Tuesday, October 22, 2013

What are the Top 10 Halloween Candies in the USA? Find out in Cleo Coyle's Trick or Treat Poll and tell us YOUR favorites...


Take my Candy Poll (below), and tell me about
your own favorite candies in the comments...

Cleo Coyle, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
and Haunted Bookshop
 Mysteries
Gourmet chocolate is a wonderful thing. But Halloween is not a holiday for "boutique bittersweet" and "single-origin" cocoa beans. Halloween belongs to Hershey's—as you will see when you take my Trick or Treat Poll at the end of this post. 

My poll is based on this year's sales figures for the Top Ten most popular candies in America. According to the National Confectioners Association, over 70% of the candy sold in the US this Halloween will be chocolate candy, so it's no surprise to see several Hershey brands on this year's Top Ten list. 

I must admit, I have a soft spot for Hershey's milk chocolate bar and the place where it was first made...



In Hershey, PA, even the street lights are shaped like Kisses!
(This photo was taken at the intersection of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues.)
Have you ever visited Hershey, PA, "the sweetest place on Earth"? It’s a beautiful little town in Eastern Pennsylvania. When I was a kid, that town even smelled like chocolate, and the man who built it was… 



No, not this guy!




This one... Milton S. Hershey.

* At the age of 15, Hershey (a Mennonite farmer's son who spoke "Pennsylvania Dutch" and had little more than a fourth grade education), began an apprenticeship with a candy maker.

* At 19, Hershey struck out on his own and started his own candy business in Philadelphia. But after six years, it failed.

* Undaunted, he relocated to Denver, Colorado, where he learned how to make caramels using fresh milk.

* Milton Hershey tried and failed again to launch a candy business. Finally, he went back to Pennsylvania, opened the “Lancaster Caramel Company” and became a great success. Before long it was employing 1,400 people and shipping all over the country.

* It wasn’t until Hershey reached the age of 36 that chocolate became his passion. In 1893, he traveled to Chicago for the World Expo where he stood mesmerized in front of machinery from Germany that made chocolate. He bought the machinery, shipped it back to Lancaster, and began coating his caramels with chocolate.

It’s here in the story that kids
across the country
owe Hershey a debt of gratitude.

* In the 19th Century, the process of making edible milk chocolate was a secret closely guarded by the Swiss. Drinking chocolate was more common than eating it; and the best-tasting chocolate (imported from Europe) was far from affordable for working families. But Hershey had a vision, and through trial and error, he came up with his own formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that allowed him to mass produce and distribute a melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate candy bar.

Thanks to Milton Hershey, chocolate was no longer a luxury for the rich. His five-cent "Hershey Bar" was an edible chocolate that anyone could afford.

The company insisted on maintaining that five cent price from 1900 through 1969. (Click here to see historic wrapper designs.)


Given the Hershey's candy long history and its creator's commitment to remaining affordable for families, I must say it's nice to see it still placing high on a 21st Century list of America’s Top 10 Halloween Candies. 

You can read more about this list (and the sales in units and dollars) by clicking here.

In the meantime, I invite you to...



Now I invite you to take my
"Trick or Treat Poll" below and
leave a comment on this blog post.
(I would love to know your poll answer!)

Congrats to the Winner of this
adorable Reese’s Latte Cup:

Wendy West!



then click here to jump to a place
where you should be able to take it.




Culinary Inspiration!


America's #1 candy 
is the culinary inspiration for my 
Halloween Recipe!


To get my recipe for...


Chocolate Peanut
Butter Cup Cake
click here.





Happy Halloween!
~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here
Visit my online coffeehouse here.







To view the
Coffeehouse Mystery
book trailer, click here.
 







Billionaire Blend: 
A Coffeehouse Mystery

Countdown to Release:
December 3rd




The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling
works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the
12 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 



The Ghost and
Mrs. McClure


Book #1 of 

The Haunted Bookshop
Mysteries
, which Cleo writes
under the name
Alice Kimberly

To learn more, click here.



74 comments:

  1. I love resses.. but jelly bellys are awesome too

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  2. Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Almond Joy

    oh, jelly bellys are awesome! Pear is at the top of that list

    I love caramels too.

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  3. Reeses, Hersheys and Three Musketeers. Jelly Bellies are good. I also like Cherry Mash!

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  4. I love candy corn, that was always my favorite when I went Trick or Treating!!!

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  5. I have to admit one of my favorites was the peanut butter flavored crunchy small candy, I don't know what they were called. Not butterfingers, there was no chocolate. They were beige with brown lines along the length.

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  6. I;ll bet you are talking about ZigZags. I loved them, too.

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  7. Reese's are my favorite followed by Kit Kats

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  8. My favorite treat was always Snickers bars. At the end of the night, I'd count how many I got and work out a schedule to make them last until Christmas.

    But all the peanut buttery candies are delicious! I'm a sucker for Mr. Goodbar, Chick O'Stick, Mary Jane Peanut Butter Candy, and Reeses (peanut butter cup or pieces!).

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  9. I love Reese's and Snickers, thanks for the history lesson on Hershey!

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  10. My favorite are kit kats. Absolutely love them.

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  11. I love Hersey candy and use them quite often in Christmas goodies, especially M&M's and Hershey Kisses. I love Hershey Milk Chocolate for making S'mores!

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  12. The first three are my top three. We always handed out mini Snickers at Halloween.

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  13. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups will always be my favorite, though only a rare indulgence nowadays as I know they contain trans fats, which I am trying to eliminate from my diet. I grew up near Pittsburgh, so when I can find them I indulge in Clark and/or Zagnut Bars (the latter can be hard to find). I also enjoy Bun Candy Bars, both maple and vanilla, when I can get them (apparently there is a caramel flavor now, but I haven't had it yet). One chocolate bar that I really miss is the Triple Decker from Nestlé (layered white, milk, and dark chocolate) which I used to get as a child but which hasn't been available for decades. I think this one should be due for a comeback!

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    1. I grew up in Pittsburgh, I remember the Clark and Zagnut. My brothers and I would fight for them on Halloween. I found some Clark bars in a candy store about a year ago and unfortunately they were stale, it was very disappointing.

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  14. I new we had reached Nirvana when they came out with dark Milky Ways and dark Reese's Cups!
    (Sorry-I've been away and had no computer)

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  15. LOL! Very cute post, Cleo! I'm stunned to see Reese's Cups in the lead. Who knew?

    ~Krista

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  16. Well, this was fun! Thanks so much, Cleo. have a serious addiction to Reese's PB cups and managed to confine it to Halloween, when no matter how many I buy, there are never any left to give out to the kids. Weird or what?

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  17. My two favorites are York Peppermint Patties and Heath Bars. Yum! So many choices--no wonder this is my favorite time of year!

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  18. Cleo, I'm a Milky Way or Hershey's girl. BTW, when I put Hershey's as the candy of choice for my character Charlotte in the Cheese Shop mysteries, you can't imagine the flack I got. So many people thought she should like something more "gourmet," but Hershey's were her mother's favorite candies, and thus traditions get started, right?

    Daryl / Avery

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  19. I love almost all things chocolate. But I'm especially fond of Reeses anything, M&Ms and I love Dove chocolates.

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  20. My favorites are Twix, Snickers, Baby Ruth, $100,000 Grand and Almond Joys. And I can always eat nut-filled M&M's, Reeses and probably anything dark chocolate. Oh, nuts, now I am hungry!

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  21. Have to have Almond Joy, Hershey's milk chocolate, and Reeses'. Note to self-GO TO STORE!!!!!!! LOL!! I am with Elaine.....hunger pains are forming....

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  22. Now that I'm gluten-free for health reasons, I can't eat a lot of things, but boy howdy, chocolate is mostly ok! My favorite is anything peanut-butter, but i used to be in love with Ritter bars, that I'd get in various flavors from World Market (I see them now at Trader Joe's.) Bonus: the Ritter bar I liked had raisins, and my kids hated it, so it was all for me!

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  23. I voted for Almond Joy, Kit Kat, and the Hershey's Cookies n Cream. I added Ferrero Raffaello Almond Coconut Candy to the list as another favorite of mine.

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  24. I love peanut butter and chocolate. Coconut with chocolate is very healthy and love also. So Reese's Peanut butter and the Almond Joy are top of my list.

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  25. Kit Kat, Snickers & 3Musketeers!!!

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  26. I love chocolate....any kind of chocolate and I love peanut butter and chocolate. Hershey's and Reeces, yes!!

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  27. Twix peanut butter! Kit kat and reese's....YUM.....

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  28. These comments are wonderful! Thanks to everyone for joining in our Trick-or-Trick fun this week. The prize drawing will take place at 12 Midnight on Monday (Oct. 28) so there's still plenty of time to enter. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday in my weekly blog post...

    Good luck to everyone, and (like the Terminator)...I'll be back!

    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com

    “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  29. Once when my sister and I were little, we were given a quarter to buy a candy bar at the store. We both got a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. My shoe string got loose on the way back home, I stopped and asked my sister to hold mine while I tied my shoe. She ate it!!! Don't think I ever forgave her for it, because it was a treat. We didn't get many, so this really hurt. Of course, for years after that we would laugh our heads off about it. From Terry Parrish

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  30. Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Way and 3 Musketeer. I grew up in Pittsburgh and only made it to Hershey once, it was a beautiful area. I like the peanut butter cups but I love their eggs at Easter time, my kids and I fight over them.

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  31. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat and Snickers.

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  32. OMGeeeeeeeeee I love chocolate candies. Now I'm hungry LOL :D

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  33. I just loved those Bit's O Honey candies when I was young---I wonder if they still make them. Almond Joys are another of my favorites.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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  34. My father served in World War II; rarely sharing much about the war, but did say that the Red Cross gave the soldiers the finest chocolate he had ever tasted, Hershey chocolate bars. He said he had never tasted anything quite so wonderful.

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  35. Reese's Cups, Three Muskateers and Baby Ruth are my favorites! We just moved and I'm so excited I'll have trick or treaters this year. :-)

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  36. Almond Joy, Milky Way & Twix!!! I just bought bags on candy to give away & maybe I should have waited because the bag is open and , yeah, I should have waited.

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  37. Love Hershey! I can still remember going to Hershey Pennsylvania when I was a kid and getting a huge blow up pillow with the Hershey's Chocolate logo! My faves are the plain Hershey Chocolate, as well as the Twix, and Kit Kat! I think I need to go buy some right now!

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  38. Fun comments! Thanks to everyone for stopping by and joining in the Trick or Treat fun this week.

    My drawing for the adorable Reese's mug won't take place until tonight at 12 Midnight (Pacific Time - 3 AM Eastern), so there's still plenty of time to enter. Good luck, everyone and (like the Terminator)...I'll be back...

    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  39. I love Snickers bars. They were a very special treat growing up & always made an appearance at Halloween.

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  40. My favorite is Reese's cups, Reese's pieces, and Peanut Butter M&M's

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  41. I love the peanut butter cups.When they first came over here to Ireland I gained about 5 lbs that week hehehehe

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  42. Pretty much anything chocolate is heaven, but Reese's Cups are my fave!!

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  43. Peanut butter cups on s' mores is amazing!

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  44. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Milky Way and Butterfingers - but I'd give them all up for a bag/box of Turtles!

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  45. Hi Cleo. Such a shame we could only vote for 3. Chocolate is just plain food of the goddesses! I toured the Mars factory as a girl scout in the Chicago area a couple(haha) years ago. It was like heaven. On my wayto the store, can I pick up any for you LOL.

    Toni

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  46. Chocolate is my way of life and the darker the better. However, since there wasn't any dark on the list I settled for Reece Cups, M&M's and a Hershey bar. Ah.....chocolate!

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  47. My absolute favorites are not on the list
    1)Violet Crumble
    2) Marathon Bar ( not the power bar) this is no longer made the U.S but is made under the name Curly Wurly elsewhere in the world
    3) Chocolite - looks like Hersheys' Air Delight but tasted SO much better . also discontinued many years ago

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    Replies
    1. Wendy - CONGRATULATIONS, YOU WON THE REESE'S MUG! By Random Number Generator, your comment was selected. I'll contact you via Facebook. And may you always drink (and read) with joy!

      Cheers!
      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  48. I adore coconut (almond joy) and caramel (milky way, twix). I really like Almond Snickers but they don't seem to be available year-round.

    What is YOUR favorite candy Cleo?

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    1. Christine - I'm a fan of coconut, too, and Almond Joy is on my list. I also like (dark chocolate) Kit Kats and Boyer’s Mallo Cups (not on the list, but they're amazing). Finally, I always enjoy a Hershey's with almonds, can't go wrong with a Hershey's bar!

      My husband Marc's favorites include Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Clark Bars (from our Pittsburgh, PA, roots), Chunky, Snickers, Twizzlers, and Butterfingers. Thanks for asking and have a Happy Halloween, Christine!

      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  49. I have been to Hershey PA. and I love it there. My favorite is Reeses Cups.
    Mary Mannella, Pittsburgh PA

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    1. Hello to a PGH home girl. Hershey, PA, is "Someplace Special," too, don't you think?! Cheers and thanks for dropping by, Mary...

      ~ Cleo

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  50. Love the Reese's! Want to go to Hershey, PA!

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  51. My old favorite is hard to find, it is the Sky Bar by Necco company. My next available favorites are Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups the regular sized ones and Hershey bars with Almonds. My votes went to Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, Three Musketeers and Milky Way. That sure is a fun mug that you have. For our 50th wedding anniversary in November or daughter and son in law are taking us (and our three grandchildren) to PA and our first two day or three day stop is in Hershey. We are touring PA Dutch Country for another four or five days. Should be fun and it will be wonderful to be with our daughter and her family as we celebrate a half century of being married.

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    1. 50 Years is Amazing!!! Happy Anniversary, ceblain! What a wonderful way to celebrate...chocolate and PA Dutch Country...you will eat well, I can promise you.

      Warmest wishes to you and your groom!
      ~ Cleo

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    2. P.S. I looked up "Sky Bar" -- what a fantastic candy bar. I can see why it made your own list of faves!

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  52. Love the poll. Would love to be drinking my morning coffee out of this darling cup. I had rather have the cup any day over candy. :) After the coffee then any of the top candies would be fine with me.
    CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net

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  53. I could say I love all chocolate candy, but that wouldn't be quite the truth -- I'm not really fond of the Dove choc at all! Probably the Hershey brand choc are my favorites, although I don't like them all. Depending on my 'craving' at the time -- Hershey Milk Choc bars; Hershey's with Almonds; Reese's Peanut Butter Cup; Twix; and I also like Almond Joy (wish it was dark choc however); Milky Way; Snickers.
    The cup is precious -- I would enjoy drinking coffee, tea, OR especially hot cocoa from it.
    Happy CHOCOLATE!!!!

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    1. Happy Chocolate to you, too, Donna E., and thanks for dropping into our Kitchen...

      ~ Cleo

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  54. I love Hershey Almond, Snickers and Heath Bars!

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  55. I love Snickers, Kit Kat, Hershey Kisses, Almond Joy, Mounds, Chocolate

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  56. M&Ms and Reese's peanut butter cups - especially the peanut butter pumpkins!

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  57. I love Reese, snickers just about all of them

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  58. Peanut butter cups! Big cups are the best!

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  59. My favorites are Milky Way, Three Musketeers, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. :)

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  60. I'm continuing to enjoy all of your comments and choices! A few more hours to the drawing...and (like the Terminator)...I'll be back...

    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  61. That was hard LOL so many faves on the list to choose from. One that was missing that we enjoy every Halloween, as that is the only time we can find them, is Big Hunk. Seems to be an annual treat in our household. Otherwise the chocolate always rules the day. Thank you for the fun!

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  62. My warmest thanks to everyone who took my poll and entered my Halloween contest this week. The winner is...(via Random Number Generator):

    Wendy West! Congratulations, Wendy!

    To everyone else who was kind enough to enter, stay tuned to this blog. With my "new release" countdown now on for my upcoming Coffeehouse Mystery: BILLIONAIRE BLEND, I'll be having fun giveaways throughout the months of November and December. (The book's release party day is December 3rd, and we'll have a fun giveaway that day, for sure!)

    Thanks again to everyone for these wonderful comments and...

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  63. #1 for me are Reese's PB cups. You can't beat peanut butter & chocolate! I also love Twix for the caramel & cookie, and Almond Joy for those times when coconut & almonds sound just right.

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