The Sweet Spot is a new weekly Bites feature where sugar addict Megan Seling reviews some of the best, worst and weirdest sweet treats sold here in Nashville. It will appear on the blog on Tuesdays.
What it is: Pumpkin Spice Oreos, Caramel Apple Oreos, Candy Corn M&Ms, Pumpkin Spice M&Ms, Caramel Apple Milky Ways, Caramel Apple Twizzlers, Starburst Candy Corn
Where I found it: Target on White Bridge Road; prices vary around $2.50-$5
What it tastes like: Oh man, where do I start? I couldn't climb this artificially autumnal sugar mountain on my own, so I brought this heap of high-fructose corn syrup into the office where my co-workers could enjoy (and/or suffer) along with me. There was delight, disgust and audible barfing sounds as everyone dug in.
The candy that got the most negative reaction were the Candy Corn M&Ms, which are jumbo-sized orange, white and yellow white-chocolate M&Ms that taste more like cotton candy than they do candy corn. They're sickeningly sweet, but I did not hate them; everyone else hated them. "I hate that Candy Corn M&M more than anything I’ve ever tasted," said one brave eater while tossing the few pieces left in her hand into the trash. The Pumpkin Spice M&Ms passed all tests, however, with some folks claiming they don't taste any different from regular M&Ms. The pumpkin spice flavor is not overwhelming, and slightly off. When I pushed them aside, saying they just taste like burnt M&Ms, others grabbed for them. "That sounds delicious!" said one staffer, wrongly.
The Starburst Candy Corn, a giant bag of congealed rainbow-colored goo that vaguely carries the texture of candy corn when not globbed together by sugary juice that is seeping from the candies, also wasn't very popular. Only one person on staff enjoyed them. "I actually really like the Starbust candy corn," he said, grabbing for the bag. "They just taste like Starbursts!"
"But look at them!" I cried, pointing out the fact that they were all melting together at room temperature.
"I don’t have to look at them," he said, blindly shoving a waxy wad of pink, orange and yellow goo into his mouth. I'll leave you to guess who on staff is now keeping the bag for himself at his desk.
Let's talk about the Oreos. The Pumpkin Spice Oreos are not terrible. I repeat: THE PUMPKIN SPICE OREOS ARE NOT TERRIBLE. They contain no real pumpkin — their burnt-orange color comes from paprika, apparently — but zero people on staff took offense to their pumpkin pie-spiced filling that tastes remarkably like a spoonful of actual pumpkin pie filling. I just wish Oreo chose to pair the filling with their chocolate cookie. DUH, OREO. That would've been awesome.
The Caramel Apple Oreos are less impressive — there's still half a package sitting on my desk if you want it. If you're a fan of artificial apple flavor and caramel, skip the Oreos and grab a package of the Caramel Apple Twizzlers. They're a chewy version of the original Caramel Apple Pops. I love them because I am gross. Speaking of, the Caramel Apple Milky Ways are also pretty good. They're just a slightly spiced version of the traditional Milky Way, with only a tinge of apple flavoring — they're not at all offensive.
After everyone gorged on sugar, most people walked away from my desk holding their stomachs and cursing the overdose of artificial flavoring (amateurs). While not everything was disgusting, there's a reason these sweets aren't on the shelf full time — no one would dare buy them when not blinded by the zealousness for any and all things autumnal. If you see those Caramel Apple Milky Ways and/or the Pumpkin Spice Oreos going for 50 percent off on Nov. 1, feel free to stock up. They're not bad. But let the rest rot in the bargain bin.
