Wrapper Wednesday: English Toffee Peanut M&M’s

It’s Wrapper Wednesday! And in a few weeks I’ll be going back home to the UK for the first time in two years after emigrating to the USA; and naturally my mind turns towards English food…but, what do the American’s think ‘English toffee‘ is? Let’s take a look at this themed peanut M&M’s wrapper and mull it over…

American ‘English Toffee’ limited edition peanut M&Ms

M&M’s (1941) are well known for their wide range of varying, limited edition flavours. Whether they be chocolate, crispy, peanut or pretzel, these candy-coated chocolate beans that ‘melt in your mouth, not in your hand’ are always creating new ways to bring new tastes to [American] snackers.

In 2019 Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, Thai Coconut Peanut and English Toffee Peanut M&M’s hit the shelves in a competition that would see the consumer’s favourite added to the M&M’s roster – the latter being dubbed the winner, as you can see from this wrapper.

But what is ‘English toffee‘? As an English woman I would describe our toffee as rich, buttery like caramel with a dense, sticky chew. Broken apart by miniature hammers, specifically created to smash tablets of toffee, English dairy toffee is both indulgent and down-to-earth. Whether you prefer to unwrap coins or chunks of it out of wax paper wrappers, and nibble off the remaining sticky bits, or prefer to chill it and give it a satisfying whack with a toffee hammer or on the side of the kitchen counter; it’s nothing like what the American’s have dubbed ‘English toffee‘.

Every example of American ‘English toffee’ that I have sampled has resembled more of a ‘Daim‘ bar than a chunk of chewy, milky delight. Also called ‘buttercrunch‘, it is sweet, nutty and brittle. It is dry and shatters, eventually getting stuck in between your teeth after several sharp chomps. Albeit tasty, there’s nothing ‘English‘ about this confection, but it appears that this particular name has stuck on this side of the pond and reflects an Americanized version of this traditionally hand-made confection.

This, along with how Americans seem to constantly misidentify cottage pie with shepherd’s pie (shepherd’s pie has lamb in it, lamb), is just something I’ll just have to mentally correct in my mind whenever I see it.

But! This wrapper is just a little bit of fun international flavour fun; with a bowler hat and a miniature union flag, it rather suits the Peanut M&M mascot! M&M’s branding is so strong and uniform; their wrappers and endless seasonal flavours will always be appealing.

Review: Pepsi X Peeps

Peeps-a-boo! It’s Easter Sunday and up for today’s seasonal review I have ‘Peeps‘ flavoured ‘Pepsi‘ cola along with some classic ‘Peeps‘ marshmallows and ‘Peeps Gummies‘ thrown in for good measure! Hold on folks, it’s going to be a sugary journey!

Pepsi X Peeps 2023, ft. original Peeps Chicks marshmallows

‘Peeps‘ marshmallow chicks and rabbits are synonymous with Easter faire over here in the USA. These sugar-coated, squishy lumps (which vaguely resemble a young chick) were originally created by the Rodda Candy Company, Pennsylvania. When the company was bought out by Just Born confectioners they began to mass produce Rodda’s marshmallow ‘Peeps‘ and introduced them to the nation in 1953.

Previously these squashy chooks took approximately 27 hours to produce and package by hand! Just Born shaved that time into just six minutes!

I’ve had ‘Peeps‘ in the past. Before moving to the United States I envisioned these adorable mallow characters to be absolutely delicious. A vision of Spring in yellow sugary form. How could anything this sweet in appearance taste anything less than absolute?

They are gross. And I’m not the only one who thinks so! Despite a rainbow of colours and a huge variety of limited edition flavours; kettle corn, Dr. Pepper, sour watermelon, fruit punch, party cake and chocolate-dipped to name a few…’Peeps‘ are often the last candy standing at the end of the Easter festivities.

Reduced to just cents a box, they cover supermarket shelves long after we’ve had our fill of Easter lamb, ham and chocolates.

‘Peeps‘ are gritty, pillowy lumps of artificially dyed sponge-like mallow. Despite all the sugar, I don’t find them to be that sweet in taste. There’s a strange, chemical after taste that sticks in your teeth.

I have seen ‘Peeps‘ used as table decorations at weddings, used as ornamental features in floral displays, even turned into napkin holders! They are utilized in arts and crafts as much as they are eaten/endured by snackers.

I did find the ‘Pepsi X Peeps’ collaboration however, to be much more palatable. This limited edition marshmallow flavoured cola has appeared seasonally in the US before, and has returned for 2023.

They definitely should have called it ‘Peepsi’!

Upon unscrewing the cap I can smell vanilla immediately – it gives the Pepsi an almost buttery smell and taste. I think fans of Coca-Cola Vanilla and similar products might also enjoy this ‘Peeps‘ makeover.

Although I wouldn’t describe the taste as ‘marshmallow‘ flavoured, it definitely tastes artificial (just like the real ‘Peeps‘) but I find it to be more enjoyable…not enough to drink the whole bottle mind.

‘Peeps Gummies‘ are sugar-encrusted chewy sweets in classic chick and Peeps bunnies form (Peeps Bunnies didn’t appear on shelves until the 1980’s). Again, their outrageously adorable appearance is deceptive…They taste more like the limited edition Pepsi than original mallow ‘Peeps‘ shapes, but don’t taste much better.

Slightly better than the original ‘Peeps’, but not by much…’Peeps Gummies’

Overall, ‘Peeps‘ offers too much non-descript, artificial flavour for me…however, I love ‘Peeps‘ branding*. Shoes, t-shirts, plushies, pencil cases, hair bows…you name it I love it! I just don’t love the taste. But due to the strength of their branding, and the fact that I love anything chick and bunny shaped, it’s going to be hard to avoid these cuties year after year!

*they definately missed a trick in calling the new Pepsi ‘Peepsi‘!

If you’re intrigued by ‘Peeps‘, then check out my pals over at Candy Is Dandy – a candy review podcast based in LA. This week they ate fifteen types of ‘Peeps‘ and reviewed them so you don’t have to!

Candy is Dandy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMa9ZY2NgxA

Instagram: @candyisdandypod

Wrapper Wednesday: Ruby Kit Kat

With Valentines Day in the rear view mirror, let’s round off the season with a ‘pinkredible‘ Ruby Kit Kat wrapper!

Limited edition Ruby Kit Kat (UK)

If you had seen last week’s Fact Friday, you might have read that ‘ruby chocolate’ was invented by a Swiss chocolate company in 2017. Controversially it has been dubbed by some as the ‘fourth’ chocolate; following the creation of dark (1847), milk (1875) and white (1930).

Swiss inventors at Barry Callebaut teamed up with Nestlé in order to release this four finger Kit Kat bar in the UK in 2018 (after a successful launch in Japan and Korea).

Blissfully unaware of this new chocolate sensation I happened upon this at a local Tesco Metro, but don’t remember seeing them around much after my initial purchase.

Unlike gold/caramelised chocolate which is still riding the coattails of popularity, I feel that ruby chocolate was a ‘flash in the pan’ – and I’m not really in a rush to try it again (although I no doubt will at some point).

I thoroughly enjoy all the ‘pinkness’ on this wrapper; and the delicate illustrations of cocoa pods and leaves at each end of the packet. The appearance of the Kit Kat was equally delightful (as illustrated). Classic crispy wafers enveloped in a thick layer of blushing pink chocolate.

Although the taste was a little too sickly for my liking, it was indeed a ‘new chocolate experience’.

Did anybody else try these before they were (mostly) discontinued? What do you think of the sweet, berry profile of ruby chocolate?

Fact Friday: Cracker Jack Mascots

Did you know that the Cracker Jack mascots ‘Sailor Jack‘ and ‘Bingo‘ the dog were modelled on real figures?

The popular American popcorn, molasses and peanut based snack ‘Cracker Jack‘ has been produced since 1893 when an early version of the mix went on sale at the Chicago World’s Fair. Created by German immigrant brothers Frederick and Louis Rueckheim the ‘Candied Popcorn and Peanuts’ were not branded as ‘Cracker Jack‘ until 1896. Urban legends tell us that the snappy name came from a delighted customer, who upon tasting the snack, exclaimed that it was a real ‘cracker jack’ – slang for something meaning ‘great‘ or ‘wonderful‘ at the time.

Vintage Cracker Jack box, featuring the early red, white and blue colour scheme

In 1918 (or there abouts) Cracker Jack mascots ‘Sailor Jack’ and ‘Bingo‘ the dog were added to the patriotic-coloured boxes. Sailor Jack was modeled on Frederick Rueckheim’s grandson Robert, who unfortunately died of pneumonia several years earlier, at the age of eight.

Sailor Jack and Bingo feature on a patriotic, vintage advert

Bingo the dog was inspired by adopted pet ‘Russel‘ who was owned by the Rueckheim’s business partner Henry Eckstein: the inventor of the revolutionary wax-lined ‘triple proof bag’ that kept the popcorn and peanuts fresh.

The chipper duo can still be found on boxes and bags of Cracker Jack snacks today over a century later.

Contemporary bag of Cracker Jack popcorn

Cracker Jack’s iconic ‘prize in every box’ marketing campaign is also a current feature. Starting in 1912 after an initial two years of including ‘prize coupons’, packs used to contain the likes of of small toys, baseball cards, dolls, decoder rings and costume jewellery. Modern prizes now often come in the form of stickers, temporary tattoos or jokes.

Review: Kit Kat vs. Kit Kat

Ding ding ding! We’ve had ‘Rolo’s, and we’ve had Cadbury ‘Mini Eggs‘…now it’s time for Kit Kat vs. Kit Kat – who does it best? Britain or America? Well, let’s find out…

(top) British Kit Kat (bottom) American Kit Kat

Like with many European-made chocolates, here in the United States Hershey seems to have the monopoly on licencing rights. The Hershey Company produces American-made ‘Rolo‘ (originally made by British ‘Toffee King’ Macintosh in 1937, now produced by Swiss-based Nestlé) and all American-made Cadbury products, including the Easter staple ‘Mini Eggs‘ – both of which I have reviewed side-by-side.

In 1970 Hershey bought the rights to produce the Rowntree ‘Kit Kat‘ (which originated in 1935) for the American market. So lets see how they stack up!

Aesthetics; both wrappers are very similar. Use of red as the main colour (as it always has been, aside from during WWII when British ‘Kit Kat’ wrappers turned blue) similar font, encircled logo and an image of the wafer finger snapped in half. Both even use the memorable tagline ‘Have a break, have a Kit Kat‘ – which was first used in 1957.

Even unwrapped, apart from the British version using the ever cool hashtag motif, the four-fingered chocolate wafers look very similar. The biggest difference is that on the British chocolate the imprinted logo is closed in ‘brackets’, and the US one is not.

The chocolate colour is a little darker on the European bar…but Hershey have produced a pretty slick copy.

Spot the difference…

Where they begin to differ is in the taste!

As I find with most Hershey chocolate products, the initial taste is fairly yummy…but then an ashy taste begins to form in the back of my throat. The cocoa isn’t as chocolatey as Nestle’s Kit Kat, and I don’t feel like the thin, layered wafers have the same snappy crunch.

The British Kit Kat has a noticably sweeter taste over all when eaten next to the US version, and the slightly malty taste of the wafers is much more distinguishable. Hershey’s Kit Kat is more dense, with a heavier mouth feel, but is still provides a good crunch.

Hershey does Kit Kat

Sigh…once again I find myself preferring the chocolate I grew up with. A two-fingered Kit Kat in my packed lunch at school has perhaps screwed my preferences…and that’s ok. My American husband prefers the American Kit Kat all for the same reasons.

Does anyone out there prefer the ‘foreign’ version of a homeland candy? Are you a Brit who prefers Australian Caramilk? Or are you an American who prefers the Nestlé Kit Kat or Rolo?

It looks like I’ll be sticking with the British versions…unless someone can persuade me otherwise!

Wrapper Wednesday: Reese’s Glow In The Dark Cups

Ooooh, not long now until Halloween is upon is, and in-keeping with my previous October posts, this week’s Wrapper Wednesday features another holiday themed treat – Reese’s glow in the dark (wrapper) peanut butter cups.

Reese’s Halloween-themed peanut butter cups

Invented in 1928 by Harry Burnett Reese, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups quickly became a popular chocolate treat in the United States, and for a time, was the only confection made and sold by his company.

Originally called ‘Penny Cups’ or simply ‘Peanut Butter Cups’, the candy is made up of a soft peanut butter filling covered in milk chocolate. Reese, having worked for Milton Hershey before trying to crack the confectionery market on his own, used his contacts in order to use Hershey milk chocolate as part of his successful recipe. Following Reese’s death, the Reese’s Candy Company was merged with Hershey’s in 1963.

Reese’s glow in the dark wrappers

This wrapper has been remodeled to fit in with spooky holiday aesthetics, featuring black and white glow in the dark wrappers…and they do kinda glow! Aside from the packaging, these treats are the same peanut butter cups many of us are now familiar with, just smaller. These fun-sized cups were sent to me by my beau in the States last year as part of Halloween care package. I believe these were part of a range, including Hershey milk chocolate bars and Kitkats, that also had glow in the dark packaging, and were first released in 2018…it would be neat to see some glow in the dark candy though!

Fact Friday: Mr. Goodbar

Did you know that Milton Hershey was so skeptical about the concept of a peanut and chocolate bar that he refused to put his name on it for ten years?

1960’s wrapper finally featuring the Hershey name.

The candy bar was invented by William Murrie in 1925 (his son Bruce Murrie went on to invent M&Ms along said Forrest Mars Senior) while working for Hershey, but Hershey was unconvinced about the popularity of a peanut filled chocolate bar, despite having previously launched a similar bar with almonds.

It wasn’t until 1937 – over ten years later – that the alias the ‘Chocolate Sales Corporation’ was dropped from its production and the Hershey brand applied to the wrapper and marketing!