The Golden Butter Toffee: Brach's Creme De La Creme

Imagine, if you will, being able to savor the sweet bliss of a glazed donut without the calories. Sounds impossible, right? The stuff of dreams and fantasy science experiments. But Brach's candy has made that dream a little more attainable in the form of a delicious, not-for-individual-resale treat know as the Golden Butter Toffee.

Brach's, a division of the Farley's and Sathers Candy Company, has long been a candy shelf staple. Around October, you would probably know Brach's as the producer of oodles and oodles of bagged candy corn. Year round, you would probably know Brach's as the candy overflowing self-service, by-the-pound bins at your local super market. That's right, when you and your shopping cart round the corner, the guy caught sheepishly reaching into the bin for a free taste is reaching for Brach's.

Back to my original claim...what does Brach's have to do with donuts? Plenty, for Brach's Golden Butter Toffee is as close as any candy has ever come to replicating the signature flavor of the glazed donut. The "butter toffee" name suggests that Brach's did not set out to encapsulate the donut flavor in candy form, but whether or not the flavor match is intentional or merely a happy accident, this consumer is satisfied.

Obviously, the candy cannot duplicate the texture of the donut, which for many a donut-lover is one of the best aspects of the donut - the soft, yet chewy lightness of the yeast, and the crackle of the glazed shell. It is important to remember, however, that a glazed donut can net you anywhere from 200-400 calories, depending on the donut-maker. (Opt for the Easter favorite, the Polish paczki, and the calories go up even more). At just 20-ish calories per toffee, Brach's offers a low-calorie solution to the donut flavor craving. One might also note that it takes considerably longer to enjoy a hard candy than it does to consume a donut, especially if said donut is fresh off the conveyor belt, dissolving the moment it touches your tongue.

Healthy living is about negotiating temptations. While excessive candy consumption poses a detriment to your dental health - and ability to sleep if consumed at, oh, say, right before bedtime - the occasional Golden Butter Toffee can ward off bigger problems - oh, say, a trip to Dunkin' Donuts, or a "cupboard desperation snack" involving bread and liberal coatings of Nutella or peanut butter. Simply unwrapping a Toffee can do the trick.

I have seen Brach's Golden Butter Toffees at my local super market for around $4.99 a pound. A pound of candy will keep you set for a while. Scoop away!