Month: May 2013

I was going to start my Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreos review with an astute observation regarding how many Oreo varieties TIB has reviewed over the past nine years. That was until I lost count somewhere between 20 and 25 while looking through the blog archives, and starting wondering if I should include bastardized Oreo siblings like the Fudge Cremes or Oreo Brownies.

So in the interest of utmost accuracy, I’ll just ballpark the number of Oreo variants  as more than the Duggars have kids and less than the amount of NCAA Division I football teams, while also mentioning that, for the most part, we’ve liked the Oreos we’ve tried over these last nine years. Including, I should add, two Oreo flavors that on first inspection don’t seem too different than these new Oreos — Strawberry Milkshake and Berry Burst Oreo cookies.

How a strawberries n’ cream is supposed to differ from a strawberry milkshake is a matter of semantics and temperature, I guess. But it being May and the whole world is filled with reminders about why I should buy my mom a chocolate-dipped strawberry for Mother’s Day, perhaps the flavor makes sense given the increasing regularity of Limited Edition Oreo variants. Personally, I’m all for combining holidays with Oreo flavors, just as long as those holiday-themed Oreo cookies don’t include Gefilte fish Oreo cookies for Passover.

The aroma of each Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo borders somewhere between the cloying Oops! All Berries smell and that of the classically mellow chocolate wafer cookie we all love so much.

Unlike regular Oreo cookies, the wafer portion detaches from the creme with little effort, displaying a smooth filling that’s roughly 70 percent strawberry creme and 30 percent, uh, creme. Maybe it’s just me, but it I swear there’s been some kind of ingredient change in Oreo creme over the last few years which has yielded a more frosting-like filling, and these are no exception. The filling is a bit oily on the tongue, although nowhere as oily as Mel Kiper’s hair, and it doesn’t have the little specks that the Berry Burst Oreo cookies (or actual strawberries) do.

As for the taste, the strawberry portion tastes like raspastrawberry. Yes, that’s right, raspastrawberry. Not the ambiguous berry flavor of a Crunch Berry nor the somewhat blackberryish flavor of Buffalo’s finest Loganberry, the frosting-like filling straddles the line somewhere between the two most iconic red berries. It’s not really tart, nor does it have a distinct richness of cream that strawberries dipped in whipped cream have, but it does generally taste like strawberries. But it also tastes like a dull raspberry. So yes, it tastes like raspastrawberry frosting.

Unfortunately there isn’t much of that summer day strawberries n’ cream effect that conjures up images of Memorial Day cookouts with just-picked berries and fresh whipped cream. Instead, the effect is more like clearance February Walmart strawberries with Cool Whip. Actually, there’s not even a faux whipped cream flavor at all here, with a single lick of both fillings tasting exactly like a mild strawberry frosting. It’s not bad, but then again, it’s not strawberries n’ cream.

The good news for purists is that the berry flavor doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate of the cookie, and instead plays a supporting role in a pleasant strawberry-ish and chocolate taste that comes together with the crunchy cookie. Like all Double Stuf Oreo varieties, it’s that contrast of smooth creme and crunchy chocolate shell which makes these cookies worth it. Actually, now that I think about it, the flavor is more chocolate-dipped strawberry than strawberry n’ cream.

Make no mistake about it, these Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo cookies don’t really take like strawberries and whipped cream, and they definitely don’t strike me as the kind of limited edition cookie to stock up on. But any time you combine frosting with a crunchy cookie shell, one can only go so wrong.

I’ve stuffed, double stuffed, and even mega stuffed more Oreo varieties than I can count, and these are far from the disaster some flavors have been. Just don’t try passing them off as an actual Mother’s Day present, because I’m fairly sure the woman who gave me life will expect more than the latest shiny snack on the Walmart shelf when it comes to me saying thanks.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 cookies – 150 calories, 60 calories from fat, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1 gram of polyunsaturated fat, 3 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 95 milligrams of potassium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Limited Edition Strawberries n’ Creme Oreo
Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 15.25 oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Not just a rehashing of Berry Burst Oreo. Strawberry flavor is discernible, albeit in a hybrid raspastrawberry way. Filling doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate cookie flavor. Creme is smooth and not gritty. No trans fat. More potassium than regular Oreo.
Cons: Strawberry flavor is muted, and “creme” element lacks the rich taste of actual strawberries in whipped cream. Attempting to differentiate between crème, cream, creme. Nothing special in the realm of two dozen or so Oreo varieties. Not a proper Mother’s Day gift.