Happy Easter, uh, I mean Candy Day

I went to visit my family for Easter weekend. And today while my family went to church, I stayed home to read Steve Almond's Candyfreak while eating Easter candy. Everyone has to worship in her own way, I say.

Why, why haven't I read this book before? It might be the same sort of logic that has kept my brother from trying the deep fried Snickers at Brooklyn's Chip Shop --it would just be too good. Steve Almond is my soulmate. Truly.

I love candy--more than I usually feel comfortable admitting. But with Candyfreak I feel like someone understands. It is my manifesto. A few examples from my life that illustrate my own personal candy freakness:

1. As a child, I once found a half-eaten sucker in the road. I took it home, rinsed it off, and ate it. I am sure this happened more than once.

2. My parents weren't very good sugar suppliers, so my lack of candy often forced me to eat jello powder. One day, seeing a small pile of green powder on the kitchen counter, I scraped it into my mouth thinking it was green jello. It was comet.

3. I have a very distinct memory of stopping at a gas station with a boyfriend and buying Idaho Spud bars. I can remember the candy, but I can't remember who I was with.

The only point of disagreement I have with Almond is that he hates Peeps. Probably it's only because he hasn't eaten them the right way, aged and slightly stale. Peeps are glorious and anyone who thinks otherwise is missing out on some serious candy joy. Oh well, more Peeps for me. On subject of Peeps, Tara informed me that they are now making sugar free Peeps. WHAT??! Please, don't they understand that the reason that Peeps are so good is because they taste like sugar? Really, that's the only flavor. But I did decide to buy a pack just to make my disgust official.

First, let's talk economics. For 99 cents, I can either get three sugar free Peeps or 15 regular Peeps. And then there's the taste. I know some of you think Peeps are gross, but you are wrong. They are soft and crunchy and sugary. What's not to love? Sugar free Peeps, however, are gross. The main reason they don't work is because there is no crunchy sugary coating. It's just a sad approximation. I even tried letting them dry out a bit, but even that didn't improve matters.

Even though, this year brought the nadir of Peeps production, I also encountered the zenith: Dark Chocolate covered Peeps. And not just any chocolate. I found the treasures while visiting the Jacques Torres shop. Oh, the joy. The only problem with the chocolate covered Peeps is that they lost a bit of their sugary crunch. If you could keep the coating in tact and still have the chocolate, life would be perfect. But really, I'm not complaining. I only wish I would have bought more.

Note: The fabulous Peeps basket pictured above was a gift from Sarah's mother-in-law.