REVIEW: Limited Edition Jelly Donut Oreo

August 3, 2017August 2, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

In the 2017 food scene emulation is the name of the game. Whether it be dessert hybrids like snickerdoodle cupcakes, bars of whey protein that taste like key lime pie, or plant-based burgers that bleed like real meat, people who love food are in love with making things transform in our mouths into something they aren’t. As hot as this is now, perhaps no one has been chasing after this trend in the junk food universe more aggressively and consistently than Nabisco – who in recent years have been hell-bent on making their iconic Oreo cookie sandwiches taste like other things, from syrupy waffles to chocolate dipped strawberries. Their latest Walmart-exclusive attempt at sugary transformation aims to take down an early morning indulgence disguised as an after school treat with Jelly Donut Oreo.

Taking in the general aroma from these Oreo’s is no different than your average golden package with the sweet, slightly vanilla golden Oreo wafer taking over the dominant sniff. If I dig my nose in closer and get real close there is a hint of tart berry smell that cuts through the sugary notes. there’s also a bit of that greasy donut aura that could be from the creme or could be from pure fantasy, but it’s present none the less. Much like an actual jelly donut, from the outside they don’t look much different than your average ‘nut, and it’s what lurks on the inside that will truly tell the taste tale.

Biting into these cookies is definitely different than a regular Golden Oreo and definitely delicious. The composition of the creme is setup with an outer ring of classic “white stuff” with a jelly-flavored center. The center is big enough that it comes through with an average-sized bite of the cookie and the flavor is surprisingly really good. The “jelly” is somewhere in between raspberry and blueberry, which I guess would make it boysenberry? I’m going to assume Nabisco was going for raspberry since that’s a more typical donut-filling, but no matter what you want to call it it’s damn good.

The jelly flavor, contrary to what I think about actual jelly, helps to temper the sweetness of the golden wafer and white creme for an experience that is very well balanced. The berry doesn’t come off as insanely artificial and has a very pleasant flavor that is much more desirable than what strawberry tends to bring to the table. Without any specific yeast or powdered sugar notes it’s hard for me to really lock in on “donut” when eating, but they remind me of the little thumbprint cookies with jelly filling, and for an Oreo to take me there is pretty impressive. When I pair the cookie up with some coffee, I do actually get the donut sensation, and somehow the bitter notes of the coffee washing down the vanilla-meets-berry flavor brings me to Saturday morning and delivers on the cookies’ name.

Did Nabisco knock it out of the park with this emulation? No. Had they made the center ring more gelatinous or jelly-like it could have really driven the contrast that actual filled donuts have, but with a little bit of imagination the point comes across pretty well. What they did do is deliver one of the most interesting and tasty Oreo’s I’ve had in quite some time with a perfect sweetness and great berry flavor that I would happily buy again.

Rating: 8.5/10
Found at: Walmart ($2.99)

Quick Nutrition: 2 cookies – 150 cal – 7g fat – 80mg sodium – 21g carbs – 12g sugar

REVIEW: Little G’s Peanut Butter Buckeye

August 1, 2017July 31, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

I’ve never been to Ohio, but I’ve heard a lot about the lore of the Buckeye. No, not the actual nut from the tree, but the chocolate dipped peanut butter fudge Christmas confection popular in the state that seems to have fellow choco-PB lovers goin’ goo goo ga ga. I’ll be honest, as many chocolate covered peanut butter truffles, cookies, cupcakes, and general candles as I’ve had, I’ve never had a proper buckeye, and I’m alright with letting Little G once again pop my tastebud cherry with their take on the Midwest classic. Little G’s Peanut Butter Buckeye combines milk chocolate ice cream with peanut butter swirl, buckeyes, and peanut butter cookie dough.

As promising as this flavor sounds on paper, my journey with this pint began very negatively. Digging into the sea of darkness my spoon made a heartbreaking noise to any ice cream lover – the crunchy sound of ice. Smooth creamy silence was replaced with a harsh scraping noise and tasting it wasn’t any better – it was like a Fudgesicle. As I noted in an earlier review, my shipment showed up very soft, and it seems as though this one took a hit it couldn’t recover from.

Being that I’m not a quitter, especially when it comes to my food-related splurges, I kept digging, and fortunately about half way into the pint I was greeted with lovely, creamy, ice cream that actually exceeded my expectations for a chocolate base. The milk chocolate ice cream is nearly flawless – extremely smooth and luscious with a big, bold cocoa flavor that has just the right amount of sweetness and a touch more darkness than I was anticipating, which was a very pleasant surprise.

As is evidenced by the pictures, this container is brimming with mix-ins, and is so dense it might be the heaviest pint of ice cream I’ve ever picked up. The flavors’ namesake, the buckeyes, are all over the place, and are perfectly sized to take over the spoon but not so big that they can’t be taken down whole. Even though these chocolatey balls are the most unique component at play, they’re my least favorite, and I found the sheer volume of them to be distracting. I’ve learned about myself recently that I don’t care much for an abundant amount of hard chocolate in my ice cream, and while they are filled with a peanut butter cream, the amount of filling is very small compared to the chocolate, and they lose some of their luster against the chocolate base. I may have liked them more if the ice cream was peanut butter flavored and I got that lovely Reese’s harmony, but chocolate on chocolate with a hint of PB isn’t really my thing, and I ended up eating around them more than searching for them.

Fortunately for me and my PB-hungry tastebuds, the other two mix-ins are no stranger to Little G’s arsenal and they are downright awesome. The peanut butter cookie dough pieces are big, slightly salty, and gritty with a buttery chew that I absolutely love. The peanut butter is simply peanut butter, in massive gobs, which have hardened and gradually soften in their salty fatty, just-sweet-enough splendor as I continue to eat in glee. The large amounts of peanut butter can become a problem, essentially like bricks, but I choose to just let them sit there and gradually chip away at them rather than see them as a frozen issue.

While this buckeye journey started on a down note, it definitely ended on a high, and it’s the type of ice cream that is so intense and decadent it forces you to slow down and savor the massive flavor at hand. It’s one of those flavors that demonstrates everything Little G is about, and with some more careful shipping and a bit more attention to detail, this could be a classic entry to the limited time chronicles of Little G.

Rating: 8.5/10
Found at: http://www.goldbely.com (use code seanpancake0 for $25 off of your first order!)

REVIEW: Little G’s Bangin’ Baklava

July 21, 2017July 21, 2017 / seansskillet / 1 Comment

Baklava is a decadent pastry characterized by crispy layers of filo dough on top of gooey sweet honey and nuts, usually highlighting the pistachio. It originated in Istanbul, and I usually find it as a dessert option in Mediterranean restaurants after polishing off a tasty falafel wrap or chicken schwarma. I’ll never forget the first time I had baklava. I was at a Philz Coffee shop in 2009 shortly after moving to San Francisco and wanted a classic scone or cookie to go with my joe, but the only option was this puffy tan square that I had never seen before. From my first bite in I was taken aback by the flaky layers and caramelized richness of the nuts, and for the last eight years I’ve tried many varieties and enjoyed almost all of them. As much as I dig the dessert, I’ve never had it in frozen form, and leave it to Little G to pop my flavor cherry with an inventive and indulgent take on something I already know and love. It seemed only right that my first flavor to dive into from the 2017 Summer Favorite’s pack is Bangin’ Baklava, which combines honey ice cream with baklava chunks, candied walnuts, roasted pistachios, and a honey caramel swirl. Yikes!

Honey ice creams are extremely underutilized, and when executed well are one of my favorite bases for a delicious scoop. No surprise here, Little G absolutely killed it with the honey base and the ice cream has a rich, golden sweet flavor that blends seamlessly with the high quality dairy for a big, luscious, true-to-the-bee flavor that leaves a lasting honey presence in my mouth buzzing with perfection. The honey notes aren’t subtle at all, but they aren’t cloying either – they’re dialed in and balanced with sugary sweet finesse that sings with success. My only concern is that there may be too much honey in the base, as it melts and breaks down really quickly, losing its ice cream character in the blink of an eye.

The pieces of baklava are impressive, and the filo dough has maintained all of its delightful crunchiness. Even submerged in a pint of cream the pastry crunches and I can feel the layers just like the first time I bit into the Mediterranean treat. The honeyed nuts on the inside of the dough accentuate the flavor of the base with a wonderful chewiness and the experience is a creamified version of eating baklava to a T. In classic Little G fashion the chunks are actually chunks and are sizable enough that I get all the elements I want from baklava spoonful after spoonful.

The nuts are also super on point. The roasted pistachios are abundant enough that they add a bit of fatty, slightly savory relief from the generally sweet profile, but not so much that they take over entire bites like in last season’s White Chocolate Macadamia Nut MdoughW. I wish they were a touch more salted (or salted at all?) to add some more contrast, but that’s honestly just a nitpick-y preference and not a deal breaker in any way. The candied walnuts are also fantastic, I didn’t get very many in my pint, but when I did they were entire nuts perfectly caramelized and sweet with a sugary flavor that reminded me of Christmas. Even though I love the indulgence of getting whole nuts, it could have been more effective to cut them in half if each container is only going to get 3-4 so they come through more consistently.

This was the most aggressively tempered shipment I’ve gotten from Little G to date, and even after popping my order back into the freezer for awhile the pints were still pretty soft, and a lot of the honey caramel was integrated into the base, but pooled nicely at the bottom. When I was able to isolate it it was everything that it set out to be – slightly dark, rich caramel with some interesting, pleasantly astringent honey notes that set it apart from any other caramel I’ve had before. While it doesn’t stand out as much as a traditional caramel against vanilla or chocolate, it ties the baklava experience together with a lovely golden gooey ribbon further making this a fantastic, albeit a bit soft, ice cream-ed version of the traditional treat it aims to emulate.

Rating: 9/10

Found at: http://www.goldbely.com (use code seanpancake0 for $25 off of your first order!)

REVIEW: Tillamook Oregon Marionberry Cheesecake Frozen Custard

July 19, 2017July 18, 2017 / seansskillet / 2 Comments

If there’s one thing Oregon does really well, it’s probably craft beer. And if there’s something else they do really well, and my personal favorite, it’s gotta be the harvesting and utilizing of the marionberry. Developed in Corvalis, Oregon in the 1940’s, the marionberry is essentially the biggest, juiciest blackberry you’ll ever eat, and its use in pies, cakes, and ice creams gets me completely amped every – single – time. No stranger to cranking out some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest dairy, Tillamook use the berry for a flavor in their premium custard line that highlights this wonderful fruit in Oregon Marionberry Cheesecake, which combines a chunky marionberry swirl with graham cracker pie crust in a mascarpone custard.

Diving into this glisteningly gorgeous white base let me tell you this stuff is CREAMY. The texture of the mascarpone custard is rich, decadent, and buttery with a fatty dairy mouthfeel that is divine. Those extra egg yolks drive this ice cream into overdrive with a decent amount of sweetness but nothing that’s too over-the-top. Unfortunately I’m not getting any kind of cheesecake-y tang that I want from a flavor that calls itself cheesecake, and instead the gentle only slightly cheesy flavor of mascarpone takes over and I find myself really wanting a bit more funk to make the profile more interesting and engaging.

The pieces of graham cracker pie crust are very ample, popping up in small chunks in almost every bite, but again, the flavor is a little lackluster. The taste is less reminiscent of a golden graham cracker and much closer to standard pie crust, which is fine, but against the not-too-tangy base, they leave a bit to be desired in terms of the ideal balance a great cheesecake can offer. They’re relatively soft and chewy, and without any sweet honey or buttery aspect I find myself getting tired of them pretty quickly. While they definitely channel “crust”, my favorite part of a good cheesecake is that rich, crumbly graham base, and I simply want more from these pieces, even though the density is on point.

Where this flavor really sings is the marionberry swirl, which is thick, chunky, juicy, bright, and sweet. Marionberry’s have a amazingly sweet and tart flavor that are on full display in this swirl, and work wonderfully in conjunction with the very rich and succulent base custard. There are actual giant chunks of marionberry’s hanging out in the jammy ribbon that bring a huge sugary acidic pop that is undeniably Oregon and undeniably delicious.

While the swirl is top notch and near perfect, it simply cannot carry the flavor to a full on victory, and as a result this Tillamook custard is a textural dream and a bit of a tasting miss. It’s luxurious and at times delicious, but overall falls a short of a triumphant addition to the custard chronicles.

Rating: 7.5/10
Found at: Safeway ($4.99)

REVIEW: TastyKake Blueberry Sweet Rolls

July 17, 2017July 16, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

When it comes to snack cakes I like gettin’ my fix quick ’n dirty. Ya know, little cellophane-wrapped gems with frosting or baby donuts that fulfill that cake-y craving on the cheap and then disappear as quickly as they came. I’m not so much one to buy a big box of cheap donuts, whole loaf cakes, or sheets of sweet rolls, but every now and again I’ll make an exception. The cool cats at TastyKake invited me to try their seasonal summer Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and as someone that has made rolls from scratch, let me tell you, they are delicious but a massive pain in the ass, and if the East Coast Kake boys can hit me with a decent sweet roll without even leaving the house, I’m down to roll the dice.

From a birds eye view, looking directly down onto this sheet of rolls, it’s not the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. The frosting has an odd, cloudy color to it that isn’t very appealing, but hey, icing congeals, and fortunately, the closer I get the more promising it seems, with some solid blueberry swirls and fluffy yellow pastry. There’s a nice sweet blueberry aroma wafting up from the twisty bread and the filling has a much more appealing-to-the-eye deep shiny purple sheen. I find it kind of odd that these haven’t been cut and I’m not sure how I can preserve them – I guess they’re meant for morning guests or an intense carb binge?

The yeasty dough is very soft and squishy with lots of moisture locked in and texturally makes for a very pleasant bite. The dough has a stickiness to it that feels pretty authentic, with some solid, albeit a bit artificial, blueberry notes that have a good balance of sweet and acidic. I’m surprised by how restrained the sweetness is on these, and while they’re definitely best friends with the cup of coffee in my hand (as the packaging suggests), they aren’t hitting me over the head with sugar. Just as much as the sweet plays its part, I’m able to taste the yeast and eggs in the roll itself and I really appreciate that part of the execution.

What I’m missing here, as far as a “real” aka non-packaged sweet roll is concerned, is the contrast in textures from the outside to the center. While the outside is less wet and untouched by the glaze, there is no actual flakiness or crispiness as I move from the outside in. The best part of eating a roll is when you get to the center and it’s completely soaked and soft, and while that’s pretty much the texture of this roll as a whole, I’m missing that big release and variety that makes a breakfast bun so fun. Even though these are blueberry, I do wish there was some cinnamon to help elevate the flavor as well, and give just a touch of spice, which is an easy fix with my 5 types of cinnamon on hand – and a little sprinkle did me proper.

But who really eats a sweet roll cold? For the ultimate final test I popped one of these bad buns into the microwave. 15-20 seconds later the glaze has been reactivated, getting slightly runny, and the dough becomes even softer and perfectly fresh-feeling. The berry flavor is heightened and in every way the good elements are improved and the so-so ones are lessened. I still want a bit more contrast, so cinnamon is necessary again, but all in all, when zapped up properly, it’s a pretty good roll.

Rating: 7.5/10

REVIEW: Steve’s Ice Cream’s Southern Banana Pudding

July 14, 2017July 13, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

The modern age of gourmet ice cream can be highlighted by one dense, intense, and hopefully ample, element: the mix-in. Yes, a super premium base is still key, but all of the things that compliment it are what separate many brands killing it or falling short in the gourmet game. Chunks of this and gobs of that all define the evolution of what craft ice cream has become – but where did it all begin? In 1973 in Somerville, Massachusetts, Steve’s ice cream was the first shop to use the term mix-in, and rather than have the classic array of strawberry or chocolate chip, Steve allowed customers to choose whatever they wanted to mix into their ice cream and create flavors as simple as Heath bar and vanilla (the original) or as insane as their mind could dream up. Of course, this concept is much more reminiscent of what would become Dairy Queen’s Blizzard and McDonald’s McFlurry, but the idea of putting multiple, possibly contrasting, elements into an ice cream base was born in the 70’s by Steve Herrell.

Now that you’ve had a brief history lesson, I’ll share the good news that Steve’s is still making premium ice cream with mix-ins galore, and my first taste of his innovation cream-age is Southern Banana Pudding, which combines banana ice cream with banana pudding and a vanilla wafer crumble.

The banana ice cream is of great quality, with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel that melts effortlessly and leaves a nice velvety feeling on my tongue. The banana pops through very organically without any strange artificial notes and has a flavor that is strong enough that it doesn’t fade too quickly and leaves a lasting banana flavor in between bites. It’s one of the most enjoyable banana ice creams I’ve had and reminds me a lot of a milkshake made with just vanilla ice cream, milk, and bananas – minus the chunkiness.

The swirl of banana cream pudding brings more solid banana flavor with a sweeter presence than the base and a jelly-like consistency that seems perfectly accurate for a frozen pudding. The two components play off of each other really well, heightening the banana effect and giving the pint more depth than if they were trying to operate on their own. The flavors don’t seem redundant and operate more like a team, delivering the big bold tropical fruit flavor very successfully.

The final piece of the banana pudding puzzle are the vanilla wafer cookies, which are integrated very well all throughout the ice cream and have softened even more than their usual self with a texture that feels somewhere in between a cookie and a cake. The subtle vanilla flavor of the cookies is indistinguishable amongst the huge wash of banana, but the textural contrast is great and as well executed as I would expect from the company that started the mix in revolution. All of the components work harmoniously on the spoon and channel the indulgent Southern treat with success.

Rating: 8/10
Found at: Grocery Outlet ($2.99)

REVIEW: Ample Hills’ The Munchies

July 12, 2017April 6, 2018 / seansskillet / 2 Comments

The munchies. A term often associated with the insatiable hunger that comes along with getting mega-baked – a sensation I learned a whole lot about in my teenage years. I remember those gripping moments of hunger that simply could not be stopped, and every single flavor was amplified in a way I never thought was possible. Now when I hear the term I tend to think about the great Flamin’ Hot mix of chips, or creating my own munch-able bowl of sweet and salty goodness. In an attempt to channel the epic-ness that is experiencing the munchies, Ample Hills have crafted a signature flavor baring the same name, which combines a pretzel-infused ice cream with clusters of Ritz crackers, potato chips, and mini M&M’s.

The pretzel-infused base is impressively on point. It’s creamy and smooth with just a hint of gumminess that I’m guessing comes from the gluten, and a flavor that reminds me of the tough, dark exterior of a giant soft pretzel. I know this ice cream is channeling hard pretzels, and that’s how it was made, but it speaks so truly to genuine pretzel flavor that I’m reminded of the similarities that good quality small hard pretzels have to the big soft ones, and not just little crunchy salty sticks. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact profile but you know when you taste it there’s an essence that makes a pretzel a pretzel and that essence is in shining form here. The one element I wish came through more prominently is saltiness, as the base has pretty much zero salty presence, and that’s a defining characteristic of the twisty snack that would have worked really well to liven the whole experience up.

The caramelized clusters in here are really great, and the caramelization aspect is key to keeping the crunch in tact in the frozen abyss. Little pieces of crumbly pretzel and the bigger balls of Ritz and potato chips add a great salty pop to the experience with a wonderful buttery chew. As good as these pieces are, I wish there were more. Throughout the container there were only a handful of the caramelized balls, and beyond that it was mostly small pieces that didn’t live up to the big satisfying crunch that the larger ones delivered.

The mini M&M’s don’t really work for me. While I know regular M&M’s can have a problem with hard-freezing in ice cream, the mini version seem to have nearly evaporated into the ice cream and I never got any bites with a good chocolate flavor. The color of the shell bleeds into the base and is very visually appealing but does nothing to add any depth of flavor or texture to the ice cream, which is a bummer given the less than desirable amount of clusters.

I love the innovation that went into this ice cream but the execution left something to be desired. With a name like the munchies it needs to bring a swift kick of sweet and salty satisfaction and the disappearance of the chocolate and lack of saltiness in the base didn’t give my tastebuds the ultimate thrill they were seeking. With a better mix in density and more prominent chocolate this flavor could be a true classic, but as it stands it’s just good, but still more impressive than most pints you could pick up at the grocery store.

Rating: 8/10 initially, 9/10 now (see below)
Found at: amazon.com via Ample Hills

UPDATE: after reading my review and seeing pictures, Ample Hills reached out and sent me a new pint that had much better quality control and way more mix-ins, which bumps the flavor up to a solid 9/10.

REVIEW: Salt & Straw’s Birthday Cake & Blackberries

July 10, 2017July 9, 2017 / seansskillet / 3 Comments

It should be pretty evident by now that ice cream is one of my absolute favorite foods, and when it comes to desserts, cake isn’t too far behind it. One of the best things about cake is that it instantly screams “celebration”, and whether it’s celebrating another year in the books or capping off a fantastic meal out, if there’s cake in my mouth, I’m feelin’ like a party. I also love it when the two worlds collide, and any number of birthday cake, funfetti, frosting, or otherwise cake-oriented ice cream flavors tend to be go-tos for me in scoop shops, and usually I swoon over the sickeningly sugary, indulgent, sweet-tooth collaboration. For this month’s homage to the berry bounty of the summer, Salt & Straw are attempting to swoon me into submission with Birthday Cake & Blackberries – which combines a vanilla frosting ice cream with blackberry jam swirl and chunks of three-vanilla cake.

The ice cream has a light frosting flavor that is surprisingly and pleasantly not too sweet. The base channels the frosted outside of Mothers Circus Animal cookies and cereal milk, with gentle vanilla notes that are rounded out and ultimately taken over by a general sweetness – but not a cloying one. The sprinkles add a nice pop of color but don’t add anything by way of texture, as it seems that they’ve been chopped up even smaller than their usual mini-rainbow selves.

The blackberry swirl is less prominent than I’m used to from Salt & Straw, and definitely much thinner. The consistency of the swirl reminds me more of a sauce than jam, with no chunks of fruit or heaviness to be found. The flavor is also a bit thin, not particularly sweet or carrying any of the tart notes I usually associate with blackberries. When my spoon gets some of the swirl it does add a little more sweetness, but without any acidity to balance it out it doesn’t really add much to the experience. I wish it had the brevity of the jams found in Roasted Strawberry Tres Leches or even this month’s Fresh Cheese and Strawberries, which would bring some more depth to an otherwise pretty “vanilla” scoop.

Where this flavor really makes me scratch my head is the cake pieces. The pieces themselves are fun-looking – classic funfetti style cake decked out with sprinkles in a vanilla sponge – but they’re very small, and as a result, crunchy. Although they pop with a nice vanilla and slightly buttery flavor, they have none of the squishy bounce or chew that I want from cake, and ultimately feel and taste much more like cookies. More than stand out as pieces or chunks they integrate themselves into the ice cream as a crumble, and do work well in tandem with the frosting flavor from the base.

Between the more subdued milky frosting notes in the base and the small crunchy cookies, this pint feels more like a nice afternoon at grandma’s house than a celebratory birthday party. Had the name of the flavor been “Sprinkle Cookies and Blackberries” I might have been more prepared for what I encountered, but as it stands this pint left me with little reason to don my pointed party hat. For those seeking a cakey scoop this summer I would recommend Baskin Robbins’ America’s Birthday Cake over this one in an instant, and you won’t have to pay to ship it.

Rating: 7/10
Found at: Salt & Straw ($11.00)

REVIEW: Trader Joe’s Matcha Joe Joe’s

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017 / seansskillet / 3 Comments

Green tea is one of the oldest, most comforting, soothing, and healthy warm drinks to seek out when needing a little caffeine or immunity boost. As traditional as the beverage is, that hasn’t stopped all types of innovative uses for the ground up matcha powder that packs a huge antioxidant and energy boost. Green tea ice cream? Awesome. Green tea lattes? Great. Green tea cake? Delicious. The ways in which we can use the grassy flavor knows almost no bounds, and in this day and age of limited-time insanity it’s time for an ultimately portable version of this earthy treat. I’ve always been fond of Trader Joe’s products but they really impressed the hell outta me with their Mocha Joe Joe’s earlier this year, and I’m looking at them to pave the way for the crunchy version of this tea-treat. Continuing their trend of beating Nabisco to the punch with innovative-yet-obvious flavors, they’re back in the drivers seat with Matcha Joe Joe’s, which pair a green tea matcha creme with crunchy vanilla wafer cookies.

I’m not sure if it’s just the thickness of the wafers themselves, but Joe Joe’s just seem bigger than their big bro Oreo, and these cookies are simply pleasant to look at. Deep white vanilla wafers with lushly green creme make me excited to dig in, and the grassy tea notes waft with ease from the package.

Biting in this cookie is everything I wanted it to be. A super snappy vanilla cookie gives way to immaculately balanced creme that is a textural delight. The filling is extremely smooth, soft, and creamy with an absolutely spot on balance of earthy matcha notes that don’t get bitter or astringent in the slightest. Green tea is front and center without any of the potential negatives that could pull this flavor down, delivering all the joy of green tea ice cream in a vessel that won’t melt in my pocket. The sweetness is perfectly executed with the vanilla cookie bringing just the right sugary punch to accentuate the matcha flavor without drowning it out, and finishes with a lovely buttery note that puts a lovely green ribbon on the whole experience.

Once again TJ’s deliver an elevated, delicious, and fun Joe Joe that is just as crave-able as it is unique. The flavors are simple, straight forward, and just sweet enough to go wonderfully with a good cup of coffee, but not so much that they need the coffee to be enjoyed.

Rating: 9/10
Found at: Trader Joe’s ($2.99)

REVIEW: TastyKake Birthday Kake and Blueberry Mini Donuts

July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 / seansskillet / Leave a comment

TastyKake are gunning for sweet summer nostalgia with a line of fun festive snack cakes bursting with berries and sunshine. While many of these cellophane-wrapped beauties are very hit or miss, mini donuts tends to really speak to my soul with their traditional ‘murican breakfast appeal and fun sized pop-ability. To welcome long days and short nights TastyKake blessed us with both Birthday Kake and Blueberry Mini Donuts, and I’m gonna have me a two-for-one mouth party.

The Birthday Kake donuts, visually, are a real deal fiesta. They’re a spin on the classic mini crunch donut, but instead of being studded with crumbs of tan and brown, they’re an explosive sprinkle mix of blue, red, green, orange, and pink. The smell doesn’t immediately channel cake, but it doesn’t smell of coconut or cinnamon the way most crunch mini’s smell, and clearly they’re a different birthday beast.

The texture is middle of the road – not super dry but also not the smoothest or moistest bagged donut I’ve had. The bite is soft with some crunch but not particularly exciting, and there isn’t nearly as much vanilla flavor as I anticipated with the big visual pop. To be honest, nothing about the flavor screams cake here aside from a touch of eggy-ness that hints at yellow cake, but not enough to truly satisfy. There are no elements of frosting or dominant vanilla that would truly channel a celebratory slice, and while they don’t taste bad, they’re ultimately kind of boring and nothing to don a pointy party hat for.

Rating: 5.5/10

The Blueberry donuts are a summer-y spin on the standard powdered variety, with a good dose of coke white shimmer on the outside and a pretty purple on the inside. The smell is immediately big and bright with an intense sweetness and pretty authentic blueberry notes that seem more promising than the usual hyper-artificial flavors that go hand in hand with other berries (like strawberry).

The texture on these ‘nuts is fantastic. Super soft and moist, they almost melt in my mouth when I bite in with a lovely squish that screams fresh summer delight. The blueberry is very assertive and sweet, with just a slight tartness that keeps them from going overboard. Make no mistake, they’re covered in sugar so they’re quite sweet, but the execution of the blueberry prevents the donut from being a single sugary note. While there are no actual pieces of blueberries like in a blueberry muffin, the flavor is dialed in and delicious and when it comes to the fruit-emulation game these are a real winner.

Rating: 8/10

*Disclosure* These donuts were graciously sent to me by the folks at TastyKake but the cost of the cakes in no way influenced my opinion of them!

Sean's Skillet

ice cream, snack reviews, and bay area eats

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