Sunday, December 20, 2015

Butterfinger, Chick-O-Stick, Clark, Fifth Avenue, Zagnut

Butterfinger, zagnut, clark, chick-o-stick, fifth avenue, it's still peanut butter crisp to me.

So went (with different lyrics) an old Billy Joel song (but his as about rock & roll, not candy);

Ah..fifth avenue, fifth avenue (apoligies for two song quotes in a row this from a Judy Garland/Irving Berlin song, and
the wrong time of year to quote it!:)


Any, the use of crispy peanut butter, with either coconut or chocolate, is another USA candy combo that goes back to way over a century.


The first use of peanut butter, ground to a  neat nice crisp and neatle salted, went to D.L.Clark's
1917 Clark Bar, coated with chocolate and with the peanut butter (Necco makes these, these days.)
.

(1918?)


It,too, went over so big that it stayhed a major staple to this day, but a butter bar, to many, a butterfinger,
then took over and is THE advertised one (do ya see Bart Simpson do a Clark or 5th Avenue ad? There ya go.)

Introduced by Curtiss Candy, also known for Baby Ruth, the Butterfinger in 1924 became the third, final and most known of this type,
now made by Nestle, which soon garnered many commercials (in 1969 there was even one with an elephant in animation, the only
cartoon character in these otherwise live ads, who'd pop up like any other character, even out of a motorcycle sidecar, and around this time
others of this series of ads were done). Since 1990 when he got his own series Bart Simpson's been the celeb pitchman-"Nobody better lay a finger.."


1937:

After this Ludens (then owned b y HERSHEY..) came out with 5th Avenue, a somewhat similiar bar (when something is big, strike while the candy's hot) which was a bit more crispier in its current (coincidence alert) Hershey-made form.


Originally a la Peter Paul/Cadbury/Hershey Almond Joy, two bars with an almond on each, with two older ladies lovingly installing such. When THEY retired, so did the almonds.

1938:
Which chocolate-coated success with these, coconut came next.

Clark, who'd started it all in 1916-17 with their title bar, introduced Zagnut, like the others  but with coconut.

This is now made by Hershey..

First appeared sometime in 1930s

It, too, would catch on, especially with no chocolate or other metlable properties.

Chick-o-Stick soon appeared much later in 1945-1950.

The Atkinson's Co.of Lufkin Texas this time was the c reative party, but made this Zagnut variaiton a rod, fishing pole like thing so they
couldn't get sued (sadly their website, Atkinsons, INSISTS ZAGNUT stole THEIR candy.) All due respect intended, of course from this long time
eater of these. Their candy had a chicken on theirs wrapper (looked like a chicken stick). The Texas locale's gotta be  as it was a locl kind of thing
to cakk them chicken sticks, and it seems that right after Zagnut that in the thirties there were similiar bars like these.

Unlike Zagnut Chick-O-Sticks are regularly avialbe in gas stations, liquor stores, retro type candy stores, five and ten, dollar, drug,etc.

Their current slogan, if not always used, is "Break me! Share me!" After all, these can comne in big and all sizes.

(As fellow candy historian and cult-personality CYBELE MAY noted a long time ago on her blog, CANDYBLOG, these are even safe for vegans - even
WITH the poultry name. AND fat free.)

Of these only Chick O Stick is still made by the original.

Chick O sticks can be easily broken and eaten.


Just don't let someone by the drug store or dollar store where you are see you and think that
you are eating funny colored tree branches.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

BIG CHERRY

BIG CHERRY

What candy goes on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer's nose for a replacement nose?

Big Cherry, that's what!

Made for years by the Christopher Confectionery Company,Inc.for
this is LITERALLY, if you bite into it, revealed to be red enough to be
'shoved on other favorite reindeer's nose..

Big Cherry is currently produced by Adams and Brooks, Los Angeles, Calif. - y'know, those P'Nuttles guys- currently,
and comes like so many in dark chocolate versions...

Anyhow, here is the basic description.
The chocolate..nuts..
then the cherry marshmallow nougat

and then the actual Cherry (See? It acutallu has fruit!)

The candy is, not surprisingly, shaped somewhat like a cherry, in that it;'s round only much bigger.

This sits in both modern and so-called old time candy stores, interestingly, like Neccos (and in many cases) either
Melster, Spangler, or both Circus Peanut types and the Chic-O-Sticks, along with the more "cool" candies.

It was first manufactured in 1887 before rivals such as Chase's "Cherry Smash" (which appeared 20 to thirty years later)!
and is the oldest of the type: a chocolate coated cherry nougat or creme, in this case with maraschino cherry-a real one.

Biting into it the first time, well, to quote the American Pie movie phrase...."there's nothing quite like that first piece".

The outer has an exterior of immnsely-chopped-up nuts in chocolate, thus giving a unique
style of "gravelled" chocolate before you bite into the maraschino cherry easter eggy creme
and then to the maraschino cherry itself in the center proper.

The only difference between regular and dark is the chocolate and the cover.

Saturday, July 4, 2015

M&Ms

M&M's

Since 1941, M&Ms maker Mars Incorporated, mooned over for years, has made little chocolate pellets candies to be imitated (Hershey's Hershey-Ets,for instance) and to be
enjoyed, thanks to Mars, with the solar system of colorful cnady shelled saucer like chocolate candies known for M&Ms.

"m" is inscribed on each..

These have been in
yellow
red
green
brown
orange

for years then in the last 20 years:
blue
grey
(fifty shades of grey m&m's, anybody?)
white!

The candies have been traditionally sold in 2 to 3 inch long brown (chocolate. Get it?) paper-plastic bags, and, then later, at movie theatres, in boxes.

The candies by the early 50s became as beloved as animation and subject of all types of TV commercials and promotions.

What EXACTLY m&m's means may be anything, maybe Mars and Mars (but sure as hell ain't Marshall Mathers/Slim Shady), but the candy has been
so iconic that in the 1990s a major change occured:
more colors---grey, blue, etc. ususally on reader requeast as advertised on the bags, suddenly started to appear.

The modern day versions of Gumby/Pokey  creator, (already established in 70s before Aardman in UK became big here in North America (US and Canada), Art Clokey,
none other than Claymation(tm) maker and owner (it's HIS!) himself, Will "1987 California Raisins" Vinton himself, started doing 1990s M&M ads which gave them'
their persona (AND that "what IS it about the"..(fill in the color) "one").,

Of course, by the 1940s-50s, peanut versions were added, and after the more recent color broadening (even in specified pastel colors in candy stores!!) to include others,
'most of all:
Preztel M&M'S (yay, they';re back)
Peanut BUTTER
Coconut
and even dark and LIME M&M's!!!!


Just some of them...

most recent is, at least theatrically in the age oif often repeated ads, spy-type and dating stories with M&M's  (Peanut M&M ad that you may recall, set in nighttime creepy mansion setting and limosuine:
Russian character:(subtitlews)"First, I'm going to unwrap you. THEN I';m going to EAT you". (English) M&M character:Yeah..uh(double take at the M&M eating announcement!) Wha..)
"Peanut M&M's for everyone"

Another one had various spy scenes, and movie scene riffs, introduced by "It's an Envolope", used (like the Geico ads) in the cinemas to urge theatre quiet.


Getting back to the candies, the M&Ms have certainly outlived imitations like Hershey Ets, though I enjoy those, only M&M's have m on them,while
H'Ets use one of the letters in "Hershey's" on them (don't worry, I'll get around to that..).And ALSO some off brand department store candies called POKIES!

Imagine!

RIPPING OFF MY OWN NAME!

AND the M&M's brand..!

And, on a last note, finally, HEY, they have TINY M&M's!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Rainbow Colored Peanut marshamllows

On Sunday, April 19, 2015, I went to Unviersal Studios Hollywood and went to the CityWalk to It's Sugar candy store. I found the It's Sugar-rebranded-Spangler assorted Circus peanut marshmallows.

Even with the classic orange color/banana flavor pairing it was nice to get some color/flavor variety:
White......vanilla/marshmallow
Pink.........punch(?)
Yellow......lemon (yeah.....I know: why not ORANGE? Orange colored standard circus peanuts are flavored like the yellow fruit banana..)

The Spangler stamp imprint was all over them. These candies get repackaged and resold since 1911..oh, wait..that was Lewis Black's very well known candy corn comment.

Anyway, if you stop by a mall or anything like that or like Universal (and Vegas's Venetian has this but I didn't buy them then) that has It's Sugar check the four colored Circus peanuts. But don't tell 'em I sent ya!:)

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

A Tale of two Circus Peanut brands

The public domain status of CIRCUS PEANUTS (TM-NOT) has resulted in many companies (and packagers for stores!) offering the famed marshmallows. The two most frequently seen where I am, are Melster, especially in Dollar tree where any size (6 Peanuts per serving of 4, x 4, 24 or 7x4 for 28) can be bought for the nice, comfy price of $1.00, (and Family Dollar has in larger bags what seem to be that brand packed for them, that or Brachs, Farley or Sathers, certainly NOT Spangler), and Spangler, which is the brand that dominates (generally masquerading as instore drugstore brands). I went to Dollar Tree and one of those offering
the Spangler brands (Rite Aid, yeah, it doesn't SAY Spangler but it HAS the name on the candies!) and bought and mixed the candies in a bag.

Spangler is squishy due to the gelatin, and not only looking orange, but the usual mismatching banana flavor seems mixed in with orange flavor...

Melster has a more larger, "gummy" "peanut" with a banana bubblegum flavor (Banana Splits, one banana two banana anyone..?)

Mixing them in one bag (on my way to see the current animation movie "Home") was very odd..given that the two brands of Circus Peanuts are so different as described.....

Still, all in all, very interesting having both, and I've had both individually before.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Ice cream laced with WHAT??? EEEUU!! (or..Candy flavors that might turn up)

CANDY BASED ICE CREAM WITH...WAX BOTTLES?

How would like ice cream, like, say, candy type..? What'll it be, Mac? Peppermint? Necco Wafers?
M&M's? Circus Peanuts, Candy Corn, Good and Plenty? How about ice cream with.....CROWS (licorice
gumdrops)! Dots..!(fruit version of the same).
Or..Nik-L-Nip Waz Bottles?

Whatever it is.....I'm sure someone has thoughts good or bad of this possibility or reality.
Candy finds its way into ice cream, the actual candy and the flavor...but do even us fans
of, say, Chic-O-Stick, Kit Kat Bars, M&M's, etc. want that..I tihnk I might...
Pixy Stik ice cream (HEY! Drug stores and Baskin-Robbins work HARD to get ALL of these into THEIR cream..familiar with THREE
MUSKETEERS MEDIEVEL MADNESS?)
Well, what would be the best or worst choice for ice cream candy....
Mary Jane ice cream (peanut butter/molasses) anyone?
Tootise Roll ice cream!

Monday, February 23, 2015

TOOTSIE CO.'s NIK-L-NIP's

TOOTSIE NIK L NIP
As Cameron Diaz said in Bad Teacher (Sony,2011):
"Seriously? SERIOUSLY? SERIOSLY?"
That could apply to any sane person's reaction to wax...wax..WAX BOTTLES?
Since around the 1930s at least, the Tootsie People have marketed this retro collection of wax bottles guaranteed to quench your thirst..
and cure your hunger but fast (and take out your teeth, too, pretty much in the process), with soda, made of, of, SUGAR WATER??
Huh?? What gives. Serious....this is just easily done by spending money on a soft drink (or even better drnking from a drinking fountain)
And what's with the idea of thinking that children love or even LIKE eating wax.
They do not.
Generally speaking I disagree that a lot of candies are something that I myself would not like (as are a number of the ones on this blog), as I like the ones you'll see,
but Nik-L-Nips don't even have anything much besides WAX!!!!!! Why don't they just put out more wax lips. I'm SURE that THEY"ll gross (pun) a lot of money with that
(AS IN...Gross the presidents and ben Franklin right off the dollar bill.).
Just another reason to say "Bye, Bye, Tootsie Goodbye".

Monday, February 16, 2015

The very first TOOTSIE POP ad (1970)

As much as, as you'll see in future posts, we like to pick on Tootsie Roll, the pops are excellent..but this is a link anyway, to the iconic and perennial "Mr.Owl" ad back when it was the longer "Hey Mister Cow".

Jodie Foster's brother Buddy Foster is said to be the voice of the little boy you see walking around..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rHeD5x2tI
the always hilarious veteran Frank "Yessss!"Nelson supplies the voice of Mr.Cow, Paul Frees a la Peter Lorre as the owl, and according to what's been posted about, "Mork and Mindy" "Ork" Ralph James as the Turtle, Paul Winchell (it does sound like him vaguely) as Mr.Owl, and "Starkist' Herschel Bernardi as the narrator at the end.

Endorsements and criticisms of Circus Peanuts!

Besides the reviews of specific Candies, I like to SOMETIMES just REFER to outside opinions,..,

like these from Urban Dictionary.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Circus+Peanuts

Choward's Violet Mints

CHOWARD's VIOLET
One of the sweetings that ANYONE can have is smelling the candy that they eat (hey, it helps the taste buds, bud!).
In 1930 C.Howard of New York State came up with an unqique idea, a rather chalky, soap, yummy, VIOLET---that's right,
you heard me right-----VIOLET candy and combined (in a "Brunch""Muppet","Bennifer""J-Lo" like pormanteau) his initial
and last name into a new "name":Chowards, scented it with his workers, and marketed it as "Choward's Violet".
The idea caught on, so fast the spearmint, lemon, and other variants, even a modenr day guava was done.
Eating the candy, one gets a rather crispy taste, like Necco wafers, but with a plesant aroma. The violet specific
flavor soon wasn't restricted to just Choward's...Mexico based Canel gum has for years been successful at using
violet flavoring,for isntance.
Speaking of gum, Chowards also immediately marketed (again, primarily in violet) chewing Gum. I saw both today
at the "retro candy store" It's Candy at Universal Studios Hollywood Citywalk, by the AMC Movie theatre (It's Candy
has other stores including one in the Les Vegas Venetian where I spied a holy Necco Grail--the famed chocolate wafers).
Haven't used the gum as I don't (normally) chew gum anymore.
But I enjoy the candy..

CANDY CIGARETTES! LET'S SMOKE 'EM IF YOU GOTTEM!

CANDY CIGARETTES
Smoke, smoke. Smoke cigarettes, ten packs (to avoid lawsuits from 1940s country composer Tex Williams's estate). Smoke ten.
One time in the 19th century, before anyone knew any better, it was decided:
mother:"Hey, Gilbert".
father:"Yes, Catherine?"
mother:"Smoking is something that only us adults get to do...I mean, why? Let kids join in ON.....THE.....FUN"
Father:  "Yeah!"
So the head of (fill in confectioner) agrees.
Thus from many companies, same reason I guess as with Circus Peanuts and Candy Corn, predating US copyright, sprang those delicious, decadent
things called..

CANDY CIGARETTES!
White. Red tipped. Necco Wafer/Altoids Mint like, e.g., chalky. AND POSITIVELY DEDACADENTLY ADDICTIVE.

Gum too,. Wrapped in those nice little old white gum---I mean, ciggy wrappers.
Controversial as well by 1950.
In that era, it was really decided that smoking wasn't just a "sophisticated adult' thing..it was a DANGEROUS sophisticated adult thing (cigarettes, not cigars or pipes here).
So more and more bans on ciggies..CANDY cigarettes and in television commercials, finally, doctors taking a very serious look at ANYONE using finally, any type of cigarettes.
Personally, I don't smoke (especially as a clay horse!) but candy cigarettes seem...yunmy./.
These are on sale for ANYONE who wants them in many candy stores...but candy cigarette smoking could be hazardous to...well, whatever.
Stalling (yeah! my FAVORITE..must be the genus or specifies)
Mold Gold (hmmm.. where do ya supposed that they got THAT name from, HMM?)

FLICKS (The original)

FLICKS
(Note:This particular candy has been revived but at the size of double size chocolate chips, or mini non pareils. This review ONLY and ONLY pertains to the
Ghiradeli version sold since 1904 which had little silent movie guys on the tube.).
Flicks are a longtime personal favorite of mine, sold in the different mult (Technicolor(r) or Eastmancolor(r) tunesm, given the movie connections? :)) icolored
canisters,a tradition continued now with the inferioir revival. For generations, they'd be either lying around in movie theatres or in stores. Maybe if word gets out
to the current maker, the original will return (hey, Necco changed then reversed the change on their wafers). Some how, they were all the VERY same chocolate flavor.
But us kids didn't minds. Many ate them at the movies..or..flicks (by 1980, "Airplane!" was pretty much the last then current movie I saw till the late 80s or so).
I always HOPED for darki, mint whatever keyed to the canister color. Well, the new revival DOES have the same idea, just not all the details.

ATKINSON'S CHICK-O-STICKtm

CHICK O STICK.'
It's like a core of a well ripened carrot. It's orange. Coconut on the outside. Peanut Butter on the inside. And it's made out of Chicken. Just kidding.
But a Chicken USED to be on every wrapper of every offering of this candy, Lufkin, Texas-based Atkinson's (est.1932) much beloved (and I gotta say, very good) Chick-O-Stick
the rare food, roi candy, that anyone from meat eaters to vegans can eat (that's right...NO CHICKEN PRODUCTS!!). As with such candies as Annabelle's Rocky Road, this did not
even appear until the 1950s, but since then has been hugely beloved.
Another major has done for years the similiar Zagnut...but the ORIGINAL is best!
However, it can be like a Clark or Butterfinger on your fillings (if you have loose ones, so if you have loose ones, careful if at all).

Candy Corn

CANDY CORN
Another often debated, and "public domain" candy since 1880s like Circus Peanuts, the Candy Corn has been made by the same manyy companies..
The corn is very describale like follows:
Corn or tooth shaped (yeah, haters gonna hate as Taylor Swift might say), waxy texture, sugar and honey based, and usually (as I've head both regular and caramel in a Las Vegas Planet Hollywood candy shop new
2014-2015 New Years Eeve/Day) red on top, with an orange "body" (like that of a bee!) and white on bottom. Like freshly harvested corn kernels that an Indian--okay, Native American :)-just took from
the stalk (like in that old Gumby short "The Kachinas", keeping a link to my parent blog").
Recently, R-rated comic Louie Black said that all of the candy corn ever made was made about a hundred years ago (like circus peanuts!)
Candy Corn rates high on the lowest of expected treats on associated holiday, Hallowe'en, though I;'ve pretty much enjoyed it (in small does I gotta admit..I have mixed it with yogurt..:rolleyes":)
Look up candy corn on YouTube and it will rank as high as any on the most hated or most loved.
Whatever, it's been around in one of the longest spells, with here a known person tsaking credit, a confectioner named George Benniger. Also, it seems to that Brachs makes the most..especially with the'
Farley-Sathers merger.

Relaterd topic, Circus Peanuts.(As if you didn't know!).

Sunday, February 15, 2015

NECCO WAFERS

NECCO WAFERS
They're the size and the shape of a quarter.
In assorted, sometimes mismatched flavors and colors.
Black=Licorice
Brown=Chocolate
White=Cinnamon
Green=Lime
Violet=Clove
Orange=Orange
Yellow=Lemon
Pink=Wintergeen
They have a crispy texture. Made in New England by the N[ew]E[ngland]C[onfectionery]CO[mpany] since 1847.
They are the original candy wafer, the Necco wafers.

Often derided on many Halloween and other candy polls, including Internet ones (right down to blogs and YouTube),
these often over maligned wafers have a long and very interesting history: started by an English confectioner named
Oliver Chase in 1847 as Chase and Co., and immediate sucess in God only knows which original flavor, then in 1901
as New England Confectionery Company as Necco, and in 1912 the above variety ALWAYS, ALWAYS in a roll in those
neat, waxed little candy rolls, and in every war possible, both in servicemen as well more recently in online candy wars,
and in many stores even today, they're there. ALong with the Circus Peanuts. And Kit Kats. And others.

Certainly too often maligned and derided yet these powdery candies have had a v ery long and interesting history.
In 2009-2011 a (very THANKFULLY) unsuccessful attempt to naturalise them, dropping lime with no way to replicate the color
faithfull, occrued, before the old-school type prevailed (though I've as of this year, 2015, came across the failed variety in a store..)
Necco itself has had a longtime affiliation with at least two other Massachusetts candy brands, both taffys, the Squirrell nut co.(guess which candy
and 1920s/40s/90s type swing band IT'S responsible for?) and C.Miller, responsible for Mary Janes, in 1988 buying out the MJ's and in 2004 the
SNZ.
They have also made at least some other products, including the Sky bar candy bar starting in 1938, so candy bars also come from them
(likewise comments like "Necco makes candy bars to rival Hershey, nestle, Buncha Crunh, Kit Kat and M&M such as Sky Bar but why do they
make such terrible **** like their wafers"(and the next mentioned) from among many others commentators on this blog's predeccesors), and
the wafer-based Valentine's hearts, since 1866, even trying in the last five years with a "hip" variant on such, "Twilight team"(Personally for
such hearts, I;'m Team Necco, others Team Brachs).
Surprsingly no Candy Corn or Circus Peanuts (what would those be like-same flavor/color match up as in the wafers or as already existing in the
candy itself, orange color/banana flavor?)

Friday, February 13, 2015

CIRCUS PEANUTS REVIEW




CIRCUS PEANUTS
One of the oldest, most controversial, most sweetest, and most mysterious candies ever has to be the non-copyrighted, multiple-company
produced, inconsistent flavor/shape/taste Circus Peanut, which first showed up (as a Christmas type or years end candy) in the early 1800s,
maybe even before Necco (then Chase and Co.) Candy Wafers showed up in 1847, eventually by the 1940s winding up as an all year round bagged candy.
They're peanut shell in shape.
Orange in color.
Banana in Flavor.
Made by multiple companies.
And like dirty comic Louis Black might say as he did of candy corn, it's been recycled since 1910.

Even sold by THOSE VERY SAME COMPANIES to other packagers to MANY stores (ergo, Type A, Type X, etc. will be commonly and naively associated by us
average shopper as additional makers of Circus peanuts, yet one of the longest makers in the 20th century still making them, Spanglers, since 1941, has
their name on the candies, literally..I saw those in the Queen City brand in Big Lots(nee Pic and Save) stores. MIXED with some other brand.
The "peanuts", containing pig skin gelatin, corn syrup, natural or artificial flavor, color, are also made by Melster which also, like Spangler (best known for their
own trademakred lollipops, Dum-Dums), also has a working deal with store and indie brands that outsource them from Melster, as well as Farley and Sathers, and
Brach's, and no doubt they also have "peanuts" winding up repackaged. Kind of like, much like, Candy Corn, and in fact, comic Louis C.K.Black has said that all
candy corn was made in 1914, which some wags might just also say of Circus Peanuts.

Here's what a typical CIRCUS PEANUTS package might look like:


(OKAY, OKAY, if *I* made the candy.:))

Spangler, for one, has done Peppermint white Circus Peanuts and other flavors in addition to the orange color/banana flavor (maybe even Finger Nail Polish Remover flavor!:)) that
we would naturally normally associate with Circus Peanuts normally.

The strane delights can be found in everything from small bags to bulky ones...

Basic RECIPE
Sugar
Gelatin
Corn Syrup
Flavor
Color
(last two of choices)

SWEETEST SPOT ON THE WEB

With my two cartoon blogs, YOUR PONY PAL POKEY TOO & TOONSNOOT, here finally is my third, and this one on a totally different beloved topic, candy.
I've loved many different kinds of candies...and that INCLUDES 19th century typees that many might be surprised by....

Abba Zabba
Bit O'Honey
Chowards
Cookis and Cream Hershey
Flicks (both the superioir (IMHO) Ghiradelli original and rather inferioir current post-Ghiradeli incarnation)
Hershey Kit Kats
Hersey Regular classic Bars
Necco Wafers and Sweethearts
Nestle Buncha Crunch and Regular Crunch
Reese Peanut Butter Cups
Rocky Road
Circus Peanuts (any brand)
Candy Corn (again, any brand)
And many others..


Recommended
www.candyblog.net

So, hope you enjoy this as much as I "enjoyed it" writing this.Cheers..Toodles (as Sally Field might say as Gidget).