Kandy Kritique -- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

This is a classic. And with good reason. The chocolate is creamy and satiny, no trace of waxiness, and partners very well with the crumbly, grainy, delicious peanut butter filling. The commercial slogan was "two great tastes that taste great together," and whatever Madison Avenue creative type penned that slogan was right on target. And when Harry B. Reese, the Hershey's employee who invented this confectionary delight, first came up with the recipe for this round, fluted piece of yumminess, HE was right on target.
There's no doubt but I'm rating PBCs a solid D!

(This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Kit Kat White

Some candyfans like milk chocolate best, others favor dark, others prefer white. I enjoy all three equally, but white chocolate reminds me of being a young teen in the early 80s and buying -- and savoring -- chunks of white chocolate from the candy kiosk in my local mall.
And I always loved thin wafer cookies. They remind me of early childhood. So why would I not love a candy that combines those delectable elements and the memories they impart?
Unfortunately, the coating on a Kit Kat White is a "white confection" or "white fudge," rather than the true white ("ivoire") chocolate of my teenhood, since it contains no cocoa butter, substituting other plant-based fats. BUT, it's very buttery and melty and has an almost frosting-in-a-can quality to it, which I love, and the wafer is crisp and delicate, with a mild, nutty taste. The "frosting" gets top billing, but the wafer base does prevent the bar from being too sickeningly, throat-searingly, tooth-tingling sweet.
This is a very satisfying piece, and as far as mass-market candy goes, it's absolutely delectable. I have no other option but to give it my UMPTEENTH D-rating.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Milk Duds

Another classic, these are little chocolate-enrobed caramel pellets with a BIG taste. The chocolate has a nice snap and a creamy melt, and the caramel is soft and buttery with a good salty spark to it.
I have no other option but to make this the umpteenth D-rated candy on this blog.


This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- York Peppermint Pattie

A classic candy is classic for a reason, as this delectable disk illustrates. The York Peppermint Pattie is all the sweet, fun, yummy tastes you loved as a child wrapped into one dreamy confection. Think chocolate. Think candy canes at holiday time. Think frosting in a can, eaten straight up, off a spoon, no pesky cake getting in the way. Now, think of all three of these flavor phenomena rolled up into one scrumptious mix. That is the York Peppermint Pattie. The inside is a stiff, thick "icing" sparked with mint to keep it from being cloyingly sweet, and the outside is a smooth, rich jacket of dark chocolate that has just the right amount of snap between the teeth and then melts in the mouth and mingles with the "icing" to become an amazingly delicious paste of yumminess. This is a truly CRAVEABLE candy and it rates -- you guessed it. I especially like them frozen.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Reese's Pieces

Oh, yes. A candy classic, around since I was a young teen. The Pieces were made a classic in part by their role in the movie E.T., and in part by sheer yumminess.
Often put down as M&M's imitators, these glossy, colorful little disks are in a whole other class by themselves. As the crisp shell gives way to the satiny-smooth peanut butter creme center, there is an enjoyable interplay of texture and taste sensations on the tongue, causing the tastebuds to have a PAR-TAY! Seriously. These are awesome. I thought they were awesome when I was a young teen, and I think they're awesome now.

I rate these a solid D.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Reese's Whipps

In the novel "Feed," by M.T. Anderson, which is set in a near future in which everyone has an Internet linkage implanted in their brains from birth, there's a scene where the main character snacks on chocolate mousse from a tube. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Well, for the time being, dessert mousses in a tube are only fantasy, but the Reese's Whipps bar, which is very real -- and very yummy -- is a close approximation of the mousse-in-a-tube experience.
The peanut-butter nougat is like a solid block of peanut-butter mousse -- fluffy, sweet, and delectable! The peanut butter lends richness to the airy "mousse," and there's a slight spark of salt that balances the sweetness very nicely.
The chocolate is a little waxy and slightly bland, not really adding much to this bar, not a lot of interplay between the chocolate and the peanut butter "mousse." It's like the bar is all about the peanut-butter taste and the chocolate is just there as a carrying case for the filling. That is the one thing that keeps me from rating it D.
As it is, though, this confection is worthy of a rating of IST.

This candy has been rated IST (Insanely Tasty)

Kandy Kritique -- Hershey's Marshmallow Creme Kisses

OK, here goes. My first candy review on this blog.
A friend told me of the existence of these little beauties in Walgreens. So when I went to the Big W, I decided to try them for myself, and my taste buds were disco dancing!
These are filled Kisses, and the inside isn't really marshmallow, but a delectable soft "frosting" with a mellow toasted-marshmallow taste. The chocolate around the "frosting" is soft, buttery, satiny, and gives literal meaning to the phrase "melt in your mouth." This M-I-Y-M chocolate shell, mingled with the "frosting," makes the most heavenly candy combo your taste buds will ever have the pleasure of knowing, and due to the soft richness of these little delights, the best way to enjoy them is to "smoosh" the piece in your mouth, rather than chewing it.
I only have two peeves about these kisses. One, they're limited edition, and I think a candy this delicious should be a permanent addition to the line. Two, they don't come in individual servings, just the standard bags, and having a bag of these bite-sized confectionary masterpieces in my house is a real test of my willpower.
As far as ratings, it's a done deal. I have no choice.

This Candy has been rated D (Divine)