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Sweethearts: those little chalky heart candies you know so well -or do you? They’ve been in production for decades, but they weren’t always hearts. At one time, they came in the shapes of scallops, baseballs, and horseshoes. And they didn’t always have messages on top; those messages used to be printed on paper and were inside the candy!
More than eight billion (some 13 million pounds) of the little hearts are sold in the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Sweethearts make up 40 percent of the Valentine candy market, just behind chocolate, according to Aimee Scott, Necco’s marketing director.
One of America’s oldest candy companies, Necco was founded in 1847 in Boston by Englishman Oliver Chase, who got the business off to a good start by inventing devices that cut candy lozenges and pulverized sugar. Necco first sold confections similar to Sweethearts, but in the shape of scallop shells.
Sweethearts are still evolving every year. Smithsonian magazine has all kinds of interesting facts about Sweethearts. Link
(Image generated at Cryptogram)
Amanda Joyner makes fascinators and pillbox hats that she sells at her Etsy store. Several are modeled after candy message hearts that would be perfect for Valentines Day! Order yours early enough and you might be able to specify the color or message. Link
Americans may love their junk food, but that doesn’t mean they’ll scarf down just any old snack. That’s why the big name brands have so many failed flavors, even after spending thousands on marketing and development for said flavors. Here are some of the many flops created by some of the biggest names in junk food.
Perhaps the most documented failure of any American company was Coke II, aka “New Coke.” Humorously, despite the massive reaction against the beverage, Coke II actually smoked both Pepsi and original Coke in taste tests. While most people did prefer it, the idea of losing a beloved American classic was too much for some people, who protested and called the company headquarters until the old version was reintroduced three months later. Coke II continued to be sold until 2002 when it was pulled due to poor sales.
Of course, Coke II wasn’t the brand’s only failure, there was also Coca Cola with Lemon, Coca Cola Black Cherry Vanilla, Coca Cola Black (a coffee-flavored cola) and Coca Cola C2 (a low-carb version).
Image Via akeg [Flickr]
When you think of failed Pepsi flavors, let’s face it, one variety seems to come to mind before all others –Crystal Pepsi. While it might not have been the marketing disaster that Coke II was, it was still a huge failure and ended up being discontinued in the US only a year after its introduction. A little while later, Pepsi tried again with a citrus-flavored version called Clear from Pepsi, but that flavor also bombed and was quickly discontinued.
A few other Pepsi failures include Pepsi Kona (a coffee-flavored Pepsi that was only sold on the East Coast before it was discontinued), Pepsi Vanilla, Pepsi AM (Pepsi’s attempt to compete with coffee as the morning beverage of choice, this one contained far more caffeine than the average Pepsi), Pepsi Blue (a berry-flavored, non-cola beverage).
Image Via Roadsidepictures [Flickr]
Hershey’s flops may not be as well-known as Coke or Pepsi, but they have far more discontinued flavors than either of those cola brands. You may remember some of these flavors but there are so many, at least a few will probably be new to you.
A few original products they discontinued included Bar None (a chocolate bar with two wafers and peanuts), Hershey’s S’mores (a chocolate bar with graham crackers and marshmallows), Swoops (chocolate slices shaped like potato chips) and Hershey’s Sticks (chocolate sticks individually wrapped and sold together in boxes).
They’ve also discontinued quite a few variations on their popular products, such as Hershey’s Cookies and Mint, Hershey’s Kissables (Hershey’s Kisses with candy shells) and Hershey’s Bites, which were bite-sized versions of their classic candies sold in bags.
Additionally, the company also experimented with beverages, discontinuing a premade bottled milk drink called Hershey’s Milkshake and their Hershey’s Chocolate Milk Mix.
Image Via theimpulsivebuy [Flickr]
Apparently, these delicious treats are starting to be carried at Walgreens. Have any of you seen these in person, or more importantly, tried them?
Sure this Dalek looks cute on the outside, but it’s even better than it looks -when you crush the chocolate shell top with a wooden sonic screwdriver , you can find a tentacled Dalek inside. You can find directions to make your own at the link.
There’s no tastier holiday tradition than creating your very own gingerbread house. If you aren’t very talented at sealing cookie bits together, like I am, even your best homes probably look like they’re ready to be condemned upon completion. Fortunately, not everyone is so inept at gingerbread creations and many creators go on to put together their own delightfully geeky designs. Here are some of the best nerdy gingerbread creations around.
They may not be the most artistic gingerbread creations, but these super hero designs by Sugar Swings are certainly adorable and they look absolutely delicious as well.
For those who like their gingerbread men to be a little less chipper and lot more serious, these figureheads of Russian culture by Craftster forum user Woolylogic are a good choice. Choose between Turgenev, Dostoyevsky (above), Tolstoy and Gogol.
Sure anyone can make a one-room gingerbread shack, but turning a unique architectural design into a gingerbread creation takes a heck of a lot more skill. That’s why these great designs by real architecture firms went for so much money when they were auctioned off for charity. In fact, the one above, by Nick Milkovich Architects, Inc., sold for $610.
While this architectural marvel may not look familiar to everyone, Harry Potter fans will instantly recognize it as The Burrow, the adorably charming home of the Weasley clan. Creator mezcraft from the Craftster forums even added the special monogrammed sweaters Mrs. Weasley makes for each of her children at Christmas.
Of course, the most iconic Harry Potter building is Hogwarts and Britta’s incredibly detailed gingerbread version is an impressive tribute to the majesty of the world-famous wizarding school. Best of all, she’s even got pictures of the entire arduous process so you could attempt to make your own at home…with a whole lot of time and dedication.
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Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, on the planet Endor, under the forest canopy, lies a village made of chocolate, breakfast cereal, and gingerbread! And don’t look now, but there’s a Death Star lurking above. The Canadian baker who blogs under the name The Infinite Yums built this Ewok Village for a charity auction. The post about it has the building process and plenty of pictures of the details. Link -via Boing Boing
I don’t know about you guys, but I love sour candy. As it turns out though, some of it, especially the WarHeads Sour Spray, is almost as bad for your teeth as pure battery acid. All things in moderation, but if you want your enamel to hang around, you’d better lay off the Spree and sour gummies.
Link Via BoingBoing
Air Force lieutenant Gail Halvorsen flew supplies into Berlin during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and ’49. On one run, he met a group of children near the landing strip.
“They could speak a little English,” he recalled later. “Their clothes were patched and they hadn’t had gum and candy for two or three years. They barely had enough to eat.”
Halvorsen gave them two sticks of gum and promised to drop more candy for them the next day from his C-54. He said he’d rock his wings so that they could distinguish him from the other planes. Then he returned to the base and spent the night tying bundles of candy to handkerchief parachutes.
Not only did Halvorsen deliver he candy, but when word of his caper leaked out, Americans sent lots more candy to be dropped over Berlin. And Halvorsen did just that. Fifty years later, he encountered one of those children on a trip to Berlin, which you’ll have to go to Futility Closet to read about. Link -via Fark
You can read more about Halvorsen at Wikipedia. Link
I once referred to the candy bar as Peter Paul’s Almond Joy and my kids thought I was crazy. But that’s what the candy was called when I learned to love it! You’ll see all kinds of sweets that were sold a half-century ago in the 1949 NWCA Candy Salesman Book. Link -via the Presurfer
Designer Elsa Lambinet created this brilliant idea for chocolate flavoring mix and match sessions. You can put whatever you want in the middle and then put anything in the little center hole and experiment with all the flavor combinations you can possibly handle. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d love to go to a tasting party for these things.
Link Via Laughing Squid
Did you know that hard candy is technically a glass? Dr. Richard Hartel is a professor of food engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Watch him make lemon drops and act like it’s a chemistry lesson. -via the Presurfer
Bacon Candy Cane – $4.45
Halloween was so yesterday. Are you ready for Christmas? What! You act like I skipped Thanksgiving or something. Okay I did skip Thanksgiving, but I did it for a good reason. I couldn’t wait a minute longer to bring you the Bacon Candy Canes now available at the NeatoShop.
Bacon Candy Canes look like regular candy canes, but taste like bacon. Yum!
Be sure to check out the Bacon Store for more bacon goodness.
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Where does the candy you’ll give to trick-or-treaters rank among internet users? Science writers David Ng and Ben Cohen put together a candy hierarchy lastyear and received a lot of feedback. They took those opinions into account when publishing their 2011 Candy Hierarchy. Some of the findings:
(1) That despite various lobbying efforts, clear consensus within the peer review process was wholly absent. No agreement on any specific candy was represented higher than 5% of the total comments (although status of fresh versus stale versus fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls was especially hotly debated). Indeed, consensus was only noted in the following: that last year’s hierarchy, in a word, sucked. In fact, the word “travesty” and similar synonyms were uttered more than a few times (Koerth-Baker, 2010).
(2) That with current data, Candy Corn is impossible to rank. It is liken to the “String Theory” of candy: largely theoretical nature and difficult to pin down. In the hopes of moving forward on this strange phenomenon, we are currently exploring a grant proposal that would give us time on the LHC.
(3) That this study was a great portal to science culture in general. This was demonstrated by an example of scientific plagiarism (link), as well as the prevalence of scientist bias, because despite repeated commentary on the contrary, we stubbornly stand by our evaluation of Whoppers.
Of course, the new hierarchy, published at Boing Boing, has already sparked a debate over the merits of a certain American brand of chocolate. Link
When it comes to parents on Halloween, there are those that let the kids gorge, those that parcel the candy out, and the parents who steal most of their kid’s candy. If you’re wondering which one dentists suggest, you might be surprised. They suggest it’s better to let the kids go crazy on Halloween night and then cut back their candy consumption rather than letting them eat a couple pieces every day after Halloween. Dentists warn:
Slowly snacking on Halloween candy every few hours, day after day, keeps your teeth bathed in enamel-corroding acid, the byproduct of bacteria feeding on sugar and other carbohydrates in your mouth. This leads to dental caries, or cavities.
So I guess even if you’re a candy stealer, it’s still better to steal it all in one night than stretch your thievery out.
Link Via The Mary Sue
Admit it, you’ve experienced this scenario yourself at one time or another, haven’t you? From the webcomic Loading Artist by Gregor Czaykowski. Link -via The Daily What
Ring Pops are fun, but I light up candy rings are way more fashionable. These would be good for kids, but they would even be awesome for adults going out at night. If you want to make your own, Instructables can teach you how.
Link Via Geekosystem
A new poster print from Pop Chart Lab connects ingredients to candy bars, or alternatively, tells you what flavors are in your favorite candy bars, in a pleasing kaleidoscopic graphic. See how it all comes together by enlarging it at the site. Link -via Laughing Squid
Bacon Candy – $5.95
Is your sweet tooth demanding something smoky, meaty, and sweet? Satisfy your inner beast with Bacon Candy from the NeatoShop. Each delightful tin contains 12 bacony treats. Yummy!
Be sure to check out the Bacon Store for more bacon fun!
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Halloween is right around the corner. Are you looking for the perfect sweet treat to go with your zombie costume? You need the Body Parts Sushi Gummy Candy from the NeatoShop. This gruesomely delicious candy is shaped like sushi pieces with body parts and includes a handy dandy pair of chopsticks. This is what all the sophisticated zombies are eating.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastically strange Mints & Candies and Zombie fun!
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You may have already seen Scanwiches, a site documenting scans of sandwiches, but now’s your chance to enjoy dessert with your sandwiches -through the new site Scandybars that shows a variety of candies after they’ve been sliced in half.
Link Via Laughing Squid
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Ok, so they may not be readable, but they are absolutely adorable and seem simply delicious. They could also be a great way to excite the kiddos about back to school time.
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Narwhal Horns Candy – $3.95
Are you crazy about narwhals? Well, you are going to love the Narwhal Horns Candy from the NeatoShop. This fantastic arctic mint flavored candy is shaped like little narwhal horns. Unicorns of the sea are awesome!
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fantastic Mints & Candies.
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Luc St. Pierre took this colorful photo of an assortment of candies on display at Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain. Oh, what fantastic selections!
Via National Geographic's Travel Photo of the Week
I’m a candy fiend, but I don’t think even I could tackle these massive sweets. Alas, they’re not really edible – each of the four pieces created by student Nicola Freeman are made of plaster and/or resin. She finds inspiration in artists like Jeff Koons and Claes Oldenburg and wanted her work to make viewers think about mass consumerism.
“For me, it’s more about the attraction from the perspective of the viewer – Everyone seems to be able to relate to these pieces, and find that they’re bringing back their childhood memories. The sweets I’ve chosen have been around for quite a long while. I remember these from my childhood,” she told Craftzine blogger Andrew Lewis.
Link via Laughing Squid
To commemorate Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upcoming nuptials, Executive Pastry Chef Laurent Branlard of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort created Kate’s famous engagement ring out of sugar. He also created one of Princess Diana’s famous tiaras. It took him 30 hours to do both.
If you won’t be in England to see any of the gems in person this weekend, maybe you can make it to Florida – the sugary creations are on display in the lobby of the Dolphin hotel through the wedding events of this weekend. Link-via Cakewrecks
Photo link
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Just like Pop Tart Cat, these are sweet and colorful and fun, but they are also real marshmallows treats you can make at home. The instructions are at the decorated cookie. Link -via Laughing Squid
We showed you 13 Hilarious Peeps Candy Easter Dioramas and led you to Sci-Fi Peeps Dioramas, but since it’s the season for Peeps, there are always more! Check out a roundup of Peeps dioramas that aspire to what we call high culture: scenes of artists, art galleries, famous artworks, and literary references, and a symphony as well, in this collection of pictures from the Chicago Tribune’s competitions at mental_floss. Shown here is a marshmallow version of Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles. Link
Just in case you’d rather have one large Gummi Bear instead of the 1400 regular-sized candies that would be the equivalent, you can buy one from Vat19. There are seven flavors to choose from. Each contains 12,600 calories and will set you back $30. Good luck keeping people from touching it. Link -via Boing Boing
For the devout, Easter is an opportunity to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but for many others, it’s an excuse to munch down on piles of pastel candies and chocolate bunnies. By far the most notorious of these springtime treats is the sugar-coated marshmallow masses known as Peeps. But you don’t have to love the taste of Peeps to appreciate their brilliance. The simple bunny and chick shapes open the candies up to a whole new realm of fun in the form of diorama artworks. Here are a few of the funniest and coolest we could find.
This classic, sexy Peep diorama is probably the most famous ever made as it has spread its way across the internet for years. The oldest version I could find comes from Flickr user Amenhotep4, but I don’t think he’s the creator of the diorama. If you know were it comes from, please let me know in the comments.
This diorama by Flickr user mreraser’s friends Matt and Teresa is by far one of my favorites. There is so much detail in the decorations and I can’t help but love the blood on the decapitated Peeps and the maniacal look on Sweety Todd’s face.
This adorable diorama was created by Dan Paddock and sent in directly to BoingBoing after the site posted this bizarre and slightly scary fake magazine cover called “Rest In Peeps, Anna Nichole Smith.”
Of course, not all alien travelers are peaceful as Daniel Spiess made clear in his chest-burstingly scary Peeps diorama, which was based on the movie Alien.
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