Author: Vin

QUICK REVIEW: Perry’s Ice Cream Elf Trash

Vin 6 Comments

Perry's Ice Cream Elf Trash

What is Perry’s Ice Cream Elf Trash?

According to the North Pole’s head elf, Sugarplum Perry, he and his elf brethren “accidentally” raided Santa’s cupboard to create the “yummiest holiday stash.”

How “stash” became “trash” remains a mystery, but you know what they say, “One man’s trash is another elf’s pleasure.*”

Perry s Ice Cream Elf Trash 2

How is it?

Elf Trash made my yuletide gay. I don’t exactly know what that means, and I don’t know if that’s still PC, but I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing.

Speaking of good things, using a flavor base of white chocolate instead of vanilla was an excellent decision. I’d never had Perry’s brand ice cream prior to this, but they seem to have the perfect level of creaminess nailed down.

Perry s Ice Cream Elf Trash 4

The ice cream stood on its own, but the “Elf Trash” Christmas fix-ins brought it to another level. Not only do we get fudge covered pretzels, peanuts, and candies, but crispy pralines too. Each spoonful is loaded with additional bites of varying textures that really make this a happy “accident.”

Is there anything else you need to know?

Perry s Ice Cream Elf Trash 3

While the green and red fudge ornaments give the ice cream its festive look, they’re a tad hard and chalky in the ice cream, and I honestly don’t think the overall product would have suffered without them. This is a nitpick though as they’re still fun and tasty enough. They’re essentially Sixlets without the candy shells.

Other than that, I have no complaints. The sugar crystal coated pralines were perfect, and the hint of salt from the pretzels and Goober-esque peanuts wrapped this all in a delicious bow.

Conclusion:

Don’t let “Trash” fool ya, because you’re not gonna find many better ice creams in the freezer right now. I’d absolutely recommend picking up a pint this Christmas.

*People say this, don’t fact check it. Feel free to fact check Sugarplum Perry’s “head elf” claim.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: 1 pint
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 Cup) 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 grams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist

Vin 2 Comments

Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist

What is the Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist?

Sonic’s convoluted menu has a new snack for those two dudes to ramble on about – the Sweet Pretzel Twist.

How is it?

Let me preface this review by stating that soft pretzels are easily one of my favorite foods in the world. I may very well be overrating Sonic’s new Sweet Pretzel Twist. That being said, this twist is pretty amazing.

The texture is spot on. It’s right where you’d want a soft pretzel to be. The outside is buttery with a mild crisp that makes way for a soft, warm doughy interior.

Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist 2

It’s not BLASTED with cinnamon sugar like you’d think. It’s definitely less sandy than a cinnamon pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, but it’s just about as buttery, which makes for a delicious sweet and salty merger. Don’t worry though, it’s still sweet and you still get plenty of cinnamon, it’s just not complete overkill.

It’s also a perfect size. While it goes down in five bites max, it’s satisfying and you won’t feel like you just ate a lead doughball.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist 3

The pretzel comes with Cinnabon cream cheese frosting. It’s good, but I found it to be unnecessary. Save the icing cup for something else and just enjoy the pretzel on its own.

Oh, and honestly, it kinda looks like Mr. Hanky. So, there’s that.

Conclusion:

If I were a God*, my ambrosia would be soft pretzels. Yeah, I may aim low, but I adore them. I consider them to be in the ballpark of pizza, where even the worst, not-so-soft pretzel is still satisfying. For me to rate these this high, they must be good. Right?

This is going to become a staple in my diet. While I’ll probably go for the regular pretzel most of the time, the Sonic Sweet Pretzel Twist is stellar, and well worth stopping for.

*Still waiting for my 23andMe results.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (NOTE: Sweet nutrition is unavailable for some reason. The following is for the regular Pretzel Twist) 250 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 gram of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 440 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses

Vin 2 Comments

Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses

What are Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses?

Since real kisses are so hard to come by these days, I figured I’d continue my hot cocoa kick with Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses that feature milk chocolate with marshmallow creme.

How is it?

Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses 2

I’m gonna start with a bit of a prediction – I think most people will enjoy these more than I do. That being said, I do like them. I just thought I’d love them.

The Kiss casing is standard Hershey’s fare – or “fair” depending on your thoughts of Hershey’s chocolate.

Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses 3

The marshmallow crème center is the star of the show, but like Hot Cocoa M&M’s, it doesn’t necessarily scream “marshmallow!”

The first taste of marshmallow that hits reminded me of a standard cereal marbit, but that quickly got lost in the chocolate.

I kept being reminded of a “brownie batter” flavor as I was eating them, but I’m confused as to why a regular Kiss and marshmallow flavored crème would give me that impression. Nevertheless, that’s what I kept tasting.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I dug the texture of these Kisses.

The crème is softer than usual and quickly melts in your mouth, almost giving you a hot cocoa marshmallow sensation. I’d say the texture is somewhere between the outer chocolate, and the type of marshmallow you’d get in a Russell Stover chocolate marshmallow Santa.

I still couldn’t get past that brownie batter taste. To borrow a poker term, these were a “little too rich for my blood.” I let three melt in my mouth and wanted to chug a bottle of water.

Conclusion:

Like I said, you’re gonna like these more than I did. Still, the center and the texture make Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses worth picking up.

Actually, as I was eating these, I kept thinking of one thing – Hershey’s Hugs. These were kinda like inferior Hugs. Do Hugs still exist? I miss Hugs – both the candy and the warm embrace.

I’m very lonely.

Purchased Price: $3.33
Size: 10 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (7 Kisses) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Hot Cocoa M&M’s

Vin 4 Comments

Hot Cocoa M&M's

What are Hot Cocoa M&M’s?

Unlike the Hot Chocolate flavor from a few years ago made with dark chocolate, Hot Cocoa M&M’s are standard milk chocolate with a white chocolate marshmallow center.

How are they?

Hot Cocoa M&M's 2

Have you ever had a regular M&M? How ’bout a White Chocolate M&M? Well, imagine tossing one of each in your mouth at the same time. There ya go. That’s a Hot Cocoa M&M.

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. These are still decent, but they’re also very reminiscent of flavors you’ve probably already had.

Hot Cocoa M&M's 3

The idea of a marshmallow-flavored center got me pumped, but it just tasted like white chocolate. Whatever. I like white chocolate. I guess you could convince me it tasted like the fake marshmallow crème you’d get in a s’mores-flavored sandwich cookie, but barely.

I guess I should have tempered my excitement, because about 75 percent of the marshmallow experience is the texture, and you’re obviously not getting a gooey, stretchy marshmallow in the middle of M&M’s.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Hot cocoa is the type of treat that’s very reliant on factors you can’t mimic in a piece of candy. There’s a (sometimes horrible) experience when it comes to drinking a piping hot mug of hot cocoa, and these M&M’s don’t really conjure that.

Conclusion:

Hot Cocoa M&M's 4

The center was still satisfying and I’ll eat the entire bag, but Hot Cocoa M&M’s were a bit of a miss for me. I was hoping they’d be more of a Swiss Miss.

Yeah, that was corny, but I stand by it. If you pick these up, go in expecting a milk chocolate/white chocolate hybrid and enjoy.

As always, I appreciate M&M’s living up to their name, and releasing “More & More” flavors to the public. That’s what “M&M” stands for by the way.

Don’t fact check that.

Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 8 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz.) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo

Vin 3 Comments

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies

Hey, did you guys finish your Halloween ensemble yet?

Are you starting to think about which side dishes you’re gonna be cooking up for Thanksgiving?

Well, guess what? None of that matters anymore, because it’s officially Christmas season.

Sorry, but I don’t make the rules, Nabisco does, and with the release of new Peppermint Bark Oreo, you might as well start duct-taping the Christmas lights to your gutter. It’s here. There’s no fighting it.

Peppermint Bark still feels like a relatively new thing to me. I feel like I never had it until about a decade ago, but it has already become one of my winter staples.

Chocolate and peppermint have always been a winning combo. But there’s something about the mix of white and dark chocolate with those peppermint pieces that do it for me. It’s as if someone reinvented a Hershey-style bar AND the candy cane while improving on both of them. (Hershey’s Candy Cane bar is also excellent.)

Peppermint Bark feels like a natural progression for the Oreo assembly line, and I couldn’t be more excited to try ’em.

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies 3

This probably goes without saying, but these cookies smell fantastic. Just imagine that waft you get when tearing open a sleeve of Thin Mints because the scent is identical to that.

You get your standard chocolate Oreo wafers that are “always made with real cocoa” according to the packaging. Perhaps someone was calling the validity of the chocolate into question, so they felt the need to reassure everyone. I guess it’s nice to know.

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies 5

While you can never go wrong with the iconic chocolate Oreo, the peppermint flavored crème is the star of the show here. It toes the line between minty and sweet nicely. I’m always a bit nervous companies will go overboard with the peppermint oil, and leave me feeling like I ate an Altoid instead of a cookie.

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies 2

Not only does it taste good, it’s crispy. Yes, “Crispy Crème,” which I’m pretty sure Nabisco couldn’t flaunt due to trademark laws. The crème is peppered with sugar crystals that mimic peppermint candies. They give it a nice little crunch, and unlike actual candy canes, don’t chew like shards of glass.

Limited Edition Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies 4

Nabisco’s willingness to get creative with the crème has been my favorite thing about this seemingly endless Oreo-issance. Whether it be adding popping candies or rice crisps, any inclusion made to the crème has enhanced the Oreo. The peppermint crème and sugar crystals are so good here that I didn’t even bother eating the actual cookies a few times.

I know Oreo has had mint flavors in the past, but they’ve perfected it here. Peppermint Bark Oreo Cookies are a winner.

Here’s hoping these last on shelves long into the new year. If you love Peppermint Bark, but don’t feel like paying lots of money for the fancy tin it comes in, pick up Peppermint Bark Oreo, it’ll do the trick.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 10.7 oz. package
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar (includes 13 grams of “added sugar.”) and less than 1 gram of protein.