REVIEW: Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe Bars

When I learned that Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe bars would be available in stores for the first time, I felt an anticipatory thrill as though I’d heard the ice cream truck’s song growing ever closer. Rather than search manically for cash and sprint down the block lest those punk neighbor kid snag the last SpongeBob Squarepants-shaped Popsicle, I just had to stalk Walgreens for a few weeks.

Previously available only at Hershey’s Chocolate World or the online Hershey’s store, the available flavors—Strawberries ‘N’ Creme, Cookies ‘N’ Mint, and Salted Caramel—can be found at Walgreens’ front registers through summer’s end. Since they will be available for a very limited time, I’ll cut to the chase: my stalking efforts were worth it.

Each bar consists of a white creme base, flavored like its respective ice cream inspiration, with a crunchy mix-in. They are sectioned into triangles, each imprinted with an ice cream cone shape, which adds a much-appreciated touch of thematic whimsy. Each bar has a certain creamy, rich, vanilla-tinged essence that characterizes ice cream while delivering a full flavor that isn’t too sweet.

First, I tried Strawberries ‘N’ Creme, which consists of strawberry-flavored creme and strawberry-flavored flakes. I don’t always love berry-flavored creme, which can sometimes have an artificial flavor or off-putting tang, but this pretty pink bar gets it just right. The balance of strawberry and vanilla flavors replicates the taste of strawberry ice cream almost perfectly. The “flakes” are tiny, crispy, and dense with realistic strawberry flavor. Their texture is something like a wee sugar sprinkle, but the flavor ensures that they are more than just decoration.

Cookies ‘N’ Mint is mint-flavored white creme with crunchy chocolate cookie pieces. (It is also not to be confused with the identically-named, now-discontinued milk chocolate variety, for which I would commit unspeakable crimes to have back on shelves.) I love chocolate and mint in any form, so this bar was a delicious homage to one of my favorite ice cream flavors. The mint is strong (a few notches below Peppermint Patty filling), but there is still a hint of vanilla. Sometimes, the mint hides the chocolate flavor of the cookie pieces. The crunchy pieces are so plentiful, though, that it is hard to notice.

Last, the Salted Caramel variety includes salted caramel-flavored creme with toffee pieces. The creme here is just as delicious as the others, but it has a buttery, nutty quality that reminds me more of butter pecan ice cream than salted caramel. Paired with the creaminess of the confection, there aren’t enough sweet-and-salty punches to make the bar taste true to its intended flavor. The toffee pieces add the heartiest crunch of all varieties but don’t offer a contrast in flavor. I’d classify Salted Caramel as the least successful of the bunch, but I still enjoyed it enough to buy another bar.

The Hershey’s Ice Cream Shoppe bars are a delicious limited offering, deserving of a trip to Walgreens with a “The cone is melting!” kind of urgency. If you can’t find them in person, at least two will remain available online. While the Salted Caramel bar is not available through the Hershey’s store as of this writing, you can find three additional varieties there: Birthday Cake, Cotton Candy, and Chocolate Hazelnut.

Hershey, if you’re reading, there is enough room at the Walgreens’ register for a few more flavors. I’ll take a scoop of each!

Purchased Price: $1.50 each
Size: 1.38 oz (39 g) bar
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Strawberries ‘N’ Creme), 9 out of 10 (Cookies ‘N’ Mint), 8 out of 10 (Salted Caramel)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) Strawberries ‘N’ Creme – 210 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Cookies ‘N’ Mint – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Salted Caramel – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Werewolf Tracks Peanut Butter Cups

To prepare for this review of Reese’s Werewolf Tracks, I tried to immerse myself in lycanthropy to try to figure out what on earth this new candy has to do with werewolves. I watched The Wolf Man (1941) and listened to various werewolf songs. But I still can’t figure it out.

It’s just an ordinary Reese’s, except that the top is vanilla-flavored white creme. So here are the possibilities I have come up with:

  • Some wolves are white and some wolves are brown.
  • The round, white top looks like a full moon with jagged edges.
  • If a werewolf leaves a track in the dirt, it might fill up with water, which turns white when it freezes.

Questionable Halloween connection aside, how are they?

Eaten directly, the peanut butter cup does not taste all that different from a regular Reese’s cup. Vanilla-flavored creme just doesn’t impart that much flavor.

When I nibble the top off to try to isolate the creme, it just tastes like the white confection you can find in countless other candies. Nothing about it reminds me of actual vanilla.

I also should add that this is not the first time Reese’s has made a similar candy. It did the Franken-Cup, which had green-colored creme, and the Easter-themed Mallow-Top, which had a marshmallow-flavored top. And really, what even is marshmallow flavor? Green-colored creme, marshmallow-flavored creme, and vanilla-flavored creme don’t seem all that different from each other. This is just a boring candy.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a top-tier confection, and if this were a brand-new treat, I would give it 10/10 based on taste alone. But this is simply a variation on a classic, and it’s just not that interesting or special.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 9.35 oz bag
Purchased at: Dick’s Market
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pieces) 160 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar including 14 grams of added sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Kit Kat Ghost Toast

Only a junk food enthusiast will experience an emotional rollercoaster ride upon the release of a new Kit Kat flavor. This time, Kit Kat Ghost Toast, the brand’s newest seasonal Halloween flavor described as “crisp wafers in cinnamon toast flavored creme,” elicited the following reactions, in this order:

  • Delight. Ghost Toast! How cute! It rhymes!
  • Concern. Can ghosts even eat toast? Won’t the crumbs just fall through their hollow bellies directly onto the ground? Is this why they moan and rattle chains? Are they hungry for toasty warm bread they’ll never experience? Since I misplaced my Ouija board, I’ll never know.
  • Relief. On the bright side, Kit Kat has chosen an appealing flavor with whimsical wordplay that is neither overdone (like boo-berry) nor unhinged (imagine a boo-loney or ghoul-ash Kit Kat!).

Sufficiently in spooky mode, I bought a bag of snack size bars from Giant Eagle’s Halloween candy display. From the winking ghost on each wrapper to the candy’s orange-colored creme, these bars are well-dressed for the season. They will make a fun addition to any treat bag or scary movie night.

The Kit Kats may emit a scent reminiscent of a Christmas candle, but their flavor makes up for it. Ghost Toast tastes so much like a dream collaboration between Kit Kat and Cinnamon Toast Crunch that my initial concern swelled to a panic. Is the ghost on the Kit Kat wrapper the spirit of CTC’s former baker mascot, Wendell?

While it may be too late for me, don’t let this conspiracy theory divert you from the Kit Kat’s delicious cinnamon flavor. The cinnamon is strongly concentrated within the crisp wafers, a smart choice to achieve a perfect pairing of taste and texture. One crunchy bite will remind you of cinnamon-sugar toast or cereal.

The creme has some cinnamon flavor, but the familiar sweet, white chocolate-esque taste of Kit Kat’s white creme shines more. Further supporting the Cinnamon Toast Crunch vibe, the cinnamon-tinged creme reminds me of the Cinnadust-infused frosting released by Betty Crocker. Some might find the creme too sweet to be true to the flavor of cinnamon toast, but Kit Kat Departed Soul Iced Cinnamon Roll just doesn’t have the same zing.

Kit Kat Ghost Toast is cinnamon toast meets creamy candy sweetness. The cinnamon in the wafers elevates the cinnamon flavor significantly. It is such a major improvement on the brand’s past cinnamon endeavors (namely the okay-but-forgettable Churro Kit Kat) that you will be shocked not to see Cinnamon Toast Crunch branding on the wrapper. Try it before the season is over—or be haunted by the missed opportunity.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 9.8 oz bag
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 bars) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Kit Kat Pink Lemonade

If all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. . . . does that mean all strawberry lemonade is pink, but not all pink lemonade is strawberry?

Based on my collective understanding of geometry, the color wheel, and fruit, the answer is, “Yeah, sure.”

Luckily, Kit Kat takes a decided stance on what makes pink lemonade pink with its candy creme interpretation of the classic summer beverage. Kit Kat Pink Lemonade, a limited edition summer release, is described by the brand as “classic, crisp wafers wrapped in a pink lemonade flavored creme — this new flavor delivers a refreshing taste experience with unexpected hints of strawberry.”

The combination of strawberry and lemon in a Kit Kat sounded berry good to me. While the Lemon Crisp variety is one of my favorite Kit Kats, I worried that Kit Kat Pink Lemonade would be the very same flavor dressed up in a pink costume.

When I found a package of snack size bars at Walmart, I needed to quench the thirst of my curiosity. First impressions: The candy smells, for lack of a better word, pink—like pink Starburst or strawberry lip gloss. The creme coating is visually appealing, the perfect shade of creamy pink usually reserved for Valentine’s Day.

On first taste, I double-checked the packaging to be sure I hadn’t picked up a Valentine’s Day castoff that had been clinging to the shelves since February. The flavor was primarily strawberries and cream. Contrary to my fear of a Lemon Crisp clone, this Kit Kat reminded me more of Strawberry Ice Cream Cone Hershey Kisses, another summer offering. Both products have a strawberry milk vibe that is not too artificial and carries the creme’s sweetness well.

The lemon was hard to detect. At first, I thought the creaminess of the base might be hiding the flavor. I tasted the Kit Kats several times over the course of three days, and it has taken me that long to concede: there is some lemony tang in the aftertaste. It’s a zesty finish, if you will, like a drizzle of lemon juice on a strawberry shortcake.

I anticipate the comments section filling with disbelief: “You fool! These bars are dripping with zest!” “Thanks to Kit Kat, my mouth is in a permanent state of pucker!” “IDK, they taste like lemonade to me.”

If anyone’s experience does reflect my imaginings, I’ll eat my hat (as a palate cleanser before testing yet another Kit Kat Pink Lemonade). Until then, the Kit Kat Pink Lemonade bar is a familiar, fruity take on a summer favorite—just not the one you’re expecting.

Purchased Price: $2.37
Size: 5.88 oz package (contains twelve .49 oz snack size bars)
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 bars) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Chocolate Frosted Donut Kit Kat

Certain snacks just lend themselves to being successfully changed up in a multitude of ways without affecting what makes them great in the first place. The humble Kit Kat is a perfect example of this. At its core, it’s just wafers and chocolate; classic and delicious but also beckoning to be dressed up in as many styles as you can think of. Japan knows this and has seen hundreds of variations, but things have been played a little closer to the vest here in America. In the last few years, however, the Hershey factory has gotten more adventurous, and we’ve seen quite a few new takes on the “Give Me a Break” treat. The latest edition is Chocolate Frosted Donut, a permanent addition to the lineup.

The packaging and appearance of these Kit Kats delight me. Like the Duos flavors, this one is two-toned with a tan base and brown chocolate top, neatly mimicking its donut namesake. The smell is sweet and buttery, and while it doesn’t exactly scream “donut” to me, it’s certainly bakery-esque. It leans a little sweeter than a standard chocolate Kit Kat and the “frosted” flavor rings true. If I blindly tasted the bar, I think my guess would have been along the lines of cake and frosting, but obviously not the birthday cake flavor that already exists in Kit Kat form.

When I picture eating a donut, the ring I see myself holding is of the yeast variety, so it’s possible my expectations might have just been a bit off. Perhaps the reason these remind me of cake is because they’re supposed to taste like a cake donut. Maybe instead of screaming “donut,” what they were actually whispering was “duh.” Part of the magic of a freshly made yeast donut is in the fried factor and the airy-chewy texture, both of which would be difficult to replicate in a candy bar so heavily centered around crispy wafers. But there’s nothing wrong with a cake donut, and if I ignore the fried and yeasted aspects I typically associate with donuts, I’m more willing to believe these Kit Kats can call themselves donut-flavored.

Whether or not these truly taste like a donut, they are enjoyable, and I would have no problem eating them again. Unfortunately, they aren’t as delicious, unique, or well-executed as the excellent Blueberry Muffin Kit Kat, so I’m not sure why this one was chosen for permanent status. They’re certainly worth trying and a nice change of pace, but I don’t feel the need to rush out and grab a dozen.

Purchased Price: $2.19
Size: 3 oz (King Size package)
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 fingers – 32 g) 160 calories, 9 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugar (including 15 grams of added sugars), and 1 gram of protein.

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