With Jell-O And Chocolate, You Have The Start Of A Candy Boomers Love

Nothing says the good old days like the beloved candies you ate as a child, and that's something previous generations can attest to. Among the many Halloween candies baby boomers loved, there's another treat you can still find in stores or make at home for a bite of nostalgia. Chocolate-covered jelly rings, which are made by the New York-based confectionery company Joyva, have been around since the '60s. (The company calls them Jell Rings, but many people know them as jelly rings.) They're common in Jewish delis, and they're a Passover favorite for many families since they're kosher. They may be hard to find if you don't live near New York or any of the best Jewish delis in the U.S., but they're easy to make.

Raspberry and orange are the flavors Joyva sells, but you can swap in your favorite fruit Jell-O mix when making it at home. Prepare the Jell-O on the stove and add sugar and plain gelatin, then transfer the liquid to a plastic jelly ring mold and let it sit in the fridge until solid. Melt some dark chocolate, dip the solid jelly rings into it, and let them cool until hardened. The result will be a chocolatey candy with a pleasant snap — especially when frozen or refrigerated — and a softer fruity interior. Adding an extract to the Jell-O that complements your chosen flavor, like raspberry, blueberry, or peach, enhances it further.

If you love Life Savers, this dessert might go over well with you. One Reddit user said of the Joyva candies, "The jelly is the same consistency as a life saver gummy but not as chewy." You get a fun textural experience and the best of both worlds.

Although chocolate-covered jelly rings are mass produced by Joyva, some small independent candy businesses continue making their own. One Facebook user lamented the days when these chocolate covered jelly rings were only a nickel each, while another Facebook user reminisced on buying them from the Jewish deli where they were sold by the pound. 

Various fans of the treat have said it's all too easy for these jelly rings to disappear in a single sitting, so if you make them at home, make sure you have enough to feed everybody. A common way to eat them is to bite off all the chocolate first and then eat the jelly center, especially when they're frozen. When you eat it that way, you'll get the equivalent of a hard candy like the aforementioned Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers. These treats are a multi-generational favorite, as many parents (and grandparents) shared them with their children. Whether you plan to make them part of your Passover dinner menu or just want an occasional treat, these chocolate rings are loved by many.