Kandy Kritique --Lindor Truffles Revisited

Tried the limited-edition flavors of Lindor Truffles -- these are also not so much ordinary candies as they are confectionary delicacies.

The Extra-dark-chocolate peppermint is bittersweet, bold-tasting, slightly fruity on the outside, with a creamy, mint-sparked "frosting" center. The two distinct taste sensations complement each other beautifully, creating a rich and unique candy delight that will appeal to pint-sized sweets aficionados and grown-up gourmets alike. These make Peppermint Patties seem like junk, and that's saying a lot.

Th milk chocolate with smooth white filling features a silky milk-chocolate shell and a creamy, satiny, alnost buttercream-like white-chocolate "frosting" center. The flavors of the two chocolate types mingle together in a heavenly mix. These things are mmmmmmmm-MINDBLOWING.


You can se where this is going.

THIS CANDY HAS BEEN RATED D (DIVINE)

Kandy Kritique -- Dove Tiramisu Promises

I never had tiramisu, so I don't know if these squarish foil-wrapped tidbits taste like real tiramisu. All I know is, these taste absolutely mind-blowing!
As soon as I unwrapped these plump little morsels, a deep, sweet, roasty chocolate-coffee scent caressed my nostrils. A rich, tantalizing scent. The funny thing is, I don't like actual coffee as a beverage, but I do like coffee-flavored items like ice cream or candy. These little gems had a creamy melt, a distinctive spark of coffee mingling with the chocolate richness, and a syrupy, caramel-esque center that tasted like the glaze on a gourmet pastry. Addictive little suckers, these are.

Now for the rating. What's a synonym for "addictive" or "absolutely mind-blowing"?

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Starbuck's Truffles

The coffee bigwigs extend beyond java and tap into one of the world's tastiest sources of caffeine -- and do it very well, I may add.

I sampled two flavors of these confections.

These are little domes, kind of like Old-Fashioned Cream Drops -- but so much more sophisticated and sumptuous.

VANILLA BEAN -- A buttery, satiny "frosting" center given a pleasant crunch from specks of vanilla bean. A dusting of cocoa powder adds a bittersweet spark, and silky dark chocolate finishes off the piece. Complex, flavorful, satisfying. Had to summon all my willpower not to finish off the whole bag at a sitting

CHAI -- Same smooth "frosting" center. No tea taste that I could discern. Mostly, I tasted the spices -- mmmm, vanilla and cinnamon. Intermingled with rich milk chocolate, a very addicting, indulgent confectionary delight. Again, all I could do not to demolish the whole bag at one sweep!

You know what's coming!

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Pez Revisited

OK, it's official. Pez have now joined the ranks of my favorite non-chocolate-based candies. Having reviewed grape, lemon, and cherry previously, I decided to try three other flavors.

ORANGE -- A cross between a Creamsicle and F&F chewable vitamin C (and I love F&F chewable vitamin C and eat it as a candy!). Smooth fruity-creamy taste with a spark of citrus, the hardened cake frosting (HCF) thing going on, but nothing close to tart. Wicked tasty

STRAWBERRY -- Strawberries-n-cream taste, a bright little zing of fruit, the HCF effect, not the least bit tart. Also wicked tasty

RASPBERRY -- If I had to choose a favorite flavor of PEZ candy, this would be it. Fruit-n-creme taste, the HCF sensation going on, a bright, fresh spark of fruitiness and some delicate floral notes. Delectable and crave-worthy.

Yes, this assortment of PEZ flavors gets a D rating. Still trying to find the chocolate and cola to try.

THIS CANDY HAS BEEN RATED D (DIVINE)

Kandy Kritique -- Lindor Dark, Extra Dark, and White Chocolate Truffles

Hi! I have been away from the blog for a while -- life was calling, and I had to answer, but I have returned.

Having tasted Lindor Milk Chocolate truffles and bestowing on them a D rating, I had to taste the other varieties in the line. Here's how it went

WHITE -- Smooth, sweet, mild, melt-in-the-mouth, with a spark of vanilla. Talk about your cake frosting! This definitely tasted like cake frosting. Really yummy cake frosting. Truly delectable cake frosting. It was all I could do not to polish off the whole bag at one sitting.

DARK -- More intense than the milk, and the shell paired well with that smooth, sweet ganache/mousse center. Simply scrumptious.

EXTRA DARK -- The shell was intense with fruity notes and an almost bitter finish. The perfect foil for the sweet "frosting" center. Definitely crave-worthy.

I like them all equally for different reasons, and they all have earned a rating of D


THIS CANDY HAS BEEN RATED D (DIVINE)

Kandy Kritique -- Ferrero Rondnoir

These little chocolate rounds look like a dark-chocolate version of Rocher -- but are a little different.
The wafer base is more pronounced rather than blending in like with the Rocher, and the Rocher's nut pieces are replaced with chocolate bits. There's still the same ganache filling, inside which is nested a bead of solid dark chocolate. It's like eating a gourmet pastry laden with fine chocolate. Scrumptious.

Oh, yeah, I'm rating this a D


This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Pez

I've decided to review a classic candy, albeit one I haven't had since I was about four. Pez. I remember getting a hold of some Pez candy as a kid and thought they were quite tasty. So, just for a lark, I decided to review them all these years later. I didn't bother with a dispenser, wanting to review them strictly on their merits as a candy. I tasted them straight from the pack.
I didn't expect much. After all, Pez is a compressed "tablet" candy. Such sweets aren't decadent or gooey or rich. I always thought that Pez was a children's toy candy and the main enjoyment was the novelty dispenser, and the confection itself would probably taste like dust to my now-adult taste buds.
Was I wrong!
When I placed one of the tiny, pretty, colorful bricks of flavored sweetness in my mouth, the piece melted into a sweet, fruity, slightly creamy-tasting flavor fantasy. Think hardened, fruit-flavored cake frosting. That's Pez.
For me, the appeal of Pez is that they're smoother than many other compressed candies. They're not grainy. Another thing that sets Pez apart from other candies of its type is that they're not sour or tart at all. They're all about the sweet (There are sour Pez available, but I don't see the point, what with other sour compressed candies out there, such as SweeTarts and Spree) and they are very addicting.
I've tried the Cherry, Lemon and Grape and I like them all equally. Now I would like to try orange, strawberry, cola, and chocolate.
I give them a rating I reserve usually for far more decadent candy items. These sweet little gems so richly deserve it.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles

Some candies are fun. Others are sophisticated. Still others are both. Lindor Milk Truffles are both. Like Andes mints and Ferrero Rochers, these little delights can be a hit with everyone, be they suave sophisticate or candy-crazed kindergartener.
Inside the shiny red wrappers that remind one of Christmas tree ornaments are plump chocolate spheres. One nibble reveals a contrast of delectable flavor sensations as the intensely flavorful chocolate shell gives way to a delicate, creamy, buttery, almost pudding-like ganache center, and the whole thing melts on the tongue smooth as satin.
These look like a candy for adults, and yes, I can see a classy, urbane host or hostess putting these confectionary gems out in a fancy bowl for guests, but I can also imagine that any costumed pint-sized princess or small-fry superhero would be as happy as a pig in a mudhole -- or as Charlie in Willy Wonka's factory -- to receive these sweet, bite-sized delicacies in their plastic jack o' lantern on Halloween. A great all-round candy, and you know what comes next.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Andes Creme DeMenthe Thins

These are cute candies -- small, delicate wafers, somewhere between a fun-size bar and a tasting square, in a pretty green wrapper.
Out of the wrapper, the confections are elegant-loooking candy sandwiches of dark chocolate with a mint flavored, green tinted layer of white chocolate/white confection between. Looks pretty. But how do they taste?
They taste like they look -- delicious, scrumptious, and utterly delectable, melting on the tongue in a cloud of soft, creamy, buttery richness with a refreshing spark of mint. A classic. And one that rates a solid D.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Scharffen Berger Assorted Tasting Squares

I was curious as to whether "artisan" candy tasted any different from the stuff the Big Guys turn out, so I bought an assortment pack of Scharffen Berger fine artisan chocolate tasting squares.

There is a difference. This is pure chocolate, not "confection" or "compound," made with cocoa butter, and no artificial flavors to get in the way of that rich real chocolate taste.


BITTERSWEET-- A firm snap, a smooth melt, and a bold, intense flavor that may be too bitter for some, but I liked it. A lot.

SEMI-SWEET -- Firm snap, smooth melt, sweeter than the bittersweet. A high-end version of semi-sweet chocolate baking chips. Just scrumptious.

MILK -- I may like this one best of all. Soft, buttery, very soft snap, a creamy silky melt, and a rich taste. Should be outlawed!

I rate the SB squares a D, but the milk ones get a DD rating, for Doubly Divine.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

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 -- Three Musketeers Mint

These little goodies are reminiscent of the fancy confections you might get in a Valentine's assortment -- but umpteen times better!
Unlike the original 3 musketeers, the mint is two small bars in one wrapper, which is supposed to be a serving, but it is more conducive to sharing than the one-large-bar format.
The dark chocolate is satiny, not waxy, with a creamy melt and no bitter notes, and is quite yummy, but it's the filling that's the standout here.
The filling is a cross between a frosting and a dessert mousse, fluffy yet rich, melting to a delicious creaminess on the tongue, with just the right spark of mint, and it is the perfect partner to the chocolate. This is an addictively craveable candy that surpasses even the Peppermint Patty.
I think you can guess where I'm going here in rating this jewel of the confectioner's art.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Twix

Oh, yes, another classic. This confection is a strip of multilayered yumminess. A thick, crisp, delicately flavored butter cookie base surmounted by a sheet of soft yet stretchy caramel blanketed in a smooth rich coat of milk chocolate.
The cookie is buttery and rich tasting, the caramel is mellow and milky, and the chocolate melts in the mouth without a hint of waxiness. There's a reason this bar is a classic.

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 -- Ferrara Pan Milk Chocolate Almonds

Think of these candies as a classied-up version of Goobers.
Instead of a peanut, there is a crisp, toasty whole almond blanketed in a thick jacket of sweet, creamy milk chocolate. This chocolate cleaves off easily between the teeth, is rich-tasting with subtle coconut and vanilla notes, and it melts in the mouth and is not "waxy" like the chocolate coatings of similar candies.
An enjoyable, addictive, craveable confection that rates a solid D.

This candy has been rated D (Divine)

Kandy Kritique -- Dillon's Pecan Divinity

This is a candy of my childhood fantasies. Since I was a little girl, I always loved sweet gooey, fluffy frosting on cakes, and usually only ate cake because it was a socially acceptable way of consuming frosting. Now, imagine a candy that's a brick of slightly solidified cake frosting. Add some pecan pieces, and you have Dillon's Pecan Divinity, which lives up to its name. It is absolutely divine, Deliciously, delectably, decadently divine.
Bite into the soft, cream-colored square of supreme tastiness, and the whole frosting experience hits your mouth. The sweetness, the creaminess, the whole melt-in-your-mouth factor going on. It's frosting-in-a-can without the can.
The sweetness is tempered by the mellow, roasty taste and pleasing crunchy snap of the nut bits, which add maple notes to this piece. This is a craveable candy. I have seen it in individual squares, but this time, it only came in three-serving "rolls" or "bars." That's really going to test the ol' willpower. This candy is so yummy it should be outlawed.
I guess you can now figure out the ratings for this confection. This would be the first non-chocolate candy on this blog to get such a 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 -- Ferrero Rocher

This is a candy with universal appeal. It's an elegant treat that a classy sophisticated adult would put out in a candy bowl when having company, an indulgent delight that a romantic soul would give his or her sweetheart, and an enjoyable confection a loving parent would present to his or her young child. It's a candy that can appeal to everyone.
The secret of the Rocher is the many strata of yumminess it possesses. A layer of crunchy, subtle hazelnuts, then a layer of rich, smooth milk chocolate, then a crisp, airy, pastry-like wafer, and then, finally, a silky chocolate paste delicately tinged with hazelnut. This is a candy that's equally at home at a swanky soiree or a kiddie birthday bash. Yep, it's a D-rating (my third since I started this blog)


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)