Macro-ron - Lidl Brownie Macaron Sandwich

Took a bit of a break, but I'm back, baby. 

Macarons are a lot of work. They're made with (expensive) almond flour, they need to be piped in uniform puddles, then you need to let them rest before tapping the tray on the counter to create the perfect "foot," all before baking and assembling. I sadly don't have the time, or the budget, to perfect a macaron in my kitchen. (Although I would love to one day.) So, for now, I buy them. Even when they come from Lidl. they still feel like a luxurious treat. 

Lately, I've noticed that macarons are getting Big-Mac-ified. Meaning, they are getting bigger, and more outrageous. Like those Milkshakes that were all the rage a few years ago. The ones that were topped with full-sized separate desserts and have glass vessels covered in chocolate. It's a spectacle more than anything else. (I mean, how are you supposed to eat the chocolate off the glass? It's such a waste.) It appears to be Macaron's turn. I've seen huge ones stuffed with ice cream and fillings, like ice cream sandwiches, or giant cake-sized ones meant to be cut up and served at parties. Then there's this smaller scale one I saw at Lidl. 

It's a macaron, filled with brownie chunks, vanilla bean crème, and salted caramel. In theory, it all sounds great, but will it be too much?

PINK, it's like red but not quite - Pink Lemonade Creme Cookies

Pink Lemonade Creme Cookies - Aldi

How will they compare to the Lime? Let's jump right in and find out! 

Rosie? or Rancid? - Vanilla Rose Cookie Thins (Lidl)

I hate flower flavored food, and I already have a ton of stuff I -should- be reviewing. But February means all thing pink, and flowery, and Valentine's Day-y. All things I would use to describe this new product from Lidl. 

I'll be the guinea pig and give this a try so you can see if this it's worthy of your valentine. (Accidental rhyme(ish)?)

Cookie-bucha - Health-ade Holiday Cheers

Happy Almost New Year! I'm back! 

After my last post, I tested positive for COVID, and the symptoms hit me hard and fast. Much worse than when I had it before. Luckily, I had bought my cats a heating pad on Black Friday, because it came in clutch for the body aches. By day three, I lost my sense of smell and taste. (Which took all the fun out of my scented candle advent calendar.) 

It took five days for my sense of smell to return, but it was pretty weak, and my taste was definitely off. Garlic, something I cook with and eat all the time, tasted unnaturally sweet, almost like a caramel. And in every form! I tried powdered seasoning, fresh garlic, and some garlic infused olive oil just to make sure something didn't expire on me, but it was me. ("I'm the problem, it's me.") It took two and a half weeks for my body to bounce back.

So, I'm here to celebrate with some seasonal kombucha! 

When I spotted this, the gold and white made me think this was a New Years' item. So, I assumed this was like, champagne-themed or something. But, if I had bothered to read the label, this is vanilla, allspice, and cacao flavored? So, cookies? Cookie-bucha? I don't know about that...

Ice SCREAM Pumpkin Delights

Little Debbie has branched out into ice cream. Turning classics, like Cosmic Brownies and Oatmeal Creme Pies into scoop-able desserts.  

After the Fruity Pebbles ice cream left me feeling is was more of a gimmick than it was edible, I figured these would likely be the same and skipped them. Until I saw that the seasonal sweet, Pumpkin Delights, were getting the ice cream treatment. 

Pumpkin Delights look...rather unfortunate. I reviewed them back in 2015 and I stand by my comparison that they looks just like the Koopas from the live action Mario Bros movie. 

Twinning. 

They may look bizarre, but they are absolutely delicious. If the ice cream is even half as good, I'll consider this a win. 

Seasonally Accurate, but still Late

Remember in my last post when I told you being late was very on brand for me? Well these are fall related, but from LAST YEAR. (I may be awful, but at least I'm consistent about it.)  

Why do I still have them in my pantry, completely unopened? I couldn't even begin to tell you. Will I still open them, eat them, and review them? You bet your sweet bippy I am! 

So yeah, as previously stated, these are from Aldi's fall collection, last year. I bought them hoping to compare them to the previous Oreo version and just never did. So, better late than never?

Variety Hour- with Tirol!

Tirol Chocolates 

I've reviewed a lot of Japanese candies over the years, but they've mainly been fruit based and more often than not, they're gummies. (My favorite kind of candy.) Japanese chocolate is an area I haven't really explored, and from what I can tell it's quite different than what we have in America. 

I've seen Japanese candy bars, like Meiji or Crunky, but it doesn't seem like they have the wide variety that we have here. Just off the top of my head we have Snickers, Milkyway, 3Musketeers, Skor, Crunch, Heath, 100 Grand, Charleston Chew, BabyRuth...the list goes on and on. From what I can tell, that is not the case overseas. They may not have all that, but they do have Tirol.

Neapolitan vs. Neapolitan

Name Brand vs. Generic: Neapolitan Edition

This new Oreo came out, I bought it, and then I went to put it away and found this box of cookies from Aldi that were a different take on the same thing. In fact, they're an Aldi twist on a Neapolitan Trader Joe-Joe's item that's been around since at least 2018. 

I figured I'd take this opportunity to compare the two and see who did it better. Oreo? Or Aldi? 

Feeling Salty? - Salted Caramel Brownie Oreos

Salted Caramel Brownie Oreos - Target

During quarantine, I made countless batches of salted chocolate chip cookies, and got into the habit of adding crushed up potato chips to them as well. So when I saw that Oreo was getting in on the trend, by salting their classic cookie, I had to taste the results for myself.  

Black Cookie - Egg and Cheese Flavored Cookies?

Black Cookies - Hung Vuong Supermarket

We have metallic gold against the image of a black-brick wall, a picture of what looks like a black-colored macaron, BUT it is supposedly egg and cheese flavored. How could I NOT buy this?! 

I'm a sucker for weird flavors and a pretty package, but I've been down this road before. Will this actually deliver? We shall see. 

Red Velvet Rantings and Aldi Cookies

Benton Red Velvet Cookies 

It's trendy to take chocolate-whatever, add red food dye, top it with white frosting, and promote it as "red velvet." But it's wrong! In case you're new here, "red velvet" is one of my rant-triggering flavors. (That, and "birthday cake.") So, let the ranting commence! 

(You can skip right to the review by clicking the continue reading link below)

I love baking, and I watched The Food Network obsessively in the 90's and 2000's, back when they were more focused on actual baking/cooking and not reality TV. I have seen tons of bakers discuss red velvet, because it's a real, historical, baking-thing. The coloring and texture comes from a reaction in the ingredients, typically cocoa powder, baking soda, vinegar and buttermilk. 

Also, red isn't the only "velvet" in town. Throughout baking history, there have been tons of other flavors, since it's about getting a certain texture in your cake and not a flavor in and of itself. But what most people get hung up on is the dang coloring. Hence all the "pink," "green" or "blue velvet" recipes on Pinterest. The color has next-to-nothing to do with how it tastes! (As long as you're not using beet juice or a distasteful food dyes.)

A "Red Velvet Cake" is a chocolatey cake, with a burgundy-brown coloring, and a velvety mouthfeel. Typically topped with a white frosting, to highlight the coloring of the cake itself, which may or may not be cream cheese based. (These days cream cheese is the go-to, but at one point it was ermine.) Not just a chocolate cake with a ton of red food dyes, or beets, or whatever else you dump in there. 

So, we have established that the coloring doesn't affect the flavor, it's more-so a reaction, AND that the main reason to get "Red Velvet" is the texture of the cake itself. So... how do you make other things like gum, or cookies, "red velvet?" You don't. 

But "cream cheese filling" Doesn't exactly have the same decadence or punchiness as "red velvet." It's all about spin and marketing. (Ever see Thank You for Smoking?) 

Which brings us here, to this review. Why would I buy cookies that are "red velvet" given that I clearly think it's a marketing scam. Especially after the Benton Hot Cocoa cookie fiasco? 

Heigh-Ho Brookie-O

Brookie-O Oreos - Target

Oreo has dropped three "new" flavors, Java Chip and Chocolate Hazelnut, which are permanent additions to the line-up, and this limited edition Brookie-O.

Good News: We already have three new flavors of Oreos for 2021. 

Bad News: They're mostly repeats/rebrands, AND Pistachio Oreo Thins are discontinued! (Apparently they were discontinued in 2020, another strike against a terrible year.)  

Java chip is a coffee and chocolate mashup, similar to the previously released Dunkin Donuts Mocha, or Tiramisu, or Oreo Thins' Latte, and Chocolate Hazelnut is a re-release of the 2018 Chocolate Hazelnut, but the golden cookie was swapped out for classic chocolate. This could be the start of a trend, where limited edition flavors could have the potential for permanency, but I think "permanent" is too strong a word. Similar to most of the Lay's Do Us a Flavor contestants, I give it a year or two before they fade into oblivion. (Honestly, I don't know why Carrot Cake or Red Velvet have lasted as long as they have, especially when flavors like Reese's were so. damn. good. )

Then we have these Brookie-O's, which are the only limited edition flavor of the bunch. They are a mashup of classic Oreos, 2014's Cookie Dough Oreos, and 2015's Brownie Batter Oreo. While the combination of all three at once is new, each of these flavors has been done before. Are they worth the buy? 

Lidl Cafe Noir Cookies - The new Pinot Noir?

Cafe Noir Cookies - Lidl

If you are a Maria, you must at some point in your life consume Maria cookies. It's the law.(It doesn't have to be Goya-brand, but they're what my grandma ate.) They aren't trendy, they never have new flavors, shapes or colors, but that's because they don't have to. They are the perfect hot beverage cookie. Tea, coffee, cocoa...they're all better when consumed with a side of Maria cookies for dunking. They don't need gimmicks to keep me coming back for more. But hear me out, what if Maria cookies had a coffee flavored glaze on the bottom?

Aldi Hot Cocoa Cremes - Do these look familiar?

Hot Cocoa Cremes - Aldi

At first glance, these should look pretty familiar. It's a pretty blatant dupe for the Hot Cocoa Oreos first released in 2017-2018. (Phew, that post did NOT age well. Ouch. On a lot of levels.) We have a big ol' red mug, the "O's" are all puffy marshmallows, and the packaging is a dark almost Oreo-blue. While the general design concept and layout, and even the calorie count, are the same as Oreo's, there are a few key differences to note. 

For starters, the Oreo version actually had two layers of creme filling. A white, presumably marshmallow, layer, and a cocoa-brown one. Here we have one flavor, a light brown version that is ideally a combination of the two. Then there is the quirky ingredients and nutritional information. (These Aldi cookies pack an interesting amount of sodium.) Safe to say, these are not a no-frills re-release of a seasonal Oreo flavor. And while I love to see Aldi do that with expensive popular products, it's only good if it tastes good. 

#TBT 90's Marketing was No Joke - DunkAroos

DunkAroos - 7-Eleven 

Looking back, the 90's were pretty damn indulgent. I remember eating lunchables, canned Spiderman Chef Boyardee, Pringles, DunkAroos, String-Thing, SqueezIt, Toaster Strudels, Pizza Bagels and all kinds of junk...and even if I didn't eat it very often, I can still remember the commercials vividly in my head. (Especially String Thing.)

I don't know if that's a testament to my memory, or if advertising companies in the 90's were just that intent on marketing to children. (It's evil, but it totally worked.)  

Like a Tastykake Time Forgot

Chocolate Banana Mochi Pie Cookies  - H-Mart

Is it a cookie? A pie? Mochi? All of the above! This mish-mash of a product was just too intriguing to ignore.

Inside the bag are tiny individually wrapped cookies. And when I say "tiny," I mean it. These are easily one bite, two if you want to be dainty. 

Hey, Remember These...?

Carrot Cake Oreos  - CVS

You know how I have a tenancy to buy things and post the reviews long after the item has left shelves and lost it's relevance? Yeah, me neither.

Anyway,...here are those Carrot Cake Oreos!

Thanks, I Hate It - Sweet & Tangy Oreos

Sweet and Tangy Valentine Oreos - Target

Let's skip the (mildly) dramatic build up and reveal. After all, the title completely gives my opinion away. This year, Oreo released festive Valentine's Day cookies with lots of great gimmicks, and a vague flavor description, "Sweet and Tangy." Thanks, Oreo. I hate it.

My FAVORITE Oreo of 2018! (& Why I Love Oreo Thins)

Pistachio Oreo Thins - Shop Rite $2.50 ea.

I am kicking myself. I have a jar filled with real pistachios sitting right on my kitchen counter that would have made these photos look fantastic...but I completely forgot about them until I was editing this post. I flirted with the idea of re-shooting just to satisfy my perfectionist nature....but we both know I barely blog as it is. If I buy another brand new unopened package just to re-shoot these pics...this is never getting written up. 

So, for my sake, imagine delicious pistachios, both shelled and un-shelled, sprinkled about these photos making me look like a domestic foodie goddess I aspire to be, not the frazzled sometimes-foodie I actually am. (Really living up to the name the past 2 years...)

With today's review, the title completely gives my opinion away, so there's no use dancing around it now. These are the best Oreo I have eaten all year.

♪ Ooh, I want you, I don't know if I need you! ♪

Cherry Cola Oreos - Target $2.99

Obligatory link to Savage Garden's 90's hit, I Want You. One of the first CDs I ever stole from my mom's collection. (She has good taste.) Such an under appreciated band and song! 

If I ever review something cherry cola themed and do NOT link to that song, just know that I have been replaced with a robot or body snatcher. 

Now that the song-nostalgia-gods have been appeased, let's take a closer look at these Cherry Cola Oreos.