Oreo Shamrock McFlurry

I've been a fan of Shamrock Shakes at McDonald's for a long time. I don't quite remember Uncle O'Grimacey or any of the commericals he featured in, but since I was a kid, I've enjoyed these smooth mint shakes that McDonald's has for a limited time every year around St. Patrick's Day.

In recent years, McDonald's has introduced a variation on the classic by offering a chocolate Shamrock shake. It makes sense; take the chocolate shakes that are already on the menu and combine them with the mint syrup that gives a Shamrock Shake its flavor, and there you go, a new product innovation. This year, McDonald's has done the same by adding the mint syrup to another existing product, the Oreo McFlurry.

Shamrock shakes recently arrived on the menu at McDonald's locations near me, so I decided to try the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. The one I received didn't look too appetizing at first. The syrup wasn't mixed in fully, so it looked like a radioactive green color not too far off from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. As I stirred it, the color mixed together with the ice cream better, though it also softened the ice cream and made it more difficult to eat with a spoon.

But that's just how it looked. How did it taste?

I really wanted to like this. I really did. This dessert combines two things I really like, Shamrock Shakes and Oreos. But as I ate it, I couldn't help but think that this was the wrong type of mint flavor to go with Oreos. Even as I made my way down and there was a lower syrup-to-ice cream ratio, it didn't taste quite right. I like Mint Oreos and Peppermint Bark Oreos. I like the Mint Concrete Mixer with Oreos at Culver's. But there's something about the mint used in Shamrock Shakes that doesn't go well with Oreo pieces.

It could be that I got off on the wrong foot with the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. Maybe if the syrup had been mixed in better, I might have liked it more. I may give it another chance. But for now, I'll keep my Shamrock Shakes away from my Oreos and enjoy them both separately.

Toasted Coconut Cheerios

I haven't tried a lot of limited edition flavors of Cheerios. I've seen a few different varieties, and I've been a fan of Honey Nut Cheerios, but plain Cheerios are not my favorite cereal. I was walking around the grocery store the other day when I saw the bright teal box of a new limited edition flavor: Toasted Coconut Cheerios.

I have to say, coming at the tail end of winter, I like the feeling the box art brings. With the box color, umbrella, and shadow cast by the bowl, it's a good reminder that summer is ahead, with warmer days and more sunlight. The back of the box invites you to "Start your day with a tropical getaway" and says you can "find your way to paradise" by reading facts about places like Fiji, the Maldives, Hawaii, Tahiti. My mind relaxes just reading those words.

But I shouldn't judge a cereal by its cover. Without milk, I like this cereal. The coconut flavor is light, not overpowering, but strong enough to be distinct from regular Cheerios. The coconut flavor goes well with the usual Cheerio flavor. I haven't liked some fruit-flavored Cheerios because the sweet fruit flavor is followed by the distinct Cheerio flavor. But I like this. You almost have to slow down and think about it to really taste the coconut. With milk, the flavor is dulled, but still there. It seemed unremarkable at first, but it's growing on me. 

Key Info
Product: Toasted Coconut Cheerios
Date Found: February 11, grocery store (Mariano's/Kroger)
Package size: 10.8 oz., 11 servings
Serving size: 3/4 of a cup, 110 calories, 1.5 grams fat (without milk)

Oreo Holiday Chocolate Cookie House

In late October/early November 2019, a few friends let me know about something new for Christmas: The Oreo Holiday Chocolate Cookie House. I found it at the grocery store in mid-November, and I put it aside to try it out closer to Christmas. So I waited... and waited... and the holidays happened... and now it's mid-February and the box was still unopened.

If this was a non-food item, I'd say to save it until next year. But the box had a "best if used by" date of February 29, 2020. I wasn't planning to eat it, but I didn't know how the ingredients would hold up after then. I was a little nervous about putting it together, since I've seen enough Pinterest fails to be wary of taking on a project above my skill level. But I found myself with some free time on a cold winter day today, so I decided to put it together.

The cookie house set comes with everything you need to put the house together. It has chocolate cookie panels for the front and back of the house, the sides of the house, the roof, and even a small piece for a chimney. It includes icing packets to use to hold the house together and decorate it. Decorations include a small packet of mini Oreos, a 2-cookie package of original Oreos, a small packet of mini gumdrops ("fruity gummies"), and a small packet of multi-colored spherical candies ("candy jewels").

One feature I really appreciated was called a "Simple Start Tray," a plastic tray with slots to hold up the house. You put icing into the slots (called "canals" in the instructions) and they hold up the house. I've never put together a gingerbread house before, so that was a good feature to have.

One mistake I made at this point was that, despite the warning in the instructions, I cut the hole in the icing packet too large. I hadn't thought so at the time, but the icing came out clumsily. I ended up getting a spoon to help spread the icing once I squeezed it out. It didn't turn out so badly because that packet was mostly for construction, and there was a second packet that could be used for decoration and detail work. But even when it came time for that second packet, I still cut the hole too large. If I do this again, I'll cut a very tiny corner of the packet.

I put up the walls of the house, then the roof, then the chimney. The icing was easier to work with than I thought. The instructions say to hold the pieces together until they feel secure, and it didn't take long for that to happen. The pieces have etchings to represent windows, doors, and other house features. Some of the pieces had imperfections, so judge which ones you want to appear more prominently and which you'd like to hide. Make sure they line up, too, since the roof pieces need to come together at the top.

After letting the house pieces dry together securely, it was time to decorate. This was the part that made me nervous. If I messed up, it might be a glaring error that would be hard to disguise. I knew I didn't have the skill to mimic the design on the box, but I wanted it to look decent. I started by mimicking the Oreo design over the front door. I took that as a version of a sign saying "In This House We Eat Oreos." I put some of the multi-colored sphere candy pieces around it. I also decided to build an Oreo snowman and make an Oreo walkway leading up to the house. I topped it off with a candy doorknob on the front door and some candy accents on the roof.

I decided to add some touches of my own, too. I added an E.L. Fudge Keebler Elf cookie and a Trader Joe's Mini Gingerbread Man for the front of the house. Do they live there? Is one visiting the other, or is there an unknown Oreo mascot that they have come to see? I'll leave that open to interpretation. I also put some Andes mints on one side of the roof to represent solar panels. And coming out of the chimney? Blue cotton candy "smoke."

If I had more time and courage, I would have created a more elaborate design on the roof and walls. This is where having an icing packet with a very tiny precision hole would have come in handy. I could have at least filled in the window and door etchings to make them appear more prominent. But you know what? I stopped while I was still having fun with it, without turning it into a chore. And I think that was a good decision. Because what am I going to do with a Holiday Chocolate Cookie House in the middle of February... Eat it? Put it on display for a few days? Sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination.

And for the record, the packaging does have nutritional information. There are 27 servings per container, with a serving size being 1/27th of the kit. There was a small piece of cookie house that I had to break off to make it the same shape as its corresponding partner piece, and I ate it, and... while it had a nice, freshly baked smell, it didn't taste that good. The icing was pretty good, though, as were the Oreos and candy pieces.

Key Info
Product: Oreo Holiday Chocolate Cookie House
Date First Heard About: October 29, 2019
Date Found: November 16, 2019, grocery store (Mariano's/Kroger)
Date Made: February 16, 2020
Cookie House: Chocolate
Package size: Cookie House Pieces, icing, mini Oreos, regular Oreos, candy pieces
Serving size: 1/27th of kit, 140 calories, 4 grams fat

Kit Kat Raspberry + Crème Miniatures

Valentine's Day is almost here. It's the time of year for flowers, cards, candy, and dinner reservations.

This year, Kit Kat has a sweet new addition to Valentine's Day candy. Move over, conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. Here come Kit Kat Raspberry + Crème Miniatures.

I have to admit, I was hesitant when I saw these. I've long seen great potential for different flavored Kit Kats. I've heard of the different flavors available in Japan and other countries. I've come across a few, too; Green Tea, Kit Kats you bake in the oven, and most recently, Apple Pie and Sweet Potato (thanks to a coworker who brought them back from abroad).

But I wasn't sure. I've had strawberry-flavored white chocolate that tasted grainy. I was disappointed by Kit Kat Sweet Cinnamon miniatures that were sold for Christmas 2019. Would the Raspberry + Crème flavor measure up?

Great news: they do. When you open the bag, you can smell a sweet artificial raspberry scent. It's pleasant. The raspberry-flavored white crème tastes really good, too. It's not tart like a real raspberry is, but is a nice sweet artificial version. It's also smooth and doesn't have a grainy texture. I can't tell the flavor of the filling between the wafers, but it doesn't take away from the overall taste.

The one drawback might be the appearance. The unwrapped Kit Kat looks looks a bit unappealing and is a Pepto-Bismol pink. But I didn't notice that until I put them on a plate to take this picture, so it's relatively minor.

Fun fact: according to this Today Show article, Kit Kat is owned by Nestle in Japan and Hershey in the U.S. That could be one reason why Japan has gotten so many flavors that the U.S. hasn't. But in that same article, Kit Kat's U.S. brand manager hints in a very vague PR kind of way that there could be more flavors in the future. If so, hopefully they are as good as this one.

Key Info
Flavor: Raspberry + Crème
Season: Valentine's Day 2020
Description: Crisp wafers in raspberry flavored white crème
Package size: 32 miniature Kit Kats
Serving size: 4 Kit Kats, 170 calories, 9 grams fat

The Most Stuf Oreo

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Is my water glass shaking?

In 2019, Oreo released its biggest Oreo ever. You may have thought Double Stuf was enough, and that Mega Stuf was pushing the envelope. But Oreo didn't care, as they released their biggest cookie yet: The Most Stuf. And now, in 2020, just when you thought it was safe to go outside, the Most Stuf Oreo has returned.

This gargantuan monster of a cookie is an interesting experience. The chocolate cookies themselves are the regular size and thickness, but there is a heck of a lot of creme inside.

I'd say The Most Stuf Oreo is worth trying, if even to see where your limits are. For me, one bite feels like an instant sugar high. The serving size is one cookie, and this is one time when one cookie is enough. I just ate one and I don't feel like having another.

One downside to an Oreo this size is that taking a bite makes the creme squeeze out of the sides of the cookie. I also don't feel like this is a good cookie to dunk in milk, as there isn't enough cookie relatively speaking to make it worthwhile.

But don't let me sway your vote. That's right: this is an election year, and Oreo is following suit by having an election of its own. If you know where you stand, you can visit www.whatsyourstuf.com to vote for your favorite Oreo size: Thins, Original, Double Stuf, Mega Stuf, or The Most Stuf. You can do some soul-searching, think about where you stand on the issues, and choose which cookie size is right for you. Voting (and entering your info) will give you a chance in a drawing for a $100,000 prize, and also possibly let you win an instant prize of an Oreo-branded Smart Speaker or a $50 gift card. (Note: you must be 18 or older to enter, and you have to give your full name, email address, and state of residence to record your vote and enter. Must be a resident of the U.S. Voting closes March 15.) You can also opt in to receive marketing emails and sweepstakes updates.

I entered my vote (Double Stuf) and gave my information. You can enter once per day. I sadly was not the instant winner of the smart speaker or gift card, though I suppose I could try again tomorrow if I really wanted to.

One interesting thing when you vote is that you can see the current nationwide total of votes taken so far. As of February 11 at 10 p.m. Central Time, Double Stuf was third at 18%, with Thin (19%) and The Most Stuf (36%) ahead of it. Original isn't too far behind Double Stuf at 16%, while Mega Stuf is trailing at 11%. Not to be an Oreo pundit, but I wonder if The Most Stuf is garnering more votes because it's only temporarily available. Maybe some voters are looking to keep this cookie around? We'll have to see where the vote stands on March 15.

Key Info
Flavor: The Most Stuf
Date Announced: January 20, 2020
Date Found: January 29, 2020, grocery store (Mariano's/Kroger)
Description: THE MOST STUF
Cookie(s): Chocolate
Package size: 18 cookies
Serving size: 1 cookie, 110 calories, 5 grams fat

Oreo Ultimate Dunking Set

Oreos are known (at least to the fine people at Oreo) as "Milk's Favorite Cookie." And it may be true that a good number of us grew up knowing that Oreos were good dunked in milk. However, have you ever noticed all of the problems you can have when you try to dunk Oreos in milk?

No?

If I had a budget and more time and technical know-how, I'd put together an infomercial-type film reel showing different people absolutely failing at dunking their Oreos with their (imaginary) problems. Milk splashing everywhere, losing your cookie into the cup of milk, crumbs getting in someone's eye, milk spilling all over the table, all with people growing increasingly performatively frustrated. How can this problem possibly be solved?

Enter the Oreo Ultimate Dunking Set.

The Oreo Ultimate Dunking Set promises "Days of Dunking Fun!" and includes a mug, a cookie cage, cookie tongs, an Oreo napkin, and a 6-pack of regular Oreo cookies. I first saw this in winter of 2018 (which was around the same time as the Oreo Record Player which I was sadly never able to find). I bought that 2018 dunking set but put it in storage. Another one was released in winter 2019, so I bought one to try it out.

The contents in the box are as shown. There is one single paper napkin, so that could be why the box says "Days of Dunking Fun!" instead of promising anything longer-term. The mug seems pretty nice; it's made of glass and has a picture of an Oreo on one side.

The cookie cage is plastic and has a raised Oreo logo on the side. The name "cookie cage" is a bit much for me, as if you thought your cookies might make a run for it. (I would have used the phrase "cookie holder.") The tongs are plastic and have the stylized "Oreo" name on them. The Oreos themselves are, well... Oreos. Regular classic single Stuf Oreos.

I like the concept of this dunking set, and it seems pretty well made for what it is. I like having a shorter mug to use to dunk Oreos, as I have a lot of taller glasses that seem like a waste of milk when all I want to do is dunk some Oreos. Even if I don't hold on to the cookie cage or tongs, I could see using the mug by itself for a long time.

But I do like the tongs and the cookie cage as well. The tongs have ridges at the end which help when trying to pick up Oreos. They hold on to the cookie solidly without crushing it.

The cookie cage is just the right size to hold Oreos. It holds 6 (a combination of regular size and Double Stuf), which is a large serving size, but just because it holds that many doesn't mean you have to fill it with that many. (I can't judge a serving size of 6 Oreos or more, but I can't recommend it as a daily habit, either.

Using the set as a whole is a novel experience. The tongs can pick up cookies all the way down to the last one in the cookie cage, which is good. The tongs hold on to the cookie pretty well, so you don't drop the cookie into the milk. Even if you drop the cookie, the tongs can fish it out as long as you get it before it becomes too mushy.

You could dunk the cookie as a whole without getting your fingers wet, but I still think it's better to dunk just parts of the cookie at a time. A whole milk-absorbed Oreo might be a bit much at once. And it's up to you if you would like to get the tongs wet or keep that last piece of Oreo dry.

One possible negative is that you may not want to drink any of the milk before you've eaten your cookies, as the cookie cage comes along for the ride as you lift the mug. Though I usually only drink the milk after I'm done with the cookies. Cleaning it shouldn't be difficult; I don't see anything indicating if it's dishwasher safe, but I imagine the mug is. The cookie cage is easily detachable from the mug, and should be easy enough to wash by hand along with the tongs. You'll also need shelf space for the mug and cookie cage, though the tongs can be stored inside the mug.

Overall, I enjoy having it. It may not be something I'll use all the time, but if I ever start to experience infomercial-type frustration at my Oreo problems, I know I have one solution at hand.

Chocolate Marshmallow Oreo

In January, when Oreo put out the new Caramel Coconut flavor, they also released a second flavor: Chocolate Marshmallow.

I was skeptical at first. In 2017, Oreo offered a Hot Cocoa Oreo. (Not to be confused with Oreo Hot Cocoa Mix.) I also recently tried regular Chocolate Oreos, which consist of chocolate creme between two chocolate cookies. How would this be different? Would it be similar to these other flavors but with a different name?

Smell Test: Upon opening the bag, there is a pleasant chocolate scent with a sweet sugary marshmallow accent. It reminds me of the aroma of a fresh cup of hot chocolate with a few marshmallows added. They have it pretty spot on.

Taste Test: The cookie reminds me a lot of the 2019 Dark Chocolate Oreos. I was a fan of that cookie, and I like this one, too. I heard some mixed opinions at the time because it wasn't quite dark chocolate, but it was chocolatey enough for me. The Chocolate Marshmallow Oreo has creme similar to that flavor, but the cookies have bits of marshmallow baked in. I like this better than the sugary milk chocolate in the Chocolate Oreo, as well as the Hot Cocoa Oreo, which had creme that was part chocolate with a dollop of sugary vanilla creme. In the Chocolate Marshmallow Oreo, the chocolate is rich enough for me, while the marshmallow bits add a nice touch.

Twist Test: I like the creme both with and without the cookie. To me, the creme hits the right spot for a chocolate flavor that is the right amount of sweet. I don't taste any marshmallow flavor in the creme, despite the package's description.


Milk Test: This Oreo doesn't quite work with milk because of the marshmallow pieces that are part of each cookie. As you eat the cookie, the marshmallow pieces can stick to your teeth.

Overall: I like this flavor. It's not exactly a novel addition to the lineup, but it's a good choice for a temporary flavor. I suppose you could view it as an attempt to perfect the previous Hot Cocoa flavor.




Key Info
Flavor: Chocolate Marshmallow
Date Announced: January 3, 2020
Date Found: January 13, 2020, Target
Description: Marshmallow pieces in cookie with chocolate marshmallow flavor creme
Cookie(s): Chocolate with marshmallow pieces
Package size: Family Size (34 cookies)
Serving size: 2 cookies, 140 calories, 6 grams fat

Caramel Coconut Oreo

There's a new Oreo flavor in town: Caramel Coconut.

Caramel Coconut Oreo package

I have to admit, I like the idea of this flavor combination. A few years ago, when Oreo had the #MyOREOCreation flavor contest, one of my entries was Coconut Dream: coconut cream with a dollop of fudge between waffle cone-flavored cookies. (This was before the coconut thins were released.) This flavor sounds like it would be in that same vein.

Not that I'm taking any credit for it. I really think the intention was to get close to the classic Samoa/Caramel deLite Girl Scout cookies. This is a favorite cookie of mine (even more than the Thin Mint). How does the Oreo version compare?

Smell Test: When I open the bag, the aroma is almost more of a butterscotch than a caramel. I know they are similar, but to me, they are distinct. Along with this scent is a faint hint of toasted coconut. The butterscotch/caramel scent has an artificial quality to it, though it's not unpleasant.

Inside the cookie

Taste Test: When I eat a cookie from the bag, the artificial quality tags along. It's hard for Oreo creme to mimic the smooth texture of caramel. There's a buttery quality to real caramel that isn't present here. The Caramel Coconut flavor creme is between two chocolate cookies, which to me don't necessarily complement the flavor well. I'm curious how I would have liked this creme with Golden cookies, though some people might say it's too sweet.

Twist Test: The creme by itself tastes better than I expected. I didn't notice any coconut pieces until I ate the creme by itself.

Milk Test: This is the odd Oreo that I think actually tastes better after dunking it in milk. I think milk tones down the artificial quality to the creme and ties the creme and cookie combination together.

Overall: This is a flavor worth experiencing, but I wouldn't embrace it as a long-term addition to the Oreo line. Parts of the cookie conflict with each other: the chocolate cookie conflicts with the creme, and the cookies obscure the texture of the coconut pieces. A worthy attempt.

Key Info
Flavor: Caramel Coconut
Date Announced: January 3, 2020
Date Found: January 13, 2020, Target
Description: Caramel Coconut flavor creme artificially flavored with coconut pieces
Cookie(s): Chocolate
Package size: Family Size (34 cookies)
Serving size: 2 cookies, 140 calories, 7 grams fat

Limited Edition Flavor

Have you ever wandered around the grocery store and noticed that many of the products we know and love have "limited edition" flavors that are twists on the original? Flavors such as Red Velvet Oreos, Raspberry Coke, Cinnamon Kit Kats, or West Coast Truffle Fries Wavy Lay's Chips?

I notice. I notice them all the time. If they sound good to me, or if they pique my curiosity, I'll often buy them.

Until now, I've largely been keeping my thoughts about these flavors to myself. I might post the occasional short review on Facebook or share my thoughts with people I know, but that's it.

I'm starting this blog as a way to share these thoughts with the world. Almost like a public service. (Also to have a little fun.) It can also be interesting to keep a record of these flavors to look back on and see the highs and lows of consumer snack culture.

I'll admit, Oreo limited edition flavors are my first love. No other product brand has been as consistent with these temporary flavors as Oreo. I've become known among my friends for being an Oreo fan. Many of my posts will likely focus on these sandwich cookies.

But I'll also occasionally try out limited edition flavors of other products, and those will have a place here, too.

So now? Let's get snacking.