The Impulsive Buy

SPOTTED – 3/22/2022

Marvo / March 22, 2022 / Spotted on Shelves / 8 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Blood Orange Brisk Iced Tea Slurpee — Blood Orange Brisk Iced Tea Slurpee

(Spotted by Robbie at 7-Eleven.)

Oreo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cups — Oreo Frozen Dairy Dessert Cups

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Tom Thumb.)

Turkey Hill Chocolate Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches — Turkey Hill Strawberry & Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

(Spotted by Robbie at Tom Thumb.)

Bubbies Mochi Cookies Cream — Bubbies Mochi Cookies & Cream

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

AHA Blackberry + Lemon Fuji + White Tea and PIneapple + Passionfruit Sparkling Water — AHA Blackberry + Lemon, Fuji + White Tea, and Pineapple + Passionfruit Sparkling Water

(Spotted by Julie at Giant Eagle.)

Frankford Peeps Marshmallow Flavored Lemonade — Frankford Peeps Marshmallow Flavored Lemonade

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

Bubbie s Biscotti Pina Colada Handcrafted Bit scotti — Bubbie’s Biscotti Pina Colada Handcrafted Bit-scotti

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

Wellness Bites Tropical Clusters — Wellness Bites Tropical Clusters

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

Hot Cocoa Bombs Strawberry — Hot Cocoa Bombs Strawberry

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

Sprouts Limited Time Only Cranberry White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies — Sprouts Limited Time Only Cranberry White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

Sprouts White Chunk Key Lime Cookies — Sprouts White Chunk Key Lime Cookies

Sprouts Limited Time Only White Chocolate Ube Style Cookies — Sprouts Limited Time Only White Chocolate Ube Style Cookies

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Mixes (S’mores and Peanut Butter)

Marvo / March 22, 2022 / Reviews / 1 Comment

What are Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Mixes?

They combine edible cookie dough bites with another mix-in you might see in a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream pint. At this time, there are two varieties you can find in the freezer aisle —- S’mores and Peanut Butter. The former features graham cracker cookie dough with marshmallow truffles, while the latter has peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough and mini peanut butter cups.

How are they?

Maybe it’s just me, but the dough pieces taste noticeably blander than previous cookie dough chunks I’ve had from Ben & Jerry’s. So much so that if I looked into these pouches and saw there were only dough pieces left, I might not want to finish them. Although maybe I feel that way because there’s a stark flavor contrast between the cookie dough and the candy pieces.

The graham cracker cookie dough pieces are confusing because I’m not sure anyone would identify them as graham cracker anything. They taste more vanilla-ish and have a slight butteriness. While that makes sense in cookie dough, that doesn’t help me think of graham crackers. As for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough chunks, the chips buried in them don’t have much chocolatey flavor and whatever nuttiness they have is mild.

The much sweeter candy pieces provide the flavor boosts that make these a worthwhile purchase, and thankfully the candy mix-in to cookie dough ratio appears to be almost 1 to 1. The mini peanut butter cups taste exactly like what you’d find in pints. They have a strong chocolatey and peanut butter taste that dwarfs the dough chunks’ flavor. As for the marshmallow truffles, they were as delightful as the peanut butter cups, maybe even better. They have the perfect balance of chocolate and marshmallow flavor, and the latter helps intensify the vanilla in the dough. Now, if only those chunks had some graham flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

I’m not going to take credit for the Cookie Dough Mixes idea, but a year ago, well before they debuted, in a review of Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough Chunks, I wrote, “Ben & Jerry’s should sell bags of its edible cookie dough with its non-dough mix-ins. It could be called Mix-In Mashups (feel free to use that, Flavor Gurus).”

Also, it seems as if the marshmallow truffles haven’t been in any other Ben & Jerry’s products. Feel free correct me, internet.

Conclusion:

Despite the somewhat bland cookie dough chunks, I enjoyed popping Cookie Dough Mixes into my mouth. Well, um, after making sure there was at least one candy piece before doing so.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8 oz pouches
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: (2 Tbsp./28 grams) S’mores 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar (13 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein. Peanut Butter – 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (9 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough

SPOTTED: Doritos Roulette Cool Ranch

Marvo / March 21, 2022 / Spotted on Shelves / 2 Comments

There’s now a Cool Ranch version of Doritos Roulette. Also, the Nacho Cheese version is back. Now I’m waiting for a Doritos Roulette Oops All Hot. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

SPOTTED – 3/21/2022

Marvo / March 21, 2022 / Spotted on Shelves / 2 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Budweiser Beer Battered Cheesy Potato Bites — Budweiser Beer Battered Cheesy Potato Bites

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

Trader Joe s Sour Cream Onion Rings Lentil Rice Snacks — Trader Joe’s Sour Cream & Onion Rings Lentil & Rice Snacks

Trader Joe s Pinks Whites Dark Chocolate Bar — Trader Joe’s Pinks & Whites Dark Chocolate Bar

(Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)

Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Mango — Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Mango

Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Strawberry — Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Strawberry

Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Hibiscus — Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Hibiscus

(Spotted by @ReneBarba89 at FoodMaxx.)

Tin Star Barbacoa BBQ Potato Chips — Tin Star Barbacoa BBQ Potato Chips

(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)

Fannie May Mint Chocolate Cookie Clusters — Fannie May Mint Chocolate Cookie Clusters

(Spotted by Rachel C at Costco.)

Ferrero Rocher Dark Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Bar — Ferrero Rocher Dark Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Bar

Ferrero Rocher Milk Hazelnut Almond Milk Chocolate Bar — Ferrero Rocher Milk Hazelnut & Almond Milk Chocolate Bar

Ferrero Rocher White Hazelnut White Chocolate Bar — Ferrero Rocher White Hazelnut White Chocolate Bar

Ferrero Rocher Milk Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar — Ferrero Rocher Milk Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar

We covered the Dark Chocolate one last month, but here are the others. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

REVIEW: Banner Butter x Pop-Tarts Limited Edition Kit

Rachel / March 21, 2022 / Reviews / 10 Comments

What is the Banner Butter x Pop-Tarts Limited Edition Kit?

Apparently, slathering butter on your freshly-toasted Pop-Tarts is a thing? I had no idea. As the person who believed for 20+ years that I had invented dipping Wendy’s fries into Frostys, I really should have known.

Atlanta-based Banner Butter teamed up with Kellogg’s to make a combo kit of Pop-Tarts’ most iconic flavors and two small pats each of six Banner’s flavored butters. The packaging had suggested pairings, which is what I tried (with a couple of additional twists).

How are they?

First up – Strawberry Pop-Tart with Sea Salt Butter. This was the basic proof-of-concept. And yeah, it was delicious. The butter gave the commercially-bland Pop-Tarts’ pastry the flavor of real, laminated pastry dough. (But did we need that?)

Next, Strawberry Pop-Tart with Balsamic Fig and Caramelized Onion Butter. This was my favorite of all the butters – a nice sweet/savory combo. It gave the Pop-Tart a flavor complexity it usually lacks.

Then, Chocolate Fudge PTs with Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter and Honey Habanero butter. The Cinnamon/Cardamom/Ginger butter was great, but the chocolate overwhelmed it a bit. The Honey Habanero butter gave the chocolate a dark intensity and a little heat – similar to a chili-tinged Mexican hot chocolate.

Lastly, the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts with Strawberry butter and Dark Chocolate butter. These were both meh. The strawberry got lost in the cinnamon, and the dark chocolate just tasted like added cocoa powder.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon PTs are one of my favorites, so I also tried them with the Balsamic Fig & Caramelized Onion butter and the Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter. They both worked way better than the suggested pairing. Balsamic Fig brought the same complexity as it did to the strawberry PTs. The Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter added an “adult” feeling. Both great butters.

Overall, I really liked some of the flavors here, but wasn’t sure about the “upgrading” of PTs. I love Pop-Tarts in all their naked, untoasted glory. If I wanted something that tasted like a fine French pastry, I’d just go buy the real thing. Give me my pasty pastry in a foil bag. That being said, Kellogg’s, why aren’t you just doing this yourselves? Cinnamon Cardamom & Ginger Pop-Tarts? Spicy Chocolate Pop-Tarts for winter? C’mon.

Anything else you need to know?

This kit sold out a while ago, but you can get the same experience ordering Banner Butter and purchasing Pop-Tarts at the store. Or buy other butters. Or make your own compound butter – just soften some butter, mix in the good stuff, and let it sit in the fridge.

Conclusion:

If you’re a Buttered-Pop-Tarts stan, this fancy-butter-combo is definitely for you. If you’re just hearing about it, give it a whirl with whatever you have on hand. If you like your Pop-Tarts lowbrow like I do, try it for fun, but don’t expect it to become your regular thing.

Purchased Price: $25.00
Size: (3) 13.5oz / 8-pastry boxes of Pop-Tarts, (12) 2 tbsp. pats of butter
Purchased at: bannerbutter.com
Rating: 7 out of 10 (although the Balsamic Fig and Cinnamon Butters alone are 9 out of 10!)
Nutrition Facts: (For butters – 2 tbsp or ½ of a pat) Sea Salt – 100 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 0 grams of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein. Balsamic Fig & Caramelized Onion – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Honey Habanero – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Strawberry – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Dark Chocolate – 110 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein.