Thursday, April 2, 2015

The Recent History of Brach’s Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Brach's Easter Parade - Life magazine ad April 4, 1960I’m a big fan of Malted Milk Balls and consider the candy coated Pastel Malted Milk Egg to be one of the best holiday candy creations ever. Brach’s has been making a pastel egg for at least 55 years, and malted milk balls for even longer.

Though the Brach’s brand has been around for over 110 years, they’ve changed ownership, leadership and product focus dozens of times. This means that the products themselves also change. The changes can be for consumer-driven reasons, supply issues and costs. I’ve noticed, since Candy Blog is coming up on 10 years, that the Brach’s Fiesta Eggs have changed quite a bit over the years, and have some photos and notes to document it.

2007 Full Review
Brach's Pastel Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Name: Pastel Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Callebaut)
Place Purchased: Long’s (Laguna Woods)
Price: $1.50 (on sale!)
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 132
Type: Chocolate/Malt
Rating: 6 out of 10
Size: 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch
Shell: pastel, crunchy, lightly vanilla
Chocolate: creamy, flavorless, too sweet
Malt: light, airy

Though this was my first year reviewing them, it wasn’t the first time I had them and thought they used to be better.

2011 Full Review
Brach's Fiesta Eggs

Name: Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s  (Farley’s & Sathers)
Place Purchased: Target (Glendale)
Price: $1.99
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 132
Type: Chocolate/Malt
Rating: 6 out of 10
Size: 2/3 of an inch
Shells - white with speckles, thick
Chocolate - Real, fudgy texture, lack of flavor
Malt - cripsy, moderately malty

I’d say that this was a lackluster version, though I liked the center, the chocolate brought the whole thing down.

2012 Full Review

Brach's Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Brach's Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs

Name: Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Farley’s & Sathers)
Place Purchased: Target
Price: $1.89
Size: 7.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 113
Type: Chalk
Rating: 5 out of 10
Size 1.25 to 1.5 inches
Shell: White with few speckles, very thick, hard to bite
Chocolate: weak
Malt: milky, barely sweet, crisp

These were simply too difficult to eat because of the size and shell. The center was good, especially because the ratio was so high.

2015 Malted Milk Eggs Compared

Brach's Malted Milk Pastel Eggs

Brach's Pastel Eggs 2015

Name: Malted Milk Pastel Fiesta Eggs
Brand: Brach’s (Ferrara Candy)
Size: 7.5 ounces
Price: $2.50
Rating: 5 out of 10
Shell: Pastel. It’s crisp and has the texture of actual egg shells, a little bit of crumble, generally flavorless.
Chocolate: It’s passable stuff. It’s real chocolate, but not great quality. The texture is fatty and smooth, but also extremely sweet, there’s very little cocoa flavor to it.
Malted Milk Center: The texture is very dense, with a lot of milky notes but less malt than the others. It’s not overly sweet and not overtly salty.

The center this year is different. It’s darker in color, which does indicate that the recipe or manufacturing process has changed. The colors are great, I like the shell, though many commenters do not like the new version. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong here, except that I don’t plan on buying them again, but I’ll finish the bags I have.

Related Candies

  1. Pastel Malted Milk Eggs Compared
  2. Sugarfina: The Chocolates
  3. Ovomaltine Chocolate Bar
  4. Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Eggs (Plus a Bonus)
  5. Whoppers Milkshake Strawberry
  6. Jelly Belly Deluxe Easter Mix
  7. Naked Chocolate Maltballs

POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:32 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewEasterBrach'sFarley's & SathersFerrara PanChocolateMalt5-Pleasant6-TemptingUnited KingdomHighlightFeatured News

Comments
  1. sometimes you wonder, why so much tinkering?  i’m sure there are reasons unknown to the lowly consumer, but we seem to get a lot of “updated” versions of classic treats that no one ends up liking.

    Comment by ruffy on 4/02/15 at 12:53 pm #
  2. I am one of those that is extremely disappointed in the Brachs Malted Milk Eggs this year.  I had them as a child fifty years ago and bought them every year.  This is the first year I have not like them…too much chocolate and not enough malt.  I was really disappointed and this may be the end of my special Easter Candy treat!

    Comment by Laura Wichman on 4/08/15 at 10:33 am #
  3. EXTREMELY disappointed in the Brach’s Malted Milk Eggs this year!! This has always been my favorite candy of all holidays. I usually buy 15-20 bags a year.  This year is the first year I have not like them… there is not enough malt and I don’t like the chocolate taste!! I was really disappointed and I don’t plan on buying them again! Why change a perfectly good candy???

    Comment by Bethany Bittinger on 4/13/15 at 5:43 pm #
  4. Ditto all the comments above. I can’t get them where I live, so my Mom sends me my all-time favorite holiday candy every year from the midwest. EXTREMELY disappointed describes my experience as well this year. They are smaller, more uniform in size and the speckles are faded. Worst of all, they lost that deliciously generous, perfectly crisp, WHITE malt center. The new malt center is darker and more dense.
    These are nothing special any more. Makes me sad. Goodbye favorite candy. It was nice knowing you for so long.

    Comment by Angela Swan on 4/14/15 at 2:31 pm #
  5. I have bought these for the past 30 years - they WERE my favorite! I usually purchase 15 pounds to last my family the entire year. I will not purchase them again. The outer shell used to melt in your mouth and left a white stain on your lips and tounge. The chocolate was real chocolate and the malt was perfect. This CRAP (best expression to sum it up) tastes like a cheap knockoff of Robin Eggs, which I think are DISGUSTING!!!!!! The outer candy shell tastes like chemicals - the chocolate tastes like cheap M&M Fake candies - and the malt tastes like shit. I know own 15 pounds of candy rocks that I guess I’ll patch the driveway with. Thanks for nothing!!

    Comment by Carla Shumock on 3/31/16 at 3:37 pm #
  6. Could not have said it better Carla!!

    Comment by Andy on 2/26/17 at 6:49 pm #
  7. I too am (was more of a fan) of this candy!  However they are not fooling me!  The chocolate is more semi sweet than milk chocolate.  It just doesn’t mellow and melt in your mouth like it did before.  This all equals to a major disfunction.  This just used to be my all time favorite candy.  The recipient change is not working!  They are hard to find and at this rate conisures won’t care to go on the hunt for these anymore.  BRING BACK THE ORIGINAL RECIPIE PLEASE!!

    Comment by Ruth on 3/03/17 at 7:01 am #
  8. Ruth,
    Is the date on your comment correct? You bought them this year, 2017, and they are no good?
    I am just like the rest of you…addicted to this candy and waited anxiously each year for them to come out. I also have been on several hunts for them.
    My delima is that no where in my area has them and I am actually thinking about paying $10 for 1 bag from Amazon. I was so hoping they had changed it back. But if your comment is from this year, then I guess i might as well save myself $10 bucks, thanks

    Comment by Jana on 4/03/17 at 11:14 am #
  9. So sad that a candy that was good for so many years is now terrible. I’m sure they changed the recipe to try and make more money but sounds like no one will buy them so in long run they will lose money. I can’t find them anywhere & will not order. Only plus is maybe it will save me a lot of calories.

    Comment by Alvita on 4/03/17 at 4:56 pm #
  10. I’m still waiting for Cybele to return..I love any Malted Milk Easter Eggs (I have very fond memories of these as a kid 50 years ago..smile)

    Comment by SJCarras on 4/03/17 at 9:54 pm #
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