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Limited Edition Strawberried Peanut Butter and Coconut M&Ms

Posted by Kerry Saretsky, August 28, 2009 at 2:00 PM

"Other candies are actually junk food, while M&Ms are a superior gourmet experience."

Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms

If there are two things I love, it's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and coconuts.

Growing up, the only candy my mom was “OK" with me eating was M&Ms. I think it’s because she got to steal all the light brown ones. Remember those? Delightful. Her rule wasn't much of a rule anyway—they were always my favorites and still are. I'm a plain or peanut girl, sometimes dabbling in dark, but when I saw the Strawberried Peanut Butter and Coconut editions at the drug store, I actually yelped in delight and ran to the register.

I loved them. Why? Because they're subtle. Isn't that what the M&M is all about? Subtlety? Not too much candy coating; not too much peanut butter; not too big of a crispy center.

That's what differentiates the M&M from, say, a Reese’s Pieces or a Crunch Bar. Those other guys are about the peanut butter or the crispies. The chocolate, incidental. But with M&M, it’s all about the chocolate, with just a snippet of flavor to keep things lively.

Coconut M&Ms

That’s why I think the other candies are actually junk food, while M&Ms are a superior gourmet experience. No matter how many I eat, I never swallow an ounce of guilt.

The first thing I adored about these M&Ms was the color coordination. The Strawberried Peanut Butter comes in dark brown, strawberry red, and a red-dabbled peanut buttery yellow. The coconut comes in dark brown, the usual vibrant green, and that coconut-cool summer white. Terribly stylish for summer. That lasted about ten seconds, then I started eating them willy nilly. My mom stole all the brown ones, naturally.

There it was again—that usual classy subtlety.

The strawberry is just a faint pink ring between the chocolate dome and the peanut butter center. If you don’t look close, you might miss it. And the flavor is just a gently sweet, gushy jam accessory to the usual peanut butter M&M. Genius.

The coconut, similarly, is just a Hawaiian accent to the usual plain chocolate M&M. This is no Mounds bar—it’s just a tropical suggestion.

I think the new flavors are fantastic, although my favorite limited edition will always be the chocolate raspberry released last year. I suppose when I dig back into my closet for sweaters and coats this fall, I’ll have to dig back into my usual plain and peanut M&Ms. I cant say I’ll be disappointed, just excited to see what the company will come out with next.

Also, apparently they make a dark chocolate peanut. I’m dying to try those. What are your favorite limited edition M&M flavors?

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Tags: candy, coconut, M and Ms, peanut butter, strawberry