Let us rejoice! The most undeniably wonderful time of year has sprung once again and I am of the belief that every delicious cup of hot chocolate deserves an equally tasty holiday snack by its side. Can this year’s Christmas offerings top last season’s?

DOTS:

While DOTS do not hold a spot on my list of favorite candies, I usually find them tolerable. This box consisted of cherry and lime flavored pieces with a vanilla flavored accent (because apparently vanilla equals Christmas). The weird fruit vanilla hybrid creations actually did not taste too terrible compared to the rest of the items I endured. If a friend offered me a few of these, sure, I would say yes. But I definitely would not purchase them again.

Twizzlers:

As the classic cherry pull n’ peel Twizzlers never fail to satisfy my sweet tooth, I felt most excited to try these. A swirl of cherry, green apple, and lemonade strings, I expected my first bite to be rendevous of flavors, not an underwhelming taste of sweet plastic. If I am being honest, Twizzlers always remind me of sweet plastic, which these only enhance in a deeply disappointing way. Even eating the flavors separately, I could not detect which was which. Be warned: this snack puts the Twizzlers name to absolute shame.

Lindor Truffles:  

At 50 cents a piece, I knew these white chocolate truffles had to pack some sort of holiday punch. Upon trying them, I realized why Lindor sells these two to a pack: this is some of the richest chocolate I’ve ever tried. After eating a single truffle I felt fully satisfied, making these perfect to share with a friend.

Gingerbread Peeps:

As always, I have nothing but complaints when it comes to Peeps. I do not even know why I keep trying these. I hate marshmallows, which is never going to change. In addition to peppermint flavored snowman shaped fluff, the Peeps family welcomes a new member this year: gingerbread men, that contrary to popular thought, do not even include gingerbread marshmallow filling. Only the sugar on the outside is “gingerbread” flavored (aka barely cinnamon-y). I feel absolutely outraged over this abomination of a Christmas treat. But what else did I expect?

Bark Thins:

Just when I felt certainly positive that all Christmas cheer in the world vanished, Bark Thins Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel “snacking” chocolate swooped in to save the day. I could honestly eat this entire bag, if not for the $4 price tag. Despite their high cost, they stand the only food I tried that I highly recommend.

Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joes:

Oreos. Peppermint. What could go wrong? LITERALLY EVERYTHING. Upon trying these, I took a seat on a holiday rollercoaster that had nowhere to go but downhill.

When I say the creme filling in these cookie sandwiches tastes like toothpaste, I am 100% not making an understatement. After recovering from the crime scene that just occurred on my taste buds, the cookie left a weird texture in my mouth. Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s provide such a horrendous experience I would not even recommend them as a gag gift for the worst of enemies.

Hershey’s Candy Cane Chocolate Bar:

Ending on a positive note, this classic holiday treat left me seeing the world as an overall not so terrible place. The mix of white chocolate with a subtle peppermint flavor reminded me of the holiday cheer that exists in this beautiful time of year. Merry Christmas, everyone.

The Chant’s grade: C-