Sweets Week

Easter is by far my favorite holiday for candy. In fact, some of my most beloved sweets are only available during Lent: Cadbury Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs, for example. Couple this with happy memories of hunting for baskets full of yummy treats and the explosion of bright pastel decorations that coincide with the beginning of spring, and you have one happy consumer--and believe me, I consume!

This year was no different. I horded my Irish Cadbury Eggs like a squirrel gathers nuts and have them safely stored in a jar in my cabinet. They're a valuable commodity and must be rationed out over the next couple months.

I did indulge in a few new sweets this past week, though:

1. Elmer's Heavenly Hash Egg (Yes, I said "hash.")

I came across these at my local Rite Aid and was immediately intrigued by the name. I know Rite Aid sells drugs, but really?! Turns out Mr. Elmer's egg consists of marshmallow and almonds coated with milk chocolate. I like marshmallows (especially in freshly made campfire s'mores), but I do not normally buy 'em because I like to avoid gelatin when possible. But this little egg convinced me I should give these treats a try more often.

The egg's 'mallow was soft, moist, and uniformly dense. It wasn't overly spongy (which I appreciated) but rather gooey--and sweet. The milk chocolate shell was thin and had a wonderful bittersweet, natural cocoa flavor. Very good. My only complaint is that there were only two roasted almonds embedded in the marshmallow filling.

(And look! The company has its very own mascot: Elmer Wabbit! How cute is that?)

2. White Chocolate Sucker

...courtesy of one of my co-workers, Ms. Conte. This lady's got talent, let me tell you. I've heard she makes a mean eggplant parmesan; however, I've only had the pleasure of sampling her desserts so far. She made chocolate suckers using Easter-themed molds this past weekend, and I was lucky enough to be at work on Saturday when she brought a handful into our branch. My first thought was: what does Yoda have to do with Easter?

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the sucker was actually modeled after a lamb's face. I've always been slighly apprehensive when biting into candy that resembles cute baby animals, but don't worry, I get over it pretty quickly. As I've mentioned in previous posts, white is my least favorite among the trio of chocolates (dark being my favorite). Don't get me wrong--I still enjoy it, but I find it tickles my throat in a somewhat unsettling way. Conte's sucker was great, though--just the right amount of white. The chocolate was creamy and broke apart easily in my mouth (no actual sucking involved).

Because I find the holiday's sweets so delectable, don't be surprised if you see me resurrect (bah-doom-ching!) the Easter candy reviews even after April is over.