Obsessive Sweets

Lindt Chocolate Bittersweet Mega Bar

2012-02-02T15:35:00.003-05:00

Lindt chocolate in every variety feels especially decadent. It is so rich and creamy and this bittersweet chocolate bar is no exception. It has that wonderful bittersweet bite but balances with the sweet just enough to offer a really compelling flavor. What makes it even better? This candy bar is HUGE. I have provided a photo including a quarter for scale. The packaging is also so luxurious, with the chocolate wrapped in a crisp metallic gold wrapper on the outside along with a silver metallic wrapper on the inside and that makes me feel like I've found Willie Wonka's winning ticket. Thanks to Will and Ben for bringing me this magnificent treat!

Score: 5

Smirk Chocolate Bar

2012-02-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Smirk chocolate bars are the dairy kosher version of Snicker's. They're produced by Paskesz Kosher Company, a near-century old Kosher candy maker and distributor that originated in Hungary and has operated in Brooklyn for the last half-century. I'm confused but thrilled to have found this Smirk bar because, as reported in a post this past March, Pasketsz supposedly went out of business. A real loss. Anyway, I was lucky to discover this Smirk bar out in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. It's a Snicker's bar with tiny variations on the basic components. The chocolate isn't as melty or milky. The caramel is thicker and constitutes a little larger proportion of the bar than in Snicker's. The nougat is a bit stiffer. I liked it.

Score: 4

Marzipan Pears from Fortunado Brothers Bakery

2012-02-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

I keep posting images of the marzipan from Fortunado Brothers Bakery in Brooklyn because I think that it is some of the most beautiful marzipan I've ever run across. Even more important, it is some of the finest tasting marzipan I've ever sampled. These perfect pears were so realistic in appearance it's almost disarming to discover the marzipan flavor and texture. They're almost too wonderful to consume! Thanks, Bernice and Abe!

Score: (resounding) 5

Fortunato Brothers Marzipan Seafood

2012-01-29T14:59:00.003-05:00

I've written before about the astounding, imaginative, and truly scrumptious array of home-made marzipan candies at The Fortunado Brothers Bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (click here to read). I couldn't help but include this wonderful shot of the seafood marzipan they had on display this weekend. Just beautiful.

Nobel Super Lemon Candy

2012-01-18T17:18:00.002-05:00

Upon purchase, I didn't even care if these Nobel Super Lemon candies were tasty or not because the Roy Lichtenstein-like design on the packaging is fantastic enough to sell me! It's also an extremely cool way to get across the message that these candies are super sour, or X'treme, as popular packaging might bill it. Look at the rays of pain emanating from the woman's mouth on the bag- even if you can't read Japanese, the message is clear. The lemon candies are good, too. The outside is wiped with a super sour powder that takes your breath away a little bit. But that sour powder quickly diminishes and you're left with a soothing yet tart and citrus-laden lemon candy that's extremely satisfying. I love these!

Score: 4

Wonka Tinglerz: Poppin' Tinglin' Chocolate Candy

2012-01-18T17:06:00.002-05:00

Ew, I'm way into Pop Rocks, but Wonka Tinglerz just take the whole endeavor a step too far. You get the thrill of popping candy in your mouth- apparently chocolate flavored popping candy, although I only tasted the waxy non-chocolatey "chocolate" coating around the popping candy. If the mockolate coating fails to melt in the mouth and tastes unlike anything resembling delicious, what's the point of letting it linger for the fireworks of the Tinglerz? I'm trying to picture, however, if Tinglerz covered in a good chocolate would even be enticing, and I'm wary after this initial foray. Wonka makes such good chocolate products, so why did they fail to utilize a craveable chocolate in this case?

Score: 2

New Red Vines: Cherry Vines

2012-01-17T20:04:00.002-05:00

As a life-long ardent fan of Red Vines (read article of love here), I'm so ashamed that I've never bothered to question the identity of their flavor. They are simply and beautifully red flavor. So when I picked up this box of Cherry Vines, I was floored by the fact that I have no idea whether Red Vines are strawberry or raspberry or fruit punch flavor. What are they? Besides perfection, that is. Cherry Vines are delicious but not nearly as good as the original. The cherry flavor is good, but doesn't present anything new. I certainly wouldn't choose to eat them over the classics. They still beat Twizzlers by a long shot.

Score: 4

Update: Milk Coffee Kit Kats

2012-01-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

Within hours of asking for help identifying a mystery Kit Kat flavor (read here), two readers, Rodzilla and Chris, both answered my query! (Big thanks, readers!) Apparently the flavor is Milk Coffee, which I never would have guessed. Years ago my friend Matt purchased a case of the American release of Coffee Kit Kats (and unfortunately I consumed about half of that case) and they tasted so distinctively of coffee. I guess the Milk element of these Milk Coffee bars is the primary flavor with a more subtle Coffee undertone. As I said, they're good and I consumed them in seconds, but it's not an obvious connection to the flavor they're striving for. The Royal Milk Tea Kit Kats (read review here) were also heavy on the Milk flavor, but the underlying Tea flavor was a bit more distinctive than the Coffee.

Mystery Kit Kat Flavor: Help, Please!

2012-01-16T00:22:00.000-05:00

I would be very grateful if an astute reader could identify the flavor of this mysterious Kit Kat bar for me. I just ate the whole thing and remained perplexed even after. It's a white chocolate base with a light underlying floral tea flavor, but I can't identify the floral notes. Jasmine? This mystery is driving me wild!

Score: 3

Myriad Flavor Surprises in a Kit Kat

2012-01-15T23:57:00.000-05:00

Baked Potato flavor Kit Kat? Grilled Corn flavor Kit Kat? Camembert Cheese flavor Kit Kat?!? Japanese Kit Kats are consistently released in the most bizarre variety of flavors. Not always delicious but always exciting and intriguing. I love that they push the envelop. If you'd like to read more recent releases, head to Weird Asia News Blog for some surprises.

Grab Your Twinkies Now! Hostess Filing for Bankruptcy.

2012-01-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

photo courtesy of overthehedge blog

Grab your Twinkies while you can! Hostess has filed for bankruptcy and the future of indestructible baked goods (including Twinkies, Ho-Ho's, Ding Dongs, and Sno Balls) is in question. Read the article in today's Wall Street Journal to learn more (click here).

Savannah Smiles Added to the Girl Scout Cookie 2012 Lineup

2012-01-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy, Girl Scouts of the USA

Hoorah!! Today the Washington Post Lifestyle Blog reports major news: a new Girl Scout Cookie added to this year's selection. Savannah Smiles are lemon cookies named after the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low. I can't say that they seem as enticing as a Thin Mint or a Samoa, but the whole line is so tasty, these may offer a lovely lemony surprise! I'm so excited!

Marzipan at the Fortunato Brothers Pastry Shop, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2012-01-04T16:45:00.001-05:00

If you're ever wandering around Williamsburg, Brooklyn, take a detour to the Fortunato Brothers Bakery and Pastry Shop over on Manhattan Avenue. Visiting has become a favorite personal past-time and I am trying to (slowly) make my way through all of their offerings. The pastries are light, fluffy, heavy on the creme-filling, and fresh, the hot cocoa is perfection, the environment is warm and welcoming. You really can't find a better pastry shop in all five boroughs. That said, the main event at the Fortunato Bros., in my opinion, is their selection of marzipan creations. They're some of the most beautifully made marzipan confections I've encountered anywhere, almost too pretty to eat. But delicious, too. And inexpensive, to boot!! Visit if you can!

Izumiya Confectionery Co. Christmas Cookies

2011-12-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mina, Megumi, and the whole Tomioka family for sending these festive Izumiya Confectionary Company Christmas cookies! Besides the enticing packaging, these basic butter cookies are extra crisp and light and addictive. I hear the company is the oldest producer of pre-packaged cookies in Japan, dating back to 1917, and now I can see where they get their staying power. Delicious and delightful!

Magnolia Cupcakes Everywhere

2011-12-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of Tina Fineberg for The New York Times

I've written about the over-saturation of cupcakes in New York City a number of times in the past (click here to read the kvetching). I've also written of the roots of this over-saturation stemming directly from Magnolia Bakery. I don't like to write about them too much because it was publicity (aka, Sex and the City)that messed up that bakery in the first place. That said, I feel obligated to report that today's Grub Street blog announces that Magnolia Cupcakes will soon be available for all, no matter where you live. As of January 2, Magnolia is willing to send their butter cream frosted treats to any U.S. address. (I wonder how they stay really fresh. Butter cream by nature does not travel easily). So if you want to know what all the fuss is about, go to the Magnolia Bakery homepage and order up a dozen.

Junior's Christmas Cheesecake, Brooklyn

2011-12-18T17:53:00.002-05:00

Junior's is the quintessential Brooklyn restaurant and boasts what some consider the best cheesecake in the world (I agree) and what I consider the best lemon meringue pie ever. Go there as fast as you possible can. Not that it's going anywhere- it's been around since 1950 and seems to be staying put. I was there last night- try not to be jealous. Anyway, this is just a shoutout about their Christmas holiday themed cheesecake- simply beautiful. You can order it by mail, too. Check out the website here...

Tootsie Pop Drops Candy Cane Flavor

2011-12-18T11:56:00.001-05:00

Saturated with peppermint flavor, these Candy Cane Tootsie Pop Drops are wonderful! My only complaint: unlike a tootsie pop lollipop, these contain smaller tootsie centers so that the ratio of shell to tootsie filling feels a bit off. I love the candy cane flavor, though, and wish these were for sale year-round.

Score: 4

Wonka Sweetarts Merry Mix

2011-12-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

Nothing new to the basic make-up of these Wonka Sweetarts Merry Mix except the festive holiday shapes- Christmas trees, bells, and snowmen. No surprises, but still delicious and newly festive for the holiday season!

Score: 3

Wish List Fulfilled! M&M's Cinnamon

2011-12-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes wishes do come true! I recently wrote about my longing to find the new limited edition Cinnamon m&m's (click here to read) and had been dreaming about them an awful lot in the meantime. Last night I found them at Target (apparently Target struck a deal to be their only purveyor) and today I awoke like a kid on Christmas morning ready to dive in. They're good. They're not all I had hoped for, though. They do have this mellow Cinnamon taste that is striking for the first two or three you consume and then you forget about because it is so subtle. Honestly, it tastes a little like Mexican hot cocoa- cinnamon-spiced chocolate that is one of my favorite tastes in the world. But this is Mexican hot cocoa for people who aren't that into cinnamon whereas I think that cinnamon should be used in abundance in pretty much everything (have you ever added it into peanut butter?- such a treat!). So I had been hoping these would honor the cinnamon a little more, let the flavor sing, push the spice flavor to the forefront. I think m&m's brand is onto something great but should pump up the volume a little on the entire endeavor.

Score: 4

Junior Mints Holiday Mix

2011-12-12T15:18:00.001-05:00

Junior Mints are sublime in their original form. It's hard to make them even better. I really like this holiday mix idea from Junior Mints where they appear to be your standard Junior Mints and taste like your standard Junior Mints but if you bite them in half you are confronted by green, red, or white colored filling, like a hidden homage to the holiday! Honestly, who really eats a Junior Mint by biting it in half. [note: I have now been informed that plenty of people bite their Junior Mints in half- I think that's better left for a Peppermint Patty but to each their own]. You could go through an entire box without noticing. I like the subtlety. About half of each mini-box is comprised of the white-cream originals; the other half is about 50% red and 50% green. These are really hard to resist!

Score: 5

Milka GoFree Cikolatah Gofret

2011-12-07T23:06:00.002-05:00

The Milka GoFree (Cokolatah Gofret) chocolate wafer bar fares a little better to my mind than the Princessa Maxi. This Turkish delight boasts very light crispy wafers and a thicker coating of rich chocolate. Wafer bars never blow me away, but this Go Free is better than most- a little more substantial.

Score: 3

Nestle Princessa Maxi Mleczna

2011-12-05T23:09:00.001-05:00

The Nestle Princessa Maxi Mleczna constitutes your basic chocolate and wafer bar, via Poland. But honestly, the chocolate is pretty waxy and the creme filling was really dry. The wafers were nicely crispy, though. However, I prefer other wafer bars to this one.

Score: 2

Cadbury Picnic

2011-12-05T22:50:00.002-05:00

Cadbury's Picnic bar is not my cup of tea, but I think that it's probably sublime for the right palate. A mixture of peanuts and delicious Cadbury chocolate enrobe a raucous mixture of nougat, caramel, biscuit, puffed rice, and raisins. It's fun and vaguely wholesome and certainly filling- pleasant overall- but I think it reminds me a little too much of a granola bar. An unhealthy granola bar. There are so many more exciting chocolate products, especially made by Cadbury, I just don't think I'd choose this bar a second time over other options. Thanks for finding this, Will!

Score: 3

Pervasive Macaron: NYC Edition

2011-12-01T13:30:00.001-05:00

Today's edition of Grub Street New York alerts readers to a wonderful map, created by the American Almond Products Company, of macaron purveyors within New York City's 5 boroughs! (Though you won't find any macaron in Staten Island). The map, as well as the endeavor to taste-test every macaron, is entitled and trademarked as "Macaronathan." Helpful and tantalizing, both! Click here to see for yourself!!

Limited Edition Reese's Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

2011-11-22T20:04:00.002-05:00

I simply don't like chunky peanut butter so these limited edition Reese's Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups didn't really stand a chance with me. Especially because I ardently believe that classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the best candy on earth. It's hard to make the best even better. And Reese's should keep trying. But I just don't enjoy the additional crunch in these. A fan of crunchy peanut butter would, I'm sure, enjoy these immensely. But I will say this, unrelated to personal taste in peanut butter: the peanut butter was dry, and no one likes that.

Score: 3