York Pieces

Continuing the theme from last time are the York Pieces I bought at the same time.  These are Pieces versions of the classic York Peppermint Pattie [sic], which I assume needs no further introduction.

The weird thing about these is that they're basically mint flavored M&Ms.  I was expecting something with the same creamy filling that you would find in a York Peppermint Pattie.  But of course, that would be Junior Mints.

Which begs the question: why buy these instead of Junior Mints?  The flavor is almost exactly the same.  To quote Kramer, "Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint?  It's chocolate, it's peppermint - it's delicious!"  York Pieces are basically Junior Mints only hard.  Where Junior Mints have a soft chocolate exterior and a creamy interior, York Pieces have a crispy candy shell and a solid chocolate interior.

I rush to add that the flavor of York Pieces is outstanding.  I am not a big fan of mint and chocolate, so it takes something special to turn my head.  These combine the York dark chocolate with a really nice mint - it's not toothpaste-y or too bright, the way many mint flavors tend to be.  It's refreshing, without being obnoxious.

And truth to tell, one of the things I have always hated about Junior Mints is the way that the soft chocolate inevitably sticks to your fingertips, leaving them sticky and waxy.  If you'll notice, most Junior Mint fans shake the candies straight from the box into their mouths, and I'm pretty sure this is why.  

York Peppermint Pattie was originally made by the York company in Pennsylvania in the 1940s.  I assume they chose the odd spelling "Pattie" because of the rule that a commonplace term like "peppermint patty" can't be trademarked.  (By the way, this is the same reason why we now have the Syfy Channel instead of the Sci Fi Channel.  Although no explanation is forthcoming for the crappy grammar of their slogan, "Imagine Greater.")  

Peter Paul bought the York company in 1972, which draws an interesting connection between these York Pieces and the Almond Joy Pieces I tried yesterday.  Both candies were made by Peter Paul, although both are now made by Hershey's which has bought almost every candy company in the country.

York Peppermint Patties stand out in the marketplace due to their use of dark chocolate.  I'm a big fan of dark chocolate, and it pairs well with the peppermint filling.  Thankfully, York Pieces use the same flavor combination.  

One way in which York Pieces are superior to the original is that the original is sold in individually wrapped patties.  So you have a lot less packaging this way.  And there is no affordable or reasonable way to stuff your face with handful after handful of York Peppermint Patties, as I have done with the York Pieces all afternoon.

In theory, I like the fact that these bags have a ziplock closure.  As opposed to M&Ms, say, where you have to fold over the end of the bag and hope for the best.  (Or, if you are borderline OCD like me, use a binder clip to clip the bag shut.)  In practice, I'm not sure I will need to actually close this bag before it's empty.  Nom nom nom!