The Old-School Candy Kids Don't Find In Their Halloween Buckets Anymore

When you're a kid on the prowl for Halloween candy, there are a few sugary staples you'll inevitably reach for first. On the other hand, there are some sweets that are more of an acquired taste, leaving adults wondering what to do with all that leftover candy. One old-timey sweet you may recall fondly, or with disgust, is that orange-and-black-paper-wrapped taffy blob with a peanutty center. You probably didn't know, but these are called Peanut Butter Kisses. They don't feature any logo, and they definitely made parents raise eyebrows about their safety during the height of the razor blade candy legend. You also might realize that you haven't seen them around for a few years. 

Consistently mixed reviews mean these have never been one of the most popular Halloween candies in any decade, but that's not why they've more or less disappeared. Instead, the companies that made them and other old-fashioned candies have struggled to stay afloat over the years. The original manufacturer, the Charles N. Miller Company, was bought out by The New England Candy Company in 1990 when it began to lose stability. This was just a stay of execution, though, as The New England Candy Company itself declared bankruptcy in 2018. However, you can still find these candies for sale if you know where to look.

Originally named Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, these confections date back to at least 1907. However, the Charles N. Miller Company began officially producing the candies in 1914. He named them after his beloved aunt, adding a "kiss" of peanut butter for the second part of the moniker. The first iteration of the candy featured a molasses-based taffy with a preserved peanut butter paste for the center. That hasn't changed much in the past hundred years, except that Peanut Butter Kisses now include artificial colors.

Another thing that's remained the same about this most nostalgic candy is the wrapping. While festive colored for spooky season, the packaging is simple wax paper, which doesn't do much to stop the candy from drying out. While some are fans of the tough texture and oddly chalky filling, others have less fond memories of the almost tooth-breaking staleness these candies developed if someone tried to give them out two Halloweens in a row.

For enthusiasts who want to get their hands on some, you're still in luck. The Melster Candies company has been around since 1919, and makes its own Peanut Butter Kisses. This brand, which also makes the notorious Circus Peanuts, is now the only one that produces these orange-and-black-wrapped delicacies. You can buy them online if you want to indulge in some nostalgia or potentially traumatize unsuspecting children this Halloween. The cost might be a little greater than when they sold in dollar stores, but given the terrifyingly high price of candy nowadays, it's still a pretty good deal.