The Guilty Pleasure: Strawberry Pop Tart Ice Cream Sandwich Where To Get It: Carl's Jr., locations Valleywide The Price: $1.50 or so (depending on location) What It Really Costs: The damage all around is light, relatively speaking, about 320 calories.
Months ago, in Chow Bella's underground lair, we heard buzz about a new item at Carl's Jr: a Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich. Pop-Tarts and ice cream? Hell, yes; sign us up! Then came disappointment. After trying to find one here, we realized it was only undergoing product testing in Southern California. Blast.
The testing period came to a successful end, and the curious combination is now available at Carl's Jr. stores nationwide. As soon as I got word of the news, I had to dash right out and try one.
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What do you get with a Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich? Exactly what it says on the tin, of course. They take a Strawberry Pop-Tart, cut it in half, and put it around a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's a brilliant idea, something I'm a little surprised hadn't yet existed in commercial form.
The idea works as well in practice as it does in theory. The pastry-to-ice-cream ratio is spot-on, giving a gleeful juxtaposition. The Pop-Tart's strawberry filling adds a subtle fruity note. I wish there was more strawberry involved, but then, I've always wished there was more strawberry filling in a Pop-Tart. It's probably a good thing there isn't too much; much more strawberry would just gush out the cut side.
Speaking of gushing out the sides, eating one of these takes a little bit of care. The Pop-Tarts do a respectable job of containing the ice cream, but one thoughtless big chomp could mean you'll wear more ice cream than you'll eat. Don't eat one and drive, folks.
I just have one question for Carl's Jr.: When are you introducing Brown Sugar Cinnamon?