Restaurants are trying a new sort of lure to draw more visits from regulars, reconfiguring familiar menu favorites to leave a hollow core that’s then packed with buried treasure, be it syrup, jelly or molten cheese.
Sonic calls its version, a frozen dessert, the Blast Flavor Funnel. Taco Bell christened its latest line the Cheesy Core Burritos. The upstart Andy’s Frozen Custard chain counts its Jackhammer filled-core assortment as a signature.
Some clearly owe a nod to the riff Dairy Queen gave its Blizzard earlier this year, incorporating a tunnel of flavor in the middle. And Ben & Jerry’s has been offering a Cores line—ice cream wrapped around a center of some delectable treat—as a retail option for two years.
Here’s a review of what appear to be today’s equivalents of the molten chocolate cake.