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At Serious Eats, we love perusing the Easter candy section at the drug store. And though we love the familiar classics, it's time for us to hit the refresh button on some of them. Here are alternatives to the same ole' sweets in the woven basket:
Instead of: Generic Jelly Beans
Pick: Smarties, Hot Tamales, and Starburst Jelly Beans
The plain ole' grocery store version may be a harbinger of springtime, but does anyone really eat them? Aren't they just for decoration? Familiar candy brands have stepped in here, thankfully. Smarties captures the sourness of the chalky discs (that seem a little too much like Tums sometimes) in bean form. Hot Tamales and Starburst also do versions—just like the regular candies, but bean-shaped. A nice excuse to have more of the candies you like while still appearing festive.
Instead of: Cadbury Eggs
Pick: Cadbury Easter Mallows
Expand your Cadbury Egg horizons by throwing in a marshmallow and cookie-biscuit bottom. They are less egg shape, more flat disc shape (not sure what's Easter about them, actually). The freaky "yoke" center gets replaced with Jaffa orange jam. Hard to find, but they're out there at select stores. Or if you're in the UK, look out for Cadbury McFlurrys.
Instead of: Circus Peanuts
Pick: Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs
The orange squishy candy, the cousin of packing peanuts that come out in pastel colors around this time, are not peanuts. Let's embrace real peanuts. Nothing beats the Reeses Peanut Butter eggs. Something about the soft curviness makes them a notch better than regular Reeses Peanut Butter cups.
Instead of: Hershey or Dove Chocolate Eggs
Pick: Brach’s Malted Milk Eggs
A solid chocolate egg is fine, but it's nice to feel a little surprised when you bite into a crunchy malt center instead. If you don't like the malted taste, fine, but if you do, go for the Brach's version, Eastered up with pastel-colored chocolate shells (that are fun to suck on).
Instead of: Peeps
Pick: Peep Lip Balm
There are so many kinds of Peeps lovers and haters. Those who love any color, any seasonal version (they make Halloween and Christmas Peeps now). Haters who hate them all. Those who prefer them stale. If you want to go to the next level: balm your lips up with them. Peeps lip balm tastes like candy melted all over your lips. A few hours later, the vanilla flavor will creep up again in your lunch and water drinking.
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