Does anyone remember "Almond Cluster?"

It was manufactured by Peter Paul.

Like Almond Joy and Mounds, Almond Clusters were also two pieces. It was dark chocolate (I THINK it was dark, it's been more than 30 years since I've had one) with slices of almonds. I remember it was a rich, but not heavy.

Oh, how I wish Peter Paul would bring them back, along with the Caravelle bars!

Almond Cluster was made from dark or milk chocolate (can't remember type either), almonds and malted milk. I don't like coconut in candy, so I used to buy the Almond Cluster. Peter Paul, Inc. was in Connecticut, and they did quite a bit of advertising on NYC television stations. I found an old grab on a newsgroup from the Hershey's web site which indicated Almond Cluster were introduced in 1959. I never did learn why they were discontinued. Cadbury Schweppes bought Peter Paul in 1978.

quote:

Originally posted by David_NYC

Almond Cluster was made from dark or milk chocolate (can't remember type either), almonds and malted milk.

MALTED MILK! No wonder they were so good! I thought there was a 'milkiness' to them. I'm craving one right now. Darn! Bad decision to discontinue Almond Clusters.

Growing up in CT, I too, recall the Peter Paul Almond Cluster. It was my favorite Peter Paul confection.

At that time (late 60's - early 70's as I recall) The Almond Cluster was made with milk chocolate, as was the Almond Joy, while Mounds Bars were made with dark chocolate.

The factory was located in Naugatuck CT and I visited/toured the factory several times. I recall seeing the huge rectangular bars of Baker's chocolate being put the melter and seeing the big roasting hoppers for the almonds. The smell was intoxicatingly delicious! I don't recall having seen the Almond Clusters being made, but do remember seeing the small rounded off blocks of coconut being formed and moving down the production line, where another machine placed the almonds onto the coconut base. Then off to the chocolate waterfall for a thorough coating. Of course the best part was getting those free samples at the end of the tour.

My mom was great about taking me and my friends on factory tours and we also visited local dairies, a pencil manufacturer, etc. My late aunt even took me to the, then new, Lenders Bagel Factory (in New Haven, where the mass produced flash frozen bagels originated), where one of the Lender brothers (Murray as I recall) personally took us on a guided tour!

I'm guessing that not many factories/plants offer real tours anymore, no doubt due to insurance and liability concerns, but even today, I can let my mind travel back and can still smell those almonds roasting at Peter Paul..

What a delightful memory, Charles Cramer.

When I was in grade school in Indianapolis, we were taken to the local Colonial Bread factory/bakery for an educational field trip, and each received a miniature loaf of bread. That was neat, but a candy company tour would have been even neater.

I used to love Mounds and Almond Joy bars. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy to sulfites about 10 years ago. The coconut in both candy bars is sulfited. I have had severe allergic reactions to them, so I can no longer eat them.

The last time I remember seeing Almond Clusters was early in the 70s - between these and Walnettos, Peter Paul was my favorite candy company!

It's been too long for me to remember just how the malted milk component fit into things, but if anyone here dabbles in making candy, this would be a good candidate for a do-it-yourself recipe (I'd sure like to know how to make a reasonable facsimile)

Update to previous post: I found crunchy malted milk chunks for sale locally at Cake Art in Tucker, GA (a place with a jaw-dropping inventory of cake and candy supplies) - I made a thin sheet of it with a small amount of honey as a binder, poured over with molten milk chocolate with chopped roasted almonds.
Verdict: the flavor was quite evocative, but the malted component had more textural presence than I remembered - maybe it needs grinding down finer? ...and I would maybe add a little dark chocolate to reduce its hand-melting quality. I'm new at this candy business.

I also recall the Almond Cluster bars. They were one of my all-time favorites.  At some time, the almond part was discontinued. Why, I don't know, and the name was changed to Cluster. It then lost it's appeal, since it was no more than peanuts, or some other nuts, and chocolate.

If anyone has a recipe for these, I would love to have it.    It was the only Peter Paul candy bar I liked.  I grew up in MI, so it made it away from the east coast!

Yes!  One of the best candy bars ever   They were milk chocolate and just the right size.  How I wish Peter Paul would bring them back...

I remember them form the late 50's and early 60's.  I really liked them and was sorry to see it disappear.  The other candy I miss is Idaho Spud.  I liked that better then all other candys.  Does anyone remember the Idaho Spud?

rumaki


What a delightful memory, Charles Cramer.

When I was in grade school in Indianapolis, we were taken to the local Colonial Bread factory/bakery for an educational field trip, and each received a miniature loaf of bread. That was neat, but a candy company tour would have been even neater.

I used to love Mounds and Almond Joy bars. Unfortunately, I developed an allergy to sulfites about 10 years ago. The coconut in both candy bars is sulfited. I have had severe allergic reactions to them, so I can no longer eat them.

 
Where was Colonial located? I recall we went to the Wonder Bread factory on Shadeland.

Idaho Spuds are still being made. They were never gone here in my town and you can buy them all over the internet including right from theit site:

Here is the link for the Iowa Candy Company:
http://www.idahospud.com/buy-candy.php