Tag: Mars

REVIEW: Crunchy Cookie M&M’s

Marvo 3 Comments

Crunchy Cookie M M s Bag

As I looked down into my bag of Crunchy Cookie M&M’s, I wondered if the Red M&M was playing a trick on me and filled the bag with Sixlets rejects that didn’t meet the spherical standards of, um, whoever produces Sixlets (I’m too lazy to Google it).

Anyhoo, when did crisp rice-filled M&M’s get Sixlets-small?

While I was initially disappointed with their size, after I started eating them, I began to understand why they are the way they are. It boils down to what these chocolate candies are supposed to taste like — a crunchy cookie. That can also be expanded to their texture. Thanks to a thinner chocolate layer, they have a crunch that can be described as more like a cookie than candy-coated M&M’s, and I like it.

Crunchy Cookie M M s Layers

Sadly, that crunch doesn’t come from an actual cookie core embedded in the center of each piece. It’s a rice crisp, which our teeth have chomped on over the years. I guess when it comes to solid ingredients, M&M’s stuffing technology hasn’t improved beyond rice crisps, pretzels, and peanuts. Does Mars even have the Sixlets to add cookie nuggets to the center of M&M’s?

But the food manufacturing folks there should figure it out because if they added a cookie nugget, these would probably have a cookie’s flavor, which these Crunchy Cookie M&M’s lack. There were moments when I thought I got a bit of an artificial brown sugar-like flavor, but for the most part, these taste like less chocolatey Crispy M&M’s.

Crunchy Cookie M M s Core

Maybe there isn’t a strong cookie flavor because the chocolate mantle beneath the colorful candy crust is so thin. I’m sure that’s where the flavor is supposed to come from because it’s not the rice crisp core. I pulled one out from the candy, and it has a flavor that I wouldn’t consider cookie-like. Instead, it tastes (and looks) like a tanned piece of Kix cereal. This parent does not approve.

Crunchy Cookie M M s Inside

Look, I enjoy Crispy M&M’s, so much so that years ago I probably signed an online petition to bring them back. So I’m okay with the way these taste. But I’m disappointed that they could’ve been better.

I thought about making them better by pulling out a cookie sheet and a box of cookie mix to make actual cookies using these Crunchy Cookie M&M’s. But if I’m too lazy to Google who produces Sixlets, I’m too lazy to bake cookies with these underwhelming candies in them.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 7.40 oz sharing bag
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 34 pieces) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar (15 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s

Julie 9 Comments

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Bag

What are Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s?

The busy bees at M&M’s have added a new seasonal flavor to their hive: honey graham, featuring milk chocolate with a crisp rice center.

How are they?

Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s could be described as “upgraded Crispy M&M’s” because they have a subtle, wonderful current of additional sweetness running through the candy. The dominant flavor is intermingling honey and milk chocolate, which reminds me of a Toblerone bar. The crispy rice center provides a perfect light texture to accompany the delicate honey flavor.

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Closeup

Clad in honeycomb-esque yellow and brown shells, these M&M’s are tiny compared to other seasonal M&M varieties. They are close to a plain M&M in size, so it’s difficult to tell whether the flavor is coming from the chocolate itself or the crisp center. Either way, every bite provides a satisfying blend of flavor and texture.

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Innards

However, in an “upgraded Crispy M&M,” the graham component is difficult to identify. The crisp rice slightly echoes the texture that I associate with graham crackers or rice cereal. But while the honey flavor is wonderful, it doesn’t have enough nutty or toasty shades to remind me of graham flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

Even though I liked the flavor of these M&M’s, I wondered what could have been with a graham cookie center instead of crisp rice. I had some Teddy Grahams on hand, so I cruelly dismembered one in order to sample an M&M with a Teddy Graham leg as its center. (Sorry, but I did it in the name of science.)

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Transplant

This addition did satisfy my graham fix, but it overwhelmed the chocolate of the tiny M&M. I’m not sure it was an improvement, but a better candy engineer than I could probably readjust the ratios for better results.

Conclusion:

The honey and chocolate flavor duo of Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s is something to buzz about, but the crisp rice center may leave graham fanatics feeling stung.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Purchased at: Tops Friendly Markets
Size: 8 oz (226.8 g) bag
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 ounce/about 30 pieces) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein

REVIEW: M&M’s White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs

Julie 7 Comments

White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs M M s Bag

What are M&M’s White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs?

M&M’s extends its decades-long promise, this time creating snowballs that won’t melt in your hand. These seasonal M&M’s feature white chocolate surrounding a crunchy pretzel center.

How are they?

White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs M M s Colors

The flavor combination of white chocolate and pretzels isn’t bad, but it’s not M&M’s most memorable offering. The main problem is the inconsistency from candy to candy. Some pieces have a very thin white chocolate shell and/or little to no salt on the pretzel ball. For every one sweet and salty snowball, five bland ones follow.

White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs M M s Innards

The pretzel centers are satisfyingly crunchy. That texture plus the white and blue candy shells, which evoke the colors of Hanukkah or icy landscapes, would make the M&M’s a nice addition to a holiday snack mix. You could call it a “wintry mix” to the delight/chagrin of your party guests.

Although the crunch is the highlight of the M&M, it is an interesting choice for candy designed to mimic snowballs, which are obviously made of softer stuff. A crunchy snowball makes me think of that one sadistic kid in every neighborhood who packs snowballs full of gravel and ice. That kid deserves no wintry mix.

Anything else you need to know?

If you live in the Snow Belt like I do, you know you are at the mercy of nature’s whims. Luckily, you can always choose whether you want a light shower or heavy storm of M&Ms. In addition to the 7.44 oz bag I found, M&Ms White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs are available in Single and Share Sizes.

Conclusion:

White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs M M s Festive

Despite a great crunch, M&M’s White Chocolate Pretzel Snowballs lack the sweet and salty punch needed to make an exceptional seasonal flavor. On a scale from 1-10, with 1 being a snowball to the face and 10 being a surprise snow day, I’d give these a 6: a pleasant-enough sled ride despite the cold.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 7.44 oz (210.9 g) bag
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 ounce/about 12 pieces) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Twix Shakers Seasoning Blend

Marvo 2 Comments

Twix Shakers Bottle

Twix Shakers Seasoning Blend attempts to bring together the flavors of the popular candy bar – chocolate, caramel, and cookies – but does it in a powder form that was, unfortunately, not made using a proprietary Twix Shredder that granulates Left and Right Twix bars left and right.

Twix Shakers Macro

After taking a sniff, but not a deep one for fear of sneezing and blowing the seasoning all over my kitchen, I could smell the caramel and chocolate, but not the cookie. If you’re able to notice it, you have a better nose than mine or you’re a dog. And if you’re a dog and can read this, that’s a good doggie. Who’s a good doggie who can read? You are. Do you want belly welly rub rubs? Yes, you do.

Twix Shakers on Twix

Since brown sugar is the second item in the ingredients list, it’s not surprising that Twix Shakers looks like brown sugar’s cousin. Much like its aroma, its flavor lacks a cookie presence, but the chocolate and caramel are there. However, they don’t taste like Twix’s chocolate and caramel. To test this further, I ate a mini Twix with enough of the sweet seasoning to partially bury it, and the candy bar ended up not tasting like a Twix.

Twix Shakers on Popcorn

While its Twix-ness is questionable and it tastes a bit odd on its own, the sweet powder does a tasty job enhancing other foods. Well, not an actual Twix, but I did find that it pairs well with a number of foods, many of which are recommended on the bottle. Here’s a short list of things it worked well with — iced coffee, hot oatmeal, overnight oats, ice cream, Cheerios, popcorn, and a banana smoothie. However, in order to get the seasoning’s flavor in most of those, I had to triple the serving size (1 teaspoon).

Twix Shakers Water

Because there’s almost a pound of this stuff in the bottle, I decided to go off the beaten path with my what I put this on. I tried it on foods like French fries, green grapes, eggs, and in plain water. All were bad choices.

Like most refrigerated coffee creamers from International Delight and Coffee mate, Twix Shakers doesn’t taste very good when it’s consumed on its own. Its chocolate and caramel flavor is definitely a downgrade from the actual candy bar. But when it’s added to the right foods, it does make them taste better. It’s worth giving it a fair shake.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from B&G Foods. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 13.5 oz bottle
Purchased at: Received from B&G Foods (currently a Sam’s Club exclusive)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tsp) 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of sugar (including 3 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Key Lime Pie M&M’s

Julie 8 Comments

Key Lime Pie M M s Bag

Scheduled for a spring release, Key Lime Pie M&M’s made an early appearance at my local gas station in Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney Phil assures me that this is a sign we are in for an early spring, so what better way to celebrate than by digging into these lime-flavored white chocolate M&M’s? As a fan of both real white chocolate and last year’s Orange Vanilla Cream M&M’s, I was excited to try out this new citrus-inspired treat.

Larger than your standard plain variety, Key Lime Pie M&M’s have an appetizing scent, a mixture of sweet cream and citrus that somehow manages not to smell like hand lotion or furniture polish.

Key Lime Pie M M s Colors

The shell colors include shades of Kelly and pastel green to represent Key limes and pie filling, as well as off-white/eggshell to evoke whipped cream or a lightly-baked pie crust. The color combination is appealing, not only because it looks like components of Key lime pie, but because the colors match the outfit Ms. Green is wearing on the wrapper, which I think she would appreciate.

The white chocolate’s taste captures the essence of a lime pie filling, where sweet creamy or whipped filling is combined with a lime element. While Key lime pie purists might describe the creaminess as uncharacteristic of a Key lime’s sharp acid, the resulting balance in the M&M is really delightful.

Key Lime Pie M M s Innards

The white chocolate tastes mellow and un-cloying in its sweetness while the lime is refreshing and not too tart. (I don’t know that I’ve ever described white chocolate as refreshing before, so definitely take that as a sign of an interesting bite!) As I ate more, the lime flavor seemed to grow stronger, as did a pleasantly zesty aftertaste.

Of course, your mouth will not pucker from eating these M&M’s as it would a sour candy. On a 10-point scale of sourness with 1 being, say, a plain, humble noodle and 10 being a straight-up lemon wedge, these hover around 3 or 4. Anyone who loves that pucker a sharp lime curd or limeade brings may be disappointed, but I think the balance is really successful in terms of highlighting both the lime and white chocolate flavors.

Absent from the M&M’s is a pie crust flavor, which I am honestly okay with. A graham center, or even a standard crispy one, would have been fun way to add some texture, but the quality of the M&M does not suffer without one.

Although I have never won a blue ribbon in my county fair’s pie contest (I will one day — watch out, Mrs. Johnson!), I know that over-zesting citrus can lead to a bitter pith. Luckily the flavor of Key Lime Pie M&M’s didn’t leave me much to be bitter about. I’m sure I’ll be buying them again well into spring.

Purchased Price: $2.19
Size: 2.47 oz. Share Size bag
Purchased at: Sheetz
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 35g or 1/2 pack) 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.