A peanut butter cup is a molded chocolate with a peanut butter filling. Peanut butter cups are one of the most popular kinds of candy in America.[1] They can be made at home,[2] but like most candies, they are commonly mass-produced. They may also be available in candy shops, produced by local or regional candymakers.
The diameter, thickness, and the relative proportion of its two major components vary according to the desires of the maker. Any type of chocolate may be used for the shell, but milk chocolate is most common. Fillings are usually smooth, creamy peanut butter, but crunchy peanut butter, or peanut butter mixed with other flavors, is also used.
Brands
Three different sizes of Reese's peanut butter cups
The most popular brand of peanut butter cup is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (sold as Reese in Canada), always featuring Hershey's chocolate,[3][4] and now a Hershey brand.[5] The heavily roasted peanuts are a trademark flavor.[3] The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is considered the "finest creation" of Harry Burnett "H. B." Reese, a former employee of Hershey's, who set up his own candy-manufacturing business in the 1920s.[6] Ironically, peanut butter cups were not Reese's favorite candy.[3] He did, however, claim that he owned a trademark on the name "peanut butter cups" and repeatedly threatened legal action against other manufacturers and sellers who made peanut butter cups.[3] Originally sold in bulk, sales of their individual "penny cups" began in 1941, in response to sugar rationing during WWII.[7] The famous slogan "Two great tastes that taste great together" originated in a marketing campaign for this candy in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[3]
Heart-shaped peanut butter cups
Another brand is Palmer, which specializes in holiday-themed peanut butter cups. There are various forms that the peanut butter cups take for the different seasons. Each holiday has a different color of foil for the season. They can also come in different shapes, such as hearts or Christmas trees, during holiday seasons.
Many regional candy companies also have versions of the peanut butter cup, including Boyer Candies in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Variations
Peanut butter cups made with white, milk, and dark chocolate
Peanut butter cups are made with different variations, such as using white chocolate, dark chocolate, or chocolate-flavored peanut filling. The first variation marketed by Reese's used crunchy peanut butter in 1976.[8][5] Some have been one-time thematic variations, such as Reese's banana-flavored Elvis Special Edition in 2007.[9][10]
↑ Smith, Andrew (2006). Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. pp.xxxv. ISBN0-313-33527-3. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were invented by Harry Burnett Reese, a former employee of the Hershey Chocolate Company, who founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company. They were sold in five-pound boxes for use in candy assortments. Ten years later, Reese marketed these cups separately for a penny apiece. They remain one of America's most popular candy bars.
The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milkshakes, as well as other products. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, which is also home to Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company, which is a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel Company. The Hershey Trust Company owns a minority stake but retains a majority of the voting power within the company.
Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners, or emulsifiers. Consumed in many countries, it is the most commonly used of the nut butters, a group that also includes cashew butter and almond butter.
M&M's are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M's. The original candy has a semi-sweet chocolate filling which, upon introduction of other variations, was branded as the "plain, normal" variety. Peanut M&M's, which feature a peanut coated in milk chocolate, and finally a candy shell, were the first variation to be introduced, and they remain a regular variety. Numerous other variations have been introduced, some of which are regular widespread varieties while others are limited in duration or geographic availability. M&M's are the flagship product of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Incorporated.
Reese's Pieces are a peanut butter candy manufactured by The Hershey Company; they are oblate spheroid in shape and covered in candy shells that are colored yellow, orange, or brown. They can be purchased in plastic packets, cardboard boxes, or cup-shaped travel containers. The Reese company was founded by H.B. Reese. The H.B. Reese Candy Company was merged with The Hershey Company in 1963.
Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrero SpA, a subsidiary of Ferrero. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a chocolatey coating. Invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923, the name of the candy was chosen by a popularity contest. In its early years, it was promoted by Shirley Temple in the 1934 film Baby Take a Bow. Butterfinger was advertised by characters from an animated sketch series on Fox's The Tracey Ullman Show called The Simpsons beginning in 1988. The animated series became a smash hit for Fox, and its characters continued to represent the candy bar in commercial advertisements until 2001.
Hershey's Kisses is a brand of chocolate first produced by the Hershey Company in 1907. The bite-sized pieces of chocolate have a distinctive conical shape, sometimes described as flat-bottomed teardrops. Hershey's Kisses chocolates are wrapped in squares of lightweight aluminum foil. A narrow strip of paper sticks out from the top of each Hershey's Kiss wrapper. Originally designed as a flag for the "Hershey's" brand, the printed paper plumes were added to the Kisses product wrapper in 1921 in order to distinguish the Hershey's Kiss from its competitors who offered similar products.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are an American candy consisting of a chocolate cup filled with peanut butter, marketed by The Hershey Company. They were created on November 15, 1928, by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey. Reese left his job with Hershey to start his own candy business. Reese's generates more than $2 billion in annual sales for The Hershey Company, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are number one on the list of top-selling candy brands.
Clodhoppers are crunchy, fudge-covered graham clusters. They were originally discovered and marketed by the Kraves Candy Co., located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 2006, the brand and recipes were sold to Brookside Foods, who were in turn sold to Hershey's in 2011.
Reese's Take 5 is a candy bar that was released by The Hershey Company in December 2004. The original name of the candy bar was TAKE5 but common usage among consumers added a space. In June 2019, when the candy bar became part of the Reese's family, the name was officially changed to Reese's Take 5. The "5" in the name refers to the combination of five ingredients: chocolate, peanuts, caramel, peanut butter, and pretzels. This unique combination of ingredients earned Reese's Take 5 top honors in the 2019 LA Times official candy bar power rankings. The Take5 was known as Max 5 in Canada but has since been discontinued. Take5 has returned to Canada in the fall of 2020, under the name "Oh Henry Level Up".
Harry Burnett Reese Sr was an American inventor and businessman known for creating the number one-selling candy brand in the United States Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and founding the H. B. Reese Candy Company. In 2009, he was posthumously inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame.
Boyer Candy Company is an American candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The factory is located in the downtown district. Boyer Candy is privately owned by Consolidated Brands, which is owned by the Forgione family.
Whatchamacallit is a chocolate candy bar marketed in the United States by The Hershey Company.
Swoops were a chocolate candy manufactured by The Hershey Company. They were produced in the following flavors: Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Reese's Peanut Butter, Almond Joy, York Peppermint Pattie, White Chocolate Reeses, and Toffee and Almond. Limited edition varieties included White Chocolate Peppermint, Special Dark with Almonds, and Strawberries & Creme. They were introduced into the market in 2003 and discontinued in August 2006. According to a market research study of April 2004 only 14% of the customers knew Swoops.
NutRageous is a chocolate bar made by The Hershey Company. It consists of Reese's Peanut Butter topped with roasted peanuts and caramel covered in chocolate-flavored coating.
A candy bar is a type of candy that is in the shape of a bar. The most common type of candy bar is the chocolate bar, including both bars made of solid chocolate and combination candy bars, which are candy bars that combine chocolate with other ingredients, such as nuts, caramel, nougat, or wafers.
The peanut butter blossom cookie originated in 1957, is made with a peanut butter cookie dough, and is topped with a piece of chocolate candy. The cookie is considered a snack or dessert and is often served at events or during holidays in the United States.
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