Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Limited Edition Pop-Tarts Splitz (2018)

Marvo 4 Comments

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz 2018

Pop-Tarts Splitz first showed up back in 2007 and soon after crawled back into the Pop-Tarts vault where Dulce de Leche and Guava Mango Pop-Tarts reside.

Yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking now. Not that there were Dulce de Leche and Guava Mango Pop-Tarts, but that brands have been turning S’s into Z’s for over a decade now and they should stop.

With the original Splitz, the flavors used were so basic and one-worded — Chocolate + Vanilla, Strawberry + Blueberry, and Chocolate + Strawberry.

The 2018 version has flavors that, mostly, aren’t so basic and use more than one word — Strawberry + Cheesecake and Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter. Like the original, they look like kindergarten finger-painting drawings of clouds or hills, depending on which side is facing you.

Frosted Strawberry and Drizzled Cheesecake

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry tastes like, well, I mean, if you haven’t had a Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart that’s on you. You should’ve had it at least once by now. They’re good and it’s what I eat when I want to joke around with the Food Pyramid by saying, “Look, I’m going to have a serving of fruit.” As for the other side, there’s no tang. So it’s hard to consider it cheesecake. At times, I think it’s marshmallow, but it’s definitely not cheesecake.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Strawberry Cheesecake 2

The flavor combo is begs to be eaten together. So maybe through food science or food magic, combining them will create a strawberry cheesecake-like flavor. They don’t. There’s a tanginess from the fruity filling, but it doesn’t help flip my mind into thinking it’s cheesecake. It tastes like a Strawberry Pop-Tart. Even toasting it doesn’t help bring out the cheesecake flavor.

Drizzled Sugar Cookie and Frosted Brownie Batter

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Sugar Cookie Brownie Batter

The other Pop-Tarts Splitz variety has a lighter crust than the Strawberry + Cheesecake one. I guess it’s supposed to represent the color of sugar cookies, while the darker one looks like the crust you’d find under a cheesecake.

Unlike the other variety, this combo seems more like one that shouldn’t be eat combined. Although, that’s not going to stop me from doing so because sugar cookie brownies sound magical.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Pop Tarts Splitz Sugar Cookie Brownie Batter 2

The dark filling tastes like brownie batter, but kind of loses that when combined with the crust and the icing. Its flavor wavers between brownie batter and standard chocolate. Despite that, it’s my favorite of the four sides. As for sugar cookie, it’s a variety we’ve seen before from Pop-Tarts and one that I’ve had it. It does remind me of a sugar cookie, but it’s not as exciting as brownie batter.

Sadly, combining the two doesn’t create an awesome new hybrid flavor. The stronger brownie batter overwhelms the milder sugar cookie, much like the strawberry hides the cheesecake in the other. So I guess it’s best to eat the two sides separate.

Both varieties are tasty but also aren’t mind-blowing. However, the cookie-brownie combo stands out because of its flavors and the cheesecake flavor is lacking with the other one, making it a bit of a letdown. So if you’re split about which variety to try, go for the Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples, but doing so did not influence my review.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 pastry – Strawberry + Cheesecake – 190 calories, 40 calories from fat, 4.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein. Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter – 200 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 1 gram of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8-pack (Strawberry + Cheesecake)
Size: 16-pack (Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter)
Purchased at: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Strawberry + Cheesecake)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Sugar Cookie + Brownie Batter)
Pros: Brownie batter filling taste like what it’s supposed to. Better flavor combos than the previous Pop-Tarts Splitz. Sugar cookie tastes like a sugar cookie.
Cons: Cheesecake flavor not noticeable. Combining the strawberry and cheesecake sides makes it taste like a regular Strawberry Pop-Tart. Combining the sugar cookie and brownie batter sides make it taste like brownie batter. Still using Z’s to replace S’s.

QUICK REVIEW: Great Value Associates Choice Apple Pie Ice Cream

Mike 3 Comments

Great Value Associates Choice Apple Pie Ice Cream

What is it?

Great Value Associates Choice Apple Pie Ice Cream features vanilla custard flavored ice cream with an apple butter ribbon and cinnamon sugar shortbread pieces.

You know that small diner down the street? The one that will totally blend up a piece of their apple pie in a milkshake if you ask? Ideally, that’s what this is, just in your grocer’s freezer instead.

How is it?

I’m not sure what the difference between vanilla ice cream, frozen vanilla custard, and “vanilla custard flavored ice cream” is, but this tastes like plain vanilla ice cream to me. It’s good ice cream with a mild cinnamon spice flavor, but vanilla ice cream nonetheless. After it gets a bit melty, a very subtle apple flavor appears and completes the pie flavor.

Great Value Associates Choice Apple Pie Ice Cream 2

The shortbread pieces have a 50/50 shot of being either impressively crispy or as soggy as you’d expect. Their flavor contribution is modest in either case.

Is there anything else I need to know?

The apple butter ribbon is almost completely absent, which is a shame because it’s an unconventional ice cream inclusion that could’ve elevated it above other store brand ice creams.

Great Value Associates Choice Apple Pie Ice Cream 3

Plus, I really like apple butter, so I was looking for it. Believe me, I dug as greedily and fervently as the Dwarves of Moria. If I had delved any deeper into that carton, a Balrog of Morgoth may have been awakened. Then my ice cream would’ve melted.

Conclusion:

Great Values Associates should be a bit choosier. It’s not a bad product, but some shortcomings keep it from achieving its full potential.

Purchased Price: $4.49
Size: 48 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (68 grams) 150 calories, 7 grams grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Keebler Whoopsy! Fudge Stripes Cookies

Marvo

Keebler Whoopsy Fudge Stripes Cookies

Is “accidentally” coating shortbread cookies completely with fudge instead of being dipped on one side and drizzled really worthy of a whoopsy?

I can think of several true whoopsies that could happen to Ernie and his fellow Keebler Elves.

If Keebler Club Crackers were shaped like Ritz Crackers, that would be a whoopsy. If Ernie the Elf burned down the Hollow Tree by accident, that would most definitely be a whoopsy. But the new Whoopsy! Fudge Stripes Cookies don’t seem to be as bad as those hypothetical situations.

Keebler Whoopsy Fudge Stripes Cookies 2

The fudge enrobes the shortbread cookie, making it look like its wearing a skintight Speedo body suit so that it can do laps in a glass of milk. At some angles, they look like thin donuts dipped in chocolate icing.

But, it’s might be a bit too skintight since the fudge sinks into every nook and cranny of the cookie’s design, allow us to see the outline of what’s underneath. It’s like seeing the shape of your innie or outie belly button or nipples from the way a skintight Speedo bodysuit stretches.

Keebler Whoopsy Fudge Stripes Cookies 3

Despite the extra fudge, the cookie within provides a hearty crunch. I somewhat expected the chocolatey exterior to dampened the crispiness, like with a fudge-covered Oreo, but the layer’s thinness doesn’t affect the baked good’s snap.

The extra coating also doesn’t affect the shortbread’s flavor. I mean, it tastes like a regular Fudge Stripes Cookie, but, obviously, fudgier. The flavor of the sweet and buttery cookie under the coating still comes through. But the difference between it and the original version is so slight that it disappoints me a little.

There’s nothing intriguing about Whoopsy! Fudge Stripes Cookies. They have more of something they had a lot of to begin with, and that’s it. Yeah, more fudge is nice, but they’re not better or worse than the original, which is pretty gosh darn tasty. If there was a significant difference between it and the original, like Oops! All-Berries Cap’n Crunch Cereal and Crunchberries Cereal, then it would be a bit more exciting.

With that said, if you enjoy the classic cookie from Keebler, I guarantee you’ll like these.

DISCLOSURE: I accepted a free sample of these cookies from a PR firm representing Keebler. Doing so did not influence my review in any way.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 170 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11.5 oz.
Purchased at: Received from Keebler
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like a regular Fudge Stripes Cookie, but slightly fudgier. Crunchy shortbread cookie. More fudge.
Cons: Not really a true whoopsy. Not that different from original Fudge Stripes Cookies. Accidentally burning down the Hollow Tree.

QUICK REVIEW: My Oreo Creation Pina Colada Oreo Cookies

Tiffany 2 Comments

My Oreo Creation Pina Colada Oreo Cookies

What is it?

Piña Colada Oreo Thins are one of the three finalists in the #MyOreoCreation contest. It’s a thin layer of pineapple and coconut flavored-creme sandwiched by two thin Golden cookies.

My Oreo Creation Pina Colada Oreo Cookies 2

Conjured up by a guy in Camden County, NJ, I chuckle a bit as I imagine him trying to think happy tropical getaway thoughts in the dead of a snowy, cold winter.

How is it?

It takes you to there – there as in that sunny beach destination. I expected this one to be overly coconut-y because most tropical flavors typically lean that way. But, there’s a great balance of between the two flavors.

My Oreo Creation Pina Colada Oreo Cookies 4

The trusty flavor we know and love from the existing Coconut Oreo Thins provides a nice backdrop and ending note to the brighter, more citrusy pineapple. The Golden cookie is just there as the vehicle, but a chocolate cookie would definitely not work in this flavor combo. I’m glad Nabisco made this an Oreo Thins because if it were a regular Oreo, the creme might be too much.

Is there anything else I need to know?

This cookie reminds me of a Big Stick and that’s a compliment. It reminds me of my childhood and those hot California summers with melted sugary goodness running down my hands and face. Now, I can taste that but without the mess!

Conclusion:

I’ve had all three flavors and this one is my favorite by far. Vote for it on #MyOreoCreation to keep it around!

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 10.1 oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 cookies) 150 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 11 grams of sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat

Vin 6 Comments

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat

When I ask you to associate one food with California, what comes to mind?

Excuse my ignorance, but I don’t know. Wine? Fish tacos? I’ve only been to Southern California once and it was a culinary melting pot.

With that ignorance, I decided to roll with Hershey’s “Flavor of California” – the chocolate covered strawberry.

Yeah, strawberries, fine, that makes sense. Delicious California strawberries – the number one food I associate with California. Everybody loves sweet California strawberries!

Now, what if I told you Hershey decided to inject some California strawberry flavor into their world-famous Kit Kat bar? I bet that would interest you, right? Luckily, I’m here to let you know if it works.

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 3

As I broke off an awesome smelling stick at took a bite, nothing seemed to differentiate from a normal Kit Kat, but fear not because the strawberry flavor snuck in almost immediately, and man, it was nice!

There isn’t a HUGE strawberry flavor, but that’s exactly why I dug it. They could have easily made it artificial and overbearing, but there’s a delicious, light strawberry flavor that lingers. It’s a perfect mix, acting as almost an inverse of a real chocolate covered strawberry. Once you get through the chocolate shell, the freakishly huge strawberries usually become the dominant flavor.

You’re obviously not gonna get the juicy refreshing element of a real strawberry, but you’re also not gonna get that tartness of the fruit either. I’ve always found that unless you’re eating perfectly in-season California(!) berries, they can be a bit of a buzzkill.

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 4

I ate a chocolate covered strawberry for comparison, and maybe I’m just a child with an unrefined palate (I am), but I’ll take the Kit Kat all day, every day.

I haven’t had a ton of chocolate/strawberry flavored candies, but as far as I’m concerned Kit Kat is the new top dog. This is easily better than Strawberry Nut M&M’s.

If I was basing my review on the smell and the taste, I’d consider giving these a perfect score, but I gotta nitpick a bit.

Hershey put out miniature white chocolate strawberry Kit Kats last year that were much cuter, for lack of a better word. We’re probably better off without chemical dyes in our food, but I would’ve really enjoyed it if this was also pink or red, and not typical brown. Japan has like 874 different Kit Kat flavors and they toss some cool colors at ya. Why make these so boring?

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 2

While I’m whining, I also expected more off the wall ingredients from Hershey’s “Flavors of America” line. Chocolate covered strawberry is pretty tame, no? Good, but tame. Last year, I reviewed a Texas-style Pay Day with BBQ peanuts and was hoping for more weirdness like that.

So yeah, I can sit here and pine for all the weirdness of Japanese Kit Kats, or petition Hershey for some Philly Cheesesteak-infused Whoppers or something, but that would be a disservice to this sweet flavor of California. Pick these up if you see them.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 package – 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $1.25
Size: 1.5 oz.
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Perfect balance of chocolate and strawberry. No artificial taste. Smell amazing. Best chocolate/strawberry candy bar I’ve had to date. Giving me a California food association. Hershey’s “Flavors of America” line in general.
Cons: Boring appearance. Idea is a tad bit lazy. North America’s lack of Kit Kat flavors. The Kit Kat jingle which is now stuck in your head. This dude actually said “Philly cheesesteak Whoppers?”