Incredible edibles, mouth-watering morsels and more! The Candy List satisfies your most intense cravings…

Candy List Spotlight || Incredible PEZ Dispensers and More

Pez DispensersAlthough PEZ candies are delightfully crunchy and fantastically fruity, their creatively costumed containers seem to enjoy most — if not all — of the glitz, glamour and fame surrounding the massive PEZ empire. The itty-bitty, block-shaped treats were originally marketed in Austria, around 1927, as compressed peppermints, but PEZ enjoyed only moderate sales and success until the candy products were exported to the United States and associated with a snazzy gimmick geared toward the country’s kids, in 1955. PEZ dispensers were given faces and personalities with the addition of kooky character heads (the original dispenser resembled a cigarette lighter, and was decidedly plain), and the idea took off like gangbusters. Ever since, PEZ dispenser characters of various cartoon and real-life origins have been highly recognizable pop culture icons. Some people would even classify themselves as hardcore PEZ dispenser collectors.

Pez LogoWhether you’re a dedicated collector or just a lover of all things PEZ, you’ll want to take a long, hard look at this extraordinarily cute candy list of undeniably awesome PEZ dispensers!

The Disney Princess collection includes Disney’s entire roster of prim and proper cartoon royalty. Jasmine, Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas and Mulan will be happy to dispense your delicious PEZ treats in their couture gowns, plastic hair perfectly quaffed for all eternity.

Just can’t get enough Pirates of the Caribbean? Well, never fear! For less than the price of a fancy Starbucks latte, you can own the terrific, seafaring trio of Captain Jack Sparrow, Wil Turner and Davy Jones in PEZ dispenser form. Recreate your favorite scenes from the trilogy, or prop these plastic pirate hotties and their arch nemesis upon a prominent shelf, purely for the sake of decoration. (Sometimes, eye candy can be just as satisfying as the edible kind!)

You won’t want to miss feline diva Hello Kitty’s page of exciting PEZ products while perusing the eye-popping PEZ catalog, either. She’s sassy as ever with her adorable Sanrio buddies and big, pink bow tagging along for the sugary sweet ride.

The friendly, smiling faces from the Best of Pixar category are sure to delight moviegoers and animation fanatics of all ages. Too-cute clownfish Nemo and beloved Toy Story star Buzz Lightyear are among the lively characters at your PEZ-dispensing service.

Visit PEZ.com for more information, PEZ purchases and product photos!

The Candy List Guide to Accessorizing With Sweets

Candy lovers and sugar fanatics are certainly not immune to the concerns and questionable coordination attempts of the glitzy runway fashion empire. Though we may be snack aficionados, we really want nothing more than to appear lovely, stylish, fashionable and flawless — just like our wispy and waif-like model counterparts, who are often indifferent to the sugary goodness of candy altogether. We chocolate worshipers want a hint of sassy flair and a healthy dose of personality in our wardrobes, too! And it is with these all-too-important pressing issues in mind that The Candy List proudly presents its in-depth Guide to Accessorizing with Sweets (a tongue-in-cheek glance at popular wearable edibles)! If you’ve ever wondered how to subtly incorporate your candy favorites into an amazing ensemble without looking like a Skittles factory exploded all over your ensemble, this article is for you. (Strawberry Shortcake, take notes.)

Ring PopRing Pops make sexy, fabulous, blingin’ finger accessories for a lot of women. Bright, chunky, funky hand ornaments are currently regarded as top-notch, cutting edge fashions. Even wealthy superstars like Lindsay Lohan, Fergie (of Black Eyed Peas fame) and Madonna have been spotted with huge, sparkling Ring Pops adorning their delicate celebrity fingers! But these charming lollipop candies are so much more than meets the eye (or hand). There’s real substance within their shine! These goodies are available in several delectable fruit flavors that are certain to satisfy. Mmm. Pretty and yummy. What more could a girl want?

Candy Lipstick may bring about an uncomfortable chap-lipped chafing sensation when applied directly to one’s kisser in the place of a soothing, medically formulated lip balm, but the alluring novelty snack’s intricate packaging — almost always containing some kind of lollipop stick or tart, chewable candy stick — is totally cute and closely resembles the real deal. (It’s uncanny!) Slip one into the sequined purse of a knee-high acquaintance who is fond of make-up games and dress-up parties, or pass them out as adorably feminine party favors.

Candy NecklacesThe Candy Necklaces we’ve all come to know and enjoy were originally developed and perfected by the fine individuals working for the Smarties company, but they are now produced and distributed by a gaggle of candy making organizations across the globe. Pastel candies that have been molded to look just like beads, complete with holes in their centers for threading, are strung together on a long, stretchy string in order to create these eye-popping, mouth-watering jewelry items. The stretchy string is packed to its hilt with edible baubles and then knotted for security. Voila! A delicious decoration is born!

Candy Bracelets are closely related to the candy necklaces described above (they’re the little sisters, or something like that). In the same vein as Smarties brand edible necklaces, candy bracelets are loaded with colorful, pastel beads and smell faintly of a fruity paradise beyond the horizon. Pair the pastel beauties with an outfit that’s already lively and fun, or use them to dress-up something drab with a burst of whimsical rainbow color.

Lots of lip make-ups offer scrumptious scents and flavors for the benefit of the wearer, but Candy Gloss can actually be consumed without producing a terrible tummy ache afterward. The product is sold in shimmery tubes that appear to be genuine lip gloss containers. When squeezed, though, they dispense an entirely edible goo that is flavored like your favorite fruit. Slather the sweet sludge on your lips and host a one-woman Lickapalooza festival, or squeeze it straight into your mouth from the tube, as though it were an upturned bottle of Easy Cheese.

Candy List Spotlight || Pop Rocks: Beyond the Fizz

Pop Rocks are the carbonated candies known for their fruity flavors and appealing explosive properties. The intriguing idea was originally patented by General Foods research chemist William A. Mitchell in 1956, but Pop Rocks didn’t fizz and pop publicly until they were officially released several years later, in 1975.

Pop RocksFirst, the sweetest possible combination of sugary, delicious ingredients (water, corn syrup, sugar, color and flavoring, among other things) is mixed together and heated to produce a squishy, melted goo. The goo is then exposed to pressurized carbon dioxide gas (roughly 600 pounds per square inch) and allowed to cool. When the pressure is released, the hardened goo shatters into a million tiny candy pieces, each one containing highly pressurized bubbles of carbon dioxide gas within its tasty core. Once these goodies come into contact with warm saliva, the sugary candy begins to dissolve and the pressure bubbles are allowed to escape freely. The end result is all that familiar sizzling, whizzing, popping, grinning and giggling!

When General Foods stopped selling Pop Rocks in 1983, a rumor began to circulate that claimed Pop Rocks and soda could prove to be fatal cocktail when combined and consumed. Some variations on the generalized rumor included specific deaths and traumatizing incidents, including (but not limited to) the popular theory that “Mikey” (of Life Cereal ad fame) had actually died tragically upon ingesting a package of Pop Rocks and a few swallows of soda. Each and every one of the rumors was eventually proven to be entirely false. Not only is actor John Gilchrist (”Mikey” himself) still alive and well to this day, but one package of Pop Rocks has been shown to contain just about 1/10th the amount found in a single mouthful of soda pop. You do the math!

In 1985, Kraft Foods purchased the rights to Pop Rocks, enthusiastically added the product to their candy list and elected to re-market it as “Action Candy,” with the help of a company called Carbonated Candy. Since then, the product has been exclusively sold, manufactured and exported by an operation in Barcelona, Spain.

The Candy List Loves Reese’s Perfect Peanut Butter Treats

Reese'sThe remarkably scrumptious Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was originally developed in 1928, by passionate candy aficionado Harry Burnett Reese. Prior to creating this sinfully flavorful snack masterpiece, Reese spent some time working as both a successful dairy farmer and an admirably efficient shipping foreman to Mr. Milton S. Hershey (indeed, of the beloved Hershey Company), though never simultaneously. In order to fully initiate production of his soon-to-be-famous peanut butter delights, Harry Reese established and operated the the H. B. Reese Candy Company from the basement of his own home. In 1963, the sugary sweet operation teamed up with the Hershey Company’s chocolate marvels to mass produce Reese’s delicious treat in a factory setting.

Currently, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are available in a number of exciting varieties and sizes. The standard package of Reese’s in the United States contains two tantalizing cups, and the King Size package boasts a formidable four. Reese’s cups are also available in bags of miniatures, designed to intensely optimize any bite-sized snacking experience.

The fantastic flavors on Reese’s Limited Edition candy list include: Chocolate Lover’s, with a thinner layer of peanut butter enveloped in a thicker chocolate shell; Crunchy Cookie Cup, which is Reese’s original treat with a layer of crumbled cookie bits thrown into the mix; White Chocolate, in which the traditional outer shell is no longer milk chocolate, but a creamy and delicious blend of white; Inside Out, where everything is the opposite, with peanut buttery outer shells and rich, chocolatey fillings. Marshmallow, Honey Roasted, Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Creme (released in the summer of 2007 as a tribute to rock legend Elvis Presley) are also popular titles on the Reese’s Limited Edition roster.

Mind you, Reese’s produces more than just peanut butter cups in today’s marketplace. Other candy products made with the tender, loving Reese’s touch include: Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s FastBreak, Reese’s NutRageous, ReeseSticks, Reese’s Whipps, Reese’s Puffs cereal and more.

Overseas Superstars || Top 3 Tasty Bars Candy List

Flake Bar
Flake Bar
United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa
Cadbury’s decadent, mouth watering Flake is a heavenly escape in the form of a chocolate bar. The tempting treat is essentially a sumptuous slew of super thin, delicately layered milk chocolate sheets that crumble and melt irresistibly when enveloped in the warmth of an eager mouth. The Flake was first developed in 1920 by a dedicated employee of the Cadbury company. He realized that the chocolate being drained from Cadbury’s factory molds happened to run off in a controlled drizzle, creating sinful folds of flaky, crumbly milk chocolate as it dried.

Aero Bar
Aero Bar
United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia
The truly amazing Aero bar is chocolate like you’ve never experienced it before: BUBBLY! Air is actually pumped through the chocolatey goodness during its cooling stages, resulting in hundreds of tiny, evenly distributed bubbles and an almost honeycomb-like texture. The Rowntree Mackintosh candy company introduced this intriguing treat in England in 1935 and, in the following months, managed to increase their distribution area to include all of the United Kingdom. In 1988, NestlĂ© purchased Rowntree Mackintosh and took over distribution of the Aero. To this day, the scrumptious bar is widely available, and in a variety of enticing flavors, including mint and white chocolate.

Crunchie Bar
Crunchie Bar
United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, Canada
No “UK Superstars” candy list would be complete without at least a few affectionate words to honor the sheer, undeniable deliciousness of the Crunchie! It’s a uniquely exciting candy bar consisting of tasty honeycomb toffee dipped in a divine milk chocolate coating, expertly manufactured and distributed by the much beloved Cadbury company’s staff of chocolate wizards. The spectacularly yummy sponge toffee confection is known for its instantly recognizable gold foil wrapper and vast array of available sizes. In some countries, Cadbury also distributes a Crunchie brand ice cream and Crunchie brand cheesecake. Mmm!