Name: Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps Marshmallow
Brand: Just Born
Description: Introducing 10 ct PARTY CAKE Flavored PEEPS® Marshmallow; 10 ct BUBBLE GUM Flavored PEEPS® Marshmallow; 2 ct LEMONADE Flavored PEEPS® Marshmallow and Marshmallow Chick in a Chocolate Egg.
Introduction Date: 04/30/13
Notes: Bubble Gum is a good flavor match for the delicate texture of a marshmallow. I find the whole idea a little odd, but I know myself well enough that I’ll probably be scouring the stores at the end of the month for them. I think the blue Party Cake Peeps have already been spotted in the wild. I’m less interested in Lemonade, but I am curious if they’ll be tangy or sweet like a meringue.

Name: Smarties Gummies
Brand: Smarties
Description: Each chewy piece is two-toned with a creamy white paired with a colorful fruit-themed side. The medley of fruit flavors is inspired by the classic Smarties roll with a few twists! Strawberry, Orange, Lemon, Green Apple, Grape. Smarties Gummies are gluten-free, free of animal products and vegan. However, because they are made in a facility that processes other ingredients, they may contain traces of peanut, milk, wheat and soy.
Introduction Date: 1/1/2013
Note: Since they’re vegan, I have to note that they’re not really gummis, which contain gelatin or some other protein. These use starch as a gelling agent, which is great and all, but creates a different texture.

Name: Cinnamon Lovers
Brand: Gimbal’s Fine Candies
Description: These shiny red adorable heart-shaped candies are made with Real Cinnamon Oil and absolutely burst with scrumptious cinnamon heat. Cinnamon Lovers fun 9 oz laydown bags come packed 12 bags per convenient ready-to-display case. Founded in 1898, all Gimbal’s candies are free of major food allergens and made with pride in U.S.A.
Introduction Date: 09/15/2013
Notes: Gimbal’s made another awesome product called Lava Balls, I’m wondering how similar these will be. I’m also downright obsessed with the See’s Red Hot Hearts, which I’ve often suspected were made by Gimbal’s, so I’d say with wider distribution they’ll be a hit.

Name: ALERT™ Energy Caffeine Gum
Brand: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Description: A portable and approachable tailored energy solution. Contains: SORBITOL MALTITOL, GUM BASE, GLYCEROL, CAFFEINE LESS THAN 2% OF: NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ACACIA, SOY LECITHIN, MALIC ACID, ASPARTAME, COLORS (TITANIUM DIOXIDE, BLUE 2 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE), SUCRALOSE, ASPARTAME-ACESULFAME, CITRIC ACID, ACESULFAME K, CONFECTIONER’S GLAZE, BHT (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), CARNAUBA WAX. PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.
Introduction Date: 4/1/2013
Notes: If you’re looking for a caffeinated gum, this one contains 40 mg per piece, which is about a half of a cup of coffee. It also contains a lot of non-sugar sweeteners, including sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and AceK. Wrigley’s has been making a different version called Stay Alert for the US Military for years, but that one contains 100 mg per piece and doesn’t have such a fussy package.

Name: Cinnamo Sticks
Brand: Atkinson Candy Company
Description: We proudly introduce our brand new 0.7 oz Cinnamo Sticks. This great tasting candy is bursting with cinnamon flavor and has wide appeal to kids of all ages. The clever box design features the Cinnamo Bandit character and the delicious taste will keep you coming back for more!
Introduction Date: 01/01/2013
Notes: I can’t decide if this is a cinnamon version of a Chick-o-Stick or just an aerated stick candy. I game to try it.

All images are courtesy of the respective manufacturers.

Easter is that special time when seasonal favorites return to the shelves. It’s our last candy holiday before the long hot summer, so stock up while you can.

I’ve been visiting the stores to look at what’s returned on stores shelves and of course seeking out new items.

Here’s a rundown of what I’ve spotted or heard that other readers have seen again at stores this year. Let me know if there’s something I missed, or something you’re looking for.

Hershey’s
Hershey’s Candy Coated White Chocolate Flavored Eggs
Hershey’s Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Eggs
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs (foil wrapped)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs (single serving)
Reese’s Pieces Pastel Eggs (candy coated)
Cadbury Creme Eggs - Caramel, Classic & Chocolate. Both regular size and the small “cartons” of a dozen.
Cadbury Mini Eggs - Milk Chocolate
Cadbury Mini Eggs - Dark Chocolate
Cadbury 3.5 ounce White Foil Hollow Rabbit (New!)
Whoppers Robin Eggs
Hershey’s Kisses Coconut Creme
Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans
Jolly Rancher Wild Berry Jelly Beans

Nestle
Nestle Crunch NestEggs
Nestle Butterfinger NestEggs
Nestle Creamy Caramel NestEggs

Wonka (part of Nestle)
Hoppin’ Nerds
Laffy Taffy Jelly Beans
Spring Chewy Spree
SweeTarts Ducks, Chicks & Bunnies (2012 version)
SweeTarts Bunnies Gummies
Gobstoppers Egg Breakers

Mars
White Chocolate M&Ms (Target Only)
Carrot Cake flavored White Chocolate M&Ms (Walmart Only)
Snickers Eggs
Milky Way Caramel Eggs
Twix Eggs (new!)
Pastel M&Ms - Milk Chocolate, Peanut, Peanut Butter, Almond & Pretzel
Dove Coconut Eggs
Dove White Chocolate Eggs
3 Musketeers Marshmallow (minis only)

Wrigley’s (part of Mars)
Life Savers Spring Mix
Life Savers Jelly Beans
Life Savers Pastel Jelly Beans
Life Savers Gummi Bunnies & Eggs
Pastel Skittles (still has Lime not Green Apple)
Starburst Jelly Beans
Starburst Sour Jelly Beans
Starburst Crazy Beans
Starburst FaveReds Jelly Beans

Ghirardelli
Milk Chocolate Foil Eggs
Milk Chocolate Crisp Foil Eggs
Ghirardelli Easter Chocolate Squares

Cadbury Adams (part of Kraft)
Sour Patch Bunnies
Swedish Fish & Eggs
Swedish Fish Jelly Beans (New!)
Sour Patch Jelly Beans

Ferrara Candy (now includes Brach’s, Trolli & Ferrara Pan)
Trolli Gummi Bunnies
Brach’s Classic Jelly Bird Eggs (large & small) - made in Mexico
Brach’s Classic Spice Jelly Beans - Made in Mexico
Brach’s Jelly Chicks & Rabbits
Brach’s Marshmallow Chicks & Rabbits
Brach’s Pastel Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs (real milk chocolate)
Brach’s Bunny Basket Eggs (marshmallow)

Russell Stover
Maple Cream Egg
Strawberry Cream Egg
Caramel Egg
Big Bite Pecan Egg
Caramel Creme Egg (like Cadbury)
Vanilla Creme Egg (like Cadbury)
Chocolate Creme Egg (egg shaped)
Peanut Butter Egg (egg shaped)
Red Velvet Egg
Cookie Dough Egg (new!)
Brownie Egg
Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter Egg
Vanilla Creme Egg
Cookies ‘n Cream Nest
Coconut Nest (jelly beans have returned)

Individually Wrapped in Bags: Caramel Eggs, Marshmallow Eggs, Coconut Cream Eggs

Tootsie
Easter Dots
Pastel Egg Tootsie Pops
Spring Color Sugar Babies
Junior Mint Pastels

Just Born
Peeps Peepsters
Peeps of all colors
Peeps XL
Peeps Milk Chocolate Egg (pictured)
Mike and Ike Jelly Beans
Hot Tamale Beans

Also:
R.M. Palmer Quax
R.M. Palmer My Little Bunny
Dum Dums with Jelly Bean Centers
Haribo Gummi Bunnies (of special note because they’re made in Germany, not Turkey or Spain)
Real Eggshell Filled with Hazelnut Truffle
See’s Orange Cream Lollipops
Milka Lil Scoops

You can prowl back into the review archive of Easter candy by viewing all the candies tagged for Easter.

Related Candies

1. Halloween Candy Spotting 2012
2. Milka L’il Scoops
3. The All American Chocolate Bunny Battle
4. Au’some Easter 3-Dees Gummy
5. Russell Stover Hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny
6. Lindt Chocolate Bunnies (Dark & Milk)

BREAKING NEWS: The Original Fruits Skittles are no longer original.

The green Skittle, which has always been Lime in the United States (except for a brief replacement in 2001), has been replaced with Green Apple.

I noticed the new packages on shelves last week here in Southern California (but they’re probably rolling out all over the country on different timetables). Haley, a reader, mentioned in the comments on the Darkside Skittles review that Midnight Lime in the Darkside mix is now the new home of the much-maligned citrus.

The Green Apple Skittle is a fine tasting Skittle. It’s a mix of actual apple juice flavor, with that sort of peel note to it and the artificial Jolly Rancher. It has a good mix of tartness and sweetness, but it’s actually less tangy than I would have hoped.

The perfection that was the Original Fruits Skittles is now gone. The best feature of Skittles is their combine-ability. Every flavor went with every other flavor in a surprisingly versatile way.

Strawberry & Lime was a daiquiri. Lemon & Lime was a soda. Grape & Lime was a great fruit punch. Orange & Lime was a citrus cooler.

As nice as Green Apple is, it doesn’t play well with others. It’s too head strong. Green Apple and Grape is a wreck. Green Apple and Lemon is passable, but only because Lemon is making up for Apple’s failings. Green Apple and Strawberry is a battle in my mouth, the floral notes of the berry are quite strong, but the plastic note of the Green Apple just steamrolls it. Green Apple and Orange is, well, just fine.

Reaction on Facebook, since I’ve been glancing at the page, isn’t generally positive. More than half of the new messages posted there are negative about the Green Apple (the other posts are general comments with only one I saw that was positive about the flavor).

I’m not sure if this is a publicity stunt and Wrigley’s is planning for a backlash and then will, with much fanfare, return Lime ... or if it’s really a sign of the times, that Lime has had its day, that it’s a 20th century fruit living in a 21st century candy bag. This was mostly an American phenomenon, anyway, Australia went Green Apple more than 10 years ago.

For me, this ruins Skittles perfection. I liked every single flavor in the package. I would eat them all, sure I would rank them but I didn’t pick around a certain flavor. (I give the cherry Starburst away instead of eating them myself.) I still like Skittles ... but I’m far less likely to buy them with the new flavor swap.

Note: The Easter Pastel Skittles still have Lime for 2013.

Related Candies

1. Skittles Darkside
2. Skittles Crazy Sours (Europe)
3. New Flavors: Skittles Sour & Wonka Runts
4. Skittles from the UK
5. Skittles (Fruits, Wild Berry, Tropical, Smoothies & Sour)
6. What Made Hershey’s Want to Change Chocolate?

Pictured are Beer Chocolates & Caramels from Ethel M. The company is the boxed chocolate division of Mars, they’re made in Henderson, Nevada and sold at their stores in Las Veagas. (You can also order on the internet.)

I visited their factory store years ago when I was in Las Vegas, which also features an amazing cactus garden adjacent. I recommend getting a hot chocolate and walking around (weather permitting ... otherwise some sort of cold drink).

A little sampling of Licorice from Myzel’s in New York City that I picked up. Most are items I’ve had before, so it was nice to have the comfort of something tried and true. The one on the right end is the only one I’d never had before, it’s thyme and rosemary from Italy. It’s a soft, glycerine style licorice. Not very sweet at all with the balsam notes of the herbs.

’‘

Since I’m traveling I thought I’d feature a photo today of another chocolate I tried because a friend brought it back from a trip. I don’t know much about these little Rivoire Chocolate pieces from the Rivoire Caffe in Florence, Italy.

They’re rich and smooth and just the right size to eat with a cup of coffee.

Rivoire Firenze
Piazza della Signoria angolo Via Vacchereccia, 4R - Firenze
website

Trader Joe’s has an incredible knack for curating candies from all over the world. One of the other habits of Trader Joe’s, though, is to make certain candies seasonal, available only for the winter holidays. This was the issue with their Trader Jacques Fleur de Sel Caramels. They were originally sold in a round wooden box. That’s nice for gifting, but unnecessary for regular purchases.

So it was a happy discovery last year when I saw that Trader Joe’s is now selling the caramels in the little tubs year round (well, they run out from time to time). The price isn’t necessarily better, but at least you won’t have an embarrassing stockpile of wooden boxes that you can’t seem to throw out and only provides evidence for your obsession.

Original review here. (7 out of 10)

I picked up this Darrell Lea Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger Fudge at Cost Plus World Market last year along with some other Darrell Lea items from Australia. The fudge is sweet, not terribly buttery but has numerous pieces of candied ginger in it. Overall, it was earthy and got a nice boost from the woodsy and smoky dark chocolate.

I don’t have a full review for the item, but after I bought this one, I didn’t see them in the store again until last week. I’m inclined to buy it again, partly because it’s a unique combination. (Full wrapper photo, if you’re on the prowl for it.)