I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, or perhaps just pining for the classics. So I went back to one of my favorite fair-weather candies, Sugar Babies.
They come in a friendly yellow package with no frills. Just a the name blazoned across it and the simple description “Delicious Candy Coated Milk Caramels.” Think of them as jelly beans with a heart of caramel. (Mmmm, caramel hearts.)
Sugar Babies were originally made in 1937 by the James O. Welch Company. Not only was he the producer of the whole Sugar Family (Sugar Daddy and Sugar Mama and later Sugar Step-Mama) but also Junior Mints and Milk Duds as well as a long-gone line of fudge bars. Welch sold it to Nabisco in 1963. The Welch family of products changed hands a few more times, going from Nabisco to Warner-Lambert then to Tootsie in 1993, who makes them to this day.
The little morsels are rather soft. The chew is a little grainy at first because of the sugar shell, then becomes smooth with some nice buttery tones and burnt sugar flavors. Then it gets grainy again at the very end before dissolving into a sweet mess.
They’re such simple little candies and complement a wide variety of snacks. I always enjoyed eating them with some salted popcorn or Fritos (I haven’t had Fritos in probably ten years). They go great with ice cream (they get rock hard, then soften up), pretzels, M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces. And they’re cute! Look how cute they are ... have I ever mentioned that my dog is the same color as Sugar Babies?
Sometimes they’re a little stale, but a quick warm up in the palm of your hand or inside of a hot car revives them. I tend to shun chocolate products during the hot summer months, but then I begin to crave creaminess - Sugar Babies kind of straddle that line with the rich caramel taste but added durability of the sugar shell.
For your enjoyment and education, here is the older Sugar Babies wrapper that I grew up with. The Tootsie site also features a recipe for a Molasses Spice cookie that uses Sugar Babies. You may also still be able to find the limited edition Chocolate Covered Sugar Babies.
Related Candies
- Holiday Edition Sugar Babies
Name: |
Sugar Babies |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
Brand: |
Tootsie |
Place Purchased: |
vending machine |
Price: |
$.85 |
Size: |
1.7 ounces |
Calories per ounce: |
112 |
Categories: |
Caramel, United States, Tootsie |
I have always loved Sugar Babies—I consider them Happy Candies—the ones that always make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy and cheery when you eat them. I love the juxtaposition of the graininess and the smooth butter flavor. Aside from chocolate, they are truly the only other candy I cannot resist. Luckily for my teeth and my hips, I don’t see them around much anymore—but everytime I’m in the 99 cent store and see them, I buy them and eat them all myself.
Sugar Step-Mama? What the… are you putting me on?
These definitely win nostalgia points, but certainly not any points with my dentist. When I revisited them last year for the first time in years, I realized that my tastes had changed since I was 10.
I love that your dog is the color of a Sugar Baby. That is very cute. My dog is the color of a marble rye or pumpernickle, which is why I sometimes call him “my little pup-ernickle”. But I stray…
My trip down Tootsie memory lane has been one of my favorite posts, to date. Man, those images take me right back to a sweeter, simpler time of life.
Sorry for the self promotion, but in the name of nostalgia:http://sugarsavvy.net/2006/03/07/oh_tootsie_of_yore/
I have fond memories of prying these and Sugar Daddy caramel off the roof of my mouth, but what is a Sugar Mama?
Sugar Step-Mama…..LOL, I love it! You had me in stitches!
Sugar Babies are a staple in my candy stash too. Love them!
My parents’ dog is the color of a sugar baby, and I’ve used that term to describe her. Mine is more like those white nougats with nuts in them, which I have never used to describe her.
I never felt guilty about eating candy until I had these (For that matter, I haven’t guilty about eating candy since). The not-quite-caramel thing makes me a little uneasy about the ingredients, but I find these candies incredibly delicious. I actually like the texture from the hard outside layer - it adds a little crunch to the chewieness.
Also a note on staleness: on a cold day, you can warm them up on the outside enough to bite into, but that can leave you with an irremovable chunk of colder stuff on a filling. Just be sure you know what you’re getting in to. I’ve lost a filling to these, but I like to think it was worth it.
~nog_lorp
I absolutely love Sugar Babies! I feel happy/warm when I eat them too. I buy them by the box and sneak them into the movie theater. That’s an even bigger high; to watch a great movie while enjoying my favorite childhood candy.
Sugar Babies(and Johnny Depp.) Yummmm.
I adore these and agree with the review totally!
Cute dog. CUTE dog!
I’ve never had these, but they sound all right.
my dog?
I have always loved Suagar Babies that is the best tasting candy ever
_Montia
A true classic and oh so good!
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