasty frozen, fyi.  I also like their pecan eggs, which are white nougat rolled in pecans.
    Thanks again!  It was a delight to visit one of my favorite sites and see a review of one of my favorite candies!
    Ciao,
    Amy

    Comment by Amy on 3/20/09 at 12:02 pm #
  2. Cybele's avatar

    Amy - I’m glad to hear from a local who’s kept these guys in business and to hear of the family tradition! I was just thinking that the Heavenly Hash might benefit from a little punch of strawberry as a different variety ... so cool that they’re actually available.

    Comment by Cybele on 3/20/09 at 12:06 pm #
  3. Hi there,

    i’m not from the US and most of your products are not sold in my country, but i do enjoy reading you blog. When you discribe the taste of the candy….WOW girly i can almost taste it myself.
    And those pictures are mouth watering.
    Oeps i’m drooling on my keypad LOL grin

    Greetings from the Netherlands

    Comment by Elisabeth on 3/20/09 at 1:53 pm #
  4. Sera's avatar

    Oooooo! You finally got your hands on some…kinda. They sound like fun….I wish I could get them in my area.

    Comment by Sera on 3/20/09 at 4:07 pm #
  5. You have to try an Original Gold Brick egg. Do not let your experiance with the dark chocolate one fool you. I am originally from New Orleans and Easter is just not the same without Elmer’s. I found your blog when I was searching to purchase Elmer’s online. I was disappointed to find that their website only sells a package of candy that retails at $135…I remember the days when I could walk in my local KB Drugs and get 3 or 4 for a buck. After reading your blog, I’m tempted to actually order that package. Hmmm, how long will it take to eat all that candy and how many pounds will I gain??
    PS…try the strawberry hash.

    Comment by Angel on 3/22/09 at 4:59 pm #
  6. Love these reviews! I can’t help but wonder if anyone else thinks that the second picture down looks like a hippo? To stretch it a bit farther, perhaps with sunglasses on?

    Comment by Torie on 3/23/09 at 3:56 am #
  7. another new orleans resident checking in…i don’t eat these anymore (why, when there are reese’s eggs to be had?) but growing up, our baskets would be full of heavenly hashes. why? because our parents LOVED them. i may still be a little bitter. raspberry but i did love a gold brick egg. ooh, and my mom’s other favorite was the pecan egg. which was also good.  hmm, maybe i’ll pick one up today after work… smile

    Comment by pam on 3/23/09 at 10:13 am #
  8. i live in atlanta but from new orleans. where can i find them here anyone know?????

    Comment by Fred on 3/24/09 at 4:19 pm #
  9. I too have a great affection for Elmers.  My grandfather was a top candy maker for Elmers in New Orleans.  I have many photos and all his original recipes(hand written).  I was always told that Heavenly Hash was my grand fathers recipe.  He told us he put the recipe together.  Ill be in New Orleans for Easter and cant wait to stock up on Heavenly Hash and Gold Bricks. Maggie

    Comment by Maggie Fahs Mahaffey on 3/29/09 at 3:24 am #
  10. Wow !!!! Gold brick eggs !! A friend of mine asked me once how good they were. And i told him “if you had one right now and i didn’t,id punch you in the face.” At the time it had been about 25 years since i had one. I contacted Elmers candy about 5 years ago to inquire about ordering some online, but at the time they would only sell to business and retail, and yes i wrote them a very nasty email stating it had been over 25 years since i had eaten one of their coveted “gold brick eggs”,and i thought it was a very wrong that they did not sell to regular people who didn’t live in the areas Elmers supplied to.As a child gold bricks were my most favorite candy of all, and they still are to this day!!! i also thinks its very cruel that you can only get them one time out of a year. Well now thanks to Elmers they sell online to anyone from January to Easter,and thanks to my wife’s love for me and our deep freeze, I’m happy year round!! I’m like the coolest dad ever, according to my son and all his friends !!!

    Comment by mike on 4/04/09 at 4:20 am #
  11. I just had my very first Elmer’s (original) Heavenly Hash Egg last week and loved it!  (Only complaint: there were only two almonds embedded in the ‘mallow.)  Found it at my local Rite Aid.

    I wish I could get my hands on the dark variety, since it’s my favorite type of chocolate…

    Comment by Maura on 4/14/09 at 10:47 am #
  12. I haven’t lived in New Orleans in over 40 years, but each Easter I look for Elmer’s Heavenly Hash eggs.  I’ve been moderately successful in finding them in my area.  When I can’t, I ask my brother, who still lives in New Orleans, to send me some.  He sends them along with some Gold Brick eggs as well.  I put them in the freezer and eat them sparingly.  Delicious!!!  I haven’t tried the dark chocolate ones, though.

    Comment by Anne Ferranti on 7/05/09 at 1:24 pm #
  13. Heavenly hash is the only easter candy i carve as an adult….well that and cadbury robins eggs. The previous poster was right….try that pecan nought egg. It is rich….but pretty darn good. I’v never been crazy about the gold brick but I’m more of a dark chocolate girl so I am very pleased to see it not comes in dark chocolate. Heavenly hash eggs (which are pretty big compared to other easter egg shaped candy) only come with one or 2 almonds…liek almond joy…that’s typical…and yummy….like finding treasure….and strawberry is awesome. I wish they had an orange and dark chocolate flavor. I came across this blog looking for a heavenly hash brownie recipe ....like most other posters…I was just mising New Orleans.

    Comment by C.L. on 1/20/10 at 12:59 pm #
  14. haha, i’m a year and a half late but I can see the hippo with sunglasses that Torie is talking about

    Comment by joni on 9/14/10 at 4:31 pm #
  15. 4 out of 10?  To each his own, to be sure, but I question your technique in tasting.  Did you rinse your mouth free after tasting each item?  Did you store them at the proper temperature?  What time of day did you eat them?  What was your appetite at the time of tasting?  I’m not asking to solicit actual responses, simply pointing out factors that will vastly affect the experience.  Elmer’s Heavenly Hash, in all their varieties, are a unique experience, rating far more than 4 out of 10.  Though as I said to begin with, to each his own, to be sure.  That being said, I can’t help but to feel that your bias ran toward the negative due to the lack of free samples.

    Comment by Heavenly Hash Harbinger on 4/24/11 at 10:15 am #
  16. Cybele's avatar

    Hmm, Heavenly Hash Harbinger, I think your reading comprehension needs improvement. I gave the Heavenly Hash Egg a 7 out of 10.

    You’ve read only one post of the thousands on this site, so you’ve made no effort to answer your own questions about the rigorousness of my review process. I stand by my opinions and sign them with my true name and contact information. Yes, I had multiple candies and did eat them at different times of day with a clean mouth. It is a standard process for me. I also just “eat them” like I’m supposed to, for the opportunity to observe other attributes spontaneously.

    As for my bias for the lack of free samples, these were free samples. My complaint was that they had gone through the trouble to contact me and offer them (I did not pursue them) and then they neglected the only thing that I actually requested, which was the original version. I cannot actually buy it myself, as there is no webstore and I did not have any friends in the areas that sell them who could send them to me.

    I’m glad you like them and I’m glad that Elmer’s makes candy for people who like it. My review is two years old, it’s obviously not hurt the production of your beloved item. So perhaps you can find a website to visit that echoes all of your opinions and challenges nothing.

    Comment by Cybele on 4/24/11 at 10:34 am #
  17. I’m an Elmer descendant, not affiliated with the current company. I don’t like what is now called heavenly hash…but everyone in our family still makes the original. It is made in sheets (on a cookie sheet, about 2” thick). Almond slivers are mixed into melted milk chocolate, this is used to coat mini-marshmallows, then you mold it into the sheet and cool! Easy and great, be sure to use good quality chocolate.

    Comment by elmer on 7/10/11 at 5:37 am #
  18. we are trying to purchase some heavenly hash candy where can we purchase the candy from years ago

    Comment by Hector on 3/30/13 at 11:40 am #
  19. As a former New Orleanian I couldn’t believe that I can only buy fresh Elmers Eggs at their Pontchatoula Store via mail if you live out of state.  While the eggs are reasonable, the shipping will kill your taste buds. There are some websites that sell Elmers but Caviat Emptor.

    Anyway, them that likes Elmer’s will always like them; and those who do not, my condolences

    Comment by jujufromnotoo on 1/25/15 at 5:36 pm #
  20. I live in Ga and sorely miss my Gold Brick egg ,, When my kids were growing up their basket ALWAYS had either Heavenly Hash and or pecan eggs .. I am now 79 years old and would kill for one of those !!!!!! However , I am on a fixed income and can’t afford to have them mailed to me ..I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed them ,, Wish they were sold around the country ...

    Comment by Lillian Bartholomew on 4/15/15 at 4:02 pm #
  21. When I was a boy in Louisiana there was Gold Brick but it was not in an egg form.  It came in a gold wrapper and it was more like fudge with pecans.  It was packed with pecan pieces.  You can’t get anything like it today.  I have eaten fudge with pecans…not the same.  I have had the gold brick eggs and not the same.  Some things you remember all your life.  This was one.  I remember we received them around the time I was 6 to 10 years old.  That would be 1968 to 1972.  Then don’t remember eating them after that.  That is an estimate.  I would love to hear from someone who can confirm my information.  It was like a small brick.  About 1.5” long, 3/4” high, 1” wide.  Wrapper was like aluminum foil but gold color.

    Comment by Paul Morgan on 12/16/15 at 1:20 am #
  22. Paul Morgan, 19

    Your description of gold brick is the same as mine. I use to get them at Mading’s Drug Store in Houston. I was a teen ager then, in the late 50’s. I remember them with a lot more pecans & they seemed chewier then. More delicious.

    Comment by Maxine jackson on 3/05/16 at 8:43 pm #
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