REVIEW: Reese’s Puffs Treats (2018)

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

Reese's Puffs Treats 2018

The reborn Reese’s Puffs Treats have cocoa and real Reese’s Peanut Butter. But don’t automatically think this is going to taste anything like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

As a wise man once said, “Don’t go looking to obtain something that can be easily obtained without looking.” Okay, I pulled that line out of the air, and I hope I’m not plagiarizing some minor Greek thinker. But what I’m trying to say philosophically is, why expect something to taste like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup when you can easily get that with the actual candy?

With that said, I’m someone who thinks Reese’s Peanut Butter doesn’t taste like the gritty stuff inside the famous candy. So I’m not expecting this cereal bar to be anything like the iconic candy. I’m also one of those people who, despite running a junk food blog for almost 15 years, did not try the original Reese’s Puffs Treats that debuted in 2014.

Reese's Puffs Treats 2018 2

Reese's Puffs Treats 2018 3

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this new version has real Reese’s Peanut Butter, but it’s not just in the stuff drizzled on top and dipped on the bottom. It’s also in the cereal, and there are Reese’s Peanut Butter-flavored chips. It’s a triple threat treat. Okay, say that five times really fast.

Triple threat treat. Triple tret treat. Tripper tret treet. Turple threat treat. Thurple thrat treat.

All that Reese’s Peanut Butter goodness amounts to a cereal bar that makes me say, “Oh, my goodness.”

If you enjoy Reese’s Puffs Cereal, you will adore this. It’s like eating an enhanced bowl of the cereal. The combination of peanut buttery coating, chips, and cereal create a nutty kick that makes it taste as if the I was eating a bowl of Reese’s Puffs with the leftover milk from a bowl of Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch.

Yes, with all that nuttiness, the cocoa takes a backseat. I’m not talking a car backseat. I’m talking school bus backseat. It’s hardly noticeable, but I hardly care because these are so good that my lack of willpower caused me to inhaled three of them within two hours of purchase.

As for its texture, it’s what you’d expect from a prepackaged mass-produced bar made with ingredients that have enough moisture to soften the usually crunchy texture of the cereal slightly. It’s not like chomping on dry cereal, but it’s also not super soft.

Overall, Reese’s Puffs Treats, the reboot, is a tasty snack that’ll satisfy fans of the cereal.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 8 bars/box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 100 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Brach’s Unicorn Horns and Dragon’s Teeth Candy Corn

/ / Reviews / 1 Comment

Brach's Unicorn Horns Fruity Candy Corn

What are Brach’s Unicorn Horns and Dragon’s Teeth Candy Corn?

Brach’s has joined the unicorn fad with its new Unicorn Horns Fruity Candy Corn, which has five different flavors in pastel colors.

Brach's Dragon's Teeth Candy Corn

Also joining the party is Dragon’s Teeth Candy Corn, which has yellow and brown candies that taste like chocolate, and red and white candies that taste like strawberry.

How are they?

Brach's Unicorn Horns Fruity Candy Corn 2

Let’s start with the Unicorn Horns. Although it says there are five fruity flavors, it doesn’t identify what those flavors are. The yellow and lighter orange are obviously lemon and orange. The darker orange is either mango or melon. The pink might be strawberry? And I assume the purple is grape, but I can’t taste that.

These aren’t plain fruit flavors; they’re more of a fruit and cream. The yellow and both oranges have a satisfying taste, and the yellow is noticeably softer than the other colors. The pink is OK, but I don’t care for the purple. Overall, though, it’s a delightful candy amalgamation, in part for the kitsch factor.

Brach's Dragon's Teeth Candy Corn 2

Now for the Dragon’s Teeth. (It’s just one dragon, apparently.) The chocolate ones taste the same as the Harvest Corn (formerly known as Indian Corn). The strawberry ones have a decidedly artificial flavor; I would have guessed it was cherry. Unlike the Unicorn Horns, there is no creaminess to it. It’s an OK combination.

Is there anything else I need to know?

The Unicorn Horns have a disclaimer that “no unicorns were harmed in the making of this product.” There is no such disclaimer for the Dragon’s Teeth. So I’m guessing Brach’s actually had to slay the dragon.

Conclusion:

I liked Brach’s Unicorn Horns more than I expected. They remind me of the Starburst Candy Corn from a few years ago. But you can take a pass on the Dragon’s Teeth.

Purchased Price: $1.69 each
Size: 9 oz. bags
Purchased at: Smith’s (Kroger)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Unicorn Horns)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Dragon’s Teeth)
Nutrition Facts: (15 pieces) Unicorn Horns – 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 60 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugar (including 23 grams of added sugars), and 0 grams of protein. Dragon’s Teeth – 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 60 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 21 grams of sugar (including 21 grams of added sugars), and 0 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Krispy Kreme Trick-Or-Treat Doughnut

/ / Reviews

Krispy Kreme Trick or Treat Doughnut

What is the Krispy Kreme Trick-Or-Treat Doughnut?

Krispy Kreme’s new deep-fried homage to trick-or-treating. An Original Glazed doughnut dipped in salted caramel icing and topped with pieces of Snickers, Twix, and M&M’s Mini’s.

How is it?

Krispy Kreme Trick or Treat Doughnut 2

When you take the already terrific Krispy Kreme OG and cover it in caramel and candy, it seems like something that would be pretty damn hard to mess up, and KK delivered a nearly perfect ode to the best part of Halloween.

The doughnut is dipped in caramel icing and is drizzled with even more of it, laying a solid foundation for the sugary overload of this spooked out treat. The pieces of Snickers bring a mild peanut flavor while the M&M’s provide a solid toothy chomp that plays nicely with the soft, fluffy yeast doughnut.

I don’t get much Twix shortbread flavor, but the ample amounts of caramel help fill the void of a Twix-y experience. But I can’t imagine the cookie would have maintained its texture too well if there had been more of it anyway.

Krispy Kreme Trick or Treat Doughnut 4

The doughnut as a whole is very sweet, but I would expect nothing less from something that should remind me of the annual cascading sugar highs I experience on October 31.

Is there anything else I need to know?

When put into the microwave, all of the candy components and caramel melt into a gooey somewhat unidentifiable glob of hot sweetness. This is one of the rare situations where I wouldn’t recommend heating the doughnut. It has a better flavor and texture straight from the case.

Conclusion:

Krispy Kreme Trick or Treat Doughnut 3

The Krispy Kreme Trick-Or-Treat Doughnut isn’t the most creative one in the world, but trick-or-treating really means one thing — candy. And if you’re going to make a doughnut to honor the late October tradition, there’s only one way to do it, and this is it.

Purchased Price: $1.89
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 16 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 36 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Super Snack Time Biscuits in a Box

/ / Reviews / 4 Comments

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box

The Super Snack Time brand made its debut with a line of pizza-flavored pepperoni jerky that’s unbelievably tasty because of its bold flavors that had my taste buds thinking I was eating actual pizza.

Because the brand set such a high bar with its first product, I expected a lot with its new Biscuits in a Box line. But, after trying both varieties – Chicken & Waffles and Cheesy Bacon – they’re more like miscues in a box.

Each one comes with a bag of biscuit mix. That’s it. The ingredients that provide the different flavors, like powdered cooked chicken and bacon cheddar seasoning, are mixed in with all the other parts.

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box 2

The directions to prepare them are simple. Preheat oven. Mix biscuit mix with 1/2 cup water. Grease baking sheet. Portion into 8-10 biscuits. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Cool. Eat.

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box Chicken Waffle 1

Simple, right?

Although, I should add this pro tip: Do not dump all the water at once. Pour a little. Mix. Pour a little. Mix. Pour a little. Mix. But I should add, even if you do that, it’ll seem like things aren’t getting appropriately mixed. Eventually, they do, however, doing this makes the mixing more thorough than pouring all the water at one time. But you can completely ignore this paragraph because you won’t need it since you probably won’t be buying these.

With both flavors, the aroma that rises out of the oven smells tremendous and sets tasty expectations. But after that, we crash into Disappointment Town.

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box Chicken Waffle 2

They are so close to the line where I want to call them flavorless. The Chicken & Waffles one, which I was the most excited about, has a wispy artificial grease and maple flavor that seems to disappear on the third chew.

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box Cheesy BAcon 1

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box Cheesy BAcon 2

Cheesy Bacon tastes as if I mouth inhale the air from an empty Cheez-It bag or I got mouth-to-mouth from someone who ate Cheez-It crackers about 15-20 minutes ago. There’s a hint of bacon here and there, but it’s as light as cheese.

Their textures also aren’t optimal. Fresh out of the oven, they’re soft, but a little dry. When they cool to room temperature, they become drier.

Super Snack Time Biscuits In a Box Chicken Waffle 3

My experience with both Biscuits in a Box varieties are the exact opposite of what I had with Super Snack Time’s pizza jerky. If you’re going to buy these with the intention of adding accoutrements to enhance the overall flavor like they’re Triscuit crackers, then, by all means, go ahead and get on with your culinary self. But if you’re going to buy these to eat without any, I say a-tisket a-tasket, don’t put these biscuits in your basket.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product to review from Walmart. Doing so did not affect my review in any way.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 11.3 oz. box
Purchased at: Received from Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 cup dry mix) Chicken & Waffles – 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 300 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Cheesy Bacon – 120 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 520 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Heinz Mayochup

/ / Reviews / 11 Comments

Heinz Mayochup

What is Heinz Mayochup?

Initially only available in the Middle East, this mayonnaise-ketchup hybrid has finally come to the States.

Are you familiar with fry sauce, fancy sauce, Zax Sauce, or even mayoketchup? Great, because this is basically the same stuff as all of those, sold in a no-mess squeeze bottle!

How is it?

If I had to guess, I’d say mayonnaise and ketchup are probably America’s two most beloved condiments, and people have been combining the two for ages. At the very least, I can say this having come from a family that’s always enjoyed a combination of the two spread onto saltine crackers.

Considering Heinz’s position as the purveyor of America’s best-selling ketchup, I don’t think it’s any surprise that its Mayochup is anything other than pretty awesome. Sweet, salty, tangy, and just a bit sour from the vinegar, it takes everything that’s great about Heinz’s ketchup and marries it together with the velvety texture that characterizes a quality mayonnaise.

Heinz Mayochup 2

Given how versatile mayonnaise and ketchup are on their own, I can see using this as an all-purpose condiment. It’s excellent squirted on fries, spread onto crackers, and smeared on sandwiches, among other things. Better yet, it saves you the trouble of having to drag both condiments out of the fridge when your food needs a flavor boost!

Is there anything else I need to know?

Heinz Mayochup 3

Mayo-based sauces tend to be a little on the viscous side, but this stuff is super thick! As in, thick enough to hold its shape thick. It’s great on bread and stuff, but might be a little hard to scoop up like a dip without causing whatever you’re dipping in it to break or bend.

Conclusion:

Even if you’re part of the population that’s never enjoyed a ketchup/mayo combo in any of its many interpretations, Heinz’s Mayochup definitely deserves a spot in your fridge. Once it’s there, you’re going to find yourself reaching for it more often than you think. Trust me.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 16.5 oz. bottle
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 tablespoons) 160 calories, 16 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

Scroll to Top