QUICK REVIEW: Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses

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Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses

What are Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses?

Since real kisses are so hard to come by these days, I figured I’d continue my hot cocoa kick with Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses that feature milk chocolate with marshmallow creme.

How is it?

Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses 2

I’m gonna start with a bit of a prediction – I think most people will enjoy these more than I do. That being said, I do like them. I just thought I’d love them.

The Kiss casing is standard Hershey’s fare – or “fair” depending on your thoughts of Hershey’s chocolate.

Hot Cocoa Hershey's Kisses 3

The marshmallow crème center is the star of the show, but like Hot Cocoa M&M’s, it doesn’t necessarily scream “marshmallow!”

The first taste of marshmallow that hits reminded me of a standard cereal marbit, but that quickly got lost in the chocolate.

I kept being reminded of a “brownie batter” flavor as I was eating them, but I’m confused as to why a regular Kiss and marshmallow flavored crème would give me that impression. Nevertheless, that’s what I kept tasting.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I dug the texture of these Kisses.

The crème is softer than usual and quickly melts in your mouth, almost giving you a hot cocoa marshmallow sensation. I’d say the texture is somewhere between the outer chocolate, and the type of marshmallow you’d get in a Russell Stover chocolate marshmallow Santa.

I still couldn’t get past that brownie batter taste. To borrow a poker term, these were a “little too rich for my blood.” I let three melt in my mouth and wanted to chug a bottle of water.

Conclusion:

Like I said, you’re gonna like these more than I did. Still, the center and the texture make Hot Cocoa Hershey’s Kisses worth picking up.

Actually, as I was eating these, I kept thinking of one thing – Hershey’s Hugs. These were kinda like inferior Hugs. Do Hugs still exist? I miss Hugs – both the candy and the warm embrace.

I’m very lonely.

Purchased Price: $3.33
Size: 10 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (7 Kisses) 160 calories, 10 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Popcorn

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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.

QUICK REVIEW: Hershey’s Waffle Layer Crunch Dulce de Leche and Strawberry

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1 Hershey Waffle pkg

What is it?

Hershey’s has taken their chunky Cookie Layer Crunch bars (crunchy cookie bits + crème layer + traditional Hershey chocolate coating), given them new strawberry and dulce de leche crème layers and replaced the cookie bits with waffle cone pieces.

2 Hershey Waffle bars

3 Hershey Waffle Dulce

How is it?

Everything about these bars feels average. The dulce de leche and strawberry crème flavors weren’t particularly authentic, bright or rich. Just a run-of-the-mill caramel-y vanilla and Nesquick-style strawberry flavor. If you hate fake strawberry, I recommend you skip this bar.

4 Hershey Waffle cones

The waffle cone bits have a good crunch, but don’t texturally resemble waffle cones – they’re too thick. I can’t even see any telltale ridges on them. Without seeing the wrapper, I would identify these as cookie bits.

As noted in our Triple Chocolate Cookie Layer Crunch review, the outer coating is the very familiar Hershey chocolate.

Is there anything else I need to know?

There’s a lot of air inside these bars. The solid crème layer does not really interact with the physically uneven crunch layer – it sits atop it, leaving empty space. Not a huge deal, but is a bit disappointing in a small bar.

5 Hershey Waffle Strawberry

Each bag contains 9 mini-bars, which felt like a good amount.

6 Hershey Waffle contents

Conclusion:

They taste OK and are new flavors in this series, but there’s nothing great or novel about them – and isn’t that why we’re all here? If you’re a diehard Cookie Layer Crunch fan, they’re worth a try. If not, there’s more interesting chocolates out there.

Purchased Price: $4.95
Size: 6.3 oz. bag of mini-bars
Purchased at: Hershey’s Chocolate World
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 mini-bars) 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, 17 grams added sugars and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Hershey’s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat

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Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat

When I ask you to associate one food with California, what comes to mind?

Excuse my ignorance, but I don’t know. Wine? Fish tacos? I’ve only been to Southern California once and it was a culinary melting pot.

With that ignorance, I decided to roll with Hershey’s “Flavor of California” – the chocolate covered strawberry.

Yeah, strawberries, fine, that makes sense. Delicious California strawberries – the number one food I associate with California. Everybody loves sweet California strawberries!

Now, what if I told you Hershey decided to inject some California strawberry flavor into their world-famous Kit Kat bar? I bet that would interest you, right? Luckily, I’m here to let you know if it works.

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 3

As I broke off an awesome smelling stick at took a bite, nothing seemed to differentiate from a normal Kit Kat, but fear not because the strawberry flavor snuck in almost immediately, and man, it was nice!

There isn’t a HUGE strawberry flavor, but that’s exactly why I dug it. They could have easily made it artificial and overbearing, but there’s a delicious, light strawberry flavor that lingers. It’s a perfect mix, acting as almost an inverse of a real chocolate covered strawberry. Once you get through the chocolate shell, the freakishly huge strawberries usually become the dominant flavor.

You’re obviously not gonna get the juicy refreshing element of a real strawberry, but you’re also not gonna get that tartness of the fruit either. I’ve always found that unless you’re eating perfectly in-season California(!) berries, they can be a bit of a buzzkill.

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 4

I ate a chocolate covered strawberry for comparison, and maybe I’m just a child with an unrefined palate (I am), but I’ll take the Kit Kat all day, every day.

I haven’t had a ton of chocolate/strawberry flavored candies, but as far as I’m concerned Kit Kat is the new top dog. This is easily better than Strawberry Nut M&M’s.

If I was basing my review on the smell and the taste, I’d consider giving these a perfect score, but I gotta nitpick a bit.

Hershey put out miniature white chocolate strawberry Kit Kats last year that were much cuter, for lack of a better word. We’re probably better off without chemical dyes in our food, but I would’ve really enjoyed it if this was also pink or red, and not typical brown. Japan has like 874 different Kit Kat flavors and they toss some cool colors at ya. Why make these so boring?

Hershey s Flavor of California Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat 2

While I’m whining, I also expected more off the wall ingredients from Hershey’s “Flavors of America” line. Chocolate covered strawberry is pretty tame, no? Good, but tame. Last year, I reviewed a Texas-style Pay Day with BBQ peanuts and was hoping for more weirdness like that.

So yeah, I can sit here and pine for all the weirdness of Japanese Kit Kats, or petition Hershey for some Philly Cheesesteak-infused Whoppers or something, but that would be a disservice to this sweet flavor of California. Pick these up if you see them.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 package – 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $1.25
Size: 1.5 oz.
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Perfect balance of chocolate and strawberry. No artificial taste. Smell amazing. Best chocolate/strawberry candy bar I’ve had to date. Giving me a California food association. Hershey’s “Flavors of America” line in general.
Cons: Boring appearance. Idea is a tad bit lazy. North America’s lack of Kit Kat flavors. The Kit Kat jingle which is now stuck in your head. This dude actually said “Philly cheesesteak Whoppers?”

REVIEW: Hershey’s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut

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Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut

This time last year, Hershey’s launched its “Flavors of America” campaign. I thought this was a genius way to introduce new flavors – appeal to our national spirit and highlight the diverse agriculture and local/regional culinary specialties of our fair country.

While I had issues with the Flavor of New York Cherry Cheesecake bar, for the most part I enjoyed the products that came out of this promotion – Orange Creme Pop and Key Lime Pie Twizzlers, Strawberry Kit Kat, etc.
 
I thought the Flavor of Hawaii Coconut Almond Hershey’s Kisses were the standout of the bunch. They were superbly light and the enrobed almonds added a nice crunch. I nearly ate a whole bag in one sitting.
 
When I heard that Hershey was retreading these Kisses as Pineapple Coconut, I was excited but confused. I didn’t understand why it was having another go at Hawaii when there were plenty of other flavors and states it hadn’t hit yet. I love pineapple, though, so I definitely wanted to try them.
 
On breaking open the bag, I inhaled a lung-ful of suntan lotion. It smelled like whatever tropical-fruit-scented concoction I was slathering on my translucent skin during my family’s summer 1987 vacation to Honolulu. In that sense, it was definitely a flavor of Hawaii for me. But a food-scented lotion is more appealing than a lotion-flavored food. My hopes were starting to deflate like a pool float with a slow leak.

Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut 2

While last year’s Coconut Almond Kisses were a subtle affair with a classy coconut and a smart almond textural bump, Pineapple Coconut were like 12-year-old me in Hawaii – frizzy, permed hair, Jamz shorts in a seizure-inducing pattern and geometrically abstract sunburn lines. Just wrong.
 
Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut 3

The same lovely coconut remained, but these Kisses were mostly pineapple. Not an authentic “I just came from the Dole Plantation tour” flavor, but more of a “Check out these gummies I found at It’s Sugar.” I’m not against fake-fruit flavors – I prefer fake watermelon to the real thing – but in this case, the artificiality didn’t mesh well with the low-key coconut. I wouldn’t even say I disliked the pineapple on its own merits – I think it would have been great as a Twizzler.

Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut 4

These Kisses also lacked a nut filling, which I really missed. I decided to make some of my go-to crafty snacks – I call them Flying Saucers. One round pretzel, one Hershey’s Kiss, bake at 250F for 3 minutes exactly, press one M&M into the center to flatten it out.  

Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut 5

For me, the pretzels fixed the flavor imbalance and gave it texture. I had more appreciation for the Coconut Pineapple afterwards.

Hershey s Kisses Flavor of Hawaii Pineapple Coconut 6

Overall, these weren’t bad and would be a nice treat for a luau-themed patio party this summer, but if the Coconut Almond Kisses are available – choose them instead.
 
Now, can we PLEASE move on to some other states’ great flavors? How about Vermont Maple Kisses? New Mexico Chili Chocolate Kisses? Massachusetts Cranberry? Louisiana Bananas Foster?

(Nutrition Facts – 7 kisses – 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $4.75
Size: 10 oz. bag
Purchased at: Hershey’s Chocolate World
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Same light, lovely coconut flavor as last year’s model.
Cons: Pineapple that isn’t in tune with the coconut. Why are we going to Hawaii again? This kiss needs nuts (or pretzels or something crunchy and savory)!

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