Marshmallow Crispy Oreo Cookies

Back again with part two of the new limited-edition Oreo flavor reviews.  Hopefully you enjoyed reading all about the Cookie Dough Oreo cookies because we're about to see how they match up against the new Marshmallow Crispy Oreo cookies.  When I first read about these, I overlooked the flavor name and thought they were "marshmallow" flavored.  That didn't entice me at all because I'm not a fan of marshmallows and usually only have them in the house when we're making marshmallow treats.  Well, what a perfect segue way, because that's exactly what these Oreo cookies really are.  There's a huge difference between "marshmallow" and "marshmallow crispy."  Once I actually took the time and paid attention to the name, I was pretty pumped for these, even more so than the Cookie Dough Oreos!

It wasn't even the name that turned my thoughts around, but that giant marshmallow treat in the background.  As soon as I saw that, I knew what these were supposed to be.  That's proper usage of graphic design and I appreciate that Nabisco went two different routes for two very different flavors.  While Cookie Dough was a chocolate cookie in a blue bag, Crispy Marshmallow is a golden cookie in a yellow bag.  I think that's the appropriate route for each respective flavor because the opposite just wouldn't work.  Besides, I personally like the traditional Golden Oreo cookies better, so this one raised my hopes pretty high.  Are they too high?  Will my expectations be met, exceeded, or will it all come dwindling down?

Open the bag and, whoa, these smell just like marshmallow treats.  Specifically, these smell like the pre-packaged Rice Krispie Treats that you can buy in stores.  That's exactly what I was hoping for so, already, we're going in the right direction.  The Cookie Dough Oreos started to fizzle as soon as we opened the bag and realized it wasn't living up to its name or the hype, but Marshmallow Crispy isn't disappointing, at least not yet, and that's a great sign for this limited-edition flavor.

The creme is thick and creamy, even more so than the Cookie Dough flavor or any other limited-edition that I can remember.  I'm not sure what those tiny pieces in the mix are supposed to be, but there are more than enough of them.  Are they pieces of marshmallow treats?  Are the Rice Krispies?  The bag doesn't state one way or the other, but I can only assume that they're supposed to make this cookie taste more like "Marshmallow Crispy" treats.  Let's find out!

The entire cookie practically falls apart when you bite into it, and I guess that's because there's so much creme, but the amount of creme really doesn't matter because this is a far stretch from a marshmallow treat.  This tastes like nothing more than a basic Golden Oreo cookie.  I mean, maybe you get little hints of marshmallow treats here and there, but that may just be me making things up in my head to justify this purchase.  Those little pieces in the center aren't even anything special, they're just tiny chunks of Golden Oreo cookies.  Even as somebody who isn't a fan of marshmallows, I would have hoped and expected for more of a marshmallow taste than this.  It just doesn't work.

Because I recommend purchasing every and all limited-edition Oreo cookies, just so they'll keep making more, I'm going to do the same for this one.  However, I think you'll agree that there's nothing special aside from the packaging and smell.  After that, it's just the same old cookie you could buy all year-round.  It's disappointing because I had such high hopes for each of these cookie flavors, but neither blew me away.  If I had to pick one over the other, Cookie Dough easily wins in terms of difference and novelty.  But in terms of flavor, I'm still picking Marshmallow Crispy Oreos just because I'd see myself eating more of these in the long run.

I'm sure we'll see more limited-edition Oreo cookies in the near future, and even when they're disappointing, that's never a bad thing.  I love the thrill of searching and finally finding these flavors.  I love the excitement that comes with tasting these and sharing my thoughts with all of you.  Whether they're a hit or a miss, I appreciate Nabisco trying new things with their famous brand of Oreo cookies and attempting to give us all something we never expected.  So, good or bad, keep 'em coming because, like it or not, I'm going to keep on buying.

Cookie Dough Oreo Cookies

Oreo is at it again!  Just when you think M&M's are taking the lead in the "who-can-release-more-flavors" competition, Oreo bounces back with two new limited-editions that have garnered national media attention.  We've talked about Candy Corn, Candy Cane, Watermelon, Lemon Twist, and Creamsicle Oreo flavors and, In addition, there's the elusive Gingerbread Oreo edition that's managed to stay hidden from The Holidaze.  But for Nabisco, they just weren't enough.  No, this time, they've packed shelves with Cookie Dough and Marshmallow Crispy flavors and today, we take a look at the former!

Of course, if you know me, the package art is going to attract my attention and, again, Oreo doesn't disappoint.  In recent releases, the majority of the limited-edition cookies were wrapped in a yellow, resealable bag.  I guess that added a bit more to the specialty of the release, but neither of the new flavors were given that treatment.  Instead, for the Cookie Dough flavor, we have a traditionally blue bag with perfect graphics.

Now, being the way I am, I might have designed this differently.  I might have come up with a brown bag and really focused on the cookie dough colors, similar to what I did with the banner up top, because I'm a stickler.  I tend to go all out in terms of change, but sometimes that isn't always a good thing.  Oreo is known for it's cookie, it's creme, and it's blue bag.  All three of them are equally as famous and, really, you don't have to change a lot to make consumers say wow.  In my opinion, it's always better to go the extra mile, but that tends to apply more to holidays than your regular, out-of-the-blue, limited editions.  So, in this case, Nabisco designed everything just right.  The giant ball of cookie dough and digital chocolate chips let you know exactly what you're getting and just how special this edition is.  It doesn't take much, but it's more than enough.

Upon opening the bag, the smell is strong!  I wouldn't say that it smells like Cookie Dough, but rather that of Chocolate Teddy Grahams.  It's an overwhelming scent of chocolate that doesn't come in your classic bag of Oreo cookies.  It's great, and they look good, too.  The brown creme, which actually does look like Cookie Dough, is about as appealing as it is appetizing.  That's a good thing because I thought it might be a turn off once I saw the real thing, but nope, they look delicious.

Every Oreo deserves a good twist!  When you separate the two cookie pieces to reveal the center creme, it's a bit of a disappointment.  I'm not going to cry over it, but I expected to see more chocolate chips in the mix.  The graphic on the bag implies that there will be plenty in every cookie, but that really isn't the case.  There's maybe one or two spread throughout the creme, but it's definitely not a deal breaker.  Like everything, it all comes down to flavor and if that scent is any indication, we're in for a treat!

The first thing you'll notice, as is common with many of the limited edition flavors, is the difference in creme texture.  Compared to the traditional Oreo cookies, these are much creamier and taste less like icing than the classic white creme.  I think that's a good thing for these and all other limited edition Oreo cookies.  It separates themselves from the legend and doesn't try to be something that it isn't.  It stands alone and lets consumers know that this is different and isn't supposed to be what you're used to.  You need that open mind going in because, if you expect an Oreo cookie, you're going to be disappointed.

In the case of Cookie Dough Oreo Cookies, it's hard to pin point a flavor.  Do they taste like Cookie Dough?  Ehh.. Yes and no.  I definitely taste hints of Cookie Dough and it reminds me of what I'd find in Cookie Dough Ice Cream which is awesome, but there are a few other tastes that come into play.  After the first bite, I instantly thought of Coffee.  I'm no expert, so I don't know if it's an undertone or overtone, but it's definitely there and it tastes great.  It may not be the flavor I was expecting, but it works well with the chocolate and cookie dough flavor.  On top of that, they taste a lot like regular Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Again, that's great.  It's another flavor that works well with everything else and makes this cookie what it is.

It's hard to call this a Cookie Dough cookie because my taste buds are picking up on so many different things, but the name certainly isn't a stretch of the imagination and it tastes great.  If I had to describe this to you without knowing what it's supposed to be, I would have called it Double Chocolate or Chocolate Coffee.  I don't know if Cookie Dough would have been on the top of my list, but knowing what it's supposed to be, I can definitely pick up on that and tell you that it's close enough to at least be compared to the ice cream.  Regardless of what I taste or what it is, I like them a lot and definitely recommend them.

Check back later for the next flavor review - Marshmallow Crispy Oreo!

Dunkin Donuts - Valentine's Day

I'm addicted to Dunkin' Donuts and ever since I've started my new job, it's become even worse.  We may need to have an intervention, because co-workers are starting to call me "Dunkin."  With a nickname like that, you'd think there'd be some type of endorsement.  Maybe a gift card or lifetime supply of iced coffee in the winter?  But no, just me and a whole lot of money spent on donuts and bagels.  But hey, when they say America runs on Dunkin, they're not lying - at least on the east coast - because I can't start my day off without it.  It's become my morning tradition.

Now, I've always been a fan of Dunkin' Donuts during the holiday seasons because of the awesomely themed donuts they release.  For example, they just had Super Bowl donuts available in Broncos and Seahawks colors.  That's the type of dedication that I appreciate, but at the same time, I know they can do better.  Remember when their Halloween donuts were especially special?  Between orange spider web icing and candy shaped monsters on top, they truly went all out.  Those were the days and moments that shaped what is now nostalgia associated with Dunkin' Donuts.  To commemorate those times and to keep the tradition alive, Dunkin' Donuts has released a variety of Valentine's Day themed donuts that needed to be tried.  At the request of my cousin, Allie @AllieRandz, they're being reviewed for The Holidaze!

We have a few varieties to choose from here and they're all ready for Valentine's Day.  First, Strawberry frosted is my favorite on any day of the year, but Chocolate frosted is a close second.  The pink and red sprinkles add to the V-Day experience.  Especially made for the season, we have the heart-shaped donuts.  Boston Creme and Cupid's choice are great and have been around for a few years, but I really want to focus on the last two - Brownie Batter and the brand new Cookie Dough!  I hadn't tried either one of them and it was over due.  When my cousin told me I needed to talk about them on the site, it reminded me and inspired me to finally pick up a dozen.  Thankfully the snow didn't stop me.

First out from the box is the Cookie Dough donut.  Looks great, right?  The chocolate icing and chips would be enough, but the fact that there's a filling in there that tastes like cookie dough is even better.  I really didn't know what to expect, because it's a unique flavor for a donut, but I wasn't going to judge the book by its cover because, if I did, it would have already been a success.  We had to dive in there and really test it out.

Ahhh.. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling this variety of Valentine's Day themed donuts.  I don't really taste anything that resembles Cookie Dough and the filling looks too much like gravy for me to find appetizing.  For some reason, it's tangy and tastes more like a sweet, alcoholic, vanilla than anything close to cookie dough.  I don't know, maybe I got a bad batch, but this isn't something I'd buy again.  In theory, it's an awesome concept and I appreciate the effort, but I'm not a fan of this edition and won't be looking for it again in the future.  I hate to say that I didn't like it, because I really wanted to, but I'd have to give it a 5/10 and most of that is thanks to the chocolate chips on top of the icing.  But I'm curious to hear what you have to say.  Have you tried the Cookie Dough donut?  Did you like it?  Share in the comments below!

Next up, we have Brownie Batter which is entering its second year at Dunkin' Donuts.  For as much as I like brownies, I missed out on this one last year and was pumped to get another chance at it.  I had high expectations because Dunkin' Donuts brought it back in 2014 so that had to mean it was a success last year and left people wanting more.  So, going in, I really thought this one was going to blow me away and make up for the lackluster Cookie Dough.

Oh man.. Happy Valentine's Day to me!  This is amazing!  How in the world did I neglect the Brownie Batter donut in 2013?  This is like a gift from God.  I think he sent Cupid down from Heaven with a bow and arrow in one hand and a Brownie Batter donut in the other.  This will bring complete strangers together and I bet it leads to long-term relationships with Brownie Batter as their foundation.  It's so good..  I mean, I love brownies so I may be a bit biased, but this completely makes up for the Cookie Dough donut and should be a year-round offering.  If you haven't tried one yet, get it while you can!  They're only available throughout February and, believe it or not, we're halfway through the month!  Where is all the time going?

The Holidaze will keep the Valentine's Day posts rolling with one more at 4pm, today.  Check back later!