Pioneer Candy Co. Toffee

“Greetings, Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee. How are you today?” No answer. “And how is your cousin, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut?” Blank stares from both. “Is that so? Well, I’m afraid I can’t sympathize with your fears: I am one of those people planning to eat you. Oh, no, no, don’t be frightened: I promise I’ll make it quick, though I can’t say it won’t be messy…”

Excuse my conversing with inanimate objects.

These two victims of mine are from Pioneer Candy Company, which hails from Colorado. Hence, the mountains and the covered wagon – although, I admit, I don’t usually think of Colorado as pioneer territory. I’m rather a bit intrigued, though, by the brown boxes in which the toffee dwells: while simple, they have a small amount of sparkle that gives an established touch. Lifting off the lids reveals a further layer beneath which the victims try and hide. There are two brown flaps to cover the toffee, the edge of the top flap being also an outline of mountains; when you raise it, there stands a grand Colorado mountain range. Love it.

The pieces of toffee, which are handmade in small batches inside copper kettles, come in varying sizes. The smaller pieces have the most to fear from me since they are easier to snatch up and munch away on. It turns out that the larger pieces are more deadly to me: breaking them up might knock off some of the toppings, so I just bite in. And once I’ve started on a piece, how can I stop? I don’t understand why toffee should be one of my weaknesses; that’s just the way the world works.

As you can see, this toffee is fairly thick and generously coated. It’s difficult to get a grasp on Victim A’s milk chocolate other than to say that it adds a creamy flavor to the mix. The toffee is of a slightly harder, more orange variety than some; in honesty, I think I prefer the toffees that border closer to delicate. However, this style is fitting for the pioneer theme. Because of the toffee’s thickness and the amount of almonds, there is as much crunchy texture as you could wish for and enough sweetness that you do need all those almonds for balance.

Victim B doesn’t have any chocolate. The white chocolate is more like a sweet cream keeping the macadamia nuts in place. The large, triangular shape of the pieces and the white and yellow colors makes them look like peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I suppose you could say they taste like that, too. I think it’s fair at least to say that this bunch is sweeter and less salty than the first. But that might just make it easier to absentmindedly nibble. I must point out, though, that the toffee in this box did feel too thick: a tad thinner would be better.

In case you prefer drawing out your toffee-torturing, you can store it for three weeks in the refrigerator or six months in the freezer. It’s pleasant toffee, if you find yourself in Colorado with a confection craving. Of if you find yourself at home with two boxes of it that somehow never make it to the safety of the refrigerator because you’re too busy snacking on it.

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