100,000 Hits and Growing!

I woke up today to discover that Obsessivesweets has reached 100,000 hits! Amazing! I'm still not sure how people find their way to this blog, but I'm genuinely thankful to all of the readers for tracking it down and for their continued interest in my sugar-fueled missives. Here's to the myriad candy yet to be tasted and to many more postings to come! 

Update: Nestle Crunch Thin Mints Candy Bar to be Revealed in June

image courtesy of the girl scouts via huffingtonpost

Update! The good news is that the rumored merging of Nestle Crunch candy bars with a multitude of Girl Scout Cookie flavors is not merely a cruel internet hoax! The bad news is that we will have to wait until June for the candy bars to be unveiled. I can't wait (especially for the Peanut Butter Do-Si-Dos flavor!)! Read the Huffington Post to read the official confirmation from The Girl Scouts of America. 

Collaboration between Girl Scouts and Nestle? Nestle Crunch Thin Mints Edition??

image courtesy of bloomingtoneeds

There's a wild internet rumor going around that Nestle Crunch has collaborated with the Girl Scouts of America to create a line of Girl Scout Cookie inspired Nestle Crunch bars. Jezebel blog published an image earlier today of an actual Thin Mints Crunch Bar and it looks totally entrancing! The only question is how to get my hands on one of these. Any reader that spies them for sale, please let me know!

Ferrara Pan Tropical Chewy Lemonhead & Friends

Grapeheads (Alexander the Grape, in the old days), Lemonheads, Orangeheads, Cherryheads all count as fantastic classic candy. Their sparkling flavors and perfect consistency make them deserve their spot in the candy pantheon. These Tropical Chewy Lemonheads & Friends, however, are so disappointing. I'm already on the fence about Chewy versus Classic Lemonheads & Friends. These are chewy in an assortment of murky artificial flavors- Kiwi Strawberry, Peach Mango, Berry Banana, Cherry Watermelon, and Lemonade mixed with Pink Lemonade. I didn't like a single one. Ok, the Lemonade/Pink Lemonade was pretty tasty but that doesn't really count as a flavor combination. Instead of these, buy yourself some Cherryheads.

Score: 1

Sweet Surrender Fudge, Atlanta, Georgia

Thanks to my Mom, this Valentine's Day I was the lucky recipient of a one-pound box of fudge in a variety of 16 flavors from Sweet Surrender based in Atlanta, Georgia. This is compellingly good fudge- super rich and dense and melty. Some flavors work better than others. The basic chocolate, peanut butter, maple, and mint are some of the best I've ever tasted. Some of the fruitier flavors are little too sweet to me, favoring the orange or key lime pie flavor over the basic fudge base. I think fudge always should remain grounded in its basic fudge flavor with sub-layers of flavor added in. Some of these flavors are a little too strident. That hasn't stopped us from compulsively consuming half the box within three days. You can order your own variety of sweet fudge flavors online from http://sweetsurrenderfudge.com/. Thanks, Mom! 

Healthy Snacking? Snickers to Downsize Portion in 2013.

The Salt, NPR's Food Blog has announced that beginning in 2013, Mars will make all of their candy bars in portions under 250 calories in order to support "responsible snacking". No more King Size, and chocolate bars like Snickers will be reduced in size (by about 11%) in order to maintain its calorie-conscious stance. Other Mars- generated candies such as Twix and M&M's will remain unchanged because they already weigh in under the requisite 250 calories. Personally, I'm fine with indulging in a little less. And anyone who really misses the massive King Size bar can always consume two Snickers instead. I just wonder whether these new portions will make any real difference in the (empty) calories people consume- they're already picking up a Snicker's chocolate bar instead of yogurt or other healthy fare. But portion control, rather than abdicating chocolate treats altogether, does seem like a more reasonable expectation for people trying to lead more calorie-conscious and healthy lifestyles.
Read more at The Salt.
Read more at Grub Street. 

Valentine's Day Delights: Snickers Creme Hearts

I think my expectations ran a little too high with the Snickers Creme Hearts for Valentine's Day. By "creme," I thought the packaging meant that I would bite into some fluffy creamy distillation flavored with the all the elements of a Snickers bar- some chocolate-y, nougate-y, caramel-y, peanut-y blended filling that would equal the sum of all Snickers essential parts. I think I just read too deeply into the description. These are mini-Snickers bars in festive shapes for Valentine's Day. They're delicious, no denying, but don't bring anything new to the table flavor-wise. I'd still eat them by the handful. Thanks, Dan, for finding these!

Score: 4

Valentine's Day Sweets: Cherry m&m's

Hmm, I tried Cherry Cordial m&m's awhile back (read review here) and I honestly don't remember the flavor well enough to discern whether they are any different from these new Cherry m&m's. Either way, I don't like these very much. The Cherry flavor tastes really artificial, like the flavoring of cough suppressant or dentist's flouride, more chemical than fruit. The shells painted in shades of red for Valentine's Day are festive, and I like that these come in a little larger size than your standard m&m's, but I definitely wouldn't purchase more of them.

Score: 2

Valentine's Round-Up: Hershey's Kisses Cherry Cordial Creme

Oh my, besides the caramel-filled Hershey's Kisses, these Cherry Cordial Creme Kisses are the best flavor yet! They're a lot like Brach's original Cherry Cordials but without the actual cherry in the middle. It's just Hershey's chocolate overflowing with liquid-y cherry vanilla flavor. With so much liquid contained within each delicate Kiss, it's amazing that not a single one leaked within the entire bag. Magic! If you like Cherry Cordials, run and stock up on these delightful Kisses! Wonderful! Thanks, Dan!

Score: 5

Breaking News: Nello Ferrara, Inventor of Atomic Fireballs and Lemonheads, has Died

CBS News has just announced the sad passing of 93-year-old Nello Ferrara, Chairman of the Chicago-based Ferrara Pan Candy Company. Nello's father started the family company back in 1908, and over the years Nello was responsible for the invention of beloved classics such as Atomic Fireballs, Lemonheads, and Red Hots. Head over to Gothamist and CBS News for more on Nello's candy achievements.