REVIEW: Black Forest Cake M&M’s

Black Forest Cake M M s Bag

What are Black Forest Cake M&M’s?

Arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, this seasonal flavor takes its inspiration from the Black Forest cake. Each M&M combines milk and dark chocolate with a twist of cherry flavor.

For those of you who haven’t binge-watched an embarrassing amount of baking competition shows, a Black Forest cake consists of layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and syrup- or kirsch-soaked cherries, topped with chocolate shavings.

How are they?

Black Forest Cake M M s Rows

The spirit of Valentine’s Day is strong with this product, from the festive packaging to the pink, red, and white candy shells that scream “Valentine’s Day” (or at least sing it in a Barry White-esque baritone).

Additionally, these M&M’s remind me of a Valentine’s staple: cherry cordial candies. The milk chocolate center of the M&M seems to hold most of the cherry flavor, which tastes a lot like a cherry cordial — minus the sticky filling. The cherry taste complements the chocolate well. It is noticeable, but not overwhelming, medicinal, or sour.

Black Forest Cake M M s Innards

Dark chocolate surrounds the M&M’s milk chocolate core, adding a subtle hint of bitterness to the bite. I don’t often enjoy M&M’s that combine two kinds of chocolate because one always overwhelms the other. This combination, though, creates a successful flavor contrast that reminds me of biting into a filled chocolate or a chocolate shaving on a cake.

Anything else you need to know?

I wondered why M&M’s chose to name these after Black Forest cake rather than cherry cordials, which seem more Valentines-y to me as someone who, granted, participates in Valentine’s Day solely by shopping for discounted candy the next day. A Google search tells me that Cherry Cordial M&M’s previously existed, although that variety used only milk chocolate.

Conclusion:

Black Forest Cake M M s Bowl

Black Forest Cake M&M’s combine milk and dark chocolate expertly and boast a sweet cherry flavor. The candies may seem simple compared to their elaborate namesake, but they are still worthy of a spot next to the cherry cordials in your Valentine’s Day chocolate box.

Purchased Price: $3.28
Size: 8 oz (226.8 g) bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 ounce/about 16 pieces) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate Meltaway Roses

Hershey s Kisses Milk Chocolate Meltaway Roses Bag

What are Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate Meltaway Roses?

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hershey’s has given us Kisses with a meltaway chocolate center, wrapped in rose-print foil with green plumes. (“Plumes” is the official name of the little strips of paper, but if I have to explain it, it’s easier just to call them strips of paper.)

How are they?

These are certainly more interesting than standard Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses. If you simply chomp them, they are much softer.

The shell is the same as other filled Kisses; it’s a little shinier than plain milk chocolate.

Hershey s Kisses Milk Chocolate Meltaway Roses Hearts

As for the filling, “meltaway” is an apt description. It does melt and dissolve faster than regular chocolate (milk or dark). It seems darker, both color-wise and flavor-wise, than regular Hershey’s chocolate, even though it’s still milk chocolate. I wonder if Hershey’s got its inspiration from candy truffles found in those heart-shaped candy boxes.

Really, though, my palate isn’t sophisticated enough to describe or recognize what makes the filling so different. Overall, the effect of these Kisses is “chocolate with other chocolate.”

At first, I was a little disappointed. But after eating more, I really enjoy them. Chocolate with chocolate is not a bad thing, and the textural contrast is more enjoyable than plain chocolate by itself.

Anything else you need to know?

Hershey s Kisses Milk Chocolate Meltaway Roses Bowl

I appreciate the rose-themed wrappers, but I don’t think they’re significant enough for “Roses” to be the product’s name.

Conclusion:

Hershey’s Kisses are a classic Valentine’s Day treat, but these Meltaway Kisses take the holiday standby up a notch.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 9 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (7 pieces) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, 14 grams of added sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Skittles Love Mix

Skittles Love Mix

I’m delighted that Skittles is expanding its five-flavor mixes to include Valentine’s Day. If you don’t have a special someone, candy is the best part of February 14, and Skittles Love Mix is something I would gladly welcome from a secret admirer.

Skittles Love Mix 2

Skittles Love Mix 3

The darkest red is cherry. Cherry is one of those default flavors that usually isn’t very good, but the Skittles cherry is actually better than most other cherry-flavored candies.

The medium red is strawberry, and it tastes like strawberry Starburst. I like it the best of this mix.

The lightest red is watermelon. It’s a nice flavor reminiscent of summertime, but to me it tastes like it should be gum.

One of the whites, yumberry, returns from the America Mix. It’s a benign little flavor, but I have no idea what a yumberry is.

The other white is white grape. It reminds me of Dimetapp, but the grape flavor isn’t extremely potent.

I like all the flavors individually, and if you plop them in your mouth together, they play nicely.

Skittles Love Mix 4

My biggest disappointment is the colors. You have five flavors for Valentine’s Day, and none of them are pink? Really? The colors are so close that they’re hard to distinguish. Watermelon is the only one that’s instantly recognizable. The yumberry and white grape are identical; and since I don’t know what a yumberry is, and the grape flavor isn’t very strong, I have a hard time knowing what one I’m eating even when I’m chewing it. I would have rather had pink grape.

Skittles Love Mix 6

Pink grape?” you ask. Well, yes. When I make juice from the green grapes that grow in my backyard, it comes out pink, oddly enough.

The colors didn’t tickle me pink, but the Love Mix will be an enjoyable option for your heart-shaped candy dish.

Skittles Love Mix 5

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 11 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1.4 oz) 160 calories, 15 fat calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 37 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.