Just Cook It! Candy
Last Halloween, I did something special for my Just Cook it column. It was something that I enjoyed so much that I wanted to not only do it again, but also expand on it this year.
When I think of Halloween I immediately think of candy. I don’t eat candy throughout the year, but when the calendar is nearing the end of October – all bets are off! Maybe it’s just me rationalizing, but I feel that during the Halloween season it’s not only OK to eat candy but enjoying some candy should even be encouraged.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that eating candy is good for you or that you should overindulge. I am saying that enjoying a few pieces this time of year can be good for you. Not the candy itself, but the enjoyment that the candy is capable of bringing.
I know for me personally that when I indulge with a couple fun size candy bars this time of year that it just makes me happy. Food is such an emotional experience and when I get to enjoy a piece of candy that I remember from my childhood it brings back some warm memories. The candy may not be the best thing for me, but that feeling from it this time of year certainly is.
One other comment before we get into more about Halloween candy – I understand that you can experience happy memories in other ways that dieticians and/or nutritional extremists would argue are better. However, I have always felt that nothing to one extreme or the other is completely healthy and that moderation is a key to happiness. Enjoying Halloween candy in moderation is something I think we can all agree on this time of year.
With that being said, I would like to present you with my Top 10 Halloween Candies of 2014! Last year I did my top five, and it made me sad to have to leave some of my favorite candies off the list.
In this column I will give you the Halloween candies that I have ranked 10 – 6 on my list and in next weeks Just Cook It column I will proudly present to you my top five choices for Halloween candy in 2014.
Since we didn’t have a 10 – 6 top candies last year we will simply start the list here.
Now, let’s talk about some Halloween candy!
At number 10 on my list I have one of my old school favorites and a candy that I plan on enjoying this Halloween.
While I was in high school I worked at The Maxx in Uniontown. The Maxx is still open as far as I know, but when I worked there it was a brand new arcade/family fun center.
We had a lot of good times at The Maxx, but one thing that I distinctly remember is a particular candy bar. Like most arcades, The Maxx had a redemption counter where tickets could be exchanged for candy or prizes. One of those candies was the Milky Way Midnight Dark bar.
I was never a huge fan of the Milky Way bar, but the Midnight Dark bar was different. The Milky Way Midnight Dark features rich, dark chocolate, golden caramel, and vanilla nougat. How can you not like the sound of that? Even if you’re typically not a fan of dark chocolate, I would urge you try this candy bar at least once.
At number nine I have a local favorite. The Boyer Candy Company is located in nearby Altoona, PA and they make one of my favorite candies – the Mallo Cup. The Mallo Cup is actually my father’s all-time favorite candy and I believe that’s how I was originally introduced to this magical treat many years ago.
Mallo Cups were actually the first cup candy to be made in the United States. Mallo Cups are made from a delicious combination of rich milk chocolate with a creamy mallo center. Mallo cups are also a gluten free candy, which is a nice feature.
My number eight candy is the first on my list that doesn’t include chocolate. By the way, I never realized that I when I think of candy I usually think of chocolate until I started writing candy themed columns. In any case, candy number eight is – Twizzlers.
I say Twizzlers to keep it general because any flavor of Twizzlers is included in this spot. The original Twizzlers were licorice flavor and those happen to be my favorite. It’s a family thing for me; I grew up enjoying fennel and licorice-flavored candies.
Most people today enjoy the Cherry Twizzlers, which I also enjoy. Allow me to take this moment to point out a very important distinction – Cherry Twizzlers are NOT licorice.
Most people call them licorice, but they are technically cherry flavored candies. The black Twizzlers can be called licorice because they are licorice flavored candies, but still are technically not licorice – they are a type of candy with the brand name of Twizzlers.
My number seven candy for this Halloween season are the always lovable M&M’s. Again, whichever variety you prefer is covered in this category. I personally prefer the peanut M&M’s and/or the Mini M&M’s. I love the salty/sweet combination of the peanut variety, not to mention that peanut and chocolate are just meant to be together (more on that later on my list).
The Mini M&M’s, for whatever reason, just seem to taste better. The next time you have the opportunity, try a handful of Mini M&M’s and then do a comparison with a handful of regular M&M’s. I think you’ll be surprised to notice the difference. Both candies are the same idea of candy-coated milk chocolate; I just think that one tastes better than the other for reasons we may never understand.
Finally, to round out this portion of my Top 10 Halloween Candies of 2014 we have, for you chocolate fanatics, the always satisfying 3 Musketeers bar.
You just have to love that chocolate covered fluffy whipped chocolate bar!
Last year the 3 Musketeer’s bar came in at number five on my list, so you can plan on some changes in the top five next week. How many changes? You’ll just have to come back next week and find out when I reveal numbers five through one of my Top 10 Halloween Candies of 2014!
Mario Porreca of Belle Vernon is an entrepreneur, author, lifestyle strategist, and the host of Just Cook It Radio. He can be reached via his website at: www.MarioPorreca.com. Twitter: @MarioPorreca