Russell Stover Marshmallow Egg

It's an egg! It's marshmallow! What's not to love?
Russell Stover is one of those brands I seem to overlook. I am not sure why really, by and large I have liked all of the products I have tried and for a middle of the road level chocolate I actually prefer it to other lines in the same range (such as Whitman's or Hershey's Pot Of gold line)

My favorite of Stover's candies are anything that has a whipped filling- they just seem to have struck a good balance between sweet but not call the dentist sweet.

Have I also mentioned my love of all things marshmallow?

The Stover's egg has a very thin shell of creamy milk chocolate surrounding the almost spongy marshmallow cream. I like the texture of the Stover's marshmallow. While it will give a slight resistance when you pull on it it is not sticky or liquid, as say Marshmallow Fluff would be- But at the same time is not as firm a marshmallow as say a Peep would be by comparison. The flavor of this marshmallow is strongly vanilla and that is the egg's only downfall. The problem is not that it is a vanilla flavored marshmallow but that Russell Stover's uses Vanillin- an artificial vanilla flavor rather then real vanilla. The initial taste is passable but there is a chemical aftertaste to the flavoring.
The chocolate isn't the most complex but it does have a good, slightly grainy melt to it. I really like the proportions of this egg. If the shell were any thicker the chocolate- already being on the far sweet side of the milk chocolate range would over power the marshmellow. And I think had the marshmallow been any thicker it might be too tough, and if it had been any thinner it might have ended up runny.

Considering the egg's tend to retail for around $1.00 or two for a dollar as it gets closer to, or after Easter I can look past the use of the Vanillin- even with it this is still a good product and it's hard to knock that price. I would love to see Stover's do a "Premium" version of this egg with higher quality chocolate and real vanilla, but the Easter Bunny can bring me the existing egg's as they are.


PURCHASED FROM:
Walgreens

Russell Stover- Buzzard Egg

Is it fitting that buzzards are known for circling things that are dying?


Buzzard egg's are maple cream centers enrobed in dark chocolate shaped like an egg.

The chocolate layer is thin and surprisingly good. This makes the third time in recent history I have liked Russell Stover chocolate- this has actually made me rethink the companies candy as a whole.

What unfortunately was not good was the maple cream. The cream's texture it's self was good- light and airy and just a tad gritty from the sugar. Gooey and sticky. The perfect whipped cream center. Sadly what was not good was the taste. It's just too sweet and too strong. It's like pancake syrup in chocolate.
If they would just tone the maple down a bit this could be great.


Check out Cybele's review of the RS Orange Marshmellow Pumpkins for more halloweenie fun

Russell Stover Vanilla Bean Brulee

These squares are part of the Private Reserve collection and they will now be part of my reserve as well.




The base chocolate is a 70% dark chocolate. The bitterness of the chocolate perfectly balances the sweetness of the creamy center.
The center is supposed to taste like Vanilla Creme Brulee. Honestly I don't really taste the vanilla. If I was blind tasting I would actually tell you that the center has a faint hint of toasted marshmallow rather then straight vanilla. Whats nice is that the chocolate and the center perfectly compliment each other like warm Starbucks on a cold day or Sigfried and Roy.
They also managed to make the melt even and creamy on these (unlike the Black Forrest squares)

At roughly 60 calories a .45 oz square it's not something you want to sit and snack on all afternoon but if you need a rich chocolate fix or an indulgent treat it is well worth the calories.

Russell Stover German Black Forrest Truffle

I came across these at Target and had to give them a try.

Black Forrest cake has always been one of my favorites. What's not to love? rich dark chocolate, tart cherry and sweet cream. HMMMMMM

Russell Stover chocolate?, well not so much. I never go out of my way to buy them. It's not that they are bad so much as they are just there. HOWEVER these truffles may be the best candy they have ever done.

It's a thin semi-sweet square that has a light layer of milk chocolate. A dark chocolate truffle center and just a hint of cherry. The square does manage to taste like a good slice of cake would.

What's not so great about it- although I am willing to over look it for the taste is the lack of "snap" if you break the square it basically bends and crumbles rather then giving a satisfying snap. And the lack of melt. The chocolate doesn't so much dissolve or melt in a creamy, rich, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory-type river down your throat as it simply disappears.

Give it a try... or don't more for me!