Seasonal Reese's are better than Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are obviously incredible, the envy of their chocolaty peers. But as Easter approaches and we begin to consider our springtime candy lineups (I assume everyone does this), it might be time to admit that specialty Reese's -- we'll use the seasonal Reese's Egg as an example -- are better.

There are several key differences between Reese's Cups and Reese's Eggs, including size, shape, and the amount of peanut butter within the chocolate shell. Most notably, the cup has ridges and the egg does not.

But Reese's, it turns out, do not need ridges to be the best versions of themselves. In fact, they just need to be shapeless, chunky globs.

The peanut butter to chocolate ratio

People like Reese's because they combine two good things that are also good together: peanut butter and chocolate. If a consumer wanted chocolate only, they'd eat a Hershey's bar or one of those weird truffles in the corner of a Whitman's sampler. It makes no sense that a Reese's liker would not want each bite of their Reese's to taste like a Reese's: that is, like peanut butter and chocolate at the same time.

The trouble with the ridges: The thick edge they create disrupts the cup's delicate peanut butter-chocolate balance. A bite including ridges will not contain as much peanut butter as a bite containing exclusively innards -- and the latter is superior.

The best possible Reese's bite is achieved by nibbling away the ridges around the entire perimeter: a method dubbed "stripping the gear" by the official blog for Hershey's Chocolate World in Las Vegas (an authority on the matter). But there's really only one of these bites inside the typical Reese's; the rest are marred by the ridges. On a Reese's egg, however, the entire surface is smooth and ridge-free. Every bite is the good bite, the perfect marriage of PB and C.

The measurements

Any Reese's of standard size will probably last you two to three bites, but the Reese's Egg is slightly larger than the Cup. An investigative report from the Albany, New York-based publication All Over Albany found that a Reese's Egg might weigh around 14 grams more than its cup counterpart -- no small difference.

The egg they used in their test also contained 9 grams more peanut butter than the cup. (In fact, the egg contains the second-most peanut butter of any standard size Reese's iteration, beaten only by the Reese's Heart.) And what is the candy called? A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (or Egg, or Heart, or whatever). It's right on the label!

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The allure of limited edition treats

Any one of us could walk into CVS any old day and buy a 2-pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, house them, feel great, feel slightly bad, then feel fine again. But we can only do this with Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs -- or Hearts, or Christmas Trees, or Pumpkins -- during some parts of the year.

This, of course, is incredibly alluring. We're all vulnerable to the psychology of exclusivity, even if it's just a limited edition holiday candy. When I see a Reese's Cup in the checkout line, I feel nothing. But when I see a Reese's Egg, I simply must have it. Who knows if one will be there the next time I find myself in this badly lit Duane Reade? (It probably will be.) And who knows when the next round of soft seasonal Reese's will appear? (There will be pumpkins in the fall.)

Finally, the eggs are better because they come from hens.

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If you disagree and think Reese's Cups are the best, that is your opinion. However, you are legally obligated to send all your Reese's Eggs to me by mail by Easter Sunday (April 21). Thank you.