Jolly Rancher Chews: Tropical Flavors

Since this is nostalgia day here at AMW: Raise your hand if you adored Jolly Ranchers as a kid. Remember swapping Jolly Rancher candies with your friends, to ensure everyone got their favorite flavors ? Good times, right ? Jolly Rancher is one of the few hard candies I've truly enjoyed eating, even as an adult.

Naturally I was thrilled to see there's a chewy tropical version of Jolly Ranchers available. The tropical flavors are pineapple (yellow), strawberry kiwi (pink), lemon lime (green) and tropical punch (red). There were thirteen pieces in the box. I would classify the tropical chews as a tastier version of Starburst Fruit Chews.

Lemon lime (green) = Has the same yummy lemony-lime taste as Gatorade Gatorgum. Too bad there's only one lemon lime piece in the whole box. Booo. Side note: Someone bring Gatorgum back, pretty please. 

Strawberry kiwi (pink) = Smells like a strawberry Starburst or Betty Crocker strawberry icing. Tastes like a watermelon scented candle. Yuck! I spit that flavor out immediately.

Pineapple (yellow) = Doesn't have much of a scent. Tastes like cheap pineapple soda. I'm on the fence between "it's okay" and "no more, I'm good."

Tropical punch (red) = Tastes like Hawaiian Punch. I'm not a fan of the drink, but in candy form it's very delicious!

Here are my suggestions for improving Tropical Flavor Jolly Rancher Chews:
- Ditch the strawberry flavor.
- Add more lemon lime pieces
- Tinker with the pineapple flavoring a little more
- Make the chews a little less sticky. I put four pieces onto a plate for a picture; they actually stuck to the plate within one minute of me setting them down. Also, the chews really glom onto your teeth.

Ferrera Pan: Boston Baked Beans

The Original Boston Baked Beans

Candy Coated Peanuts

I used to love Boston Baked Beans, the candy coated peanuts, when I was a child. I have fond memories of eating Boston Baked Beans on the drives home from t-ball games. Any time someone mentions that candy, I think "Oh wow, I haven't had any in ages. I sure could go for some now."

Nostalgia plus a 25 cent price tag convinced me to buy a mini box of Boston Baked Beans this month. When I nibbled on the peanuts and red confectioners glaze, my excitement dimmed. I realized Boston Baked Beans taste like Brach's Maple Nut Goodies, which I don't care for. Apparently that's a theme this month. I guess some things are better left as good memories in the past. 

Cheez-It Cheddar & Barbecue Snack Mix

I am a lifelong fan of Cheez-It crackers. Who doesn't love that cheesy, crunchy, slightly salty goodness ? Naturally I just had to try Cheez-It Cheddar & Barbecue Snack Mix when I saw a few bags at a convenience store.

There are five components to the Cheez-It Snack Mix: Cheez-It crackers, mini pretzels, bread slices, wheat squares and pretzel slicks. (I don't think two types of pretzels was necessary) It is seasoned with paprika, cheddar, parmesan, salt, molasses, tomato powder, garlic powder and onion powder. Cheez-It Barbecue Snack Mix sort of smells like the Chex garlic seasoning packs grocery stores out here give away.

The barbecue flavor was smoky and craveable. Unfortunately, that taste only clung strongly to the Cheez-Its; it didn't stick on the other four types of snack pieces. I think this snack mix would be better with just the barbecue Cheez-It crackers alone. Also, I noticed a metallic aftertaste every time I snacked on the Cheez-It Cheddar & Barbecue Snack Mix. Did anyone else experience that, or was it just me ?

Snickers Marathon: Smart Stuff Trail Mix Bar

This is the Snickers Marathon Smart Stuff Bar that I got grabby handed for in the previous post. Karma decided to teach me a lesson about being too impulsive (TM My Name Is Earl). Here's the problem: It's comprised of multigrain crisps, milk chocolate, dried cranberries, toasted oats, caramel, peanuts, soy protein crisps, dried blueberries and almonds. Blueberries + chocolate = a super perfumey flavor that masks all the other flavors. Really, just the cranberries alone would have been fine; there was actually only one tiny strip of cranberry in the entire Snickers Marathon Bar. Definitely not my cup of tea. So yes, Karma, I promise to have a little more self control next time I go shopping. 

Boyer Milk Chocolate Mallo Cup

"Made in the USA"

The other day, I was at a convenience store shopping for treats for the blog.  I saw a stack of Boyer Mallo Cups next to the cash register. I actually blurted out "OOH, MALLO CUPS! I'LL TAKE ONE OF THESE, TOO!...OOH, SNICKER'S MARATHON. I'LL TAKE THAT....IS THAT  A BASKET OF KENTUCKY FUDGE ? WHAT FLAVOR IS THIS ? I CAN'T TELL --- *notices cashier's dead stare* Cough cough, um, which button do I press for credit ?" Apparently I have the same attention span and self control my cats have when I fill up their food bowls. Oops. That aside, I bought the Mallo Cups because I always hear people squeeing about "Those are hard to find but so delicious, too!"

Each packet has two milk chocolate cups with whipped creme centers. Bits of coconut are in the chocolate. The filling is really gooey marshmallow. Without the coconut, the chocolate and the marshmallow aren't standouts. But after taking a bite of all three flavors together, I did experience that sugary kid on Easter morning satisfaction that comes from indulging in chocolate, marshmallow and coconut all at once. I would probably only buy Mallo Cups to fill Easter baskets, though. I don't crave marshmallow the way many other people do.

Random bonus shot: Mallo Cups come with play money cards, which can be redeemed for prizes or cash. This 5 point card stated I need 500 points (100 Mallo Cup purchases) to receive a $1 rebate check. Oy vey, that's crazy

*ETA: After I wrote this post, I noticed Boyer had a picture of Butterscotch Smoothie Peanut Butter Cups on their site. For real ?! Be still my heart!

Bimbo Rebanadas Frosted Toast

REBANADAS - FROSTED TOAST

"Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's two slices of Bimbo's popular Toasted Bread with a sweet creamy vanilla spread in the middle."

While I was in line at a gas station today, I got distracted by a display of cashews and dried fruit. So I got out of line to browse the racks again. On the back of the display was Bimbo Rebanadas Frosted Toast packs, plus other Bimbo Bakeries products. My reaction was "This sounds ridiculous. And it looks like a not very appetizing cream cheese sandwich. But I have to try it anyway. I'm dying to know how this tastes." The cashier who rang me up gave the pack the side eye. He said "You'll be the first brave one in here to try this."

The banana shape is actually some sort of glimmering decoration on the bag. It's not a  shadow from my camera or lighting. 

Each wrapper holds two sandwiches. Note the frosting coming out of the bread.

Which are each the length of half a bag of holiday M&Ms

Yep, they weren't kidding about it being frosted toast. The bread is basically toast that's sat out too long and started to harden. The frosting has a tantalizing buttercream scent. The smell really lingers in the room once the wrapper is opened up. It's gritty and sweet tasting frosting, in a cheap, satisfying, random vending machine indulgence kind of way. Paired with the bread, though, it was an unsatisfying combination. All I could think was "I'm eating frosting. On bread. Why, self, why ? I can't with this nonsense. Peace out."

I was only willing to taste a small bit of Frosted Toast. I couldn't justify eating a whole lunch of frosting on toast. I know logically that Frosted Toast is butter, sugar and carbs. Which is neither better or worse than having your butter, sugar and carbs come from cake. All I know is that my instinct was telling me not to buy this again.  It's like when you see Krispy Kreme burgers on the Food Network or cookie brownie cheesecake sundaes on Pinterest; it makes you think "Holy cow, that is so unhealthy. Okay, I would take a tiny bite just to say I tried it, but that's it. Goodness, I need a salad now to feel less icky." 

Dove Cookies And Creme Bar

"Silky smooth"

I bought a Dove Cookies & Creme bar at the same gas station as the Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards . I had to try it became I'm crazy for white chocolate-ish candies, such as Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme bars and drops.

I knew this candy wouldn't taste good when I smelled it. The scent is like an off-brand of candy mold melts. The white creme reminds me of the so-so Palmer White Easter Bunnies . It should be noted there isn't actual white chocolate in Hershey's Cookies 'N' Creme (anymore) or in Dove Cookies & Creme. Dove has a larger amount of chocolate crunchies inside, while Hershey's has better tasting crunchies. For me, Hershey's wins this particular flavor war.

Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards, Part 2

As a follow up to a previous post: I found three of the Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards flavors at a gas station today.





Sweet Rewards: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar
This bar had a thick layer of chocolate chip cookie dipped in "chocolatey coating" (or, as the ingredient list says, "chocolate flavored confectionery coating"). The amount of cookie, chocolate chips and coating were perfect. Unfortunately, the taste was on par with your average convenience store cookie: meh vanilla taste, not moist but not exactly dry, slightly crumbly, a forgettable brand of chocolate chips. The fake chocolate coating dragged down the flavor, too. Definitely not worth the $1.49 price tag, unless the recipe is improved down the road.





Sweet Rewards: Devil's Food Bites
I haven't bought cake balls yet, but I assume that's what Betty Crocker had in mind for this product. The Devil's Food Bites smell like a yummy batch of Betty Crocker chocolate frosting. The outer shell is chocolatey coating, while the inside is cake mixed with frosting. There is more cake and frosting than chocolatey coating, so the proportions are just right. The chocolatey coating works much better in this product than in the chocolate chip bar. Each pack comes with three pieces. The Devil's Food Bites don't satisfy my chocolate cake craving, but they do satisfy my desire for a rich creamy chocolate truffle.





Sweet Rewards: Buttercream Bites
The Buttercream Bites were my hands down favorite. When I opened the foil wrapper, it had the same enticing scent as a piece of yellow cake. The proportion of cake, frosting and chocolatey coating is the same as the Devil's Food Bites. The chocolatey coating is a good match for the yellow cake, although I would die of happiness if Betty Crocker upgraded this line with real chocolate coating. That would be total heaven! The Buttercream Bites actually satisfies my craving for a piece of moist yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This flavor is a must have for holiday stocking stuffers. I am okay with paying $1.49 for the Buttercream Bites and Devil's Food Bites because they are both high quality, flavorful and well crafted sweets.

I'm not likely to buy the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar again. I will, however, stock up on more packages of the Buttercream Bites and Devil's Food Bites. Because past experience tells me the tastiest, most uniquely flavored products are the first ones to fall prey to "We don't carry that item anymore. Nobody bought them / or the company randomly discontinued them."

On a side note, I would suggest the following flavor ideas for the Buttercream Bites. Readers, feel free to share what flavors you'd like to see, too!
- Chocolate cake with mint buttercream
- Chocolate cake with coconut buttercream
- Coconut cake with vanilla buttercream
- Cherry cake with chocolate buttercream
- Vanilla cake with almond-vanilla buttercream
- Lemon cake with lemon buttercream or coconut buttercream
- Orange cake with white chocolate buttercream
- White chocolate buttercream with mocha-chocolate cake
- Butterscotch buttercream with white cake
- Caramel buttercream with yellow cake

Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards

I received an email today mentioning the General Mills site Find My Snack. I was excited to see a new product listed called Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards Bites And Cookie Bars. Only one store in my area is listed as carrying these, but I'll definitely look for them and try to do a review. The treats are available in convenience stores, according to the email. This is what FindMySnack says:



Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards - Triple Chip Cookie Bar
"Soft butterscotch cookie with chocolate, caramel, and rainbow chips, dipped in a chocolatey coating. 1.42oz."



Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards - Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar
"Soft cookie with chocolate chips dipped in a chocolatey coating. 1.42oz."



Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards - Devil's Food Bites
"Cake and frosting mixture dipped in a chocolatey coating. 1.5oz."



Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards - Buttercream Bites
"Cake and frosting mixture dipped in a chocolatey coating. 1.5oz."

*10/25/12: Oh duh, the Sweet Rewards Bars came out in 2011. How did I miss that ? *face palm* On a happier note, there are more flavors listed on General Mills Convenience, Convenience Store News and The Moxie Life:
-Sweet Rewards Fudge Crunch Bar
"Chocolate Cookie Base With A Chocolatey Fudge Layer"
- Sweet Rewards Turtle Bar
"Cookie base with caramel, chocolate and nuts"
- Sweet Rewards 7 Layer Bar
"Graham base with chocolate, caramel, nuts and coconut"

Hershey's Kisses: Cherry Creme

Purchased at: Parker's (gas staion), Midland, Georgia

Last night, I bought Hershey's Cherry Creme Kisses. Each package had five milk chocolate kisses. The filling was soft, pink, slightly grainy and smelled like maraschino cherries. I found the cherry Kisses too sweet, although they're much tastier than the Cherry Cordial Kisses.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Mousse Pecan Clusters

I bought the Cinnabon Clusters at a gas station in Manning, South Carolina. The label on each cluster promised "Rich Makara Cinnamon Mousse Topped With Crunchy Glazed Pecans and Toffee Bits Drenched in Dark Chocolate Goodness" and "Flavor That Warms the Soul."

The Cinnabon Clusters had a very earthy cinnamon smell. It reminded me of semi-sweet chocolate chips with a pinch of cinnamon.

Top layer: Chocolate covered toffee and pecans = There was much more toffee than pecans. The cinnamon didn't mesh well with the toffee and chocolate. It was too many flavors competing.

Center layer: Cinnamon mousse = The mousse was grainy. I was expecting a gooey filling. The cinnamon mousse was instead thicker than nougat. The overall flavor was cinnamon flavored sand.

Bottom layer: Chocolate = Had a decent amount of chocolate. But it was bland and lacked bitterness.

Thumbs down for Cinnabon Cinnamon Mousse Pecan Cluster.

ETA: If you were thinking "what the heck is Makara Cinnamon ?", as I was, here's what Cinnabon says:

Cinnabon press release: Cinnabon At A Glance

"In order to make the world’s greatest cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon buyers traveled the spice-growing regions of the globe to find the best, most flavorful cinnamon. They finally discovered cassia trees high in the mountains of Indonesia and used the bark to create the legendary Makara Cinnamon"

A long explanation begins further down the release starting at "The Legend of Makara Cinnamon."