QUICK REVIEW: Brach’s Mini Candy Corn & Chocolate Peanuts

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Brach s Mini Candy Corn Chocolate Peanuts

What is it?

Brach’s has paired the mini version of its classic candy corn with sea salt peanuts coated in chocolate. That’s it.

How is it?

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I’ve often thought Brach’s has the best flavor and texture of candy corn, even though it’s not as cute as, say, Jelly Belly’s version. These mini corns are proportionally smaller, with the length being about 75 percent of the original. They are about as good as plain candy corn can be.

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The chocolate-covered peanuts are a tasty candy. The sea salt is a welcome addition to the current sweet-and-salty fad. The chocolate isn’t bad, but it’s obviously from a company that doesn’t focus on chocolate.

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The two components are fine as they are. But when you eat them at the same time, some kind of autumnal magic creates a wonderful treat that is better than either element on its own. It reminds me of a (somewhat inferior) Snickers or Baby Ruth, with the candy corn taking the place of the caramel and nougat. If they sold these in bar form, I would totally buy it. The peanuts and salt balance out the overly sweet nature of candy corn, and the chocolate bridges the gap.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I wondered if there was a magic ratio of peanuts to candy corn that made these taste the best, but I haven’t found it. It’s all good.

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Also, candy corn is supposed to look like harvest-time maize, but if they wanted to make it into a gross-out Halloween candy, they could make it look like the corns on your feet.

Conclusion:

I doubt this mix will convert any candy corn haters, but for those of us who enjoy (or at least tolerate) the fall standby, this is a delightful upgrade.

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 13 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/6 cup) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 110 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 16 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Starbucks Caramel Brulee Iced Coffee Straw and Pineapple Iced Tea Straw

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Starbucks Pineapple Iced Tea and Caramel Brulee Coffee Straws

What is it?

Starbucks recently debuted these straws – but unlike the Frappucino Cookie Straw of 2015, these are not entirely edible. The Caramel Brulee (made for iced coffee) and Pineapple (made for iced tea) are paper straws with the bottoms dipped in a hard candy-like shell.

How is it?

Well, folks, this is a lesson in asking questions and not making assumptions. I assumed that the flavored end of the straw would go inside the drink to add a little something special. Well, after checking with my friendly barista, I learned it actually goes OUTSIDE the drink – as in, you drink through the candy end. That way, you get the flavor right at your lips as you sip the drink.

Starbucks Caramel Brulee Iced Coffee Straw

I favored the Pineapple over the Caramel Brulee. While the Caramel Brulee was good, it didn’t add to my coffee experience and was slightly artificial in taste. The candy itself tasted like a Werther’s Original hard candy that your grandpa used to slip in your pocket.

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Pineapple had just the right amount of sweetness to flavor my iced green tea and had a more natural taste. The Pineapple also gets bonus points for the adorable pineapple design on the straw itself.

Is there anything else I need to know?

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Be aware that you might have to bite or suck some of the candy to get your beverage through the straw. The hard candy may cover the opening when you first open the package. And if you want to enjoy the whole straw, you’ll have to work your way down it as you drink.

Conclusion:

These are a fun concept, but now that I’ve used them once, I probably won’t again. There’s something about walking into my office with my coffee and a candy straw that doesn’t seem right in corporate America! But if you’re up for fun, I say go for it.

Purchased Price: $1.75 each (Although when I purchased, they were running a Buy One Get One Free deal, so I got both for $1.75)
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Caramel Brulee)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Pineapple)
Nutrition Facts: Caramel Brulee – 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugars, and 0 grams of protein. Pineapple – 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugars, and 0 grams of protein..

QUICK REVIEW: Dairy Queen Reese’s Outrageous Blizzard

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Dairy Queen Outrageous Blizzard

What is it?

Like last month’s Oreo Firework Blizzard, the Reese’s Outrageous Blizzard is a copycat of the candy that shares its name. August’s Blizzard of the Month combines peanut butter and caramel topping in vanilla soft serve with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Pieces — but not

How is it?

The Outrageous is a dream come true for my accordion-necked alien induced addiction to Reese’s Pieces. The peanut butter-flavored soft serve is appropriately brash for a treat heralded as outrageous, and the extra saltiness it brings is complemented fantastically by the sweeter caramel.

While the base is full of leguminous goodness, what really had my heart Skippying a beat is the addition of Reese’s Pieces. Broken bits of crispy shell provide the crunch that famously enamors wrinkly extra-terrestrials. The sweetly coated candy’s classic taste is amplified by the caramel and peanut butter infused vanilla ice cream.

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Sadly, the less numerous Cups are crowded out. There are enough to impart a needed chocolate vibe, but it lacks the pronounced punch one expects from Reese’s Cups. To the Outrageous’ credit though, every spoonful includes a large, if imbalanced, amount of candy.

Is there anything else I need to know?

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This is an iteration on 2017’s Reese’s Extreme Blizzard where chocolatey topping is swapped out in favor of caramel. As peanut butter and chocolate will probably be found on my death certificate, I am shocked that I love the Outrageous whereas I was underwhelmed by yesteryears not so extreme take on Reese’s. I guess the more accurate Reese’s Satisfactory Blizzard didn’t have the same ring to it.

Conclusion:

If you need a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fix, stick with the classic menu mainstay. If on the other hand you love Reese’s Pieces or peanut butter in general, then the Reese’s Outrageous will leave you phoning home to tell all of your friends about it.

Purchased Price: $3.89
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Medium) 1010 calories, 45 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 137 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 105 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Dairy Whipped Topping

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Reese s Peanut Butter Cup Dairy Whipped Topping

What is it?

Reese’s-flavored “Dairy Whipped Topping,” because “whipped cream” wasn’t enough of a mouthful.

How is it?

Reese s Peanut Butter Cup Dairy Whipped Topping 2

On paper, this is a great idea. The can is inviting. The image of peanut butter cream surrounded by a rainstorm of Reese’s cups only elicits happy feelings, so why is this so bad?

It’s an aerosol-style can with a nozzle, so I hit it from the source first. That’s where all the fun lies.

It’s “dairy whipped topping” so you can imagine the texture, although this is even airier than I expected. The flavor hints at it, but at no point did I feel like I was ingesting a Reese’s product.

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I normally complain when something like this is too sweet, but it’s barely sweet at all. There is a light lingering peanuty flavor. Not only that, the cream basically remains at room temperature no matter how long it’s been refrigerated. I had it in the fridge all day, and it was still lukewarm at best.

If you like unappetizing peanut-flavored foam, I guess this is for you.

Is there anything else I need to know?

I could instantly tell there was no way this would hold its flavor when used as an actual topping. To test the theory, I went with chocolate pudding. The already faint cream flavor was dwarfed immediately. It did nothing to enhance the pudding.

I imagine any ice cream would easily wash out the “Reese’s” flavor.

Conclusion:

I like the thought, but Hershey dropped the ball. They need to ramp up the sweetness if they want this to be a viable topping choice.

After taking a few more rips from the can, I had a flashback to my days chugging little white half and half cups off diner tables. While I laughed at my younger, dumber self, it made me sick to my stomach.

Just sprinkle some other Reese’s product on your ice cream and forget about this.

Purchased Price: $3.28
Size: 7 oz. can
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 Tablespoons) 15 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 mgs of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Exclusive Flavor Frosted Chocolatey Salted Caramel Pop-Tarts

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Exclusive Flavor Frosted Chocolatey Salted Caramel Pop Tarts

What is it?

Another one of those store-exclusive snacks that cajole you into buying a value pack by not offering a smaller box.

In other words, this Pop-Tarts flavor is a Walmart exclusive, only comes in a box of 16 pastries, and features a chocolate-y pastry filled with alternating ribbons of chocolate and salted caramel fillings and salted caramel icing.

How is it?

Even though Pop-Tarts are never going to be a five-star breakfast, I suppose these aren’t half bad when you consider that most people are going to be eating them while they’re not fully awake.

Exclusive Flavor Frosted Chocolatey Salted Caramel Pop Tarts 2

Fresh from the foil sleeve, each pastry was crisp, sturdy, and smelled faintly of cocoa. It did an adequate job of containing the pastry’s filling, which was surprisingly less runny than I was expecting it to be, and the acceptably sweet frosting gave a satisfying crunch to top off the experience.

Exclusive Flavor Frosted Chocolatey Salted Caramel Pop Tarts 3

Calling them “adequate” or “acceptable” is about as kind as I can be towards these, though. The dry pastry shell needed more cocoa to make it taste sufficiently “chocolatey,” and the salted caramel and chocolate fillings both ended up being so faint that they almost completely canceled each other out.

Even the frosting tasted like regular royal icing and left me wanting more salted caramel. If I had been eating one of these first thing in the morning, you could have told me it was a S’mores Pop-Tart and I would have believed you.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Like all Pop-Tarts, these are best eaten warm. Toasting them turns the filling into little rivers of chocolate and salted caramel lava, and that helped bring the fillings’ flavors forward a little more.

Conclusion:

While Chocolatey Salted Caramel Pop-Tarts are far from the worst toaster pastries to eat for a quick breakfast, you might want to split a box of these with a friend or two, because their lack of uniqueness and distinct flavor is guaranteed to leave you bored and disinterested before you finish the oversized box.

Purchased Price: $3.68
Size: 16-pack
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pastry) 200 calories, 50 calories from fat, 6 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, and 2 grams of protein.

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