What is it about spiders and Halloween? I mean, there’s nothing inherently spooky about them. And most of them are completely harmless and tiny. And yet, they’ve become a Halloween staple.
There’s also something called the Marbled Orbweaver (Araneus marmoreus) which is informally known as the “Halloween Spider.” Not only does it have a skull-like body, it’s also venomous. So it’s earned its name.
And I get that arachnophobia is a thing. So, upon reflection, I guess spiders have a legit association with Halloween.
This is all top of mind because I paid another visit the recently-opened Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin’ store.
This time I asked for a Halloween treat from the donut side of the shop, and the young woman immediately pointed out the spider donuts. “I’ll take it,” said I. “Just one?” she asked. “Isn’t that enough?” I responded, noting each one carries 330 calories. Her:
If this doesn’t make sense, re-read yesterday’s blog entry.
So, let’s get down to business!
(NOTE: Dunkin’ introduced the Spider Donut in 2020, and I reviewed it in October of that year. Back then, the spider sat on an orange base; this year it’s purple. So that difference is my excuse for reviewing it again.)
Conceptual Soundness: We’ve already established, above, that spiders are an acceptable Halloween meme. And the good folks at Dunkin decided to create a spider out of their donuts. It’s a cartoonish version of a spider which is fun and lighthearted, and it sits on an iced donut. The whole thing is edible and easily transportable. It’s a sound concept indeed. 4 points.
Appearance of the Treat: This is “cute as all get-out,” as my aunt used to say. It’s a cake donut with a spooky dark-purple icing. Plopped on top of the center of the donut is a chocolate, glazed “donut hole” with two big globby eyes made out of white icing. Eight “legs” of chocolate icing sprout from the donut hole and drape over the ring donut. It’s clever and creative and cute. An easy 4 points for appearance.
Taste: Often these kinds of gimmicky shapes don’t actually taste that good. This is an exception. The purple icing seems to have a blueberry flavor (but that might just be the power of suggestion). The chocolate donut hole was at risk of being a little dry, but the glaze saved it. It tasted fresh and sweet (but not too sweet), and the amount of donut (about 1.25 standard donuts) was just right. I liked the taste, though I didn’t love it. Let’s give it 3 points.
Value: This guy costs $2.75 (or, 275 spidey-cents). (Ha!) Given the extra labor to decorate the donut, plus the fact that you’re getting both a donut and a donut hole, that seems like a decent price. Especially if you compare it to the scoop of ice cream on the B-R side of the shop that will cost you five bucks. 3 points sounds fair. (Note: When I reviewed the spider donut in 2020 it was only $1.49; those were the days…)
Total Treat Score: 14 points out of 16 points, which if that isn’t our high score it’s close! Log onto the “web” to find your nearest Dunkin, and then take a “spin” down there!
Chasing Phantoms 