REVIEW: Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate Bar

Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate Bar

When I lived in England, there were three things I did routinely for fun: Drink, watch reruns of The Simpsons, and eat chocolate. Not necessarily in that order, but often during the course of a single day. There was this milk chocolate candy bar called Wispa, which was very fun to say in a British accent and unique to my American chocolate sensibilities due to the fact that it was “aerated.” The chocolate had tiny air bubbles in it, which didn’t change the flavor of the bar in any way, but did make the texture a little creamier. Cadbury’s Wispa bar was sort of interesting for what it was at the time (it was discontinued after I left and renamed Dairy Milk Bubbly, which sounds HORRIBLE), but it was still a plain old chocolate bar that melted in me gob faster than I could say “Bob’s-your-uncle.” Gov’na.

Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate Bar Outtards

Inexplicably, aerated chocolate has been a trend in Europe for a long time (see also: Aero bars), and now, it’s finally landed on our shores. Hershey’s has released a similar milk chocolate bar that they have dubbed “Hershey’s Air Delight.” Just like the Wispa, it’s chock-full o’ holes. Irregularly-shaped holes. Now let’s get something nice and sparkling clear. I happen to be one of those people who has an unpleasant visceral reaction to the sight of many irregularly-shaped holes or circles clustered together on an object. Things like sea sponges and rashes make my skin crawl. I don’t believe I’m alone in this. OK, maybe I am… But at least I know that it could be a lot worse.

One of my very good friends can’t stand the sight of bubbles or a mound of beads when they are evenly-spaced and of equal shape and size, which you are probably far more likely to encounter in daily life. As a clean freak, the possibility of constantly getting the creepy-crawlies from dish bubbles would mean I was destined for a lifetime of discomfort, so I’m grateful for the small (evenly-shaped) things.

That being said, Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate uses these misshapen air bubbles to make you think they’ve packed more chocolate into the same package when they’re actually giving you less. Half of the candy bar you just bought is air. The Air Delight bar is divided into several rectangular pieces, just like the original Hershey’s bar, but the pieces are slightly thicker. When you bite into it, it feels a little bit crumblier and crispier than a normal chocolate bar, but that could be because the holes (ergh!) are collapsing upon each other. The aerated milk chocolate itself tastes like regular milk chocolate and seems a bit creamier.

Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate Bar Innards

Now, let’s get to the uncomfortable part. The holes (gah!) are like honeycomb. Teensy little bubbles in the chocolate. I tried not to look too closely lest I would want to scratch off my own flesh, but it was actually not that bad. I guess the knowledge that the bubble/holes are edible and not caused by pestilence makes it more tolerable.

Anyway, Hershey’s Air Delight is a fine milk chocolate bar with a nice milk chocolate flavor, even if the aerating process doesn’t really add anything to it but a slight crunchiness when you bite and a smooth creaminess when you chew — a small reward for blowing air holes in my candy. Now if they had been speed holes to make the chocolate bar go faster, that would have been awesome.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 bar (1.44 ounces/40 grams) – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 300 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 22 grams of sugar, 3 grams of protein, 8% calcium, and 2% iron.)

Item: Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate Bar
Price: $1.19
Size: 1.44 ounces
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Delicious Hershey’s milk chocolate flavor. Fanciful chocolate bar names spoken in foreign accents. Bigger, thicker candy bar pieces. Has a nice crunch. Melts in your mouth. Speed holes.
Cons: Irregularly-shaped holes. Aeration process does nothing more than inject air into the candy and siphon money from your wallet. Creepy-crawlies. European candy trends that don’t really make sense. Candy bar holes are not speed holes.

NEWS: Totino’s Creates A New Way To Stuff Your Face With Their Pizza

The new Totino’s Pizza Stuffers look like Totino’s took their Party Pizza, folded one end over the other, and then used a mad scientist’s shrink ray to get it down to a size slightly bigger than two or three of their Pizza Rolls.

Or if you eat a lot of Pizza Hut, they look like mini P’Zones.

Or if you eat a lot dim sum, they look like pizza potstickers.

Totino’s Pizza Stuffers come in three varieties: pepperoni, combination, and cheese. Each box contains four Pizza Stuffers and are microwaveable, but, disappointingly, don’t come with crisping sleeves.

A Pepperoni Pizza Stuffer has 280 calories, 15 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 760 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. A Combination Pizza Stuffer has 270 calories, 14 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 700 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. Both were made using partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

NEWS: Subway Makes Milk Obsolete By Adding Calcium and Vitamin D To Their Bread

Subway addict ...

This week, Subway, where we can all Eat Fresh, announced it has now added calcium and vitamin D to their line of fresh baked bread. A six-inch serving of bread provides 30 percent of the daily recommnded value of calcium and 20 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin D.

For those of you who didn’t take nutrition classes or don’t read random Wikipedia entries late at night to pass the time while your torrents download:

“One of the most important roles of vitamin D is to maintain skeletal calcium balance by promoting calcium absorption in the intestines, promoting bone resorption by increasing osteoclast number, maintaining calcium and phosphate levels for bone formation, and allowing proper functioning of parathyroid hormone to maintain serum calcium levels.”

With Subway adding calcium to their bread, it’s now possible to get more than 100 percent of the daily recommended amount of calcium in one meal at Subway. Using the nutrition table on Subway’s website, I can get 60 percent if I order a footlong turkey breast sandwich using their 9-grain wheat bread, then another 20 percent if I add provolone cheese to it, and if I get the meal, I can get 45 percent if I order a low-fat milk and another 8 percent if I get a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. That’s a grand total of 133 percent of the daily recommended value of calcium.

It’s also 1,070 calories, 31.5 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 12 grams of fiber, and 2,360 milligrams of sodium. But who’s counting?

The calcium and vitamin D fortified bread should be available now at your local Subway restaurant.

REVIEW: Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee

Starbucks VIA Caramel Flavored Iced Coffee

I feel sorry for the Starbucks baristas out there who have to deal with complex drink orders from insane customers. They say the customer is always right, but those who order an iced ristretto 5-shot grande with 5/8 decaf, six ice cubes, 2-pumps sugar free caramel, 4-pumps caramel, soy, whole milk, extra whip, 12 Splenda, double cupped, and hand stirred to a temperature of 43 degrees have got to be wrong.

Do they feel like their complex order somehow makes them some kind of Starbucks alchemist?

Or are they trying to impress the people behind them in line with the fact that they know how to order something at Starbucks?

Or do they enjoy being a barista puppeteer, making Starbucks employees do their bidding with their purse strings?

You know what, Starbucks baristas? I’m your break from the batty bastards and bitches who order elaborate beverages, because from now on, when I roll into a Starbucks, I’m only there to either use the restroom, steal napkins, be creepy, or to pick up a pack of your new Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee, all of which don’t involve you lifting any of your well-worked fingers. I’m your coffee break, your latte lull, your ristretto recess, your half-caf hiatus, your Venti vacation, and your Asian persuasion.

Each packet of Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee is made up of microgrounded 100 percent natural roasted arabica beans, a little bit of caramel flavor, and cane sugar. This powdery partnership produces a Grande of iced coffee goodness, if you’re willing to do all of the following: measure 16 ounces of water, rip off the packet top, pour the contents of the packet into the 16 ounces of water, and then stir it until the powder dissolves.

Or if you have children, you can dress them up in a green Starbucks apron, tell them you’re “playing Starbucks,” and make them do all the work.

After tearing open a packet of Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee, it farts out a strong caramel aroma. That caramel aroma is also present after the powder is mixed with water. When I drink it, it starts off with a nice caramel flavor, which quickly gives way to the bitterness of the coffee. However, thanks to the caramel flavoring, I’m finding it much easier to drink than regular Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee, which I usually sweeten with either a little more sugar or chocolate syrup.

I really enjoyed the regular Starbucks VIA Iced Coffee, but I have to say I prefer this caramel version more. Adding a little vanilla soy milk makes it even better, although the caramel iced coffee already has 24 grams of sugar, so adding soy milk gives it a little more. While that may sound sweet, it’s not as sweet as I am for giving Starbucks baristas a quick breve breather from impossible drink orders by not ordering anything and just picking up a 5-pack of Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee.

(Nutrition Facts – 1/2 packet – 50 calories, 0 grams of fat, 20 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.)

Item: Starbucks VIA Caramel Iced Coffee
Price: $5.95
Size: 5 pack
Purchased at: Starbucks
Rating: 10 out of 10
Pros: Better tasting and easier to drink than regular Starbuck VIA Iced Coffee. Easy to make. Great with a little vanilla soy milk. Makes a Grande of iced coffee. Cheaper than ordering the same drink from Starbucks. Giving baristas a break from making complex drink orders from douchebags. Nice energy pick-me-up.
Cons: Might have too much sugar for those who care about consuming too much sugar. You have to stir or shake it yourself, unless you have children who can do it for you. Waiting in line behind someone who orders complex Starbucks drinks. At home, you have no access to the Starbucks bar.

NEWS: Hostess’ Frosted Devil’s Food Cake Donettes Could Be The Yin To Their White Powdered Donettes Yang

hostess

It looks like Hostess is trying to be a temptress with their new Frosted Devil’s Food Cake Donettes.

Personally, I’ve never understood the appeal of devil’s food cake. Perhaps this is because I’ve never been able to tell the difference between it and regular chocolate cake. My guess is that my tongue is so pure and innocent that it rejects the flavor of any devil’s food cake. Or maybe my tongue has been in too many places where it shouldn’t have been which has caused it to lose its ability to distinguish nuances between flavors.

The Hostess Frosted Devil’s Food Cake Donettes are simply mini devil’s food cake donuts dipped in a chocolate-flavored coating. They join the white powdered and chocolate coated mini donuts in the Donettes line.

The Hostess Frosted Devil’s Food Cake Donettes are available now and come in four sizes: 10.5-ounce Dunkie Bags, 11.25-ounce Dunkie Bags, 12.2-ounce Sweet Sixteen Dunkie Bags, and 3-ounce single serve sleeves.

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