Newtons Blueberry

"Highway to the Danger Zone"

The Attraction

A few months ago I reviewed Newtons Strawberry, to mixed results, but to my surprise, it has become one of most viewed snack critiques on my humble snack blog. Was it because people also wanted to try it, but were afraid to commit to a whole package? Did they disagree? Hopefully some readers will comment and let me know why that may be the case, but in the meantime, let's try another variation in the Nabisco Newton family....Newtons Blueberry.

The Review:
I tried to approach this with as much of an open mind as possible, but I wasn't really sure what was in store for me with this blueberry flavor variation. I adore the original Newtons Fig flavor and was very disappointed with the strawberry version. With time, I grew to accept the strawberry flavored one and it was "OK", after awhile, but the original version would always be the first choice. Where would this blueberry deviation take me? OK, OK, I've come to grips with it; I was expecting this would be a strawberry like experience...and that was not a great place to be starting from.

Please don't destroy all that I've loved

I tug at the resealable package tab and I eventually get the wrapper to acquiesce to the inevitable. There they are in all their glory. Maybe it's a bit of the OCD in me, but I love to see how perfectly lined up they are in the packaging...essentially just waiting for me to devour them. All snacks should parade around me in such a fashion, but it would probably impact my waistline in a very negative way.

I lean in and give a gentle inhale to see if I catch hint of the blueberry essence that awaits me and it does not disappoint. There is a scent that fills the air ever so much. I pinch a lucky Newton out from the package and take a bite.

"Did I grab the wrong flavor?" I think to myself. "This tastes like fig."

However as I a draw closer to the midpoint of my mouthful, the blueberry flavor jumps out from behind the curtain and makes it's appearance. There it is...and it's so well done.

Unlike the Newtons Strawberry, these do not have that tartness to them that I alluded to in my previous review. This was far closer to what I had hoped it would taste like; a Fig Newton with blueberry flavor versus a strawberry filling surrounded by a Newton shell. It sounds like similiar things, but I can assure you that they are not. 

Hey, that was a surprise!

The Sweet:
Much like the original fig and strawberry variation, these Newtons are soft and chewy. However this time around, the flavor seems familiar with enough of a subtle blueberry twist.

The Bitter:
I don't think there is one.

Conclusion:
I love reviews like this. Although it doesn't redeem the concoction that is the Newton Strawberry, it gives me hope that if Newton chose to try other flavor varieties, they could potentially pull it off. I'm not sure if it's because blueberries are in some way closer to figs that strawberries, but these just taste close enough to the original so it feels like home, yet different enough to notice a difference.

If Newtons were like TV, the Newtons Strawberry is like your favorite TV show going on hiatus and coming back with a different person playing one of the characters. It makes you say, "Who the heck is that? That's not Aunt Viv?!" Whereas Newtons Blueberry is more like your TV show going on hiatus and coming back with your main character with a new haircut. It's familiar, but slightly different. (but not in a Felicity kind of way.)

Video of the Week

From Mongolia's Got Talent. Yes, Mongolia

Anyone that dances seriously knows how important timing is. This is especially true when you dance with a partner and even more so if that dance partner is a giant video screen with cool graphics and animations on it designed for you to seemingly interact with it. I have a hard enough time keeping in rhythm with a 2-step, forget about this routine by Canion Shijirbat from Mongolia's Got Talent. 

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.