When it comes to Halloween, I don't think one should feel obligated to dress up in costume, but one practice that is practically obligatory is indulging in bite-size chocolates Halloween night, if not before. They are small, and just so lovable and edible. Personally, I can easily have ten little chocolates and pretend that they are equivalent to one candy bar. (Who am I kidding?) 

There are so many to choose from but that's because, in case you haven't noticed, many have identical formulas with different names. Yes, you heard me. They are twins. Nestlé's Crunch and Hershey's Krackel are both milk chocolate bars with toasted rice cereal. Snickers and Baby Ruth? Milk chocolate with nougat, roasted nuts, and caramel. But is one better than the other? 

We decided to ask eight kids and eight adults to pick their favorite between seven different kinds of doppelgangers in our blind Halloween Chocolate Taste Test. You may think you know which is your ideal pick, but you might want to check again. Our tasters were often surprised by their selections. 

Plus, it's never too early to start eating Halloween chocolate.

Yes, it's time to come to terms with the fact that it's October, which means Halloween is days away. The drugstores are already inundated with large bags of familiar miniatures, and the requisite candy corns. Don't get me wrong, those are all delicious, but we're thinking this might be a good time to win over the trick-or-treaters with something new. Perhaps this will be the year of p.o.p candy (with festive Halloween colored sprinkles)? We liked 'em and we bet your neighbors will too.

Here's why...

WHAT WE LIKED BEST:

1. Better than any old brittle. According to one editor, "these medium sized Chips Ahoy square-sized sweets make up for a lifetime of teeth-sticking, sugary, inferior peanut brittles. Finally, I don't have to use my finger to remove any cavity-causing residue."

2. 4 is the magic number. This crunchy sweet and salty treat is made from 4 ingredients, all of which are easy to pronounce; Butter, sugar, premium nuts and light corn syrup.

3. Nut-lovers dream. There are 11 varieties to choose from. We tasted the Almond Butter Crunch, but the "Thyme, Walnut, 'n Butter Cherry" sounds divine.

WORTH IT OR NOT?

SPLURGE! A. Especially if you want to stand out from all the other homes this Halloween season. Because they are step up (or two) from the ever so addictive buttery Werther's candy. And B. For 25 tasters (they are individually wrapped, instead of one big 8 oz tablet which gets broken up) it is $20. Less than $ 1, per treat!

After completing our Ice cream sandwich taste test, I thought I wouldn't be able to consume another frozen dessert for at least a month or two. Then I tried Lã Loo's Bambinis Ice Cream sandwiches and realized, Hey, maybe I have a preternaturally high threshold for consuming ice cream sandwiches after all (I think the tartness from the goat's milk made ice cream helped!). Yes, it was that good. And thus, we have this week's Treat of the Week.

WHAT WE LIKED BEST:

1. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the cutest of them all?" Bambinis petite stature just makes one think "adorable."

2. Free and Friendly! As in free of growth hormones/antibiotics and lactose-friendly (goat's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk).

3. "Is that chocolate I taste?" The cookie has authentic chocolate flavor. "Certainly a cut above the usual ice cream sammie biscuit!" stated one taster.

4. Smooth operator. Some said the texture of the ice cream was velvety, others said silky. Either way, you can't go wrong.

5. How many bites does it take? Four. A good snack, not too rich, maybe a tad small!

6. Delicious from beginning to end. The ice cream filling has a subtle and sweet vanilla flavor, and with no unpleasant aftertaste like some nondairy-based frozen treats.

WORTH IT OR NOT?

Clearly worth the splurge (even after an ice cream sandwich taste test): A box of 8 retails for $5.99. Consider them the Grey Poupon of ice cream sandwiches. Something about goat's milk screams sophistication.

The results are in from the second trial of the Chicken Challenge, in which I try to find chicken recipes my chicken-hating husband will happily eat. The Chicken Hater and I are both beginning to understand that we might have a long, chickeny fall ahead of us before we find the perfect chicken recipe.

This time around we tried a highly-recommended Gourmet recipe for Chicken Tikka, which called for marinating cubed chicken breast for 4 hours, then broiling the chicken on skewers. We served the chicken with cous cous and broccoli, which made for a healthful meal, but since both the Chicken Hater and I work full-time, any recipe that calls for that much start-to-finish time isn't one we're likely to be able to make very often. Since easiness is a factor in the Chicken Challenge Scorecard, this recipe, unfortunately, had a small handicap coming out of the gate.

To find out how this recipe performed against the demanding Chicken Challenge Scorecard, read on...

As you may have noticed we do taste tests fairly often, some are more formal while others are far more casual and spontaneous. Starting this week I will be sharing Epi Editors' thoughts on our weekly picks. Or perhaps we will call it Treat of the Week.

Our latest find was Maple Honey Caramels by Sweet Revolution. Why taste this particular caramel? Honestly? Because of its packaging and because we were quite skeptical about the unusual combination of maple syrup and honey, two competing condiments. Our comments are below.

WHAT WE LIKED BEST:

1) The packaging alone wins approval; the red sealing wax stamp is charming and gives the product an authentic artisanal look.

2) These caramels are not delicate. More firm and substantial than your regular homemade variety.

3) Not saccharine sweet like most maple syrup candy; honey is nicely floral. Combined with the buttery undertone the three ingredients balance each other out.

4) Chewy and sticky, but does not actually stick to your teeth.

5) Nice salty finish.

WORTH IT OR NOT?

Worth the splurge. For $20 dollars you get 12 individually hand-wrapped, succulent, USDA-stamped organic caramels all tucked away in a rustically decorated cardboard box. Perfect gift for gourmands of all ages.

About a month ago we posted a poll asking readers to identify their favorite variety of salsa: mild, medium, or hot. Around 48 percent of voters chose "medium." These results were a blow to fans of super spicy sauces but not a real shocker.

We value your input and immediately set out to taste 20 top-selling national brands of medium-spiced salsa. For some of us, a.k.a me (yes I am a wimp and I voted for mild), this proved to be quite a challenge. I was convinced my taste buds would be irrevocably scalded by the heat and that I'd never again be able to dive into a good dip. (I don't do wasabi or jalapeños either.). I was wrong.

Now I can honestly say that I am a convert. True, by the end of the blind taste my mouth was on fire, but I was hooked. Who knew it could be so easy? Consuming that much heat gave me an enormous adrenaline rush, like a runner's high in the middle of a marathon. It seems I have gone from being a medium salsa hater to a heat-seeking, hot salsa mama. Check out our top four picks and let us know if you agree or disagree with our findings.

We are confronted by either-or propositions that define us throughout our lifetime: Are you a cat or a dog person? Inny or outty? Sweet or savory? When given the option, I am a sparkling water kind of guy. I want bubbles before dinner (to stimulate the palate), but also when I'm working, relaxing, and just plain thirsty. Tap seems dull. Recently, I had the opportunity to try two types of fizzy waters: one is a make-it-yourself kit, the other a set of manufactured, canned waters.

Manufactured: R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Essence Organics (four flavors available)
Make It Yourself: SodaStream (dozens of flavors available)

Next up is our frozen treat taste test. But there are so many options to choose from. So help us out! Aside from a regular scoop of ice cream, which of the following is your favorite "no spoons necessary" frozen treat?

We have now completed a total of 12 taste tests. These are long, arduous, carefully planned examinations. The most recent one focuses on chunk light canned tuna just in time for summer picnicking. To give you a behind-the-scenes peek: We discussed the topic at length and narrowed down the field by researching which type of canned tuna is the most popular in the U.S. Then we blindly tasted them . . . without any assistance from mayo or a cracker. It's not so easy. Most tasters tend to go back for second and/or third helpings of each before they jot down their thoughts and give each a fork rating. For iron stomachs only.

Some taste tests have been far more pleasant than others. We were all ecstatic to consume large quantities of both frozen pizza and pre-made pie crusts. Hot dogs, on the other hand, are a challenge. How can anyone eat 68 in 10 minutes?

Starting today, the Taste Tests finally get their own dedicated area on our site so you can find them more easily. Just go to the taste test subsection inside our "Everyday Cooking" section. (Hold applause.) Or read all blog posts tagged with "taste tests."

We are not done tasting, though. There are plenty more products for us to explore. Next up is salsa (most readers prefer medium to hot or mild). Perhaps you can tell us what you want us to test next. Got requests? Make sure the category has nationally available products and is seasonally appropriate.

Our next blind taste test will feature top-selling salsas. But we need to
narrow down the options.

The key question: What style of salsa do you prefer?

Place your vote and look for the results of our salsa taste test later this summer.