Candy Corner: Skittles Sandwich, aka Happy Mother's Day

by Erik

Ok, I know Mother's Day has come and gone, but I was out of town for work this last week and I didn't get to do a post and I want to make up for it. See, my mom is one of the most consistent, regular commenters on Candy Corner. At first, I was like "oh God, my MOM is reading my blog! How embarassing!" But her comments are always the nicest and most supportive, and so now I've come to look forward to them each week. It takes me back to when I was in an elementary school play, or at a piano recital that maybe didn't go so swell, but mom was there at the end of each performance telling you what a great job you'd done. Even if it maybe wasn't the greatest performance in the world. Even after 35 years, she never stops being a great mom. So, mom, if you're out there reading somewhere, this one's for you.  

It happens that two weeks ago saw one of the best candy-related television scenes of all time:

In this scene from Parks and Recreation, Andy (Chris Pratt) tells Chris (Rob Lowe) that his favorite food is the "Skittle Sandwich, aka Andy's Mouth Surprise." As soon as I saw the episode, I said to myself, "Why haven't I ever made a Skittles sandwich!?" My spouse, Mrs. Candy Corner, shouted out at the same time "we have to make those." So, the next day, we drove to 7-11 and bought ourselves a bag o' Skittles and a bar o' Starburst. The great Skittle Sandwich cook-off had begun! (Editor's note: Uh no. That is not what happened. What happened is that MY LOVELY WIFE bought me two bags of Skittles and a bag of Starbursts at the grocery store where she battled our two demonic and angry children while buying hundreds of dollars worth of food, which just SHOWS UP IN MY KITCHEN CABINETS LIKE MAGIC and which I then stuff in my piehole.)

Even the basic ingredients make a delightful-looking platter. We peeled the paper off the Starburst, and got ready to start "cooking."

A Skittle Sandwich is made by placing one (or more) Skittles in between two Starburst. To begin, place an unwrapped Starburst on a plate. Then take a Skittle and put it in the middle of the Starburst. Press down on the Skittle, firmly. The Skittle should slightly smush into the Starburst. Then take your second Starburst, place on top of the Skittle, and press down again. For added classiness, you can hold the sandwich together with a toothpick. Or, in our case, if you're out of toothpicks, a shishkabob stick. And for extra extra classiness, you can then set the tops of the shihskabob sticks on fire.

 
Note the triple-decker in the lower right-hand corner. That one is courtesy of Mrs. Candy Corner. It just goes to show that she truly is a one-of-a-kind, and that our marriage was probably fated by the candy gods right from the beginning. (You rule, Mrs. Candy Corner!) (Editor's note: Obvs.) Regardless, more advanced students may feel free to experiment with multiple Skittles and more than one layer -- the sky is truly the limit!

I will only say a few words about the taste and flavor profile. Both are simply incredible. The makers of these respective candies should be working their synergistic little asses off in order to capitalize on these things, because they are simply the best candy I have had in a long, long time (and I sample a lot of candy). There are dozens of different flavor combinations and profiles -- and yes, you can actually tell the difference in terms of flavor. My personal favorite: A grape and a lime Skittle sandwiched between a strawberry and cherry Starburst.   

Now, you might (in the back of your head) be asking why I would dedicate a post on Skittle sandwiches to dear old mother.  Like Peeps, Skittles have a long and kind of strange history in our house. My mom was a big believer in the restorative powers of the Skittle (although they weren't as 'restorative' as a two-pound bag of peanut M&Ms, but then ... what is ...?), so much so that the phrase "Pop and Skittles" yelled at the top of one's lungs over and over and over again wasn't an unusual household event so much as it was an every day occurrence (the origin of the phrase involves my mom's third-grade elementary school class ... just imagine it.)  My mom taught my largely incompetent dog how to sit, stay, and lie down using Skittles as a reward. To this day, the dog will go on a full-on, bird-dog point when she hears a bag of Skittles open (no lie, she really does. Of course, she also growls at the cement statue of a cat that the neighbors have on their porch, so, she's not really the brightest bulb in the box if you know what I mean). So, in the end, it really seemed fitting to dedicate the best candy in the world to the best mom there is. Happy Mother's Day to all, and may your pop and Skittles bring you joy and good fortune for the coming year.

{photo credits: tvfanatic.com, and myself!}

Comments

[Nora]

Ahhhh! Just when I think you can't possibly outdo your last post, you blow it out of the water. Not only did you mention the best episode of the best television show currently on TV, but you gave my two favorite candies the attention they deserve. Well done, sir.

[Janssen]

The editor's note makes this even more delightful.

Also, you lit them on fire. . . how can I not love this column?

[ariel]

oh man, I think I need to go get my hands on starbursts and skittles, they sound sooo good right now.

[Emiliy M]

Speaking of Skittles sandwich - this reminds me of something I did in elementary school (which may or may not have lasted through college. Or last week.)

My mom was always on a health food kick and we were never allowed to have candy (or Lucky Charms and Froot Loops and all of the best cereals for that matter - which, yes, I am still bitter about.)

Anyway, in elementary school we were allowed to make our own lunches. I have no idea how I got the idea for this, but I would hoard my Skittles from Halloween/Easter/Grandma who felt sorry for us not being able to eat candy and put them between two pieces of bread and peanut butter. My mom never knew what I was doing and I was able to take candy to school without her knowing.

And since my mom doesn't read your blog (though it is totally fun) I can admit this now without getting sent to the corner.

[Aaron Dicer]

I do a podcast with a couple friends (going on 3 years) called Skittle Sandwich (easily found on iTunes). We currently have a contest going for who can make the most creative Skittle Sandwich video. All of this, by the way, was set up before the Parks and Rec episode. Love what you did with them. Have a great day!

[Heather]

This is FANTASTIC! I will try this immediately with the Easter candy at my house!

[Laurie]

The resourcefulness of using shish kabob sticks to hold a snickers sandwich together....it's remarkable.

[Caitlin]

Erik, your column is consistently my favorite. I'm second what Nora and Janssen said. This post is so awesome.