Obsession: Cinnamon Bears

One of the best parts about visiting my alma matter is this sweet treat sold at the school's bookstore: cinnamon bears. For being such a delicious candy, I have a surprisingly hard time finding bears that are the perfect combination of chewy, hot and gummy. Occasionally I see bags of generic candy that have wannabes inside, but even those seem to have become scarce.

The BYU bookstore has a plethora of the best cinnamon bears I've ever had. So good, in fact, that while out to a broadway show, I was raving to my brother in law about how incredible these little cubs are and was overheard by a couple in front of us that turned around just to add their own testimonial to the fact that BYU cinnamon bears reign supreme. And while this time was all about cinnamon lips rather than bears (valentine's leftovers) they still were just as delicious as I remembered.

Does anyone else love these yummy treats? Where do you find good ones? I'm going to need a good source once my stock runs out from this trip.

Connie's Candy, A Sweet Idea

Ahhh, it's that time of year again. The time when we justify a few extra sweets here and there because "it's the holidays." And what better treat to splurge on than some See's Candy? Every year my family goes into one of the sweet shops to pick a box (or two) to snack on before Christmas. We like to pick our custom boxes to ensure no valuable space is taken up by candy with weird nut combinations or worse...coconut. 

It seems that all generic boxes of chocolate are never made up of enough of the good stuff. And sadly, when thoughtful husbands/boyfriends/bosses go into a shop like See's, it can be easy to get distracted and/or overwhelmed by everything there is to offer. It's no wonder the pre-packed boxes are what typically get chosen. 

Recently my mom and I were out to lunch with some family friends and as the husband went to pay, a laminated trifold fell out of his wallet. Upon further inspection, the card listed "Connie's Perfect 1 lb. Box of Chocolate See's, Connie's Perfect 2 lb. Box of See's and Connie's Perfect 2 lb. White Chocolate See's."

Brilliant! What a perfect way to avoid ever having to search through mystery chocolate again! Equip those around you with the tools to help them pick excellent boxes every time. You're doing it for them, right? 

Now as you set out to make your own lists, take note from Connie. She actually works at See's so if you're looking for some ideas, her picks are a good place to start. A few of my favorites are the butterscotch chews, milk bordeaux and my absolute favorite, butterscotch squares. The best tough part will be finding your favorites and the quantities that fit in your box. It may take a couple of tries to get it right but once you do, laminate that list and make it readily available for the candy-buying person in your life. Maybe even let them add a piece or two of their own.

So what candy will go on the top of your list?