REVIEW: Hershey’s Popcorn

Hershey's Popcorn 1

Making caramel corn is a subtle art.

Compared to regular popcorn, it has a lot more elements that have to be executed well in order for the final product to be spectacular. There has to be enough of it to carry its flavor, but it can’t be so glopped on that the popcorn is in a cocoon of sugar.

The toppings have to complement the caramel, and they have to be evenly distributed to allow most of the pieces to get some drizzle. Don’t forget about the salt, either! There has to be enough of it to balance out the sweetness from everything else, but there also can’t be so much that the entire experience veers off towards the savory side.

Given that caramel corn has so many things going on at the same time, it’s easy to see why most seem to fall short in one aspect or another. Not one to back down from such a challenge, Hershey’s has decided to give us not one, but two new takes on this classic treat!

Hershey’s Popcorn Milk Chocolate

Hershey's Popcorn Milk Chocolate

With its Milk Chocolate variety, Hershey’s topped each cocoa-and-caramel-coated kernel with a drizzle of its signature milk chocolate. Everything about it, from the delicious cocoa aroma emanating from the caramel to the smooth drizzle, was all about showing off what Hershey’s is famous for.

In fact, it featured milk chocolate so much that the caramel got a little lost along the way. While the coating helped keep the popcorn fresh, its caramel flavor was difficult to notice among the chocolate elements.

Hershey’s Popcorn Sea Salt Caramel

Hershey's Popcorn Sea Salt Caramel

Surprisingly, the Sea Salt Caramel version shared this issue. In the absence of the milk chocolate drizzle featured in the other variety, the play between the cocoa and caramel in the coating here created a scent and taste that reminded me of a toasted marshmallow. Don’t get me wrong – this version is tasty, too – but its name is a bit of a misnomer.

The one thing about it that rings true is the “sea salt” part. It has a more noticeable salt level if you compare it with its Milk Chocolate brother. Even so, it never quite reaches the level of being too savory. Instead, I welcomed the extra saltiness to counter the whole toasted marshmallow-esque vibe going on.

Hershey's Popcorn

Did Hershey’s Popcorn rise to the sweet-and-salty challenge of caramel corn? All in all, I’d say it did well! I found both to be yummy and wouldn’t have a problem watching a movie with either flavor beside me. Now if theaters could sell this stuff!

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup – Sea Salt Caramel – 120 calories, 30 calories from fat, 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 17 grams of total sugars, 16 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Milk Chocolate – 110 calories, 30 calories from fat, 3 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 15 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.98 each
Size: 6 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Sea Salt Caramel)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Milk Chocolate)
Pros: Good balance between sugar and salt. Signature Hershey’s chocolate. Perfect snacking companion for movies!
Cons: Chocolate overpowered the caramel in both flavors. Sea Salt Caramel tasted more like a toasted marshmallow than it did like caramel. Not sold at the movies.

REVIEW: White Castle Desserts On-A-Stick

White Castle has had a line of frozen tiny sliders for years. But now there are White Castle Desserts to help you complete your White Castle meal from the freezer aisle.

I know it says “mini” on the boxes, but I didn’t realize how so until I opened one. They fit comfortably in the palm of my hand. They’re super adorbs! I just want to cup them in my hands and tell them how cute they are, like a pet mouse.

There are four White Castle Desserts to choose from: Fudge-Dipped Brownie, Fudge-Dipped Peanut Butter Pie, Fudge-Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake, and Gooey Butter Cake.

Fudge-Dipped Brownie

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick

This is similar to the Fudge-Dipped Brownie offered at White Castle restaurants. I’ve never had one, so I can’t compare the two, but the freezer aisle version is mostly like biting into a pie shaped piece of fudge. I know it’s fudge dipped, but the whole thing feels and tastes like I’m eating fudge. Look at the cross section photo below; it looks more like fudge than a brownie.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick 3

The section closest to the stick, the unfudged part, does taste more like a box mix brownie, than fudge. There are chocolate chips, but with my taste buds overloaded with fudge flavor, it’s impossible to distinguish them. So they’re there more for show.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Brownie On A Stick 2

It may be tiny, but it’s dense. How dense is it? It’s more so than the number of times I used the word “fudge” in the last two paragraphs. It’s so much so that there’s no way I could eat another right after eating one.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 100 calories from fat, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Fudge-Dipped Peanut Butter Pie

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick

Before trying any of them, I thought this variety would end up being my favorite because the chocolate and peanut butter combo has almost always made my lips emit an “MMMM.” But with this mini dessert, my mouth thought about letting out a “meh.”

The peanut butter part of the pie tastes similar to a PB cookie. It’s dense, much like the brownie one. It’s also gritty and has a noticeable saltiness to it. The fudge coating also seems to have gained some of that nutty flavor. There’s also a cocoa cookie crust on the bottom that enhances the fudge flavor.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick 2

The dessert as a whole tastes like a generic peanut butter cup, which sounds like a good thing. But much like the Fudge-Dipped Brownie, it’s also bit too dense and rich for me, which makes it less appealing. Also, its saltiness is a little more than I’d like.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Peanut Butter Pie On A Stick 3

Surprisingly, this ended up being my least favorite. It’s far from terrible, but when I compare it with the others, I prefer the others more.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 190 calories from fat, 21 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Fudge-Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick

This is the one that stood out for me. It’s the one where I said to myself, “Sugar count, be damned! I want another.”

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick 2

The flavors come in waves. The strawberry hits first, which reminds me of strawberry ice cream, then a cheesecake tanginess comes across my taste buds. The graham cracker-like crust adds a bit of saltiness to the dessert that enhances the other flavors. But it also adds a texture that’s like compacted wet sand falling apart. I thought the fudge would make this more like a chocolate dipped strawberry, but the coating doesn’t play a strong role with the dessert’s flavor.

White Castle Desserts Fudge Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake On A Stick 3

There are darker bits in the strawberry filling and a few streaks that are strawberry jam-like, which help make the fruit flavor stand out and lessen the fudge’s impact. Those streaks are under the coating, so in real life it doesn’t quite look like what’s on the box.

Also, being lighter than the brownie and peanut butter pie varieties helped make me enjoy this more.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 180 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Gooey Butter Cake

White Castle Desserts Gooey Butter Cake On A Stick

Gooey is not the most accurate adjective to describe this frozen Butter Cake. Dry and crumbly are probably more correct. Even after letting it sit for the recommended 5-10 minutes, its lack of gooey-ness didn’t change.

I’ve never had a butter cake, but as I chewed my way through this dessert, all I could think about was pound cake, which I very much enjoy. According to the ingredients list, there also a cream cheese component to it, but I didn’t taste it.

White Castle Desserts Gooey Butter Cake On A Stick 2

It’s not as dense as the other White Castle Dessert because there’s cake involved, which is the reason why the whole thing is dry and crumbly. The top layer is dense and drier than the lower tier and gives the dessert a cookie-like crunch. Both layers need to eaten together to get the optimum flavor because individually they taste just okay.

Even though its textures aren’t optimal, its flavor almost wholly makes up for it. It’s not overly sweet like some of the others, and I could see myself double fisting this.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 220 calories, 80 calories from fat, 9 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Other Things

White Castle Desserts On A Stick

  • Except for the Gooey Butter Cake, they’re quite solid when pulled out of sub-zero temperatures. So if you do try to take a bite out of them at that point, pulling a piece away is going to make it feel as if any teeth aligning work you’ve gotten done has just gone to waste.
  • The long-winded instructions on most of the boxes say to let them thaw for 5-10 minutes before eating. But, for some reason, the brownie one says to wait 15 to 30 minutes. Fortunately, I found all of them to be soft enough after three minutes.
  • The White Castle logo is on the sticks, but with half of the dessert I’ve eaten the logo is face down. It’s a minor thing, but I guess I’m a sucker for consistency.

QUICK REVIEW: Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders

Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders

What are Burger King’s Crispy Chicken Tenders?

The newfangled Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders boast of “whole muscle white meat chicken” in a “home-style seasoned breading.” Which means, yeah, they’re pretty much the same thing — conceptually — that you’d get at every other fast food joint in these United States.

How are they?

BK’s latest menu addendum isn’t going to win any awards for creativity, but it makes up for its lack of originality by being a plain tasty offering.

Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders 2

First off, the tenders themselves are pretty big (I’d say they’re about the same size as Zaxby’s Chicken Fingerz) and the breading has a nice — dare I say KFC-esque? — smoky flavoring. The white meat is quite chewy, and for those of you who dislike the prospects of a torched tongue, rest assured that while these tenders have a little bit of heat to ‘em, they’re by no means a “spicy” product.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Burger King isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, and that’s ultimately the best attribute — and biggest weakness — of the product. Although quite yummy, they don’t have an idiosyncratic feel to them, and the lack of an especially pronounced herb or spice does make the breading taste a bit too mild. Honestly, there isn’t anything about these plump, juicy tenders that you haven’t already experienced, and likely at a lower cost than the $5 price point.

Conclusion:

Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders 3

All in all, the Burger King Crispy Chicken Tenders are a solid — if not utterly predictable — addition to the BK lineup. Thankfully, its robust assortment of sauces gives the product a longer lifespan (naturally, I’d vouch for the Buffalo Sauce), and for a fairly small amount of food, the four-piece deal, surprisingly, filled me up.

Still, it would’ve been nice to have received a unique, proprietary sauce (how great would a Jalapeno queso have been here?), and one can’t help but be gobsmacked by the sodium content on these suckers — with a walloping 2,200 milligrams, eating these are equal to downing a full teaspoon of salt.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 4-piece meal
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 630 calories, 31 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 100 milligrams of cholesterol, 2,200 milligrams of sodium, 52 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar, and 36 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws

What are Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws?

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws are essentially Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL)-flavored rolled wafers. Pirouline, the Belgian inventors of this wafer form, manufactures this eco-friendly straw alternative that’s part of Starbucks’ “Coffee At Home” efforts. This means it’s available at grocery stores along with PSL K-Cup pods, VIA Instant flavors, etc.

How are they?

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws 3

The Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws tin has an overpowering holiday candle smell, but the wafers taste like a delicious PSL! The flavor comes from the inner white chocolatey coating.

They’re individually packaged, which I thought was a waste of packaging at first. But when I realized I could only eat one at a time, I appreciated it kept the others at optimum freshness.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws 4

I thought sipping an iced PSL through this cookie straw would be too much (also see: too basic), but it was surprisingly good. It accented the pumpkin spice sauce and made the drink taste even more festive with a touch more of the cinnamon and nutmeg goodness.

Starbucks Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws 5

However, the wafer does NOT work well with hot drinks. I thought the inner coating would melt and add some its flavor to my Pike Place brewed coffee, but it just made the exterior mushy.

Conclusion:

It’s worth the splurge especially if you love all things pumpkin spice. It’s good enough to eat it on its own as a snack or as a sweet treat to complement your coffee. With this launch, Starbucks is cementing its PSL foothold in snacks too. I can’t wait to see what other PSL snack innovations come next year!

Purchased Price: $6.98
Size: 9.1 oz. container
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 60 calories, 2 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Maple Cheerios Cereal

Maple Cheerios Cereal

Well, all the pumpkin stuff is out, so that can mean only one thing – it’s also maple season!

Now I don’t know if fall necessarily makes people think “maple syrup” but brands sure like to load the shelves with maple flavor variants around this time of year, and I’m certainly not complaining.

I’m particularly excited about one brand’s (American) foray into the maple realm – Cheerios.

Cheerios has been knocking it out of the park lately with new flavors. In the past year, I’ve enjoyed its takes on banana, peach, cinnamon, and peanut butter, so I have little doubt about this one.

There’s a nice waft of maple scent when you open the box, but the cereal pieces themselves aren’t flashy. They look like a standard bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.

Maple Cheerios Cereal 2

I ate a quick handful of dry Maple Cheerios before pouring in the milk to get a true idea of the taste. The amount of flavor is on par with the aforementioned flavors you’ve probably already had. Cheerios never really overpower you with too much sweetness. I enjoy that because it gives me a sense that I’m eating healthy. Well, healthier.

After I added milk, the cereal lost some of its luster. Honestly, they kinda tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios, which is an all-time classic cereal, but I imagine that news may be disappointing to some. Don’t be too bummed, as there’s still a maple finish, so it’s not exactly like Honey Nut.

Maple Cheerios Cereal 3

One other thing I noticed was that despite not being “waffle” flavored, there’s almost a buttery essence as they sog in the milk. It was really nice. If you’re expecting these to be the new “Waffle Crisp” or “French Toast Crunch,” that’s not what you’re gonna get, but I will say this is like a snooty grownup version of those confectionary classics.

While there isn’t a maple explosion, fans of Honey Nut Cheerios should find this a satisfying bowl of cereal. The leftover milk was pleasantly maple flavored and somehow a lot sweeter than the cereal itself. It was a little too sweet for me if I had to find fault.

Maple Cheerios Cereal 4

You can eat these plain or in milk, and you’ll more than likely enjoy them either way. You can also do what I do and cover a banana in peanut butter, then sprinkle Cheerios on top™. I find this to be a great pre-gym snack. I actually sold the recipe to Blue Apron. I’m pretty sure Food and Wine Magazine named it the “Best New Recipe” of 2014.

So yeah, Maple Cheerios is another great flavor in its lineup. I hope it keeps the product line rolling. Gimmie some coconut Cheerios. How about something crazy like pineapple? How about going nuts and combining them for a Pina Colada type flavor? I’m excited to see what’s next.

(Nutrition Facts – 3/4 cup – 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 120 milligrams of potassium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 10.8 oz. box
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Another winning flavor for Cheerios. Tasted like Honey Nut. Good dry or in milk. Tastes great on a peanut butter covered banana! Game on the back of the box.
Cons: Perhaps a little light on the Maple flavor. Milk runoff somehow too sweet. Canada’s apparently had this flavor for a while. Summer’s over. I lied – Blue Apron sent me a cease and desist.

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