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As I drove away from Arby’s on Monday night, with my delicious Crispy Chicken Bacon and Swiss Sandwich, I noticed a sign advertising their Chocolate Turnover dessert. Chocolate? I knew they had Apple and Cherry, but this was NEW. It looked good in the picture, but most food usually does. This would require a hands-on test, so tonight I went back to sample this new dessert item for myself. In fact, I got two of them.

Chocolate lovers should be excited as soon as they see it. There’s chocolate icing dribbled all over the top, and more chocolate trying to burst out the seems of the crust. It’s a nice looking pastry — much nicer than I was expecting. It’s a decent size too.

The crust is flaky, layers break away with each bite. It’s very much like a croissant, and unlike typical fast food breads. As it turns out, this Chocolate Turnover is made by Pepperidge Farm exclusively for Arby’s. No mistaking it for pastry from a real street bakery, but it’s definitely better than average fast food dessert.

Here’s the story — Pepperidge Farm produces and ships the chocolate stuffed dough to Arby’s in a frozen state. Arby’s then bakes the turnovers on site, at each store. The icing is put on by-hand right before it’s served to you. The end result is a fresh tasting, warm and toasty treat. Almost like something you’d expect from a donut shop.

The chocolate is made from genuine Hershey’s cocoa. The icing is sweet and light, while the stuffing inside packs more of a pure chocolate punch. It’s very rich, with a strong cocoa taste. Some might even find it too-much, but chocolate fanatics will be loving it. I should warn you — Eat this immediately after it’s served if you want full enjoyment. I purchased two, and the cold one was much less satisfying.

The Chocolate Turnover from Arby’s is about the closest thing to a bakery fresh dessert pastry you’ll find at a fast food place. It’s made from top quality ingredients, and the $1.29 cost is cheap enough for anybody to add to their next order.

Price: $1.29 / Website: Arbys.com

Fast Food Critic Score: A

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Nutrition Facts - Arby’s Chocolate Turnover.

Calories - 400
Calories from Fat - 225
Total Fat - 25 grams
Carbs - 37 grams
Saturated Fat - 7 grams
Trans Fat - 7 grams
Cholesterol - 0 milligrams
Sodium - 190 milligrams