KANSAS CITY — Dessert mashups are sweetening seasonal menus at national restaurant chains. Sonic Drive-In combines two summertime staples in its latest creation, the Toasted S’mores Shake, blending vanilla ice cream with chocolate chunks and graham cracker crumbs, topped with marshmallow.
“With a crunch you can’t get enough of balanced with the sweetness of chocolate and marshmallow, there’s a reason why s’mores are so iconic, and we were able to take the classic summer dessert to another level by blending in cool, rich ice cream,” said Scott Uehlein, vice president of product innovation and development at Sonic Drive-In. “The Toasted S’mores Shake delivers the familiar and favorite experience of gathering over a campfire into a delightful frozen treat you can take with you anywhere.”
Two new offerings at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt were inspired by a new Hi-Chew dual-layer candy flavor, Tropical Smoothie, which debuted earlier in the year as part of the Fruit Combos mix. Hi-Chew Mango and Hi-Chew Passion Fruit frozen yogurt varieties will be available throughout the month at participating Menchie’s locations nationwide. A previous collaboration between the two brands produced Hi-Chew Dragon Fruit frozen yogurt.
“The idea of layering two flavors together to create something new was integral to the development of Hi-Chew Tropical Smoothie, and seeing the product brought to life in an unexpected way is exciting for us,” said Tatsuya Takamiya, chief marketing officer of Morinaga America, Inc, maker of Hi-Chew. “We’re thrilled that consumers can enjoy the true-to-fruit taste of Hi-Chew through these frozen yogurt flavors while celebrating the innovative dual layers of the Tropical Smoothie chewlet.”
A new dessert joining the menu at TGI Fridays brings together Cinnabon cinnamon and cheesecake. The Cinnabon Caramel Pecan Cheesecake has layers of Cinnabon cinnamon cheesecake, vanilla crunch cake and cream cheese frosting, caramel and glazed pecans, served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
New mashups at Tim Hortons meld two morning meal mainstays. The Froot Loops Dream Donut has a strawberry icing base topped with Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal and a white icing drizzle. Froot Loops Timbits are citrus cake donut holes with a glazed coating covered in crushed Froot Loops pieces.
