Chips Ahoy! Chewy Chocolate Chip Made With Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

"How can we improve upon a chocolate chip cookie?
Oh, I know!"

The Attraction

I've had Chips Ahoy several times when I was a kid growing up. Recently I've avoided them because I never cared for the standard variety, yet I did love the chewy variation. With that said, I think we can all do with a little less cookies in our lives, so I didn't buy any for a while until I saw this offering with peanut butter cup pieces in it. I'm not Superman, people.

The Review:
OK, I admit it. I was struggling to find a new product when I picked up these cookies, but I also think deep inside I was searching for an excuse to try these cookies. Anyone who has been reading my reviews in the past knows how I adore peanut butter. There, you made me come out and say it.

I slowly peel back the package's resealable cover to reveal the rows of cookies in the tray waiting to be devoured. I have to carefully pick up a cookie as they are so soft that any sudden moments would break the cookie itself. Is there such a thing as "snack foreplay" that's not creepy sounding?

You can see the PB cup in the cookie! How sexy

Anyhoo, I commit to a taste and it's just as I remembered; a gentle yield to my bite and the cookie dough flavor acquiesces to the chocolate chip that's in the mix as well. It's only closer towards the end that the pb flavor comes bleeding through. It's clear that the folks at Chips Ahoy! chose to reformulate the pb cup recipe in this instance to reign in the texture and flavor. I can see how sticking with the original composition of the pb cup would have been too much of a contrast against its soft cookie surroundings. They also refined the pb flavor to tone it down so it wouldn't quite be so dominating in the cookie, but they could have let the pb flavor shine through a little more in the final product.

This could spell trouble

The Sweet:
Chewy, soft texture with a reworked peanut cup hits the right snack spot.

The Bitter:
As a pb fan, I could have took a little more pb flavor. Want to have just one? Haha...good luck!

Conclusion:
I know these are a commercial brand and I've had some fancy cookies as of late, but there's a reason why Chips Ahoy! has been around for such a long time. In addition to that great chewy texture they offer with this line, the variable of pb bits makes this product irresistible for a snacker like me. In the end, I won't be buying this item too often not because it isn't delicious, but I fear they are just too delicious and it will be clear just how much so the next time I'm at the beach.

Video of the Week 
At this point, we've all see videos and pictures of people piled onto bikes, but this family takes it to whole new level. Well, at least they have helmets on, oh wait, they don't have that either.

Just on hanging on the family bike

Bouchon TKO

"Who you calling whoopie pie?"

The Attraction

Someone recently told me that the TKO cookie at Bouchon (a bakery chain) was their favorite cookie. I wasn't really that interested...until I figured out what TKO stood for. When I did....I had to try it!

The Review:
I've been going to Bouchon on and off for years. I've tried various items there, but never this particular cookie. It just didn't jump out and grab me like some of the other treats on the menu. Then one day someone said, "Oh the TKO? It's like their version of an Oreo."

In fact, TKO actually stands for "Thomas Keller Oreo". OK count me in.

I quickly go down to Bouchon and pick one up. Now that I look at it, it makes sense....yes, an Oreo, of course. How could I have not seen it?

I take my "TKO" back to my desk and admire it for a few seconds. A gourmet version of an Oreo. How can they improve upon an Oreo?

I pickup the sizable cookie (it's about the circumference of the top a pint glass) and take bite. The first thing I notice is how the cookie shell is softer or rather, not as crisp as an actual Oreo. As I continue my bite and capture some of that cream center in my mouth, I also can taste that the cream isn't as sweet, but also not as rigid and processed tasting.

This is tricky to describe; the shell isn't as crisp because it's actually fresher. The cookie took on some of the moisture from the cream, which although not as sweet, is a good thing.

Essentially, it taste like a giant homemade Oreo with less sugar in the cream.

This didn't last too long on my desk

The Sweet:
Ironically, it's not as sweet as a regular Oreo and fresher tasting,

The Bitter:
You miss that contrast of the crisp cookie shell against the cream center.

Conclusion:
On it's own, the TKO is a great cookie. Theoretically it's everything I would want in a cookie;
Yes, it's a fresher. Yes it's made with a recipe created by a super well recognized and acclaimed chef. Yes, the cream is not as sweet, yet if we were to do a head to head comparison against an Oreo, despite all those things, there's something about an Oreo that still rings true. Perhaps it's the sweeter cream that reminds me of my childhood or the crisp, firm crack of the cookie shell that yields against the center filling or even the texture on the cookie itself that let's you know it's an Oreo.

There's no mistaking that the TKO is a great cookie, but there's also no mistaking it for an Oreo.

Video of the Week 
People often ask me what I do on the weekends when I'm not reviewing snacks for SneakASnack. Well, wonder no more. Below is a video of what I did this past weekend.

That's me! (the guy on the outside of the glass, maybe)

Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Dark Chocolate

Don't I look so dignified!

The Attraction

As I noted a few weeks ago, one of the best parts of the holidays are people coming back bringing treats from other parts of the world. My second review in regards of that plunder comes from Scotland...enter Tunnock's Caramel Wafer!

The Review:
I'm generally not a fan of  sugar wafers like these. I'm not sure if I had too much at some point in my life, but even seeing wafers turn me off. Add the fact that these are dark chocolate and that's strike two, but because they come from outside of the States, I tried to put that all aside and keep an open mind as to what I was about to taste.

I slowly unwrap the wrapper and observe the "wafer" for a moment. This looks pretty serious.

This looks better than most sugar wafers I've had

I take a bite or try to rather as I attempt to sink my teeth into the wafer, it becomes apparent that I really need to commit to this bite. This sucker is pretty hard considering what it is, but when it finally yields, there is the crunch of the wafer then the hit of the chocolate from the coating and slowly the flavor of the caramel that is delicately inserted between each wafer layer comes seeping through midway into my bite. Actually, I think that layering affect of the caramel and sugar wafer creates that super strong snack structure that I had to power my way through.

These Tunnock's Caramel Wafers are actually reminiscent of a super strong, denser-stuff-inside Kit-Kat. The caramel is sweet enough where I don't even notice the dark chocolate flavor. Although that's a good thing, I don't know what to quite make of it all just yet.

Taste better too!

The Sweet:
Taste-wise, it reminds me of a Kit Kat

The Bitter:
You really have to bite into this sucker.

Conclusion:
There's nothing really wrong with Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Dark Chocolate as a snack, but being that I grew up eating Kit Kats, I'm accustomed to that the texture and density. I can see how if you grew up eating these, then tried a Kit Kat, you might think that a Kit Kat was just too wimpy when you bit into it. Although Tunnock's taste great, I would prefer to stick with my tried-and-true "wimpy" version and keep most of my teeth in the process. 

Video of the Week 
In case you didn't have enough of the "House Fire Woman", this week, we offer you the "songify" version with autotune. It's actually really good. I dare you not to sing along or tap your toes.

"The building in on fire, fire!"

Crown Big Caramel Corn Choco

I never thought I'd see the day
I'd meet a real turd wrangler!

The Attraction

I've walked by this snack many times when I've gone to the Korean grocery store and I've often wondered what on earth this was about. I mean, who would approve the look of this product, the packaging, the whole damn thing? Then finally this week, I was just too tickled to not give this thing a try to see if it was as much of a disaster as it looked.

The Review:
Occasionally I buy a snack for the wrong reasons. Usually it's because the packaging is so appealing or interesting, I could not resist. In the case of these Big Caramel Corn Chocos, it was more along the lines of what a trainwreck this product looked like. It's the same impulse that drove me to try Changheyuan Potato DJ Mix and boy did I call that one.

I open  the bag and a strong scent of chocolate quickly overwhelms me. "Wow, that smells great!", I think to myself, but then I take a look into the bag. "Whoa, these things look almost as bad as it does on the outside of the bag!" Talk about a push / pull relationship. It smells amazing, but it looks the way it does. It really put my appetite in limbo.

Boy, could this look any more appetizing?

You know, it's interesting how strong nature is. Everything in my body, including my stomach was screaming, "Put that in your mouth?! Are you crazy!?" Even looking at the photos now make me a bit uneasy, but after staring at the contents of the bag for a while, I knew what I had to do.

I finally reach in to the bag and pull out a Corn Choco. (even the name has a awful neuro-association to what the snack looks like). I take a whiff, which is also very counter intuitive, might I add, but was pleasantly reminded of that wonderful chocolate smell these snacks exude. I quickly just take a bite and, and, and....

...oh my gosh, it's so chocolaty! These Corn Chocos might be one of the most chocolaty tasting snacks I've ever had that doesn't actually contain chocolate. The flavor is like that of your favorite childhood chocolate cereal (think Count Chocula or Coco puffs) but with dry chocolate Nesquik sprinkled over it. The texture is also very similar to that of a puffed cereal, where it's just enough crunch,. They strike just the right balance.

Where have you been my whole life?! Then I take a look in the bag again and want to barf.

Umm...let's rethink this.

The Sweet:
Serious chocolate flavor. Like wow.

The Bitter:
It took some serious internal convincing to put something that looked like this to my mouth. They might have to fire their marketing department.

Conclusion:
I had my doubts. In fact, I'll take it a step further and say I just about wrote this snack off before I even took a bite.....but then when I did...wow. The flavor and texture was out of this world. I'm not even a super fan of chocolate and I enjoyed this snack. I know, it looks awful and the packaging doesn't help it's cause with a corn on the cob (for gosh sakes) lassoing a Big Caramel Corn Choco, but if you ever work up the nerve to taste one, you too will want to "wrangle" more of these.  

Video of the Week 
I really love this week's video because the woman in it is so animated in regards to a fire in her building. Thankfully she and everyone involved seems OK and we get to enjoy her excited retelling of how she learned about the fire.

"The building in on fire! Nahh..what?!"

Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter Bar

Not just PB in a jar anymore!

The Attraction

A few weeks ago I was walking the supermarket aisles looking for some green tea ice cream. As I turned the corner, I saw a little cardboard cutout with these bars in them.

"Jif makes bars now?" I thought to myself.

Apparently they do. Being a PB lover, I grabbed one of the crunchy variety and continued on my quest for ice cream.

The Review:
Jif has been making peanut butter for awhile now and although they aren't my go-to brand, (see Skippy) they are still the most popular peanut butter brand in the US. I was curious what Jif had up their sleeve as I've seen many flavor variations of PB recently, but up to this point, never a foray into the granola bar arena.

I unwrap the bar and admire from afar all the layers of peanut butter flavor coming my way. I was doubly excited because I like crunchy peanut butter even more (Jif also offers a creamy version of the granola bar). This could be epic peanut butter flavor based on what I can tell on the bar. Looks like a base of some sort of peanut butter nougat with granola on top of that and then a layer of shiny peanut butter like caramel with pieces of peanuts mixed in. This thing might be considered a deadly weapon to a person with a serious peanut allergy.

Layers of peanut goodness...

I finally take my first bite and the bar yields to it much like any other granola bar. The larger crime is that there is no "crunch" as the wrapper would have you believe. The flavor is definitely unmistakably PB, but surprisingly, it's also not as strong in PB flavor as it would appear. The bar eats very much like a Snickers bar, but oddly enough, without the crunch of the peanuts. Where the heck is the crunch?

Flavor-wise, it's good, but where it fails is the expectation of something super peanut butter flavor. It's rather ordinary and not that different from other granola bars that incorporate peanut butter into their recipe.

or was it?

The Sweet:
Good flavor

The Bitter:
Not as peanut-buttery as you would think with all those layers. Not that different from most granola bars with peanut butter in it. They call this crunchy?

Conclusion:
Remove the name Jif from this snack and the review may have been more favorable, but be it as it may, Jif has a reputation it must live up to. Superior peanut butter flavor and in this case of a "crunchy" variety of a peanut butter product, it must deliver a crunch! Although the bar was flavorful and tasty, it was hardly anything new in this genre.

If you are America's number 1 peanut butter brand, the public holds you to a higher standard and unfortunately, these Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter granola Bars are very pedestrian. 

Video of the Week

I thought I told them to turn the camera off!

Sometimes in life, you are just so hungry, you can't get the food in you fast enough. In this case with Peking Duck, this man has found a clever way to speed up the process exponentially. Unfortunately he has also sped up the process in which women swipe left after viewing this video.

Bon O Bon

Not to be confused with Bon Bons

The Attraction

Another wonderful thing about the holidays is when people in your office go away and bring back treats from far and exotic lands. In this case, the exotic land being Argentina! Thanks Morielle. In addition to having a cool name, you know how to pick interesting looking candy.

The Review:
These Bon O Bons apparently are a big thing in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. There are also 5 other variations, but that's about all I can decipher from the Wiki page. Maybe I should just taste it and figure out the rest later.

I unwrap this piece of chocolate without knowing exactly what to expect. Unwrapping it doesn't reveal anymore than that either. It's simply a ball with chocolate on the outside.

I pick it up curiously and take a good size bite. As I start chewing, I can hear my mouth crunch through a wafer-like layer and then I'm greeted by a tan cream inside.

"What the heck is this cream?", I think to myself

 

It almost looks too simple...

As I continue through my bite, the flavor of the cream finally comes to mind...peanut! However just when I expect the peanut flavor to reach a crescendo, it backs off and I'm left thinking "peanut?" instead.

These Bon O Bons remind me of a Ferrero Rocher, complete with thin wafer shell, but take away the the hazelnut inside as well as out and insert a light peanut-flavored cream inside. Correction, a tasty light peanut flavored cream.

The cream is the real highlight of this candy as it's not too dense, nor not too sweet. It gently says, "Hey, I'm peanut-flavored, baby." instead of screaming "Peanuts? I got your peanuts right here, tough guy!".

...but then boom!

The Sweet:
Great flavor. The unexpectedly light peanut cream is a revelation.

The Bitter:
You might have to go near Argentina or find friends there to score some more.

Conclusion:
I've never heard of these treats previously, but now I can't seem to forget about them. It's light peanut cream comes across as something familiar, yet different. You start to think peanut butter, but the cream doesn't commit that strongly to it's flavor roots and the peanut flavor dissipates just when you think you know where this ride is taking you....and I for one enjoy this ride.

Video of the Week

Quick, where do I buy one?!

It's for my friend, I swear.

With great advancements in technology comes new ways to integrate some naughtiness into it. Enter VR or virtual reality. In this week's video, Raymond Wong gives virtual porn a test drive. Be warned, although there isn't an nudity in this video, there are some provocative parts. All the good stuff has been edited. (darn)

Momofuku Milk Bar Blueberry and Cream Cookie

Momo who?

The Attraction

One of the wonderful things about the holidays is all the candy and treats that come flowing in and out of the office. One vendor was kind enough to send a basket of assorted cookies from famed chef and restaurateur David Chang. You may know him more from one of his many restaurants in the Northeast States called Momofuku. So granted, I didn't go out and grab this, but I certainty grabbed one when I saw this in the office. With a flavor named "Blueberry and Cream Cookie", how can anyone really resist?

The Review:
I heard that David Chang was opening up a bakery, but I didn't really go out of my way to track it down. I didn't think too much of it as I've been to Momofuku once and although it was good, it didn't make an impression strong enough to burn a hole in my memory, but this cookie on the other hand, it sure looks like it has some potential.

This sucker was big...

I briskly open the clear wrapper housing the tasty looking cookie and waited to see if the smell of blueberries would strike me....it didn't, but that's OK. I carefully slid the cookie out and the first thing I observed is the weight and moisture still in this cookie. Just the appearance of this cookie looked amazing. The blueberries were plentiful and the cookie didn't look overly processed. The only thing left to do was to take a bite.

I carefully break the cookie in two halves only to see a blueberry slowly peel away from one of the halves. Damn, that was sexy! I finally take a bite and the the moisture and blueberry flavor was to be found as advertised. The more I ate it, the less it struck me as a cookie. The Milkbar website touts them this way:

"a cookie that tastes like the top of a blueberry muffin- we take our sugar cookie dough, add bits of milk crumbs & morsel of dried blueberries!"

I can see what they were going for and it's reminiscence of that, but it's hard to duplicate that drier, crispy top of a blueberry muffin. The result is far closer to a blueberry bar....a really tasty blueberry bar.

...and moist!

The Sweet:
Great flavor in a nice sized moist cookie.

The Bitter:
At around $2.50- $3 a cookie, it's nearing the macaroon price range...and who wants to pay that much for a cookie?

Conclusion:
Just hearing the name, Blueberry and Cream Cookie makes my mouth water. As tasty as the name sounds, the cookie itself is able to deliver on those expectations. It's moist and flavorful without overwhelming you with any one single aspect of the cookie (sweetness or blueberry flavor).

Now, that all comes with a hefty price tag. These are about on par as other high end cookies like those from another chef's bakery, Tom Keller's Bouchon or a gourmet bakery like Dean and Deluca, but with a cost per cookie like that, it really has to be something special enough to make the snacker want to come back for it again and again because there simply isn't anything else like it or it is done head and shoulders above everyone else. In this case, it begs the question; instead of paying a premium to buy a cookie that is trying to taste like a muffin, why not just buy a muffin?

This cookie is well made and is delicious, but I would be more eager to sample some of their other cookies to see what new flavors I have yet to ever experience.

Video of the Week

When I take off my shirt,

they seem to look away from me, not at me...weird?

I know historically women, of the two sexes, tend to be objectified and gawked at. Although I don't agree with that reaction from anyone, it's good to know that men aren't exclusive in appreciating the human form as witnessed by this woman's eyes almost exploding out of her head.

Caplicocot Strawberry and Milk Chocolate

It doesn't taste yogurty? Oh wait...

The Attraction

Anyone that knows a little something about Japanese food and drink knows the difference between Calpico (AKA Calpis), the delicious yogurt flavored drink and Caplico, the chocolate snack made by Glico....that is everyone except me when you aren't very careful and transpose the "P" and "L" in your head. So, although this snack has nothing to do with that tasty Japanese beverage that I adore, it still looked like an interesting enough snack to review.

The Review:
Frankly, I was already disappointed that this snack wasn't what I thought it was, but I couldn't let that get in the way of my journalistic objectivity. I would have my public, (all half a dozen of you) to answer to. I must soldier on.

I open the wrapper and what struck me was the really cool packaging that these snacks come in. They look like chocolate resting in a mini ice tray. Interesting. Glico certainly plunked down some change to make and package these babies, so they must taste good, right?

Fancy Packaging

Based on what I can tell, it looks like these treats are made in these trays and not just set into them because in order to get one of these nuggets out, you have to "pop" them out of the tray almost like a sealed cold medicine pill.

Once I was able to extract a piece of Caplicocot out, I went in for the kill. As the visual inspection would suggest, the top of the candy is composed of a dry, hardened flavored mousse, the signature characteristic of Caplico snacks (strawberry flavored, in this case), and the bottom is milk chocolate. It actually reminded me very much of another Glico product, Strawberry Pocky. The primary difference being of course that there is no biscuit stick component and that the strawberry was in mousse form versus a chocolate strawberry composition as it is on Pocky. Boy, I sure wish I had some Pocky right now.

It's like an ice tray of chocolate snacks!

The Sweet:
Interesting packaging.

The Bitter:
Not a fan of the hardened mousse.

How many more are in this package?

Conclusion:
Caplico products have been around for a while, so there must be some fans out there that enjoy the hardened mousse appeal that Caplico snacks offers. Personally, it strikes me more like a weaker version of Pocky. Although the mousse is not a component in Pocky, it doesn't distinguish itself enough from it's famous label mate to make it stand out...or at least in a good way.


Video Mail of the Week

A new feature I'll be adding from time to time is fan mail. Due to the overwhelming amount of fan mail I receive (at last count, two! Not two per hour nor two per week, but 2....as in dos, or 1+1), I decided to share some with you and answer them right here on the blog.

"Your blog helps me get through the day" Rick

Thanks Rick. I appreciate you taking the time to send me that. In addition to noting how verbose Rick is, I had my suspicions as to if he is really a fan, or some sort of bot. Actually, I was expecting that shortly after I received this, he would precede to tell me that he was a Prince in Africa and if I just sent him some money, he would gladly pay me millions in return. Well Rick, I'll have you know that you must think I was born yesterday. I would have Googled you and found out that unless you are the Prince of Funk, Rick James himself, that there is no Prince of Africa! 

PS. I also would have asked you to let me know if you got my wire transfer and when I should expect my $5 million dollars for helping.

Want to send me mail? Please complete the form on the right and I'll select a few and answer them right on the blog. Thanks!

2015 Snack Year Standouts

What do you mean this looks like clipart?

Before we start a new year in snacking, it's only appropriate that we take a look back into this past year's snacking standouts.

Let's get to it!

Savory Category

3. Cheez-It Hot and Spicy

"If I had one wish, I would wish for world peace"

I had several variations of Cheez-Its this year like their Pepper-Jack flavor and their Crunch'd line offerings, but it was their Hot and Spicy flavor that set high marks this year. With a great combination of savory and spicy goodness, it was hard to put the box down. Read more about it here.

2. Trader Joe's Baconesque White Cheddar Popcorn

"It's an honor just to be nominated"

A common theme for many savory snacks this year was the incorporation of "meat" flavors into their products (see Kettle Chips Maple Bacon and Lay's Gyro flavored potato chips). One such product that did a better job than others was this Trader Joe's popcorn release. Though it didn't quite hit the bacon flavor home run, it hit a humdinger in the flavor department. Read more here.

1. Calbee Hot and Spicy Potato Chips

"I'd like to thank the Academy"

Although Calbee has been getting lots of attention recently because of their Honey-Butter products (both solo and collaboratively with Haitai), it's this staple that I feel really put them on the map. I know these chips have been around for awhile now, but have a taste you'll be able to figure out why. Read my review here.

Sweet Category

3. Riska Sittori Ichigo

"Please spell my name correctly on my trophy"

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up these, but I received quite a surprise when I took my first bite. Even with it's charmingly artificial strawberry flavor that all snacks seem to have when they decide to go the ' berry route, (like this) it's fun, interesting texture along with their odd flavor delivery system made quite the impression. Read the details here.

2. Nuggle

"Only 1st Runner Up!?"

My introduction to this chocolate candy bar was like a beginning to a great pop song; it was just an ordinary day. I wasn't looking for anything particular. Our paths crossed and I haven't stopped thinking about her ever since. In addition to having a great name, Nuggle has enough nuts to make Howard Stern look meek. This snack may even borderline on being semi-healthy (at least I tell myself that) Don't believe it? Check it out.

1. Oreo Thins

"Gimme my damn award!"

Oreos are far from a being new thing, but this year they did something so amazing, I don't think even they realized how big of a difference it made. Simply by streamlining their signature cookie, it raised the bar on an already iconic product. Folks, first there was bread and then there was sliced bread. In my mind, that's almost how big of  change this was. Read my thoughts further here.

Video of the Week

When I hear the name Disney, several things come to mind; Mickey, animation and more recently, Star Wars. However, after seeing this video, those terms might be replaced with, Arnold, killer robots and Cyberdyne.

See you in 20 years,
when I come back from the future to kill you