Friday, December 4, 2009

Holiday Gift Idea... Make That Must! Dylan's Candy Bar!


Right now, I am so jealous. My cousin is on her way to NYC. Do you know what's in NYC? Forget the landmarks, the clothes, Chinatown, and famous pizza. Maybe forget was a bit harsh. You should really go for Dylan's Candy Bar! Daughter or legendary designer, Ralph Lauren, Dylan has made her own way in the concrete jungle. Falling in love with the magical world of Wonka, as most of us did, she followed her dream and built a candy empire that makes the dreams of children and adults alike, come true. Her Third Avenue Candy Store became the largest candy store in the world in 2008. With over 5,000 types of candy, you are sure to find exactly what you're looking for! I wonder if they hand out tourist maps for visitors??? How else would you be able to find that long time favorite?
 I was lucky enough to receive the Medium Christmas Drum Basket for review. When I asked for it, I thought it was festive! I am open to trying new things, so I did not focus on the contents. If I had, I would have picked another. Before you even think this is going to be negative, read on. I hate gingerbread. Can't stand it. This basket is full of it! Ugh! What had I done! The basket quickly arrived and I admired it for quite a while before opening it. You should know that it was tied with beautiful ribbons and it was in perfect condition. Nothing was out of place, and it made a 1,000 mile journey in the hands of sometimes careless shippers. It was perfect! After I opened it, I quickly removed several products to try. There were few familiars. I was in mostly uncharted territory. Here's what arrived in my basket:
Dylan's Candy Bar Dark Mint Bar
Dylan's Candy Bar Gingerbread bar
Gingerbread Popcorn
Peppermint Sticks
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Non-Pariels
Whirly Pop
Christmas Cookies
The Dylan's Candy Bar Dark Mint Bar is now my favorite candy bar. Seriously, I want to order a case. It is a rich chocolate bar surrounding a thin, almost crisp mint layer. It doesn't compare to Andes or After Eights. The flavors are more intense, but the mint is not overpowering. I loved it! The Dylan's Candy Bar Gingerbread bar was good! I actually liked it! It is a little like a Krackel Bar. The gingerbread is crisp! My husband now considers this one of his favorites. I kid you not, the Gingerbread Popcorn is my new favorite flavored popcorn. I really don't taste the gingerbread at all. It tastes like a very light, perfectly coated, caramel popcorn. It was crunchy and it stayed fresh for days after opening. The Peppermint Sticks were good. I don't normally eat these because I hate to get peppermint stuck in my teeth. Logan loved them. I was smart! I used them to stir my new Peppermint Hot Chocolate! It was a real treat! Usually, I avoid peppermint hot cocoa because it is too minty. I'm normally a Penzey's hot cocoa girl, and I like original and sometimes mint, but even their mint hot cocoa is a bit too strong if you are drinking more than a small cup. I like a hint of mint and this was the perfect combination of chocolate and mint. The cocoa wasn't powdered. It was shaved chocolate! It appeared to be milk chocolate, semi-sweet, and dark, with some peppermint thrown in! You could eat this with a spoon! Right out of the tin, before mixing it! My husband made some on the stovetop. Ohhh, so good! I also sprinkled some on ice cream. That was also quite tasty! I will be buying this from now on. How can I go back to powdered cocoa after something so great?! I hate coffee. Cocoa is my thing and I drink it year 'round. I feel for my husband's pockets. They may be empty after I place an order! The Dark Chocolate Non-Pariels made me remember my childhood. These were always a favorite. I loved them! These were thinner than the ones from my childhood, but just as good. The Whirly Pop? I'm still saving that for later! We all shared the Christmas Cookies. They were beautifully frosted/decorated. They were gingerbread and the flavor was a bit strong for me. After one, I passed them on to those who would appreciate them more! I know it may seem that I was overly complimentary of these items, but I cannot tell you enough, these products were so different! I experienced a few new flavors and now I have a few new favorites. I'm glad I failed to read the description first. I hate to think I could have missed out on the opportunity to try this assortment of goodies! Stop in Dylan's Candy Bar is you are in NYC. There are two other NY locations. You will also find them in Orlando and Houston (lucky you!) or in select Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Juicy Couture stores and even more. Find sweet fashion and beauty products too! I miss my yearly trips to NYC, but hopefully they will resume in the new year. My first stop will be Dylan's Candy Bar! I hope they're ready!
To Disclose: I received this gift basket in exchange for this review. Honest opinions and comparisons were given. But for another gift basket, I might talk about how other candies fall short of my expectations. They probably would if I ate them between bites of Dylan's fabulous confections.

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