as summer winds down, candy season starts up again. halloween is just around the corner (well, maybe down the block and around the corner) and i happened to spot the elusive Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses at my local Target (no sign of caramel apple, though...)

my first thought upon opening the bag: they sure do reek, kind of like a bag of potpourri, and not exactly appetizing. unwrapped, the kiss is a pleasant halloween-y shade of toasted orange. i'm guessing the coating is just colored, unflavored "white confection" (i tried to pick off just the coating and couldn't really discern a flavor, but i'm not entirely sure). inside, a creamy white filling that is extremely sweet but does indeed have that pumpkin spice kind of flavor.

off the shelf, these are not that great; they are simply TOO SWEET and the texture is soft and fudgy, as if they're already partially melted. however, here are two suggestions to improve your Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kiss experience:

1) Pop 'em in the fridge for a while. Chilled, these are somehow quite a bit more palatable than they are freshly-purchased. The texture is more akin to a standard Kiss and it is easier to bite off the bottom of the kisses and eat the pumpkin creme (uh, that is, if you're into that sort of thing...)

2) Eat them while enjoying a cup of strong black coffee. This helps IMMENSELY and in fact makes the whole experience quite a bit like enjoying a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Those of you who don't like coffee... hmm... not sure what to tell ya. i'll just say that i was leaning towards a negative opinion of these UNTIL i had them with coffee, and now i'm rather fond of the little buggers.

so, that's it, my first limited edition of the season. i'm sure there are tons more on the way :) :) :)