Nut Clusters Archives - Candyrageous

August 26, 2020January 10, 2021 Michael

Old Faithful – Chewy Marshmallow and Crunchy Peanuts

Nut Clusters

I’ll admit that I hadn’t even heard of Old Faithful before a few weeks ago, but apparently it’s been around since 1925, so clearly it’s doing something right.

It has a traditional bar shape, but Old Faithful is actually a peanut cluster a la Goo Goo Cluster; it features chewy marshmallow creme, lots of peanuts, and a generous coating of milk chocolate.

It’s pretty simple, but also pretty tasty. The chewy marshmallow, crunchy peanuts, and creamy chocolate are a winning combo.

The marshmallow is maybe a bit too chewy (it’s slightly rubbery), it’s extremely sweet (it’s a throat-burner), and there’s something slightly off about the flavour that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but I otherwise enjoyed this. The quality of the chocolate is pretty decent and the big peanut chunks add a ton of flavour. It’s easy enough to see why it’s been around for almost a hundred years.

Manufactured by: Idaho Candy Company
Nutritional info (1 bar, 43 grams): 220 calories, 12 grams of fat (4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat), 0 mg of cholesterol, 30 mg of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fibre, 20 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein.
Ingredients: Milk chocolate (sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin (added as an emulsifier), and vanilla), sugar, corn syrup, peanuts, egg albumen, gelatin, salt, and vanilla.

January 12, 2009January 10, 2021 Michael

Goo Goo Cluster – A Classic for a Reason

Marshmallow Treats, Nut Clusters

I’ve already reviewed the Cinnabon Cinnamon Caramel Pecan Cluster, which is made by the Standard Candy Company, the same people who make the Goo Goo Cluster. I kind of liked that one, though it wasn’t really something I’d ever want to eat again. The Goo Goo Cluster is the candy that’s allowed Standard to stick around for so many years (since 1912), so I was definitely curious to try it even if I had some misgivings about their Cinnabon-branded confection.

The Goo Goo Cluster consists of chewy marshmallow, topped with caramel and roasted peanuts and covered in milk chocolate. The marshmallow is quite dense and chewy; it’s sweet, but without the vanilla taste that you expect from marshmallow. I liked it, but if I had eaten this blind I probably would have pegged it as nougat rather than marshmallow. The caramel adds more chewiness and is definitely less sweet than the norm.

As for the peanuts, there are a lot of them, which gives the cluster a satisfying crunch as well as a nutty taste. They’re unsalted, which is good because the Goo Goo Cluster isn’t overly sweet (salted peanuts would have overwhelmed the other tastes of this candy). The whole thing is covered in decent milk chocolate. It’s quite good, and unlike the Cinnabon one, I can definitely see myself buying this again.

Manufactured by: Standard Candy Company
Calories (50 g cluster): 230

December 4, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Pearson’s Milk Chocolate Bun: Maple & Roasted Peanuts – Not Enough Maple Flavour

Nut Clusters

Being a Canadian, it is hard-coded into me to enjoy anything with maple syrup in it. So when I saw this maple and roasted peanut “Bun”, it was pretty clear that I’d have to buy it (this was during a recent trip to the States – the Bun is, oddly enough, not available in Canada).

The Maple & Roasted Peanut Milk Chocolate Bun consists of a really soft, maple-flavoured fondant, topped with salted peanuts and covered in milk chocolate. It’s sweet – shockingly so, though once you eat a couple of bites you do get used to the unusually high sweetness level. The saltiness of the peanuts helps to offset the sweetness a bit, and their crunchiness compliments the soft filling quite well.

It doesn’t taste like maple syrup, though. Not even a little bit. If I hadn’t known that this was supposed to be maple flavoured, I never would have guessed. It’s probably a good thing that this isn’t sold in Canada; we take our maple seriously up here in the Great White North.

Other than the distinct lack of maple-ness, this isn’t bad. I wasn’t sure about it for the first bite or two, but it grew on me.

Manufactured by: Pearson Candy Company
Calories (50 g bun): 240

October 18, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Cinnabon Cinnamon Caramel Pecan Cluster – Cinnamon Overload

Nut Clusters

The very idea of a Cinnabon candy is pretty exciting to me – I’ve always been a big fan of Cinnabon and what they do. Diet food it is not, but when you’re on the lookout for a really rich, satisfying dessert, you could certainly do worse than one of their pastries. I also noticed, upon inspecting the wrapper, that this pecan cluster is made by the Standard Candy Company (makers of the Goo Goo Cluster), which is one of the few old-time candy companies that didn’t go out of business over the years or get bought out by the big guys. So my expectations going in were pretty high, and while this wasn’t the best candy ever, I’m glad I tried it.

They’re definitely not kidding around with the cinnamon in this thing. It smells pretty strongly of cinnamon, which is definitely the dominant flavour in this candy. This is a pecan cluster, so obviously the main components, aside from the chocolate, are pecans and chewy caramel. There are also toffee bits in there, though I’m not sure if they add much to this particular confection – all they seem to do is give the caramel a slightly grainy consistency (at least I’m assuming that was caused by the toffee). There’s also a lingering mild spiciness – nothing particularly pronounced, but it does help to add a bit of complexity to this treat.

And then, of course, there is the cinnamon. The cinnamon taste hits you almost as soon as you start to chew, and only gets more pronounced as you eat it. There’s a very strong cinnamon aftertaste, which reminded me a lot of cinnamon gum. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it was definitely interesting.

“Interesting” is actually a good word for the Cinnabon Cinnamon Caramel Pecan Cluster (that’s a mouthful) – I can’t say I’ve ever had a chocolate like this with such a strong cinnamon taste, and while I enjoyed it and am glad I tried it, I’m not sure I’d ever want to eat it again.

Manufactured by: Standard Candy Company
Calories (43 g cluster): 180