Marilyn O'Neill is shown in her kitchen making the candies she sells under the Candy Ma'am Candies label. She was introduced to me when Dan Holstein her neighbor sent me a box of Huckleberry Cordials for Christmas. We all like them so well that I made contact with Marilyn and arranged for a full blown Product Test of her candies. As a result she send me a supply of the following types from her long list of available candies. 1. Huckleberry Truffles The first item we tested from this shipment was the Bear Paws and I have to say that the three product testers who tried them all rated them as the best of the best. They are a thick chewy caramel topped with chocolate and cashews and the taste is just out of this world. Sure wouldn't do for Marilyn to be my next door neighbor or I'd have trouble getting thru the door. Yes they were that good. These are big pieces of candy too with six of them going a full half pound. The original Huckleberry Cordials that Dan had sent to me were in the nice wooden box also shown above and it is now a keep sake used for holding small items on my desk. These cordials can best be described by me as similar to a chocolate covered cherry but with a great big juicy huckleberry in place of the cherry. The huckleberry gives them a unique taste all their own that has to be tried to be appreciated. I grow blueberries here commerically and so I have a real affinity for the blueberry/huckleberry and all four of the testers of these gave them rave reviews. The only problem I found with them was they just ran out too soon. The Raspberry and Cherry Cordials are just as with the Huckleberry Cordials described above and were just as good. The Raspberry was a very unique taste for a boy from the deep south who has no raspberries around to taste but I think that our black berries are a bit similar. Excellent tangy taste. Like black berries the seeds of the raspberry are tiny and were there to let you know it was the real thing. Marilyn's Cheery Cordials are very similar to a Chocolate covered cherry but are a bit different. The taste however is the same and that means excellent. I've been know to go thru a box of chocolate covered cherries way too quickly and these were no exception. Holding back and leaving some for Matt (#2 son) to try wasn't easy. The Huckleberry Tuffles were perhaps even better than the cordials as the flavor of the huckleberries was mixed all in the filling and I do like that taste. The huckleberry is really just another name for blueberries and I eat them by the handful right from my bushes each year and even sit down with a bowl full at times so you know I do appreciate them and all the folks who come pick them do too. If you've not tried blueberries/huckleberries you own it to yourself to try some of these. You won't be sorry. The Strawberry Truffles were a particular favorite of Phil's (#3 son) and he managed to make off with most all of them. When asked if he liked them he said "you betcha" and continued to munch away. They have a creamy strawberry flavor center covered in dark chocolate and if you like strawberries you should love these. The last item were the Coconut Creams. I'm not sure I've ever eaten a candy quite like this one before but I do like coconut and I do like chocolate and these were a nice chewy coconut center surrounded by some excellent chocolate and were one of my top favorites. It was really difficult to pick a true favorite for each of us as they were all so good. Phil definitely selected the Strawberry Truffles and made most of them go away but did allow the rest of us a little taste just to confirm they met with our approval. Matt never really expressed a favorite but did put away his share of what was left. Me and Faye both agreed the Bear Claws were at the top of our list with the Huckleberry Truffles and Cordials coming in right behind. These candies from Candyma'am Candies are fully the equal of any you'll find anywhere in a confectionary shop or specialty catalog and the price is far more reasonable than any of the catalogs of similar items I've seen. We get a few of the specialty catalogs each year especially around the holidays, the prices there are double or more what Marilyn charges and her candies are as good and maybe even a bit better than what we get from those catalogs. If you like candies, and who doesn't, then you owe it to yourself to try out the Candyma'am Candies product line. You can visit the site via this hot link: to see the entire product line and price list. These would make outstanding gifts for those special occaions and the wood boxes will become a treasured keep sake for sure. All four Product Testers: Faye aka Mrs. Graybeard, Phil aka #3 son, Matt aka #2 son and the old Graybeard himself give these candies a thumbs up and they definitely get the Graybead Seal of Approval. Call 1-800-431-1779 for Fast, Friendly Service! Or Visit the website for Secure online ordering.
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