Halloween: no tricks, lots of treats. What’s your favorite?
By GWEN OREL
orel@montclairlocal.news
Free candy is always welcome: but some candy is more welcome than others. Here are the treats Montclair Local’s staff and freelancers loved — and hated — to get. What are yours? Write to us at culture@montclairlocal.news, or post to our facebook page!
Kate Albright, photographer: Reese’s peanut butter cups were my favorite. Mary Janes were my least favorite. I wouldn’t even eat them.
Adam Anik, photographer: Favorite: Bigger sized Babe Ruth! Least Favorite: Necco Wafers
Steph Auteri, “All Write Now:” Tootsie Rolls were the sweet love of my life back in the day. Only the classic ones, though. None of those weird alternate flavors. Least Favorite: I was not down with anything licorice-flavored. Ick.
Pat Berry, “College Bound:” Favorite: Anything Reese’s. Least Favorite: Anything malted
Patricia Conover, freelancer: My favorite candy was Junior Mints. I would trade my other stuff for Junior Mints and stockpile them to take to the movies later. (I've always been practical.)
I have always hated Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Chocolate and peanut butter should NEVER be mixed. NEVER. Peanut butter is a vegetable and chocolate is a dessert!
Steven DeSalvo, “Montclair Eats;” “Recipe of the Month:” Favorite: Tootsie Rolls, Peppermint Patties. Least Favorite: Dots, Almond Joy.
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READ: RECIPE OF THE MONTH; S'MORE FOR ME PLEASE
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Dorothea Benton Frank, “Dot’s Desk:” My most favorite thing was a Heath bar, which I never got. A Snicker’s was second and they occasionally appeared. My least favorite thing was apples because my mother always took them away thinking they had razor blades in them. I learned to buy candy for trick-or-treaters that I liked.
Andrew Garda, sports reporter: Tootsie roll pops are my fave (two treats in one!)
Candy corn is my least.
Neil Grabowsky, photographer: Favorite: Bar None. Least Favorite: Raisins, second only to Raisinets.
Kelly Nicholaides, freelancer: Favorite: Kit Kat. Least Favorite: Candy Corn.
Elizabeth Oguss, local listings editor: Because Halloween was one of the few days when eating candy was not just allowed but encouraged, my childhood memories of it remain vivid. My favorite treats were Nestle’s Crunch and Mounds bars. I threw away the hard candy and a certain lollipop that was an impermeable slab of flavorless toffee. Nowadays, I don’t eat candy-candy; I have a little dark chocolate every day. But at Halloween I make an exception for Kit-Kats. We don’t have many trick-or-treaters at our house, but it wouldn’t do to be unprepared, so we’re getting a big bag.
Gwen Orel, features editor: Krackel or Nestle’s Crunch was a score. Least Favorite: caramels, not because I don’t like them, but to trudge all the way down someone’s walk and be handed one tiny caramel (sometimes two) was always disappointing.
Erin Roll, reporter: Most favorite: Milky Way miniatures. Least Favorite: Anything licorice.
Melissa D. Sullivan, “All Write Now:” My favorites were always the Charleston Chews. I just loved that weird thin chocolate covering a vanilla taffy-like substance. Plus, no one else liked them, so I got to eat them all!
I know it sounds crazy, but I would trade away Reese’s. I’m not a big fan of peanut butter, but due to local market demand (I.e. my brothers), I could get two Twix for one peanut butter cup.
Allison Task, “Ask Task:” Favorite: Butterfingers, $100,000 bar. Least Favorite: Bit O’Honey.
Deborah Ann Tripoldi, editorial assistant: Most Favorite: Mounds and Almond Joy, and Reeses. Least Favorite: Candy corn, that should never be eaten (looks are deceiving!(
Jaimie Winters, associate editor: Least Favorite: boxes of raisins. My favorite house to trick or treat did not hand out candy. The man was a Vietnam veteran and would wait on his porch in a wheelchair for us costumed kids. After raving about our costumes, he would do magic tricks with coins, after which he would give each trick or treater shiny half dollar.
Robin Woods, “Robin’s Nest:” My MOST favorite things to get in my trick or treat bag were nuts or pretzels. Due to my severe allergy to chocolate, I never could eat the good stuff. My mother made sure that it wasn't wasted by doing "quality control" and eating all of it, for safety's sake.
That probably explains why I have six huge bags full of chocolate candies to give out to trick or treaters each year. I live vicariously through them. My LEAST favorite things to get were Necco wafers, (still around since 1847) which tasted like chalk to me, or Jujubes; the almost concrete-like candy drops made from starch, gum and corn syrup, Blech.