peanuts Archives - Page 8 of 8

December 1, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Goldenberg’s Original Peanut Chews – Deeply Nutty and Chewy

Candy Bars

With some older candies, their continuing longevity is somewhat mystifying to me (the surprisingly unpleasant Necco Wafers being a prime example of this). However, in the case of Goldenberg’s Original Peanut Chews, I can definitely understand how they’ve managed to stick around all these years (since 1917, according to the packaging): they’re simple, satisfying and tasty.

The Peanut Chews consist simply of a chewy, caramel-like molasses combined with crunchy roasted peanuts, and coated with a thin “dark chocolately” (ie. mockolate) coating. The mockolate seems to be purely aesthetic, as it doesn’t really contribute anything to the taste or the texture.

As for the main attraction of the bar, the molasses and peanuts: it’s quite good. It’s exceptionally peanutty, with a strong peanutty aroma and enough peanuts to ensure that the ratio of peanuts to molasses is something like 50/50. The whole thing is not very sweet at all, with a really rich, almost bitter flavour. It does, however, have a pleasantly sweet, somewhat honey-like aftertaste.

I should note that the version I bought, purchased from the Cracker Barrel, features special, retro packaging. The one you’ll find in most stores is simply called “Peanut Chews” and features a much more contemporary-looking wrapper (which was the result of Just Born – the makers of Mike & Ike – purchasing the Goldenberg Candy Company in 2003).

Manufactured by: Just Born
Calories (4 pieces, 47 g): 230

November 20, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

PayDay – Sweet and Salty Peanuts and Caramel

Candy Bars

I don’t think there’s any other bar out there quite like PayDay. It’s not particularly sweet, nor is it coated in chocolate like the usual candy bar. But it’s been around for almost eighty years, making it one of the oldest candy bars on the market – so it must be doing something right.

Payday is super simple: it’s a piece of chewy, somewhat crumbly caramel coated in whole, salted peanuts. The first thing you notice when you open the wrapper is the strong, peanutty aroma. If you like peanuts, then this is the bar for you, as it is surely the peanuttiest candy bar that you’ll find. Taking a bite, the first thing that hits you is the saltiness of the peanuts, followed by a mild sweetness from the chewy, grainy caramel.

It’s really quite good, though people who aren’t fond of the sweet/salty combo may be put off by the saltiness of the peanuts. However it does manage to strike a good balance between the two elements, with the caramel complimenting the nuts quite well. This is definitely one of the less sweet candy bars you’ll find – which would make it fairly ineffectual as a dessert. But as a satisfying mid-day snack, it definitely fits the bill.

Manufactured by: Hershey
Calories (52 g bar): 250

November 13, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Whatchamacallit – Sweet and Peanutty, but Real Chocolate Would be Nice

Candy Bars

The oddly named Whatchamacallit is another bar affected by the recent Hershey cheapening, in which Hershey has replaced the chocolate in many of its products with a cheaper chocolate substitute (mockolate). Though real chocolate probably would have improved things, I don’t think its absence is particularly felt here (there’s so much other stuff going on in this bar that it’s doubtful that your average person would even notice that it’s mockolate rather than chocolate).

Whatchamacallit consists of a crispy hunk of peanutty puffed rice, topped with a thin layer of caramel and coated in mockolate. The bar is quite crispy with a fairly pronounced peanut flavour. The caramel gives it a lingering chewiness and adds some sweetness to the mix (this is a very sweet bar).

Because of the crispiness/chewiness of the filling, and the strongly sweet, peanutty flavour, the mockolate is pretty much completely unnecessary – it neither detracts from or adds to the bar. A stronger chocolate flavour might have helped. I recall liking this a bit better the last time I had it (in its Canadian iteration, called Special Crisp), though it’s been a while, so it’s hard to say.

Manufactured by: Hershey
Calories (45 g bar): 220

October 17, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Reese Peanut Butter Cups – A Delicious Combo of PB and Chocolate

Candy Bars

Is there a better combination out there than peanut butter and chocolate? There’s something about the creamy sweetness of milk chocolate combined with the nutty richness of peanut butter that make them perfect bedfellows. So it’s a bit odd to note that if you want that particular combination, the Reese line of products are pretty much the only ones around to scratch that itch. Yeah, there are a few other candy bars that feature chocolate and peanut butter – mostly modifications of existing products, such as Twix PB – but they’re few and far between.

The first thing I noticed upon opening the wrapper was a pleasant, nutty aroma. I’m not sure if I’ve ever noticed that before; I guess when you’re eating something with the intention of reviewing it you pay more attention to those types of things. Inside the wrapper are three cups, each sitting in its own paper… cup? What do you call those things? Wrappers? Paper thingy? Taking the peanut butter cup out of the paper thingy, and inevitably leaving a little chocolate residue at the bottom of the paper, it’s clear pretty much instantly that this chocolate is softer than average, and almost fudgy in consistency.

As for the peanut butter, I think everyone is familiar with the unique consistency of Reese’s peanut butter. It’s not very creamy at all; it’s dry and a bit crumbly. It has a nice peanutty flavour, and contains an ever-so-slight amount of saltiness that helps balance out the overall sweetness of the cup.

Because of the really specific taste of the peanut butter, it actually took me a while to warm up to Reese’s products. I still wish there was a candy out there with real, creamy peanut butter (and actually, there was – it was called PB Max and it was glorious, but I’ll save that rant for another post). But for what it is, Reese Peanut Butter cups are pretty damn good.

Manufactured by: Hershey
Calories (3 cups, 51 g): 280

October 15, 2008January 10, 2021 Michael

Oh Henry! – Sweet and Substantial

Candy Bars

I should probably mention that the Oh Henry! bar that I’m reviewing probably isn’t the Oh Henry! that you’re used to – unless, that is, you’re a Canadian. In the U.S., Oh Henry! is made by Nestle, while here in Canada it’s manufactured by Hershey. This is one area in which I’m definitely glad to be a Canadian; while I don’t remember the American Oh Henry! well enough to talk about it in any amount of detail, I do recall eating it and thinking that the Canadian version is clearly better.

The first thing I noticed is that the bar is covered in fake chocolate (the wrapper states that it contains “crunchy peanuts, chewy fudge, [and] creamy caramel covered in a chocolaty coating” (emphasis mine). The word “chocolaty” is a sure sign that shenanigans are afoot. Sure enough, a quick peek at the ingredients reveals no sign of chocolate of any kind. I’m not sure if this is a result of the recent Hershey cheapening, or if Oh Henry! bars have always been made like this. Though I have to admit, in this kind of candy bar I don’t think the absence of real chocolate particularly hurts it that much.

I like Oh Henry. It’s always been one of my favourites, and though it isn’t the most exciting bar you can buy, it gets the job done. It’s definitely one of the chewier bars around – the “chewy fudge” (which seems more like a thick nougat to me) combined with the caramel and peanuts definitely give this bar some real substance. If you want value for your money, Oh Henry is one of the better bars around, just because of how much you have to chew that sucker to make it go down. The bar also isn’t stingy with the peanuts; it’s completely covered in nuts, which helps give Oh Henry its distinctive taste, and adds to the sense that this is a bar with substance. It’s not an overtly sweet candy bar, and has a nice vanilla-y taste thanks to the fudge/nougat.

Manufactured by: Hershey
Calories (62.5 g bar): 300