Lady Gaga/Chromatica Oreos

Welcome to Chromatica. (Chromatica Oreos, that is.)  

Back in 2020, Lady Gaga Oreos were announced. But there was a contest to win them with something like one thousand winners, and it made me wonder if the cookies would be limited to the contest winners. I didn't allow myself to look forward to them. 

In January, there was an announcement that they would be released soon, but when they weren't on store shelves, I doubted that I'd be able to find them. I remember when Supreme Oreos came out and they were nowhere to be found. The same happened with the multi-colored Pride Oreos released in October 2020. 

However... I was at the grocery store February 6, and there was a cardboard display stand with all of the new flavors from my last post... along with some pink Oreo packages in the middle. 

This kind of collaboration is new for Oreo. All the way back in 2019, there were Game of Thrones-themed Oreos with symbols for each family/house on the design. In 2020, there were Trolls World Tour-themed Oreos. But this is the first collaboration I can think of with a singer/musician. (I almost said "real person," though with the way musicians refer to their personas as characters, it's a blurry line.) 

But yes, Lady Gaga Oreos are here, and they're available in stores. The packaging is pretty cool. There is a claw mark making it look like someone couldn't hold themselves back and tore the package open (though disappointingly, when you open the package, the Oreo rows are vertical, not horizontal). There is a message on the front of the package saying "This is a cookie inspired by Chromatica," the Lady Gaga album that was released in 2020. The side of the package says "A cookie inspired by Lady Gaga" and "In Chromatica no one thing is greater than another." 

The cookie itself is described as a "pink colored golden cookie with green creme." The cookies say "Oreo" on one side and have designs on the other side. While the flavor isn't much to speak of, as it's the typical Golden Oreo flavor, the colors used are well-timed, appropriate for Valentine's Day and Easter. At this time of year, with endless snow on the ground, the green creme making me think of spring. 

There is also an interesting tie-in with this cookie. The website Sing it with OREO was set up as a promotional sweepstakes with an interesting musical feature. You can sign up to enter the contest to win prizes like tickets to a Lady Gaga concert, a (possibly virtual) meet and greet, and merch. But if you're enterprising, you can create an OREOgram that you can post on social media and send to friends. 

I created an OREOgram, and it was a cool experience. Once you acknowledge the official rules, you are taken to a page where you can choose between recording your own OREOgram using a backing track, or using a pre-recorded message from Lady Gaga. The Lady Gaga messages are simple, like "Inside, we are really made the same" and "Kindness rules all." The messages are spoken by Lady Gaga over instrumentals from Chromatica songs.

I wanted to create my own, so I chose the "Sing it from the heart" option. Step one is to "choose a vibe," with different backing tracks ranging from "Hip-Hop Oreo Drop" and "Latin Twist" to "Kookie Pop" and the country-tinged "Milk & Cookies Remix." I chose "Cookie JaR&B," which sounded like an R&B slow jam.

Once you choose your vibe, you are taken to a screen where it asks who the OREOgram is for, with a 15-character limit. Since I was posting it on social media, I typed "Friends" into the box. On the next screen, you can type a message of up to 85 characters to include with your OREOgram. Finally, it's time to record. A preview screen shows how the 2-second intro countdown will work, then you'll have 8 seconds to sing as the backing music plays and a time bar fills up. After you record, you can preview the recording and redo it if it didn't turn out right. 

I didn't know what to sing or say, but the backing track reminded me of Barry White and Shaft, so I ad-libbed something along those lines. My recording was a little distorted at times, but it still happened when I tried again, so I figured it was either my equipment/connection or the website. After my second time recording it, I decided I couldn't get it any better, so I shared it to my Facebook page and entered my name and email into the contest (you also need to provide your birthday). 

Overall, while the cookie itself wasn't a new flavor, there was some cool promotional activity built up around it. I look forward to more collaborations like this which take Oreo to new levels. 

Oreos, Oreos, and Oreos Galore

2020 was a low point for Oreo. The year started off strong, but with the pandemic, new flavors became few and far between. 

2021 is a different story: in January, Oreo lovers hit the mother lode. 

Not one, not two, but three new flavors were released in January, along with gluten free versions of regular and Double Stuf Oreos. 

What? 

I had heard these were going to be released in early January, and it took a few weeks until they arrived on my grocery store shelves. But they arrived, and it was a good day for the beginning of 2021. 

Brookie-O Oreos are cookies with three layers of creme: brownie, original, and cookie dough between chocolate Oreo cookies. In the past, I've wondered if there would ever be Triple Stuf cookies (my idea was a Bomb Pop flavor for summer). There were the Red, White & Blue Oreos from 2020 as well as the Most Stuf Oreos from previous years. This is the first Oreo I can remember with different flavors for each layer. 

Three flavors seems like it would work in theory, but... I really felt like this cookie was trying to do too much, pack too much into one cookie. Based on the package, I thought they were trying to aim for a brookie, which is a cookie bar that is half-brownie and half-chocolate chip cookie. The chocolate creme didn't taste enough like brownie, and the chocolate Oreo cookies and the regular Oreo creme seemed out of place. 

Now, perhaps a Brookie-O was meant to be a mash-up between a brookie and an Oreo? But four different flavors is too much. If I could go back to the drawing board on this cookie, I would stick with the brownie and chocolate chip cookie flavors, whether that is a brownie-flavored cookie with chocolate chip cookie creme, or a regular Oreo cookie with half-brownie/half-cookie creme. 

Java Chip was an interesting idea in my view. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I could see what they were going for, with coffee-flavored creme with chocolate chips and chocolate cookies. It reminded me of a dessert coffee drink like you would get at Starbucks or Dunkin'. 

Even though I'm not a coffee drinker, I had to take one for the team and try this out, and it was good for what it was. The coffee scent is very strong upon opening the package; if you have a plate with different Oreos on it, the Java Chip Oreo will overpower the scent of the other ones. I did hear from one coffee drinker that it wasn't their favorite, but I think it's worth a shot. 

Chocolate Hazelnut seemed like a repeat to me at first. Not that I minded; I don't love Nutella, but it's a nice flavor to have every now and then. But I recently checked my personal archives and saw that the previous Chocolate Hazelnut flavor was made with Golden cookies. This 2021 version had the same type of creme but with Chocolate cookies. 

I have to say, I like this cookie. This is probably my favorite of the new batch. How much you might like it would probably depend on how much you like Nutella. But if you do, I think this is worth trying. I think I liked this one a little bit better with Golden cookies, but this version was still pretty good.

I don't have a lot to say about gluten free Oreos. I thought they tasted pretty good. I wish I would have been able to try them in a blind taste test with original Oreos to see if I could tell the difference. But I thought they were pretty close. Perhaps a bit drier in the cookie than a regular Oreo, but that could be my own bias. I've been told by a good friend that they work well with baking. This seems like a good choice for those who can't consume any products with gluten. 

Gingerbread Oreo and More

2020 started off seeming so promising for Oreo. The beginning of the year saw the introduction of the Caramel Coconut Oreo and the Chocolate Marshmallow Oreo, both good additions to the Oreo lineup. The Most Stuf Oreo came back. There was an Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. Trolls World Tour Oreos were released at the same time as the movie. 

But then the pandemic hit. There was a Tiramisu flavor that I never was able to get my hands on. The Summer Olympics were postponed, too late to stop the production of the triple Stuf USA Oreos. There has been a dearth of new Oreo content since.

But then, like a Christmas miracle, there was a new Gingerbread Oreo that made an appearance in time for the holiday season.

This was an exciting prospect. Gingerbread hasn't necessarily been a family tradition, but I've come to appreciate it in recent years. I've tried to make it to Trader Joe's each year to pick up their gingerbread cookies. 

Gingerbread Oreos are pretty good. The packaging describes them as "gingerbread flavored cookie, creme with crunchy sugar crystals." The cookie has a nice gingerbread flavor, sweet and not overly spicy. I can't say I notice the sugar crystals unless I'm eating the creme by itself, though that doesn't take away from the experience. 

Well done, Oreo. I wished there would have been a peppermint or candy cane flavor this year, but these were also good. Two people I know told me unprompted how much they liked these (and one hoped I had a special "in" that would make these a permanent part of the lineup). Hopefully we'll see these in future years. 

I also saw Oreo candy canes for the very first time this year! I've had friends ask me about these in previous years, but I've never come across them myself before this year. I have to say, the flavor to these is about as close to the chocolate cookie part of an Oreo as you could get, though it tends to get lost. I find these to be a bit unremarkable. But what if you added mint to these? That might make for a more intriguing flavor, a chocolate peppermint candy cane.

I mentioned the Red, White & Blue Oreos that were released for the Olympics. I never wrote about them here, so I'll include them now.

I like the idea of these. In fact, in the Oreo flavor contest from a few years ago, I suggested doing something like this with the different Bomb Pop flavors to the creme. But this is just a Most Stuf Oreo that has a lot of creme compared to the cookie. From the top, the cookies disturbingly remind me of Aquafresh. 

I'm not sure if they'll be making these again for the postponed Olympic games. But I would suggest taking a page from the recent Pride month Oreos and having one color per cookie. That would make each cookie a more reasonable size, and less of an abomination.

Speaking of abominations... I didn't know where else to put this review. But there were actually Sour Path Kids Chips Ahoy cookies in 2020. 

These were about what you'd expect. The cookies didn't have full-sized Sour Patch Kids in them. But they were pieces of gummy sour candy that was a softer texture than Sour Patch Kids tend to be. In a way, it wasn't bad. The gummy candy reminded me somewhat of Jello shots. But I also only had one or two before I was done. 

That brings us to the end of 2020. 2020 was a difficult year in a lot of ways. I'm sure that many of us would love to leave it all behind and forget that any of it happened. But there was still good that came out of 2020. While 2020 had its lows, like Sour Patch Kids Chips Ahoy cookies, there were also bright spots like Gingerbread Oreos. Getting rid of the year entirely would be throwing away the good things, too. 

And there are some bright spots on the 2021 horizon. Oreo has Brookie-O Oreos coming out soon, along with Lady Gaga-inspired Oreos. And who knows what else is to come? While I won't pretend that all of our problems are gone now that the calendar changed over to a new year, there will no doubt be some bright spots that will come our way sooner or later. 

Candy/Snacks 2020 Recap

This blog started out as an Oreo blog, but I quickly realized that if I just stuck to Oreo flavors, I wouldn't have much to write about. There are limited edition flavors of other types of candy and snack foods that catch my eye, and I sometimes feel compelled to buy them. Here's a quick rundown of different things I saw in 2020. 

Skittles Dips were an intriguing concept. They are regular Skittles with a creamy yogurt-flavored coating. I wasn't sure if I'd like them, but I knew I had to try them.

Skittles Dips have a cool look to them. The coating is translucent, so you can tell the flavor of the Skittle underneath the coating. The taste experience is similar to eating a yogurt-covered raisin. The coating has that mellow, sweet flavor, and the Skittle inside has the stronger flavor behind it. In all, it's not a bad flavor combination. 

At the beginning of fall, I took a trip to Wal-Mart and came across Chocolate Popcorn M&M's. This was another flavor combination I found intriguing.

CHOCOLATE POPCORN M&M's ARE AMAZING. M&M's people, you're probably not reading this, but if you are, please consider making these a regular offering in your flavor lineup. I haven't liked all of the M&M's special flavors I've tried. I wasn't a fan of Fudge Brownie, and I've found some of the other flavors too sweet. BUT THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. These are a good mix of sweet and savory, with a crispy M&M center. 

Another M&M offering in the fall was Creepy Cocoa Crisp. I found these on the very same trip to Wal-Mart when I found Chocolate Popcorn.

I wanted to like Cocoa Crisp M&M's. I really did. I actually thought I'd like this and dislike the Chocolate Popcorn M&M's. But I didn't. These were not the cocoa flavor I was expecting. It was almost too much chocolate and not enough. Looking at the packaging right now, I wonder if they were going for a certain cereal they didn't want to license. But this felt like a letdown. 

Another offering for Halloween were Hershey's Vampire Kisses. These were chocolate kisses with a liquid strawberry center.

Vampire Kisses were an interesting idea. However, I didn't love them. It was a similar experience as eating a cherry cordial, or other fine chocolates with more of a liquid than creme coating. But they weren't quite what I was looking for.

M&M's had two special flavors for the Christmas candy season: White Chocolate Peppermint and White Chocolate Sugar Cookie. I believe I've seen Peppermint in the past, though 2020 was a big year for Sugar Cookie-flavored items.

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M's were actually pretty good. I've long been a fan of Chocolate Mint and Holiday Mint M&M's (though I still don't know if those are technically different). This was also pretty good, though a tad too sweet.

On the other hand, White Chocolate Sugar Cookie M&M's were not what I was expecting. While there was the unmistakable sugar cookie flavor to them, I found them to be too sweet and not enjoyable. They would have been better with a more buttery flavor to them. I would recommend not using white chocolate as a base for the flavor, but really go all in on the sugar cookie taste. 

The 2020 Christmas candy season also saw Sugar Cookie-flavored Hershey Kisses. (There were other sugar cookie-flavored things this year but these were all I cared to feature.)

I thought these Sugar Cookie Hershey's Kisses were pretty good. They were white chocolate kisses with pieces of sugar cookie embedded in each. I thought this was pretty successful.

Finally, I was in CVS one day and came across these Taco Bell chips, with flavors matching their mild and fire sauces. I've considered reviewing chips on this blog in the past, such as the Lay's "Do Us A Flavor" varieties, but those were lost to time.

The Mild Taco Bell chips were okay. I tend to use the Hot sauce (RIP Verde), but Mild has a distinct Taco Bell taste to it. The seasoning was a tad too much. But it tasted like I just ate a Taco Bell taco.

The Fire Taco Bell chips were also okay. They don't taste spicy upon first bite, but the heat sneaks up on you. I can't say I'd buy either of these on a regular basis, but for a novelty item they weren't bad.

By the way, I have to give an honorable mention to Ritz Cheese Crispers 4 Cheese and Herb crackers. I don't have them at home right now so I can't take and post pictures, but these were surprisingly good. I recommend. 

2020 brought some snack foods that ranged from great to not so great. However, I'm glad I tried what I did. While flavors come and go with the seasons, 'tis better to have tasted and lost than never to have tasted at all. 

Kit Kat 2020 Recap

We made it to the end of 2020! Woo hoo! 

Like so many things in 2020, I had more ambitious plans for this blog that I just didn't have the time to realize. I'm going to do a few catch-up posts with quick reviews of foods I meant to review but didn't have time for.

2020 was a good year for Kit Kat. They seem to be coming for Oreo's title as the limited edition flavor champion of American snack foods. Kit Kats from Japan have long seemed amazing, but they're hard to get in the U.S. This year, Kit Kat U.S. really made an effort. I already wrote about the Kit Kat Raspberry + Crème Miniatures, and even took a detour to look at Kit Kats from other countries. But there were other 2020 U.S. flavors worth mentioning.

Just in time for Easter, Lemon Crisp Kit Kats came onto store shelves. This flavor was a good choice after Raspberry Kit Kats. There's something about lemon that lines up well with spring.

Well, Lemon Crisp Kit Kats were really good. The coating had a nice, light lemon flavor. I once had a lemon-flavored white chocolate bar from Sicily, and this Kit Kat reminded me of that. Lemon Crisp was another win for Kit Kat.

Kit Kat also introduced Duos, in this case a combination of Mint + Dark Chocolate. I'm not confident that the street date for these was in 2020, but that was the first time I saw them.

These were also pretty good. I was skeptical at first, since there are a million combinations of mint and chocolate out there (not that I'm complaining). But these tasted smoother, a tad more sophisticated than other cookies and candy out there. Would buy again. 

Summer saw the introduction of Apple Pie Kit Kats. These were whole candy bars, instead of the miniature Kit Kats released earlier in the year.

I wanted to like Apple Pie Kit Kats more than I did. Not that they were bad. They just weren't as close to the actual flavor as I wanted. 

Birthday Cake Kit Kats were also released during the summer. I was skeptical about these at first, since birthday cake seems like a go-to flavor when brands are trying out limited edition flavors. 

Birthday Cake Kit Kats were surprisingly better than I was expecting. I like how they look, with white coating accentuated by colorful sprinkles. But the flavor was pretty much spot on, too. It took me a long time to find these (I finally saw them at Wal-Mart), but I would buy more, especially for my or someone else's birthday.

Finally, for Halloween season, Witch's Brew Kit Kats were released. The were a light green color and had a marshmallow flavor to them.

These were actually pretty good. A lot of times in the world of limited edition flavors, a "marshmallow" flavor will simply be a vague sweet/sugary flavor. However, these actually taste like marshmallows. It's hard to describe the difference, but imagine plain sugar versus a marshmallow. I was impressed.

Overall, Kit Kat had a pretty good year. There were some other flavors I saw that I'm not featuring (Pumpkin Pie tasted a little too pumpkin spice, and I bought but haven't yet tried Dark Chocolate). But I have to give Kit Kat a lot of credit. The original is already a favorite candy of mine, and the limited edition flavors brought it this year in a way that (I'm sorry to say) Oreo quite frankly didn't. I hope everyone bought these and Kit Kat continues to release new flavors for years to come until we start getting varieties like sweet potato, blueberry cheesecake, roasted corn, and more. 

Oreos: South Korea Edition

This has been a disappointing year for Oreo. Usually, they'll release a new flavor every quarter or so. There was supposedly a Tiramisu flavor in March, but I missed out on it; it wasn't available when I switched to grocery delivery once the pandemic began, and it was no longer on store shelves when I started to do my own shopping. When I looked on Amazon, I saw that I could order them for about $12 per package plus shipping. Too rich for my blood. 

However, while on Amazon, I did see an Oreo multi-pack, with different flavors from South Korea. I thought it would be a good treat, a way to sample other varieties of Oreos. (I'm debating whether to call them K-Oreos, like K-Pop, but that might be too cute.) 

The most intriguing items to me were the two packages of Oreo wafers. They came in two varieties, chocolate and vanilla.

I really like this concept. I think Keebler used to have a wafer cookie like this, with a mint variety around Christmas, but it may have been discontinued or my stores no longer carry them. It's nice to see an Oreo version. 

One other thing I like is that they are individually wrapped. So often, I'll open a package of cookies, and it goes stale before I finish them. These come in a cardboard box, so even though it is more packaging in one sense, it seems less wasteful, less of the harmful packaging.

The vanilla one was really good. The wafers are crisp and flaky, and the coating tastes good. It's slightly similar to the vanilla-coated Oreos they have for the holidays, but is still its own thing. 

The chocolate one was good, too. It had a slight coffee tinge to it, which I can only possibly explain by the malt powder used. Overall, I recommend. I'd love to see an Americanized version of this for both the chocolate and vanilla versions (and maybe a Cool Mint version?). 

When it comes to the cookies, each box is similar to one row of cookies in the typical American pack, but it is divided into two packages inside the box. Again, I really like this. It's smart. Instead of seeing the whole package go stale, you can enjoy them on your own schedule. Not only that, but according to the nutrition information, each half-package is a serving. Genius. 

For all of these, the cookie/non-creme part of the Oreo is a bit lighter than the American version. It's not as sweet, but also not as dense.

The Red Velvet cookie, Double Stuf in size, is okay. I like the way it smells more than the way it tastes. It smells like a good mix of chocolate and cream cheese, but that doesn't translate to the taste for either the cookie or the creme. It would be nice to have stronger flavors of each, especially the creme. The translated ingredients list indicates that they have both cream cheese powder and cheesecake synthetic flavor, but I didn't taste them as such.

Vanilla Mousse is a thin Oreo. I enjoyed the cookie part of the Oreo more on this one; it had a really good chocolate flavor. I didn't really taste vanilla in the creme, though. The ingredients list has both vanilla extract and vanilla cream artificial flavor, but it wasn't apparent to me, even when having the creme by itself.

Tiramisu is also a thin Oreo. It had the same coffee-ish flavor as the Oreo wafers, though with more of a chocolate flavor mixed in due to the cookies. I thought this was successful. I'm not a coffee fan, but I thought this was pretty well-executed. 

The final two flavors were Strawberry Creme and Mild Sweet. Again, these come in the half-packs that I think are a really great idea.

The Strawberry Creme flavor is surprisingly close to a real strawberry smell and flavor. It reminds me of those strawberry sugar wafer cookies. The chocolate in the cookie isn't that prominent, probably because this is a Double Stuf-sized cookie. But I think these are really good. I would buy these again. They have both strawberry extract powder and strawberry artificial flavor. 

Mild Sweet is... good? I don't understand the aim of this cookie, which seems like it would be a normal Double Stuf Oreo cookie, chocolate cookies with regular sugary creme. It's good, but I feel like I'm missing something. The ingredients list has an "acidity regulator" which I don't see in the other products, but even then, I'm stumped. However, it is good.

Overall, I'm glad I tried these. I've sampled a lot of American Oreos in the past 10 years, but despite everything I had heard about international Kit Kats, I never thought to look outside the U.S. for Oreos from other countries. I would buy some of these if I saw them on store shelves here, especially the wafers and the strawberry cookies. I'll have to keep an eye out for other varieties.

Girl Scout Cookie Crumble: Part 4

It all comes down to this. This is for all the marbles. It's all on the line. 

Who will emerge victorious?

Thus far, we've seen that Samoas and ABC S'mores are better than Caramel deLites and LBB S'mores, Shortbreads and Do-Si-Dos are better than Trefoils and Peanut Butter Sandwiches, and Peanut Butter Patties and Lemon-Ups are better than Tagalongs and Lemonades. (In my opinion, of course. I'm not a reviewer who pretends I have all the answers. Just good taste.) 

It's the fourth quarter. The score is tied 3-3 between Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. Here we go.

Cookie Crumble, Round 7: Thin Mint (ABC) vs. Thin Mint (LBB)

Thin Mints are the classic Girl Scout cookie. I don't need to tell you that. This is the only cookie (aside from the recent S'mores addition) to have the same name in both regions. So I was surprised to see that THE signature Girl Scout cookie could be so different between the two regions. 

The ABC Thin Mint is a good cookie. It's more crunchy/crispy, and more mint-forward. The cookie is flavorful, has a good taste. The mint flavor is stronger, while the chocolate flavor is not as apparent. 

The LBB Thin Mint is also a good cookie. But it's a better executed cookie. The chocolate is smoother. The chocolate and mint flavors are more well-balanced. The cookie is still crunchy, but it's not like a cracker. The LBB Thin Mint hits the boxes for the ideal Thin Mint. 

Round 7 Winner: Thin Mint (LBB)

Overtime: Caramel Chocolate Chip, Toffee-tastic, Thanks-A-Lot

I've never tried these cookies before. I usually stick with my favorites. But I felt like I needed to taste them in order to round out my taste test. Since they don't have an equal made by the other baker, I didn't think it was right to include them in the overall score. But I thought they were worth mentioning.

Caramel Chocolate Chip (ABC) has good caramel and chocolate flavors. The cookie is gluten-free, which is a positive for some. I found it to be dry, almost like a biscuit. I wasn't a fan. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't choose to buy it.

Toffee-tastic (LBB) is also a gluten-free offering. It's like a sugar cookie with toffee pieces. It tasted somewhat like a Maurice Lenell cookie in mouth feel/texture (if that is a familiar reference to you - it might be too Chicago-centric). It is satisfying, but the toffee pieces can be sticky. 

Finally, the Thanks-a-Lot (ABC) cookie was actually very good. It's a shortbread cookie with a layer of chocolate on the bottom. Sadly, this cookie is being discontinued, but I think this was a real winner. It reminds me of the Petit Ecolier cookies. 

Final Thoughts

I always thought that Girl Scout cookies were a universal experience. I'm still surprised they're not, as I think about it. It wouldn't be difficult for two bakers to use the same recipes, would it? Are the differences due to climate? Is it an urban/rural split? 

Yet as I think about what it would take to have one common recipe for the whole country, I realize that we would be getting rid of cookies that would be somebody's favorite. Someone out there loves Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Sandwiches just as they are. They grew up on those cookies, and suddenly having Samoas or Tagalongs would be a big shift. 

For myself, I have to declare Little Brownie Bakers the winner. I liked their cookies better. Though I did find some I liked more in the ABC Bakers lineup. (I may have to place more online orders in future years to get kinds not available in my region.) 

Wherever you live, whatever cookies are available to you, buy cookies and support a good cause.