Did you know Act II is owned by Conagra Brands, which also owns Orville Redenbacher’s and Skinnygirl Popcorn? Sure, I didn’t learn what ingredients make this popcorn “Hot & Spicy,” but I feel learning about how many Conagra microwave popcorn lines there are is something more valuable. I hope it’s also valuable to you. (Spotted by @TheSock334 at Walmart.)
America’s preferred cylindrically containered potato crisp (fight me, Stax) unleashes what probably has to be its 900th variety, Hot Honey. The flavor, if you’re unfamiliar, is sweet like honey but is also spicy (hence the “hot”). It has recently been involving itself in things ranging from fast food chicken sandwiches to ice cream to frozen pizza from a rap-maker named Lil’ Yachty.
It’s fine. That’s all — fine. You’ve got your regular Pringles salty crispness, but you get an immediate mild undertone of honey. And it is very honey-esque, don’t get me wrong. (And not just, you know, artificial sugar dust, I mean.) It takes a few crisps before the heat begins to build, and it eventually does, but it is manageable and mild.
This is a Walmart exclusive flavor (along with a re-release of the Philly Cheesesteak variety), so if you don’t have a Walmart near you, (a) how is it possible to not live near a Walmart; (b) that’s honestly pretty cool; (c) you’re not missing much unless you’re a Pringles completist; and (d) okay, but seriously, doesn’t EVERYWHERE have a Walmart?
On our “Spotted” post regarding the Hot Honey Pringles, the caption said something to the effect of “I’m surprised they didn’t add chicken to this,” and that is 100% spot-on and likely would have transformed an extremely one-note chip into something much more fun to eat. As it is, I won’t exactly miss this when it’s gone.
Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 5.5 oz can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 105 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of total sugars, less than 1 gram of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.
I can’t say I’ve had hazelnut-flavored hot cocoa before. I’m not even sure how to make it. Stir Nutella in hot cocoa? Make homemade hazelnut milk and use it for hot cocoa? Turn Ferrero Rocher into hot cocoa bombs? (Spotted by Amy W at Safeway.)
The Philly Cheesesteak one is a returning flavor, but as you can see, it’s only at Walmart this time. A long time ago, it was only at Dollar General. As for the French Fries & Ketchup, I’m wondering if it’s just ketchup-flavored Pringles, which we’ve seen before. Or have the folks at Pringles figured out a way to make potato flakes taste like fried potatoes? (Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Wouldn’t fried cookie dough just be… a cookie?
That’s the thought I had when I heard Sonic was releasing Fried Cookie Dough à la Mode. Well, that and, “When can I get it, and how quickly can I shove it down my gullet?”
I thought a bit more, and realized I had no idea if I’ve ever had a fried chocolate chip cookie.
Do any of my favorite cookie brands swim in a vat of oil before they hit the shelves, or are they all baked? I guess it’s possible an unhealthy few might be fried? Either way, the only freshly fried cookies I’ve ever had were state fair-style Oreo, and those are great, so I was pumped when I saw Fried Cookie Dough finally pop up in the Sonic app.
How would I describe these things?
Well, let’s say you let your tray of cookies spend the last three minutes of cooking time roasting under the broiler, and they somehow came out of the oven with a crispy exterior while retaining the piping hot center. That’s Sonic Fried Cookie Dough.
I’ve never attempted to air-fry cookies, but this is what I imagine a cookie “baked” in an air fryer might be like. They’re a little burnt and maybe a tad greasy, but they taste great.
It’s basically a balled-up version of a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but the fact the gooey chocolate and mushy dough center is encased in a fritter-like shell makes this a slightly fresh take on a cookie.
These may be the first cookies I’ve ever had that were equal parts soft and crispy while still being hot.
The three cookies are served with a tiny cup of vanilla soft serve, which quite frankly isn’t anything special, but it does the job. It’s not terrible or anything, but Sonic’s vanilla has always tasted like a poor knockoff of McDonald’s to me. Still, it makes for a nice pairing with the warm cookie dough bites, and the small size of the entire order is more than enough.
You wouldn’t even have to tell me where these came from, because they’re distinctly Sonic, and they’re a strong addition to the menu.
Sonic has always done a good job peppering said menu with weird little fried snacks. If you saw these with no prior knowledge, you might even think they were overdone tots, or fried cheese curds or something.
Side note: If any higher-ups at Sonic are reading this, you should add corn fritters to the menu.
Anyway, I’m not gonna sit here and call Fried Cookie Dough revolutionary. They didn’t reinvent the cookie, but it’s definitely a nice spin on an old classic.
When I ordered these, they were an app exclusive, but they may already be rolling out on the restaurant menus near you. If not, check out the app because I also got a free little “Wag Cup” of whipped cream for my dog. From what I can tell he rated it a 3 out of 10, but you’re here to read about cookie dough.
Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 3 Bites
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 440 calories, 25 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 410 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of total carbohydrates, 10 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.
