candy

Taking a swing at a festive piñata may seem childish at best, but we'd argue that's half the fun. Ditch the generic mix of candy and add intrigue to the exhilarating activity by stuffing yours with Mexican sweets, treats, and slightly naughty additions (think mini bottles of booze). We've rounded up a variety of exciting options — ranging from chili-dusted watermelon lollipops to mazapan (a traditional peanut candy) — that will leave you and your friends clamoring for the best haul.

It's National Licorice Day, and if your first reaction is "Eww, licorice," then these 11 items may have you rethinking the anise-flavored root. From liqueur to laces to tea, these items will prove to you that it's about time to give licorice another chance.

It may not get top billing on the calendar, but National Licorice Day deserves to be celebrated! The fourth annual celebration of the candy occurs today, April 12, and it's the perfect opportunity to see just how versatile the chewy rope candy can be. Made from licorice root — which was found in the tomb of King Tut — the candy is equally popular with adults and kids, who usually receive an introduction to it via Red Vines or Twizzlers. Those ropes, while tasty on their own, also translate well into fun, kid-friendly craft projects and math programs to give kids yet another way to play with their food. Here are six fun ways to celebrate licorice's big day!

Step into any Asian supermarket and you'll be greeted by shelf after shelf of enticingly packaged Japanese candies. Great, right? Well, despite our love for the category, the vast variety can be, at times, a bit overwhelming. So in the interest of separating the kawaii ("cute" in Japanese) from the catastrophic, we're tasting our way through the panoply of Japanese sweets available stateside.

Whether the Easter Bunny brings you marshmallow Peeps, Cadbury Creme Eggs, or jelly beans, like Halloween, this holiday surrounds us with delicious, crave-worthy candy. It's only one time of year, so don't hesitate to indulge, but before you do, check out how many nibbles of your favorite Easter goodies add up to 100 calories.

Chocolate Easter bunnies, while adorable, are often more style than substance and are perhaps best suited to those of the age who still believe in the critter after which they're modeled. Still, ever curious, we set out to tackle the somewhat-daunting task of sampling the gamut of options available to see if any could pass muster with our slightly more sophisticated palates.

To keep the playing field even, we stuck to milk chocolate bunnies available at our local Target — no dark chocolate, novel flavors, or fancy-pants mail-order bunnies need apply. Keep reading to find which bunny reigns (relatively) supreme; we'll start with the most offensive and go from there.