Sometimes Foodie: Hot Cocoa Hoax

Hot Cocoa Cookie Thins - Lidl

What happened? I blinked and it went from being Halloween to December.
I spotted these at Lidl and since it's a little too-soon to get started on all my holiday cookie baking, I got these as a little treat for myself. Little did I know, the "tricks" aren't contained to spooky season.

I know not to trust advertisements, but these look like a completely different product. On the bag, the cookies are thin, richly chocolate colored, and have lots of white-chips. The actual cookie? It's shaped like a 'Nilla wafer, thick and dome-like, it's very dull in color, and you can barely see any mix-ins at all.

When I saw them in the store, I thought they'd be akin to Brownie Brittle, this is no Brownie Brittle. Looks can be deceiving. Perhaps they look unappealing, but they'd taste as delicious as I'd hoped.
Opened, they have a faintly sweet smell that reminds me of white chocolate chips. Taking a bite, the chocolate base is crispy in texture, a mixture between 'Nilla Wafers and the classic Butter Cookies that come in ~~sewing kits~~ tins, which I like a lot, (I'm a crispy cookie fan) but the flavor is a major let down. It's barely chocolatey at all and as far as I can tell, the white colored chips are flavorless as well.
It reminds me of Count Chocula cereal, which sounds like a compliment, but stick with me here.

I remember chocolate cereals like Count Chocula and Cocoa Puffs being delicious, crispy, and so chocolatey that they made my milk into chocolate milk. It was great, I loved it. But that was when I was a kid. As an adult I've tried to chase that experience more than once, buying Count Chocula, Chocolate Lucky Charms, and other cereals, but it's nothing like I remember. It's so bland and cardboard-like. Did the cereal recipe change? Did growing up change my tastebuds? I'm not entirely sure. What I do know is that it doesn't taste they way I want it to. The same goes for these cookies.
I wanted these cookies to be great, but they're so bland that they're not worth the calories. If you see this one, even on clearance, I'd skip it. If you, like me, are chasing that childhood chocolate cereal high, the closest I have found is Brownie Brittle. (FYI, You can usually find Brownie Brittle discounted at places like Ollie's Bargain Outlet.)