Sometimes you feel like a Nut - or Two?

Another seasonal de-stash. 

I grabbed these from Lidl thinking I could incorporate them into my baking, but my cookie boxes were crowded already, so they were relegated to snacking. 

Problem is, I rarely eat nuts. (That's what she said!) I'm not allergic, and I love nut-flavored things like, marzipan, Reese's cups, and pistachio ice cream, or even chopped peanuts scattered over a savory pad Thai. But snacking on a handful of plain almonds? Not going to happen. 

But, these are fairly healthy (especially when compared to all the Doritos currently on top of my fridge), so I took them into work so I could eat them as a desk-snack. Maybe they'll surprise me and I'll be converted...but I doubt it. 

First up, Snicker Doodle Almonds. 

Typical almond, covered in sugary, cinnamon-y, powder. You could easily have called these "cinnamon almonds," but "Snickerdoodle," sounds fancier and more fall-friendly, so I get it. 

I thought these might be the Cinnamon Toast Crunch of almonds, but they're less sweet than I expected. The coating has plenty of cinnamon and a nice hint of salt which makes me think of popcorn butter. 

I love cinnamon. I've done the cinnamon challenge more than once, and I add cinnamon sticks to my drinking water for a little pick-me-up, so for me, these were pretty good...until I get to the almond. I will never understand how marzipan and almond flavored things can be so good, when actual almonds are such a dud. The almond is bland and, well, almond-y. I can't say I care for it, but the coating is nice enough. 

Not bad, but still not something I would choose to snack on over anything else.

Next we have a flavored walnut. These are at a disadvantage because, while I actually like almond flavored things, I can't say the same for walnuts. Are there even any walnut flavored things out there? I'm drawing a blank. 

Thankfully these are covered in a chunky maple-cinnamon-apple flavor. The coating makes these look like tiny broken bits of oatmeal raisin cookies. Very appealing. Almost like granola!  

Taking a bite, they were fruitier than I expected. There is a bright, slightly tart, apple flavoring that is crisper than I thought possible for a nut-coating. (Something I never thought I'd type.) The dried apple in the ingredient list is no joke. Maple follows soon after, just enough to make this feel breakfast-y, without overpowering it, and then you get warm cinnamon before ending with oily walnut. 

Like the almond, the nut-core is my least favorite part of this product...but it's probably the best walnut I've ever eaten. It's like, oatmeal-on-the-go.

Neither of these converted me, but I would actually buy the walnuts again. Not for personal snacking, but definitely for holiday parties. I think they would make a great addition to a cheese board or chopped up in oatmeal raisin cookies. 

Lidl didn't convert me, but I like the walnuts more than I expected, which is a pretty pleasant surprise. Have you tried these? If so, which is your favorite?  

Fans of this would also like: Chocolate Nut Fudge, Banana Nut Pepperidge Farm Cookies, or the discontinued Shark Tank Product Sweet Almond Water

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