REVIEW: Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bar

Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bars

Sometimes, I wish my tonsils had just been removed. I could be sitting in bed, relaxed and comfortable, looking over at my two freshly removed tonsils floating happily in a small jar while my doctor tells me that the operation went fine. Who cares that I know very little about the entire tonsil removal procedure, or for that matter, the purpose or function of those tiny glands, I just want them out.

I say this because, growing up, everything I knew about this minimally invasive surgical procedure came from stories told by my friends and classmates. From what I could interpret based on recess and bus-ride gossip—overlooking the actual procedure itself—was one very important fact: There would be ice cream. Not just once, or twice as a treat, but all the time. As a little dude, that was all I needed to hear. Sign me up for ice cream nirvana.

Little has changed now that I am a fully formed adult-ish person. My knowledge of tonsil removal remains minimal at best (although a quick Google search put some unwanted images in my head) and, more importantly, my love of ice cream remains unfaltering. For this reason, when the new Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bars finally made their way into my supermarket after being exclusively available in the U.K. since 2012, even with two perfectly intact tonsils, I figured I deserved a treat.

‘Magnum Infinity’ sounds like a new Lexus model or a spaceship, everything about these fancy bars exhume class and distinction. Forget about your plebeian Poland Springs and Dasani, it’s time to grab the Perrier because there is about to be some West Egg new-money shizz going down. And, at the price of $6 for a total of three ice cream bars, you had better feel goddamn fancy.

Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bars Closeup

Delivering on its promises to make you feel sophisticated while cramming in 60 percent of your daily value of saturated fat while watching Cheers on syndication in that t-shirt with the questionable stain (it’s probably just jelly, right?), Magnum Infinity Chocolate and Raspberry Ice Cream Bars deliver in all the best ways.

Each individual bar, although a bit on the smaller side, is coated in a pleasantly rich dark chocolate that is thin enough to leave the main stage for the ice cream itself, but thick enough not to crumble off leaving the rest of bar exposed. Moreover, providing an interesting texture to the dark chocolate outside are what Magnum, for some reason, has decided to call “cocoa bean bibs,” which sound as hilarious and they are delicious.

Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bars Innards

Yet, all the cocoa bean nibs in the world could not save an ice cream bar that didn’t have the actual ice cream to back it up. Luckily, the dark chocolate ice cream at the core of these Magnum Infinity bars certainly does the job. It is dense and almost fudgy, which is just how I like my chocolate ice cream, and the raspberry swirl, though not as visible as the box’s picture might lead you to assume, certainly provides a nice fruity karate kick to the entire bar.

As Target is to Walmart and Staples is to Office Max, compared to the majority of other grocery store ice cream bars, Magnum Infinity is a clear one notch above the rest. And, while I do wish that each bar was a bit larger, it certainly has the quality to justify both its packaging and slightly higher price tag. Now I just need to see about getting myself a bag of those nibs.

Phew… I made it through the entire review without making a single condom joke.

(Nutrition Facts – 1 bar – 260 calories, 160 calories from fat, 18 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.)

Item: Magnum Infinity Chocolate & Raspberry Ice Cream Bar
Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 3 bars/box
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Nice raspberry flavor and dark chocolate dip. Makes you feel sophisticated. The fact that cocoa bean nibs are a thing. Pretty much nibs in general.
Cons: Small serving size. Pricey.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 3/3/2014

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Cadbury White Mini Eggs

Now that there’s this I’d like Haribo to come out with a bag of only clear gummy bears. Candy Blog has a review. (Spotted by Verna at Target.)

Whoppers Robin Eggs

The box says, “Decorate your own eggs.” But I believe the robin thinks, “Vandalize HER eggs.” (Spotted by Britt at CVS.)

Nestle Toll House Limited Edition Springtime Semi-Sweet Chocolate Pink & Yello Colored Morsels

If you keep these until October and throw out all the yellow morsels, you can bake and sell cookies for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and donate the proceeds to the breast cancer fighting charity of your choice. (Spotted by Richard at Walmart.)

Trident Splash Orange Swirl and Pucker Me Berry

OMG! They’re soooo adorable! They’re so adorable that I don’t want to crack open their heads for pieces of gum. (Spotted by Sylvia at Ralph’s.)

Russell Stover Wedding Cake Egg

Wedding cake is now a flavor? Thanks, birthday cake! (Spotted by Sylvia at Vons.)

Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – Bacon Pringles (Walmart Exclusive)

Pringles Bacon

OMG! Bacon is, like, soooo 2011. And OMG! Bacon Pringles is, like, soooo 2010-2011 in other countries. (Spotted by Stephanie at Walmart.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – Triscuit Thin Crisps (Cinnamon Sugar, Wasabi & Soy Sauce, and Sour Cream & Chive)

Triscuit Thin Crisps Cinnamon Sugar

Triscuit Thin Crisps Wasabi & Soy Sauce

Triscuit Thin Crisps Sour Cream & Chive

Hey Nabisco! These Cinnamon Sugar Triscuit Thin Crisps better be good enough to make me forget the fact you didn’t offer your wonderful Sweet Cinnamon Wheat Thins last year? Because if they aren’t, I’m totally gonna do absolutely nothing because you are a giant corporation and I’m just one man. (Spotted by Dubba at Market Basket.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.

REVIEW: Nabisco Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreo Cookies

Nabisco Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreo Cookies

I’ve complained on numerous occasions on this blog and to anyone who tries to make small talk with me that it sucks the makers of Kit Kat in the U.S. don’t make a bunch of limited edition flavors like they do in Japan. I understand Hershey’s makes them in the U.S. and Nestle makes them in Japan, but can’t Hershey’s see how awesome it would be to come out with limited editions flavors. Buzzfeed has no reason to make a list of U.S. Kit Kat flavors.

But last year I decided I’m over that because if you think about it, Nabisco Oreo cookies are now our Japanese Kit Kats.

If you look at last year, it’s as if Nabisco stacked a bunch on Oreo flavors and made it rain! There was Watermelon, Mega Stuf, Golden Mega Stuf, Banana Split, Heads or Tails Mega Stuf, and Strawberries n’ Creme. Plus, they also brought back Birthday Cake, Golden Birthday Cake, Gingerbread, Lemon Twist, Candy Corn, Peppermint, Candy Cane, and Rainbow Shure, Bert.

This year, they’ve made Lemon a regular flavor, and introduced Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreo and these Marshmallow Crispy Oreo. So it appears Nabisco is letting their food scientists’ imaginations run wild again like an artist with a canvas and gallons of paint or a carnival food vendor with a deep fryer.

I know. It’s a bit weird saying, “Marshmallow Crispy.” You want to say, “Rice Krispies Treat” (or even “Marshmallow Treat”), but trademarks and competing global food conglomerates won’t make that happen. Just because Marvel and DC did it, it doesn’t mean everyone could.

The Marshmallow Crispy Oreo combines Golden Oreo wafers, a marshmallow-ish tasting creme, and rice crispy cereal-like bits. I’m saying, “rice crispy cereal-like bits” because the ingredients don’t list anything “rice crisps” or anything like that. The creme feels like it has a less stiff consistency than the stuff you’ll find in a regular Oreo cookie, although it could be the cereal-like bits strewn throughout the creme layer that make my tongue think that.

Nabisco Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreo Cookies Closeup

The cereal-like bits have a different crunchy texture than the Golden Oreo wafers. As expected, they have a light crispiness, much like a cereal. But their crunch gets mostly lost among the crunch of the Golden Oreo wafers when eating the cookie as a whole. If you’re one of those people who would twist off one of the wafers, toss it and leave it, and let Sir-Mix-A-Lot pull up quick to retrieve it, just so you can lick the creme, the crisps make the creme feel like it’s cleaning your tongue.

When eaten whole, Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreo does come close to tasting like a marshmallow treat, although there were also times when I thought it tasted like a regular Golden Oreo. It’s less satisfying than an actual Rice Krispies Treat-no stringy marshmallow gooeyness or chewiness-but I consider it to be one of my favorite Oreo varieties ever.

With all the Oreo flavors Nabisco released last year and this year starting off with two great flavors, I’m excited to see what comes next.

Note: I received a free sample of these cookies from Nabisco for this review.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 140 calories, 60 calories from fat, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 15 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Nabisco Limited Edition Marshmallow Crispy Oreo Cookies
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 12.2 oz.
Purchased at: Received from Nabisco
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like a marshmallow crispy treat. One of my favorite Oreo varieties ever. The creme has crispy bits. Nabisco Oreo cookies are United States’ Japanese Kit Kat. Excited to see what other Oreo flavors Nabisco comes out with.
Cons: At times tastes like a regular Golden Oreo. The crispy bits’ crunch gets lost in the crunch of the Golden Oreo wafers. Limited edition (although they easily could make it a regular flavor like they did with Birthday Cake Oreo, which started as a limited edition).