Chocolate Pez and Valentine's Day Sweet Treats

Happy Valentine's Day even though it's probably going to be the 15th or later when you read this. (If that's the case just read this same post next year and that opening greeting will be relevant.)  Anyway, I thought I'd do a little quick post tonight based around candy, specifically candy that you either got for or received from your significant other for the holiday.  If you were alone this Valentine's Day you should have still got yourself some candy. It washes down great with lonely tears of infinite sadness.

My favorite candy to give or receive for any holiday are Lindor truffles.  The milk chocolate and white chocolate are absolutely fantastic.  Nothing better than cracking through the brittle chocolate shell and getting into the soft middle (like the Colts pass defense!).  The Girlfriend and I gave these to each other, and we were both happy with that.  However, I was feeling whimsical so I also got The Girlfriend a little V-Day Pez dispenser with chocolate, yes chocolate, Pez.  I had never had this before so I asked her for a taste.  In a word it was disgusting.  Despite my general rule that candy always tastes good when coming out of the throat of a plastic animal I'm declaring that Pez should stick to fruit flavors only. 

If you're so inclined leave some comments about your favorite candy or what you received for this Hallmarkiest of holidays.

Sweet Treat Review: Nestle's Milk Chocolate Bar

I said the terms "milk chocolate" and "chocolate bar" to you your first thought would probably be Hershey's.  Sure, we're all aware that other chocolate and candy companies exist, but when you are talking about a pure chocolate candy bar with not other elements a lot of people may not even know that the Nestle company even produces such a product.  After all it's not something that you see frequently on store shelves here in Indiana.  It's not part of the "chocolate zeigeist" if such a douchey phrase actually existed.  When I saw the Nestle Milk Chocolate bar for sale at the local Dollar Tree of all places I selflessly decided to try it out for your benefit and report to you my findings.

So what did I find out?  I found out that it's pretty much a Nestle Crunch without the puffed rice to add the crunch.  I thought in comparison to a Hershey bar that the Nestle bar was maybe slightly less sweet, but that's really only splitting hairs.  They both taste like milk chocolate and they were both darn good.  I'm so used to Hershey bars thought it was a little strange for me to not have the bar segmented into little rectangles that could be broken off.  I think I prefer it that way as would any OCD chocolate connoisseur. 

Taste 5/10 Just average here.  Nothing to make me change my brand allegiance.  I much prefer Nestle's Baby Ruth to their regular chocolate bar.

Value N/A

P.S. Apologies for torn packaging in the picture.  The Girlfriend tried part of it before it dawned on me to take a picture.

Weekend Food Preview/ New York Cheesecake Cookies

This weekend is a little bit special as I will be making a jaunt to the farthest point in South central Indiana.  I probably won't be doing a lot of eating out this weekend, but if anyone knows of places to go along the I-65 corridor let me know.  Also, I wanted to give you all a little sneak peak of some things I'm working on.  I should have some good product reviews coming down the pipe with frozen items I haven't heard a lot of feedback about yet.  A couple of them are new varieties of Hot Pockets so you know that has some potential.  Also, I wanted to ask all of you a question.  Has anyone ever had Godfather's pizza?  If so where is the closest one to Indy?  Have a good weekend everybody.  To hold you over until next week here's a recipe for New York Cheesecake Cookies.  The Girlfriend and I made them last night, and despite being a Sandra Lee recipe they are pretty ballin.  One note though...the dough might be a little dry.  Just add a little water (less than 1/4 cup) and it should be fine.  Happy eatings.

The finished product

New York Cheesecake CookiesRecipe copyright Sandra Lee, 2011

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg white and beat until well combined. Add to the graham cracker crumbs and blend until just combined.

In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. (If you do not have an ice scoop, then measure out the dough into scoops of about 2 tablespoons.) Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon the cream cheese into the indents in the cookies.

Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg white and beat until well combined. Add to the graham cracker crumbs and blend until just combined.

In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. (If you do not have an ice scoop, then measure out the dough into scoops of about 2 tablespoons.) Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon the cream cheese into the indents in the cookies.

Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Sweet Treat: Paradise Cafe Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ok here were are again at the intersection of two of my favorite things in the entire world chocolate chip cookies and toasted coconut.  While one would think that very little could go wrong with a coconut chocolate chip cookie given my culinary predilictions I have to say that this was not immediately a slam dunk.  While I love chocolate chip cookies I'm a little particular about them.  I definitely prefer soft and chewy over crunchy and crumbly.  I believe this is also the reason why I almost like to eat cookie dough as much as I like to eat the cookies themselves.   Also, it's important to me that any good chocolate chip cookie have chocolate pieces that aren't too big (no chunks please) and evenly distributed.  As for the coconut I'm pretty cool with it in all of it's forms, but much like everything else in life being a little bit toasted is always better.  How did these cookies from Paradise Bakery and Cafe, a place I had never been, stack up.

Truthfully and honestly I have to say these were the best chocolate chip cookies I can remember eating.  The regular chocolate chip was fantastic.  It met all of the criteria I described above and then some.  It far exceeded expectations.  I was a little more skeptical when I tried the chocolate chip coconut.  I had never had this particular combination before, and just having ate the regular chocolate chip it was going to have a lot to stack up to.  It passed the test with flying colors.  The coconut was not simply sprinkled on top but seemed to be actually mixed throughout the entire cookie.  It was also nicely toasted despite the cookie still being very moist and chewy.  The chocolate chips were evenly distributed and had the perfect melted consistency.  I wish had one right now.

Taste 10/10 As far as flavor combinations and chocolate chip cookies go this was it for me. 

Value 6/10  These cookies are pretty fantastic, but they dont come cheap.  They were running a special where you bought 3 cookies and got 1 free and the total came to almost 5 bucks! Yowza!  If the taste was anything less than a 10 the value score probably wouldn't have been dragged down significantly.

Sweet Treat Product Review: Coconut M&M's

I'm not a big candy guy as you can probably tell from other lukewarm candy reviews I've done here on the RDERF blog.  It's also true that when I do find myself wanting candy M&M's usually falls to the bottom of the list for me.  I usually like something more going on in my candy than just chocolate in a candy shell.  I usually prefer peanuts/peanut butter or caramel to be in the mix somehow.  However, there is one other flavor that will usually always make me go for a quick impulse buy...coconut.

If my friends and family are any indication (small sample I know but I'm not the frickin' Nielsen people over here) coconut is easily one of the most divisive flavors out there.  A lot of people hate it, but I'm in the love it camp.  I enjoy both the texture and flavor in really all of it's forms.  When you add it to something chocolate I can hardly resist.  That was the case with coconut M&M's.  I was expecting to have the usual candy shell surrounding the chocolate center with maybe a little bit of coconut enshrined inside the chocolate similar to the way peanut butter M&M's are constructed.  In this regard I was disappointed.  There is absolutely no visible coconut anywhere in coconut M&M's.  Other than smelling a little bit like that girl in your dorm freshman year that threw up a handle of Malibu there really isn't a discernible difference between these and the regular M&M's we all know and love.  There is however a distinct flavor difference.  I was a little bit skeptical at first since when you first have one the coconut flavor doesn't hit your immediately.  After you have 2 or 3 it comes on a little bit stronger on the back end.  The flavor is similar to maybe what a Samoa Girl Scout cookie might taste like without the caramel.


Taste 6/10 The coconut flavor is there, but it was begging to have a little actual coconut in each individual candy and it's just not there.  I'd probably buy these again, but I don't think they've moved M&M's anywhere near my upper echelon of candy choices.

Value  N/A  Come on they're M&M's.  They cost what M&M's cost.

Sweet Treat/Product Review: Pillsbury Sweet Moments Bite-size Brownies

Full Disclosure:  This product was provided to me free of charge.

It has been a while since our last sweet treat review here at the Random Dude Eats Random Food blog, and since Pillbury's PR firm mailed me 2 of their new flavors of brownie bites I decided it was a good time for a review. 

The enclosed promotional materials state the following: "Pillsbury Sweet Moments are small bites of decadent pleasure made just for you.  Each ready-to-eat brownie bite is layered with a luxurious filling, enrobed in a cocoa-kissed shell and finished off with a delicate cocoa drizzle.  Found in the refrigerated section, Pillsbury Sweet Moments are best served cool to accentuate each decadent layer and to magnify each distinct texture for the ultimate indulgent bite."  Damn I haven't heard that much overselling since the last time I saw fat Mike Golic hawking NutriSystem.  Anyway, the two new flavors I tried are the Caramel Brownie Cheesecake and Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake.  Being that cheesecake and brownies are two of my favorite desserts I feel like I would be a good judge here.  Let's get to my findings.

Raspberry

When the brownie bites were shipped to me they were included with a cold pack, but being that they had been sitting in the box for quite a while they really weren't very cold when I opened them.  Since they are supposed to be cold to get the full experience according to Pillsbury I decided to refrigerate them for a bit before I tried them out.  My favorite of the two was the Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie.  The raspberry flavor was really assertive and you could pick it out over the chocolate brownie.  In the case of the Caramel Brownie Cheesecake I could taste only the brownie.  If I wouldn't have seen the cheesecake layer and caramel with my own eyes I'm not sure I would have believed they were even there.  Truthfully I had a hard time picking out cheesecake flavor in both cases.  Cheesecake is one of my favorite things so I was undoubtedly a little disappointed it added little else than a nice texture contrast.  The chocolate coating on the outside was quite good and held up nicely without melting too quickly.  I also thought they bites were a nice size.  They are actually big enough to eat in 2 bites if you wish.  There were also more bites in each package than I expected. 

Caramel

Taste 6.5/10  These taste good and are a good snack, but they really mostly just taste like a brownie or a brownie with a raspberry filling with the cheesecake there in name only.  Nothing revolutionary flavor-wise at all, but little popable brownies could get addictive.
Value 6.5/10  Like I said at the start I did not pay for these, but the MSRP per bag is $3.19.  I don't think that is great, but it's definitely comparable to other snacks you can buy in the grocery store and probably a little cheaper than other brand name "premium" desserts.

Favorite Candy At The Moment

I'm not someone who is really into sweets, candy and chocolate specifically, but I did take a break from savory reviews a while back to give my thoughts on the new Hershey's Air Delights bar. That got me thinking about what candy bars I do really enjoy from time to time, allbeit seldomly. It fluctuates, but for a while my favorite has been the regular Twix bar. I love the chocolate, caramel and cookie combo. In second place is probably the regular Hershey bar. Simple and delicious. I also wish they would bring back Butterfinger BBs. Great Butterfinger taste without getting stuck in your teeth. Let me know what your favorites are or if there are any defunct candies they should bring back.

Sweet Treat/Product Review: Hershey's Air Delight candy bar

Oh yes the allure of the new product on the grocery store shelves.  Much like a Michael Bay film we are drawn to it despite every ounce of your being telling you how lame it probably is going to be once you try it/see it.  That's a pretty good summation of my experience with the Hershey's Air Delight candy bar.  Ever the ultimate impulse buy in the grocery checkout line I saw the words "new" and "Hershey's" and I was hooked.  Unfortunately the results were pretty much what I expected.

The stated premise of this candy bar is to provide a new light airy texture to the classic Hershey bar.  I maintain the real premise is to sell you more air and less chocolate for the same price, but let's focus on the taste and claims of the manufacturer for the moment.  As far as the taste goes it is probably the least exciting new product I've ever tried out.  It's just a damn Hershey bar that is porous on the inside.  No new flavors.  No different size.  Nothing.  The shape is different and the bar is thicker, but that's just to leave room for the air holes.  The taste is Hershey's milk chocolate.  No different.  If the point of difference is supposed to be the texture I have to say I didn't really get that either.  It's just porous chocolate.  It's not more crunchy or anything else.  Once you take a bite and can no longer see the bar there is absolutely no difference.  In fact if anything I find it less appealing.  The simplicity of a solid chocolate bar is something I enjoy.  Stick with what works.  I see no reason to mess with the classics. 

Normally I would stick the taste and value ratings down here, but I feel with just this simple candy bar those things really don't fit so I'll just say I won't be eating any more aerated chocolate.  It's just a marketing gimmick and not even a terribly good one.  However, I am still on the lookout for the new coconut Twix bar.  That sounds like a new candy bar I could actually get behind.  If you know a place that has some let me know.

Sweet Treat: The Sweet Life

I know it has been a little while since we had a really good Sweet Treat feature review here at RDERF and I apologize.  I've been trying to drop a few lbs (down 16 so far!), and one of my main strategies is cut almost cut out sweets entirely.  However, there is a place in a strip mall on Allisonville Rd just South of 116th St. that has piqued my interest on my daily commute since last Winter.  It's called The Sweet Life, and I finally found room in my diet to to try it out.

The Sweet Life is an independent dessert and coffee shop.  When I walked in I noticed they sold various styles of fancy coffee I don't drink, chocolate candies, various flavors of cupcakes and homemade pies.  I've been looking for a good pie shop for a long time, and sure enough The Sweet Life sells their pies either whole or by the slice.  For my experience I decided to go with a slice of blueberry pie (my favorite) and one of their coconut cupcakes.

For me the most important thing in a pie, especially a fruit pie, is undoubtedly the crust.  A crust that is too dry or too think can absolutely ruin an otherwise enjoyable pie experience.  I have to say though that the slice of blueberry I had from The Sweet Life is maybe the best pie I've tasted in my life.  That is not a joke.  Not only was the filling appropriately sweet and plentiful, but the crust was nothing short of amazing.  It was flaky, but moist enough as to not be too crumbly.  It was also the perfect thickness never overwhelming the filling.  My mouth is watering now as I write about it.  Seriously, it's good enough to want to make me just say eff the diet and hook myself up to a pie IV. I hate the idea of "food trends", but if pies like this are trend bring it on.

Cupcakes have also some some "food trend" hate on this blog, but likewise the coconut cupcake here was fantastic.  Granted it was nothing Earth shattering.  I don't think it's possible for cupcakes of any variety to rock my world that much, but the cake was moist, well flavored and the icing was not overly sweet.  I also enjoyed the toasted coconut topping.

Taste 9.5  If this place is putting out pie like I had on a consistent basis I'd be willing to put their pie up against any in the state.  Damn this diet for keeping me from going back and trying more stuff.  If I was to make one suggestion I wish they would have donuts as well.

Value 7.5  Okay I'll be straight with you, baked goods that are hand made in small shop and made this well aren't going to be dirt cheap.  The good part is they don't have to be to be a really good value.  It's not going to kill anyone's pocketbook to stop in for a slice of pie and a coffee.

Sweet Treat: Yogi Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

One of the things we love and sometimes love to hate here at RDERF (I'm tryin' it out) are food trends especially those involving dessert.  If you have been eating your way around the greater Indianapolis area you might have noticed one of the newest burgeoning trends, self-serve frozen yogurt shops.  The idea is pretty ingenious from a business model perspective.  You let your customers select their flavor from a bank of various soft serve machines, they fill their own yogurt cup, they add their own toppings and pay a single cashier according to the weight of the yogurt+toppings.  It minimizes the labor and equipment required, but is there a sacrifice in taste or flavor?

When I went to Yogi the first thing I noticed, other than the barebones setup, is that the place was fairly new and certainly popular.  The amount of Fishers trophy wives soccer moms with their herds of children was certainly staggering.  It was almost like I didn't belong.  Nonetheless I soldiered on and got a cup of the cake batter flavored frozen yogurt.  When it came to toppings I thought things went a bit haywire.  The amount of topping choices was a bit overwhelming.  I didn't know what to chose between the various types of dry fruity cereal, chocolate chips, fresh fruit and sauces.  I ended up with fresh blueberries, cheesecake pieces and white chocolate chips.  These were all things I liked, but the flavor combination didn't really work.  Of course that is no one's fault but my own, but it would have been nice to have at least some suggested flavor combinations available.  Also, I found the blueberries really lacking in sweetness.  As far as the yogurt itself was concerned I didn't enjoy it at all.  While allegedly flavored like cake batter I couldn't discern any noticeable flavor whatsoever when I got a bite that didn't include any of my topping choices.  I found this particularly disappointing because I have really enjoyed froyo at other places in the past such as Incredible Yogurt in Muncie, IN.

Yogi's isn't on UrbanSpoon yet so if you want to check it out for yourself it's located at 12660 E 116th St Fishers, IN.

Taste 4/10  Decidedly meh.  It may be worth another shot with a different froyo flavor than cake batter, but I don't see myself rushing back.  People have told me Huddles is a better similar yogurt shop so I may try that.

Value 4/10  I didn't find it particularly expensive, but I would have much rather spent a similar amount on some other ice cream, froyo or dessert.

Sweet Treat Ben And Jerry's New Ice Cream Flavors

If you're reading this blog you're probably familiar with Ben and Jerry's ice cream and their tendency toward interesting new flavor combinations.  A little while ago The Girlfriend and I realized that we had a little bit of money left over on a Target gift card we got for Christmas and decided to use it to create our own Ben and Jerry's tasting menu.  The flavors we decided to go with?  Red Velvet Cake, Bonaroo Buzz, Creme Brulee, and Late Night Snack.

Right up front I want to say that without a doubt Late Night Snack was my favorite not only of the flavors we tried in this tasting but also of any Ben and Jerry's flavor I've ever had.  It is vanilla bean ice cream, caramel swirl, and fudge coated potato chip balls.  It sounds a little strange I know, but it was amazing how well all the flavors really worked together.  The salty chocolate of the potato chip pieces were the perfect complement to the incredibly sweet ice cream.  Nothing over powered anything else and yet I could taste each flavor individually.  Go to the store and pick some up tonight.

Bonaroo Buzz I was less enamored with.  The carton was clearly labeled coffee flavored ice cream, but the flavor profile of the coffee was overwhelmingly assertive.  I was also disappointed with the English toffee pieces that were included.  The toffee pieces were so big there was no way to incorporate them into one normal sized bite.  Overall I didn't find it very pleasing as a dessert.

The Red Velvet Cake could best be summed up with what you see is what you get.  The ice cream was cake flavored and slightly reddish pink with red velvet cake pieces mixed in.  So if you're like me and enjoy Ben and Jerry's because you like multiple flavors in one package then this isn't for you.  It was overwhelmingly one note.  The cake pieces offered a texture difference but that's about it.  If you're not expecting anything more you'll probably enjoy this more than I did.

Somewhat in the same vein was Creme Brulee.  The ice cream was a ridiculously over sweet custard ice cream with some sugar crystals mixed in.  To quote my man Homer J.  it wasn't undelicious, but it lacked anything to really make it special.  Also with it being so sweet it was hard to eat more than a couple bites at a time.  Also, I thought it was strange to call something brulee when there would really be no possible way to have any brulee aspect to this at all. 

The bottom line?  Even if some flavors aren't as big of a hit as others when it comes to Ben and Jerry's they are always interesting enough to try out.  If you have a different favorite flavor of ice cream or a flavor idea that would would like to see produced shout it out in ye olde comments section.

Sweet Treat: Edy's Samoas Ice Cream



I confess and I'll own up to it right now.  I have a serious weakness for Samoa Girl Scout Cookies.  Whenever the time of the years rolls around when they're being sold I simply am compelled to buy some and consume them in short order.  That's why I was so intrigued when I looked in the freezer section while The Girlfriend and I were at the grocery store last night.  Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he had left Edy's Samoas Ice Cream in my grocer's freezer.  Being that it was also on sale I just had to pick some up.

Unfortunately I have to report that while I think Samoa ice cream is great in theory in practice it just wasn't a home run for me.  It should have been.  All the components are things I love: caramel ice cream, fudge, sizable chunks of Samoa cookie pieces.  However, it just didn't come together into something that I found that tasty.  The best part of it by far was the cookie pieces, but I could barely taste any caramel flavor at all from the ice cream.  Maybe it would be improved by a coconut ice cream base with actual ribbons of caramel running through it.  It's also true that perhaps my expectations were just a bit too high on this one.  Whatever the case may be the fact remains that when you try new things you win some and you lose some.  Next it's time to get my hands on Ben and Jerry's new Late Night Snack ice cream.

Sweet Treat: Gummy Bears

Usually if I want something sweet one of the last things I seek out is candy.  Every once in a while I'll get the urge to have a candy bar, but sweets to me mostly fall into the baked goods or pastry category.  But to every rule there are some exceptions and my exception is gummy bears.  Ever since I was a little kid I have had a sweet spot for gummy candies of all kinds.  I like the traditional fruit flavored gummy bears, but I've been known to crave fruit snacks or sour gummy worms also.  I'm not really sure what the attraction is to that particular kind of candy, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they are usually not too sweet and the appealing texture.  They're also incredibly portable and don't melt like chocolate does.  Put them in a bag, take them to work and brighten your day.  Or if you're one of those Man vs. Food type people go ahead and order this 5lb monstrosity.

image courtesey crunchgear.com

Fast Food Memoriam: The Hardee's Big Cookie

Some of my fondest childhood memories stem from the days when my mother would take me over to my grandma's so she could babysit me while mom my worked.  Often times either on our way to my grandparents house or on the way home in the afternoon my mom would stop and get me a special treat.  That treat was the Big Cookie from Hardee's.  That oversized, soft, warm chocolate chip cookie never ceased to bring a smile to my face.  It is with great sadness that I lament its passing.  I hadn't thought much about it in years until it came in conversation today, and I was incredibly disappointed that you can no longer stop into your local Hardee's and pick one up.  All of the Hardee's locations in Muncie where I grew up are closed and gone and have been for years.  You can't even get a Hardee's burger where I grew up let alone my favorite childhood treat.  When Hardee's did their menu overhaul several years ago some things were bound to get lost in the shuffle for the sake of making an overall better menu.  It's just unfortunate that the Big Cookie had to be one of those casualties of the corporate battlefield.  What are some of your favorite no longer in existence fast food menu items?  I have a feeling there are several out there that might be worth blogging about.  Also, I wasn't able to find any pictures of the Big Cookie and the Big Cookie pouch that it came in so if anybody can find one on the googles or somewhere else let me know.

Sweet Treat: St Patty's Day Cookies

Despite all the craziness and trendiness around cakes and cupcakes these days neither one really do that much for me.  They're okay, but if I really want to satisfy my sweet tooth I reach for a cookie.  Last week I was in luck because a co-worker of mine who is a fantastic baker and cake decorator sent several of us here in the office a little box of homemade St Patrick's Day themed sugar cookies.  I'm usually more of a chocolate chip kind of guy, but she totally nailed what a good sugar cookie is supposed to be.  They were soft and fluffy without being too heavy like some store brand sugar cookies.  Also, the icing that she put on them was fantastic.  Sweet and not too thick so it didn't dominate the cookie.  Some of the cookies also had green icing which had just a hint of mint flavor on the back end which I really enjoyed.  It's nice when the icing itself actually has flavor added instead of just food coloring.  Also, you have to admit that shamrock shaped cookies are pretty cool no matter what.

Sweet Treat: Marsh Cannoli

I've got some restaurant reviews in the works, but I guess my sweet tooth has been making itself known lately. I love cannolis and I've been in the mood for one for weeks. Unfortunately they can be difficult to find at restaurants.  When I saw them at the Marsh bakery I decided to snap it up. 
I knew ahead of time that Marsh doesn't make any of their bakery items in house other than the bread. The quality of the cannoli obviously suffered because of this. The sweet marscapone and chocolate chips were tasty but definitely not fresh. The shell was most disappointing.  It was broken in the middle and lacked any sort of crispness whatsoever.  At a price of $2.29 per cannoli it just isn't worth it. It really only fueled my desire to get one from a real bakery.



Author's Note:  For those not from the Hoosier state Marsh is a local grocery store chain.

Sweet Treat: Panera Cobblestone Muffin

As you might have figured out already if you've been reading this blog I'm not really much for dessert, sweets or pastries.  To add a change of pace however I decided I'd do a few quick reviews in coming days of sweet treats of which I have partaken.  Yesterday I decided to kick things off with a cobblestone muffin from Panera. 

 If I had to describe what a cobblestone muffin is like I'd probably have to say it's almost like a bread pudding shaped into a muffin form crossed with a glazed apple fritter donut.  The size of the muffin is quite large at about the size of or a little bit larger than my very manly fist.  I thought the flavor was good with the most prominent flavor being the cinnamon/apple flavor.  I couldn't really taste the raisins in it at all.  My favorite part however was the very top of the muffin that had the hard glazed crust.  The inner softer didn't have nearly as good of a texture and it was so sticky it was somewhat hard to eat.

Overall, I think if you are in the mood for a pastry and are either really hungry or indifferent to heavy food I think you would probably enjoy the cobblestone muffin.  It is probably one of the more interesting sweets produced in the Panera bakery (which is much superior to the Cafe portion of the store btw).  I don't really want to give any sweets/desserts a rating on the Taste/Value scales because I think their aim is short term appeasement of cravings or indulgence and I want to evaluate them as such.  For me this one hit the mark for the most part, but as far as bakery items from Panera it's still yet to surpass the cinnamon crunch bagel or cheese danish.