QUICK REVIEW: Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut

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Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut

What is the Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut?

The latest glaze-makeover from Krispy Kreme in celebration of National Coffee Day pairs two of the culinary world’s best friends. There’s no longer a need to dunk your doughnut in coffee with KK’s Limited Time Coffee Glaze.

How is it?

I gotta tip my hat to Krispy Kreme for the super obvious but fresh innovation at play here. Because for as many times as I’ve had a cup of black coffee alongside a doughnut (90 percent of all the time) I’ve never had a doughnut flavored like the bitter beverage.

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Like most alternative KK glazes this one is subtle and does a good job of tempering the usually hyper sweet wash of sugar that defines the experience of the OG. The coffee flavor is there but doesn’t hit you in the face like a bold coffee ice cream or candy like the recent Crunchy Espresso M&M’s. It’s delicate and soft with just a touch of bitterness. The modified glaze is a bit thicker than the regular one and has a darker tan color.

The coffee flavor is a bit more pronounced on the finish, as it leaves a taste in my mouth like I had coffee three minutes ago. The fluffy texture of the yeast doughnut is amazing as always, and I enjoy eating this even if it is a bit underwhelming.

Is there anything else I need to know?

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Popping the Krispy Kreme Coffee Glazed Doughnut into the microwave for the suggested six seconds is never a bad idea, and the result with this one is pretty damn good. The coffee flavor doesn’t intensify, but the bitterness is a bit more subdued. The warm, soft texture is much more like doing an actual doughnut dunk, and the overall experience is incredibly satisfying.

Conclusion:

This is yet another limited Krispy Kreme glaze that’s good but nothing mind-blowing. The OG is so strong on its own that slight variations still yield a delicious doughnut, but nothing so extreme that you should go out of your way for it.

Purchased Price: $1.29
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro

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Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro

What is the Starbucks Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro?

I’m convinced the reason Starbucks keeps coming up with new cold foam beverages is to drive home the idea of the strawless lids. I don’t hate it! The latest is the Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro, which adds cocoa cold foam on top of the tried-and-true Nitro Cold Brew. In the in-app description of the drink, Starbucks says the cold foam is “bringing out the coffee’s natural chocolate notes.”

How is it?

Two words: Slam Dunk.

I usually prefer my cold brews to have a little cream in them, a la the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. That’s why I love cold brew on nitro – it adds a creaminess to the drink. This Dark Cocoa Nitro does not disappoint in terms of creaminess and flavor.

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There’s a slight cocoa taste when you get your first sip of cold foam and the cold brew, and it is just enough to sweeten it without being overpowering. The subtleness of the cocoa is a delight. I also got a whiff of cinnamon – it smells like fall in a cup. (Don’t tell the Pumpkin Spice Latte I said that!) And the caffeine is strong enough to power you through your afternoon or snoozefest of meetings at work.

Is there anything else I need to know?

If you go searching for this puppy, make sure your friendly Starbucks has the nitro tap. Not all of them do, so I suggest checking your Starbucks mobile app to see which nearby locations carry the drink.

Conclusion:

The Cold Foam Dark Cocoa Nitro is officially my favorite cold foam beverage from Starbucks. I can only hope it sticks around long enough for me to get my fill!

Purchased Price: $4.45
Size: Tall
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Tall 12 fl oz – 60 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 13 grams of sugars, 1 gram of protein, and 215 milligrams of caffeine.

QUICK REVIEW: Limited Edition Unicorn Power Frosted Cherry Pop-Tarts

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Limited Edition Unicorn Power Frosted Cherry Pop Tarts

What is it?

Another iteration of the Instagram-fueled trend of almost-too-pretty-to-eat unicorn-themed foods.

Despite its mythical theme, Kellogg’s went with a pretty tame flavor choice for this, utilizing cherry filling and royal icing emblazoned with the image of a majestically poised unicorn head.

How is it?

They’re alright.

Were you expecting me to say something more?

At the end of the day, they’re Cherry Pop-Tarts. If you like cherry toaster pastries, then there’s no reason why you wouldn’t like these. The outer shell of each tart has the same crisp sturdiness that I’ve come to expect from such treats, and I felt its slight saltiness helped keep the cherry filling from tasting too sweet.

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Even so, the cherry flavor isn’t prominent. It’s red, and I can tell that it’s a fruit filling, but if you told me this was a strawberry or raspberry Pop-Tart, I would believe you.

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On top of Kellogg’s total lack of flavor creativity, I also feel the need to call out its decorating skills. Since the icing is the only aspect that’s genuinely unicorn-themed other than the box itself, I expected some pretty elaborate art. Instead, both designs are a bare-bones edible ink stamp that barely covers half of the surface area of each tart. On top of that, they’re both blurry, and they look worse than the multicolored sprinkles that frosted Pop-Tarts are usually sprinkled with.

Totally not Instagramable!

Is there anything else I need to know?

Even though I prefer my fruit-filled Pop-Tarts to be served cold, I ended up liking these more once they were warmed in the toaster oven, partly because warm food on cold mornings is one of the greatest simple pleasures in life, but mostly because I could pretend the cherry filling was magical unicorn blood.

Conclusion:

Don’t let the pretty box fool you – Unicorn Power Pop-Tarts are far from anything special. Even though they’re as acceptable as any other cherry toaster pastry, they aren’t worth trekking to Sam’s Club to pick up, and they’re not nearly interesting enough to make me want to finish the 32-count club pack I bought.

Purchased Price: $5.98
Size: 1 lb. 13.3 oz. (32 pastries)
Purchased at: Sam’s Club
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pastry) 200 calories, 45 calories from fat, 5 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Pillsbury Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies

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Pillsbury Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies

Reese’s and Pillsbury have teamed up to offer a peanut butter cookie dough made with Reese’s Peanut Butter. No mixing. No bowls. Just break apart the block of dough, place the pieces on a cookie sheet, bake, and then think of all the time you’re saving by not making cookies from scratch and having to deal with all the cleaning after. It’ll give you so much time that you have the time to think that.

The name Reese’s brings excitement when printed on a package. Go post a photo of something with Reese’s on Instagram or Facebook, and I’m sure it’ll be one of your most liked photos. But this cookie dough is not something to get super excited about.

Look, I’ve had a shedload of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in my lifetime and I’ve had a bucketload of homemade and store bought peanut butter cookies during the decades I’ve been on this planet, so I’m disappointed these taste more like your run-of-the-mill peanut butter cookies than anything that reminds me of the iconic candy I’d steal from a baby.

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The peanut butter in a Reese’s PBC has a distinct nutty flavor that I don’t detect with these. I ate the ENTIRE batch on my own over the course of several days, like a leisurely-eating Cookie Monster, and every one I stuffed into my mouth didn’t invoke any tastes, smells, or inkling of the beloved chocolate and peanut butter treat.

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As peanut butter cookies, they’re fine, and I enjoyed eating every single one of them. But there’s nothing to distinguish them from any other I’ve had.

For you fork impressions in peanut butter cookies people, do it quickly because the dough gets super sticky if it sits for a little while, making it hard to create the imprint without having a clump of dough stick to your fork.

I can’t say Pillsbury’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies are bad, but I can say if I were to hand out these to random folks on the street, I’m sure they would not be able to tell it’s specifically a Reese’s product. By the way, if a stranger on the street offers you a cookie, don’t accept it.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 160 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 16 oz. (makes 24 cookies0
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Good peanut butter cookies. I bet this would make great bread for a Reese’s PBC sandwich. No mess and washing mixing bowls after. How easy it is to steal candy from a baby.
Cons: Not good at capturing Reese’s peanut butter. Nothing to distinguish it from other peanut butter cookies. Hard to make fork impressions in cookie dough. Stealing candy from a baby.

QUICK REVIEW: Limited Edition Chocolatey Winter Lucky Charms Cereal

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Limited Edition Chocolatey Winter Lucky Charms Cereal

What is it?

General Mills has launched a new festive cereal just in time for the holidays.

Except that it isn’t new. Chocolatey Winter Lucky Charms is just regular Chocolate Lucky Charms with the marshmallows from last year’s Cinnamon Vanilla version.

How is it?

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I am disappointed that this cereal is so unoriginal. But I’m not that disappointed, because Chocolate Lucky Charms is great, and I would even say it’s better than the original. It’s OK dry, but it creates chocolate milk, which makes consumption delightful.

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I wonder if this cereal is an attempt to be a hot cocoa flavor, since it already has the essential elements of chocolate and marshmallow. So I heated up some milk and ate it in a mug. The marshmallows became foamy and dissolved, just like the marshmallows in a packet of Swiss Miss. It takes a lot of cereal to make the milk chocolatey, but this would be a comforting breakfast or snack when it’s actually cold outside (i.e. not September).

Is there anything else I need to know?

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This cereal contains my biggest yuletide pet peeve: eight-pointed snowflakes. Snowflakes only have six points, people! It’s basic science!

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Scientific inaccuracy aside, I cannot possibly think of anything more appropriate for someone to eat while watching The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold.

Conclusion:

If you’re looking for something new, this isn’t what you want. But it’s a fun tweak to a classic cereal.

Purchased Price: $3.64
Size: 21.2 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3/4 cup) 100 calories, 10 calories from fat, 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 65 milligrams of potassium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of sugar, 12 grams of other carbohydrates, and 1 gram of protein.

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