Author: Mark

REVIEW: Creepy Cocoa Crisp M&M’s

Mark 4 Comments

Creepy Cocoa Crisp M M s

What are Creepy Cocoa Crisp M&M’s?

The Target-exclusive Halloween M&M’s for 2019 are dark chocolate with a cocoa crispy center, in festive colors of brown, red, and orange.

How are they?

Creepy Cocoa Crisp M M s Innards

I was underwhelmed by the Target-exclusive Cookies & Screeem of yesteryear, but these Creepy Cocoa Crisp are a decided improvement. I like dark chocolate M&M’s, but they’re even better with the crispy texture! My family members who don’t much care for the Crispy variety enjoyed these.

My only disappointment is that it’s hard to taste the cocoa element in the crisp part (which is the same color as the chocolate). The dark chocolate overpowers it. But that’s a minor quibble, because they’re still wonderful. This is a simple concept, but it works very well.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Creepy Cocoa Crisp M M s Red M Mcula

With the package portraying the Red M&M holding a bowl of chocolate cereal while wearing a vampire costume, it seems obvious Mars is channeling Count Chocula. But that cereal is made of corn, whereas the M&M crispy parts are made of rice flour. I appreciate the creativity —- it’s not predictable, but it still has a seasonal connection.

Conclusion:

The colors, flavor, and texture combine to make this limited-edition flavor a winner. Since Red is dressed as a vampire, I imagine repurposing a line from The Munsters to tell him how I feel about this candy:

Me: “I really dig you!”

Red: “And someday I’ll return the favor!”

Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 8 oz. bag
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts:: (1 oz./28 grams/30 pieces) 140 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 16 grams of sugar (includes 16 grams of added sugars), and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies

Mark 3 Comments

Limited Edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies

What are Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies?

In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing in July 1969, Oreo has launched (pun unintended) a cookie with chocolate wafers and purple, marshmallow-flavored creme.

Limited Edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies Designs

There are also three separate images on the wafers: a crescent moon with stars, a rocket (Apollo 11?), and an astronaut on a moon with a flag. (It can’t be Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin on our moon, because the image appears to have Saturn or another ringed planet in the background. Really, Nabisco?)

How are they?

The marshmallow creme does taste different from the standard creme, but it’s a pretty nondescript flavor. It’s reminiscent of all the Peeps-flavored products that come out in the spring. In fact, the filling might just be leftover Peeps creme, but without the sugar grains. The flavor is a bit boring, but we’re talking about Oreo cookies here. They’re pretty close to the regular Oreo, which means they’re delightful. Like standard Oreos, they’re better with milk.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Limited Edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies Stickers

The fun of this product doesn’t stop with the cookies. The packaging glows in the dark (but it says “Marshmallow M N”), and there are stickers on the back, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Two cookies contain six percent of your daily recommended iron. I hoped for a higher iron content so it would be more like lunar maria, the dark, iron-rich volcanic patches on the moon’s surface.

Conclusion:

Limited Edition Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies Phases

Marshmallow Moon Oreo Cookies are nothing earth-shattering (pun unintended again), but they’re good enough. And in this summer of Game of Thrones and Stranger Things food products, it’s refreshing to have a factual, scientific, historic event get its due.

Purchased Price: $1.99
?Size: 10.7 oz.
?Purchased at: Walgreens
?Rating: 7 out of 10
?Nutrition Facts:: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal

Mark 5 Comments

Kellogg s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal

What is Kellogg’s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal?

Forget winter. It’s a marshmallow world in the springtime, and Kellogg’s has joined the trend of Peep-ifying everything by creating Peeps Cereal. It consists of yellow, pink, and blue marshmallow-flavored rings and small marshmallows.

How is it?

Kellogg s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal Dry

When I first opened the box, I got a strong whiff of generic sweetness. It reminded me of Sugar Cookie Pop Tarts. The rings look exactly like Froot Loops or Apple Jacks, just with different colors, and the marshmallows are small, white pieces.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal Wet

When I eat the cereal, there’s not really a flavor to it. I can’t say it tastes like marshmallows, but then again, I can’t say that marshmallows really taste like anything. It’s sweet enough that I enjoy eating it, but there’s nothing groundbreaking here. I can totally see them swapping the pink and blue rings for red and green and calling it Sugar Cookie Cereal for Christmastime.

Kellogg s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal Swimming Peep

The flavor is mostly identical whether it’s dry or in milk, so enjoy it however you prefer cereal. The milk at the bottom of the bowl is enjoyable, but again, I don’t think of Peeps. I do appreciate that the marshmallows aren’t too crunchy compared to the cereal, which is sometimes a problem with other cereals.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Kellogg s Limited Edition Peeps Cereal Box Back

I absolutely love the cheerful packaging: the spring colors, the iconic chick and bunny, the flowers made of the cereal. On the back of the box is a Candy Land knockoff, called Peeps Land (what else?). Instead of drawing a card from a pile to determine how many spaces to move, you draw a cereal piece. See, it’s better than Candy Land, because you actually get something out of it.

Conclusion:

As a cereal, it’s OK. As a seasonal novelty product, it’s simply adorable.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: 18.7 oz. box
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 110 calories, 5 calories from fat, 0.5 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 35 milligrams of potassium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies

Mark 5 Comments

Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies

Nabisco’s perpetual announcements of new Oreo flavors elicit varied feelings of jubilation, shock, and disgust from the general public. I, for one, was delighted when I learned they were releasing Carrot Cake Oreo, since carrot cake is my all-time favorite dessert.

Just like everyone else, I was surprised that this seemingly Easter-themed cookie was being released in early January. But if you don’t like that, you don’t have to buy it yet.

Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies 2

When I first opened the package, I got a strong whiff of the “cream cheese frosting flavor creme,” which I will just call “creme cheese.” On second thought, that sounds terrible. Even though the creme doesn’t use any real cream cheese, the aroma is spot on.

When I bit into the first cookie, I was amazed. Nabisco nailed it! It really does taste like carrot cake! There’s a bit of an aftertaste that doesn’t exactly mimic a real cake, but that’s a minor quibble.

Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies 3

Next, I isolated the elements. The creme tastes exactly like cream cheese frosting. I don’t know how they did it without any dairy products, but it works. (If you don’t like cream cheese frosting, stay far, far away.) It’s probably the same filling they use in the Red Velvet variety, but I didn’t compare them side by side.

On its own, the cookie is only vaguely reminiscent of carrot cake. It tastes like a graham cracker with spices; in fact, I’m guessing they took the graham cookie they use for some of the pie flavors and added “spice” to it. (“Spice” is what is named on the ingredient list.) But I’m not complaining, because it’s still a fine cookie, and it works so well with the filling. There might also be some orange-colored specks in there; it’s hard to tell.

Unfortunately, there are no carrots in the ingredients, so the stereotypes don’t apply here. These cookies won’t give you better eyesight, your pet rabbit won’t like them, and you won’t turn orange from eating too many.

Carrot Cake Oreo Cookies 4

Of course, any Oreo must be tried with milk. For this particular flavor, I didn’t much care for it when I dunked it. It made the cream cheese creme far too overpowering. But I did enjoy having the milk on the side.

I like my carrot cakes soft and moist. (I know some of you hate that word, but I don’t care. Moist moist moist!) If, however, you’re craving a carrot cake that is crunchy and dry, this is exactly what you need.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 12.2 oz. package
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of total sugars, 13 grams of added sugars, and less than 1 gram of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Burger King Oreo Cookie Peppermint Shake

Mark 2 Comments

Burger King Oreo Cookie Peppermint Shake

What is the Burger King Oreo Cookie Peppermint Shake?

Burger King’s December shake features peppermint syrup and Oreo cookie bits. Apparently, it’s supposed to have a whipped topping on it as well, but I got cheated.

How is it?

In 2016, BK introduced the Oreo Irish Mint Shake, then dropped “Irish” from the name in 2017. It’s been nearly two years since I had that it, but as far as I can tell, this new version is the same as that one, just with a pink color instead of green.

The shake is pretty thick for a nationwide fast-food chain (as opposed to local mom-and-pop shake shacks), and I had a hard time sucking it through the straw. I had to use my straw more like a spoon.

It’s satisfyingly minty. However, at this time of year, there are lots of minty shakes that are so potent, they taste like you just ate a pure candy cane. I love mint, so I like that feeling. This one isn’t quite that powerful, but it’s still nice.

Burger King Oreo Cookie Peppermint Shake 2

The Oreo pieces are tiny enough to go through a straw, and they dissolve quickly in your mouth, so there’s no need to do much crunching. I can’t detect any of the creme, but the chocolate cookies work well with the mint.

Is there anything else you need to know?

It’s probably obvious, but a milkshake isn’t what you want to drink on a cold December night. I parked a block away from Burger King, and I shivered a lot more in the 17-degree weather on the way back to my car than I did on my way into the restaurant.

Conclusion:

The Burger King Oreo Peppermint Shake isn’t anything innovative, but it’s a festive, tasty treat if you’re looking for a way to get even colder.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: Comes in one size
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 780 calories, 20 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 133 grams of

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