Reviewed by Caralyn Green

If you're too old to trick-or-treat, you're old enough to know that Halloween is about more than fun-sized Snickers.

There's a whole world of scrumptiously spooky alternatives. Here are some Halloween candy options for your mature, sophisticated, college-educated tastes.

Candy Corn

If you're going to rot your teeth with the rock cocaine of the confectionery world, you'd better do it right. Not all candy corns are created equal, after all.

Brach's candy corn pops the competition. With bold honey overtones, Brach's maintains a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. However, generic candy corn, with its plastic, gritty texture and cloyingly sweet flavor, is worse than trick-or-treating for a toothbrush or shiny penny.

Many brands also manufacture "autumn mixes," which can include pumpkins and even chocolate flavored corn. I prefer candy pumpkins to the traditional corn because the heftier size provides a greater chew factor.

Take precautions. More than one handful of candy corn may cause a nasty stomachache and warrant a visit to the dentist.

Popcorn Balls

Ah, nothing better than a popcorn ball straight from mom's kitchen. Okay, so my mom never made popcorn balls. In fact, I don't know anyone's mom who did. But that does not diminish the cozy, comfy scrumptiousness of a popcorn ball.

Popcorn balls are just as sweet, salty and crunchy as their caramel corn cousins but come in easy-to-eat orbs. Savor your popcorn ball with a mug of steaming cider.

But be aware that the only thing worse than a stale popcorn ball is dealing with kernels jammed between your teeth. Rule of thumb: floss after consumption.

Peeps

Think that all Peeps are, well, peeps? Think again. Baby chicks may have made the marshmallow confections famous, but these charming, sugar-drenched delicacies come in many bloodcurdling varieties.

Halloween sweet treats include bats, the first ever chocolate-flavored Peep; bite-sized pumpkins, begging for a swim in your hot cocoa; individually wrapped vanilla ghosts that are perfect for parties; and dark purple cats, which sport oh-so-cute whiskers.

Peeps burst with squishy marshmallow goodness and an abundance of gritty-to-the-chew sugar, which leaves a sweet saccharine dusting on your lips. Make sure that once you open your Peeps, you store them in an airtight container to prevent staleness.

Halloween Oreos

Nibble, dunk and twist Halloween Oreos for a special, spooky treat.

"America's favorite cookie" comes in five limited edition spooktacular Halloween designs. Bats, cats, witches, ghosts and jack-o-lanterns adorn the chocolate cookies encasing the festive orange crème.

I just wish these suckers were the Double Stuf assortment. Once you go Double Stuf, you can't go back. Though these measly Oreos fail to satiate my frosting craving, they'll be a hit at parties.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans

Though Harry Potter mania has died down, Harry Potter-inspired treats are still worth a taste or two.

Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, created by Jelly Belly, fly straight from the pages of Potter into your mouth. With 38 flavors including buttered popcorn, bubble gum and blueberry, Bertie Bott's aren't just for Potterphiles.

Freaky flavors like black pepper, sardine and grass may not be totally tasty, but they'll help you fit into the wizarding world just like Professor Dumbledore, who, by the way, favors lemon drops to Bertie Bott's.