A couple of years ago I sampled my first "artisan-style," close-to-homemade marshmallow. There was no turning back. Handmade pillows of love aren't even in the same class as those plastic bags of jet-puffed goo. And though I haven't sampled the popular vegan and gelatin-free marshmallows from Sweet & Sara, I will take the word of my good friend Hannah (and the hundreds of other positive reviews I have read on this brand) that these belong in the high ranks of those artisan-style marshmallows.

But well beyond your typical vanilla variety, Swee & Sara offers enticing flavors like coconut, strawberry, and now a whole array of holiday treats ...

For Halloween they have just announced chocolate covered marshmallow bats. Accordig to Hannah, "The beauty of this Halloween offering isn't so much the actual shape though, but the fact that it's absolutely loaded with quality dark chocolate, providing the perfect textural foil to the light and fluffy mallow underneath. With just the barest hint of bitterness, it knocks down the level of sweetness overall, and makes these bats dangerously easy to wolf down."

And for Halloween and beyond Sweet & Sara has also added two new flavors ...

Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Peppermint.

Hannah's take on the Pumpkin Spice: "Although it's perhaps not as evident in the taste, these definitely read as their name sake, and do not disappoint. Warm spices are infused throughout each fluffy pillow, with cinnamon taking the lead, they are still mild and delicate enough that children as sure to love them as much as adults."

Hannah's take on the Chocolate Peppermint: "Lightly dusted with cocoa powder, these puffs are chocolate-y all the way through. Happily, the mint doesn't overwhelm but isn't lost in the candy either; Striking that illusive balance between the two flavors, each little mallow is both decadent and refreshing. Perhaps the perfect little treat to serve after a heavy dinner, these marshmallows are quite possibly the best version of pillow mints one could imagine."

Well, there you have it. I have seen Sweet & Sara's at Whole Foods, but if you aren't fortunate enough to have a giant natural food store nearby, simply order these treats online, directly from Sweet & Sara.

Article by Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook and founder of GoDairyFree.org. Hannah Kaminsky is the author of My Sweet Vegan and the Sweet Vegan e-Book Collection.