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Nabisco Chips Ahoy! ChewyKcal 120 Fat 6.0g Fat(sats) 3.0g Carbs 17.0g (per 2 cookies)
It was only a few weeks ago that I posted my review of the original Nabisco Chip Ahoy! where I concluded that for store bought cookies they weren't a 'half bad option'. Following that review, several JCM readers requested I try the Chewy variant that had recently been added to the AmericanSoda website ...... wollah ... :D
AmericanSoda kindly provided me with a 396.0g pack that included around 30 or so cookies which were contained in a red coloured resealable foil pack. In hand, these Chewy cookies were smaller in size and and softer to touch though we had no issues of crumbling which one might have expected. Taste wise these delivered broadly the same experience to the original variant cookies, though one of my co-workers commented that they tasted more chocolatey as the number of chocolate chips was maintained despite the smaller size. As promised the cookies were softer in texture, and melted very nicely to give what I thought was more pleasant mouth feel. To be frank these didn't offer much differentiation from a typical Chips Ahoy! experience, however if you are one of those people that likes to change things up every now and then you could have some fun to be had with these.
7.8 out of 10
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Marshmallow Fluff VanilaKcal 60 Fat 0.0g Fat(sats) 0.0g Carbs 15.0g (2 tsp - 18.0g)
I honestly can't tell you how much fun I've been having with this stuff :D Indeed for the past week or so I've been experimenting with all different manner of food/drink stuffs trying to find the optimal situation for use of this dexterous ingredient. I present to you vanilla flavoured Marshmallow Fluff - 'a very sweet, spreadable, marshmallow-like confection' (according to Wiki).
With great difficulty you will be able to make out the marshmallow based substance piled on to my spoon in my photo above. As you can hopefully see, this was spoon-able mallow substance that can be used in a number of different ways. I tried it with ice cream, yoghurt, crackers, biscuits, milk, coffees etc ... you name it I stuck Fluff on it. Most the time the Fluff added a startling sugar hit to the taste, though as promised it did also bring a hint of vanilla which made it more than just a sugary gloop. By far and away the best usage of this Fluff came when making the famous American 'Fluffernutter' aka for me here toast with peanut butter and fluff. The salty sweet combination was quite the experience - definitely not a 'have everyday' sort of experience, but more a once or twice a year special occasion sort of pleasantness. If you like your sweet food ingredients you need to make sure you have a jar of Marshmallow Fluff in your cupboard just for when you need that extreme junk food indulgence snack.
7.0 out of 10
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Moon Pie Double Decker Chocolate FlavourKcal 300 Fat 7.0g Fat(sats) 5.0g Carbs 55.0g
I was delighted this month to finally lay hands on to one of America's most commonly referred to pop culture snacks the Moon Pie. Moon Pies have always been one of those things that I knew existed and heard talked about a lot in US TV programming, however until this time I had never tried one myself. After pulling a few American Soda strings I finally got my opportunity to put this straight.
According to Wiki a Moon Pie 'is a pastry which consists of two round graham cracker cookies, with marshmallow filling in the center, dipped in chocolate or other flavours'. The Moon Pie I managed to lay hands on was of the 'Double Decker' variety, which as you can see, double up the Graham Cracker and marshmallow layers. The presentation of the pie was a little iffy, though I have given it the benefit of the doubt considering how far it travelled. What was blindingly evident however was the thickness (or lack of!) of the chocolate layer - it was frankly a non-existent aspect of the taste and got lost in the cracker and marshmallow elements. Speaking of which both the cracker and marshmallow constituents were hardly the most flavoursome in isolation, however together they combined for a fair salty biscuit wafer and sweet mallow synergy which meant it at least offered a token taste. To be honest I was expecting a little more from such a highly talked about snack - I think I may need to do a redux-review later down the line.
6.2 out of 10
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Kellogg's Pop Tarts S'moresKcal 200 Fat 5.0g Fat(sats) 1.5g Carbs 36.0g (per pastry)
No AmericanSoda feature would be complete without a Kellogg's Pop Tarts flavour review, and today we finish off with this S'mores flavour. AmericanSoda have one of the biggest ranges of Pop Tarts here in the UK with nearly twenty different flavours on offer - See HERE. I'm sure you will all be amazed at the amount of variety they have in the US compared to just the two Chocolate and strawberry flavours we have here.
If any of you are thinking that the sound of a 'chocolate and marshmallow filling inside a chocolate-icing topped graham cracker pastry' sounds rather familiar then the chances are you previously tried the Pop Tarts Choco-Mallow we used to get here in the UK. I used to have them as a kid myself, so everything from the appearance to the toasted aromas felt very nostalgic and took me back to my childhood and getting ready for school in the mornings. With memory Lane affections put to one side I tried these in two forms frozen (thanks for the tip Marvo! See HERE) and toasted. Unlike my 'Impulsive Buy' blogger friend I have to say I much preferred these when they were toasted as they the chocolate flavour hit cut through the sugaryness of the marshmallow and icing with greater effect. When frozen I didn't feel like I got the savoury cereal balance from the pastry, and the bran saltiness seemed greater when heated providing superior balance. I would rate this S'mores flavour as up there with some of the better Pop Tarts.
7.8 out of 10
Posts
72 comments:
I was aware that Chips Ahoy came in different flavours but I never knew that they did this chewy kind. Are they new or something? I just find it a little odd as the american cookies are one of the things I keep an eye on. Speaking of which ... Jim Triple Stuff Oreos dude!! Make sure we see the JCM ruling on them please.
AmericanSoda don't have the biggest or most up to date stock but I think their rates are some of the best I have seen on the internet? You change around american suppliers loads dont you J. Whose the best out of all the ones you have associated yourself with?
Ooooh as soon as I get paid im buying some of those chewy cookies they look lush.
This is post alone reveals why America has an obesity problem lol. There isn't a single grain of nutritional usefulness in any of these products today. You can look at all of them and say hand on heart that they are all junk food in its purest form.
I dont want to get on my high horse or anything but these are all typically american lol.
How have you managed to review so many american foods yet not reviewed just straight up chocolate chip pop tarts!?
Sort it out man!!!
You just gave me the biggest flashback to my childhood with that smores pop tarts post. For like a solid two years the chocolate marshmallow pop tarts were the only thing I would ever eat for brekkie. I got through two packs a week easily, thinking about it now it must have been so bad for me lol. When your a kid you don't think about these things.
Dont shout at me for my randomness but I have to get this off my chest.
HOW AMAZING IS CHOCOLATE COVERED LIQORICE.
Oh my god, I cant tell you how obsessed I have got with it. I had my first bag at the weekend and I have had to buy a further two since. I so addicted to it. There is a brand of it called Panda that they sell in most supermarkets etc jim. Honest get reviewing some asap. Please take it as a formal request.
Have you ever considered using american soda for what they are known for i.e. soda?
If you are a soda man it would be cool to see some reviews drop in to your snack of the week ones.
Are you ever going to do our requested lucky charms review jim?
Hey J
Omg how boring is this week without any football? I think its the first time in a long long while that we haven't had any mid-week football to discuss. Even back in summer we at least had the transfer speculation to talk about. Lol I guess we could talk about England :-P Last time we played I seem to recall you saying you didn't watch them though!?
Good reviews today chap. You always make everyone happy when you do the multi posts. Everyone appreciates the reviews that go alongside them but I think its the pics of the food that we all like the most.
Cheers
N
I have a bit of trivia themed on one of the reviews today.
Q. What was the reason given by Kellogg's for them removing the chocolate marshmallow pop tarts from the UK?
I will reveal the answer later. The prize is pride of chocolate knowledge lol.
Its such a shame all these American snacks are generally overpriced here. I enjoy alot of them immensely, more so than alot of our own snacks, but they are just sold so damn expensive most places. It's like these companies know they are lots better.
This site has changed so much from when I first started reading it. I think its brill you started reviewing more things than just plain chocolate. It makes it so much more interesting now you let yourself review foods like cookies and biscuits. You might need to change your name from the chocolate mission though. Would you consider it?
Jim can you use your connections to get us readers some discount from american soda? Any sort of P+P cuts would be amazin.
Reviews like this make me wish I lived out in America. The variety of snacks and stuff they get is unparalleled in any other country. I think I would have a hard time being as fit as I am though lol.
I doubt I'll ever be trying any of these myself but its still nice to read about them. I like the way you did the photo for that Fluff stuff lol. That pic makes me want to pick up that spoon and just nom it all down. I can imagine the fluffernutter sandwich is to die for what with the mixture of the ultra sweet and the salt. American Soda watchout here I come :P
Ive always been so curious about that Fluff stuff. I don't get how it works!? How the hell do you make marshmallow spreadable? I get the impression you make it spreadable by adding in a lot of dodgy artifical stuffs :/
Love your persistence with the Bits and Bobs posts Jim. Top quality reviews as per norm.
When are the hotel chocolat halloween reviews starting love? I need your advice for the kiddies.
Have you seen the Hersheys bar that is trying to rip of the cadburys whisper. They don't have it on that American site youve linked in but you can see it on here http://www.hersheys.com/pure-products/hersheys-air-delight-bar/air-delight.aspx.
Lol total rip off don't you agree? Its shameful when companies do stuff like this. Why dont they come up with their own ideas for once.
Cookies & Cream Pop Tarts = Best ever. Review please.
Its seems like we are in agreement on the fluff marshmallow here Jim. Its a fun ingredient to have round the kitchen for adding to random stuff, but to eat it as an everdyay food sounds stomach churning lol. The best use I found for it was to put it on buttered sliced toast. Yummo :)
Are you going to do any more cereal reviews J? I want to see Lucky Charms done.
No doubt im in the minority but I seriously hate pop tarts. One of my friends loves them so i have tried a fair few flavours ot them before. The frut ones are nicer than the chocolate ones normally but alot of those just taste the same to me. Im envisage a backlash on this comment so I wont put my name today =)
You just keep rattling these non-choc reviews off don't you chap. Have you realised that over half the reviews you do now have the potential of not having chocolate in at all. Bits and Bobs + Snack of the Week is what im on about btw
Jim can you tell American Soda to start selling Bugles please. They are the most epic crisps trust ... or should I say 'chips' lol.
If they introduced new flavours every so often I think Pop Tarts could be a lot bigger than they are at the moment. I think people here are just bored with the limited amount of options we get given. Its either strawberry, chocolate or nowt lol. They need something different from just those two imo.
I hate the advertising on your site now jim. It feels v v intrusive telling me what ive bought already.
@Ricky did they get rid of them because they weren't as popular as the others?
Jim you take pop tart requests right? Can we have one of the wild grape flavour please. I love any sweets grape flavoured from America. Its a unique flavor to them it seems.
Three weeks of bits and bobs :) we must be coming to some sort of record now. I love it.
Jim jim jim. What are you like son. Fluff can be used in so many better ways than the ones you have suggested. I'm not surprised you didn't try my method of eating it, but thats speacialist lol. I get marshmallows (normal ones), put them on fondue sticks and then cover that in peanut butte. I then dunk them in fluff and melted chocolate and then pop them in the freezer so the chocolate cools and hardens. I have some pictures of my creations if you want me to share :) I did it for a friends party not long ago.
Are you taking the mickey now Jim? A whole post dedicated to AmericanSoda and you still haven't done my Cheetos review?
You kno wot? Im just going to admit defeat now. I officially 100% give up on you ever doin one. Its your loss.
This is such a wicked post. Way too many tempting pics for my hunger pangs though :-P That will teach me to come on here before lunch.
Jim you are officially a machine. How does one guy sink so many different cakes and things within one week.
We have to see a health update post at some point :) I would love to hear about all the weight you might have put on since you started doing this all those years ago.
It has to have taken its toll man. Pop tarts, moon pies and cookies aren't the diet of a model :P
Im so so tempted just to order a whole lot of pop tarts and american cookies right now. its taking all of my self restraint not to.
Soft cookies are so much nicer than hardened ones. When cookies and biscuits go mega crunchy I always take that as a sign that they aren't fresh anymore. I know thats stpuid to think for a lot of biccies cause it can mean the the comple opposite but its so true about cookies you buy in supermarkets etc. They start out all soft and nice but its never long before they go all hard is it.
The day the delivery costs get sensible will be the day these companies start getting my money :P Until then I wont allow myself to be ripped off.
Fair play to you here. You obviously didn't review anything that you found amazing but its still gr8 to see you review these sort of foods. I have to say the fluff marshmallow sounds so much fun. I have already thought of a million and one foods I could use it with. Put on top of custard ot ice cream!? Mmm sounds the biz to me.
Yay thanks for reviewing the chewy chips ahoy for me Jim =) Now all you have left to do is the apple strudel PTs and you would have done all my requests ;) x
Dont ask me why but I reallywant a moon pie now :) I think its more the thing of just being able to say I've had one than anything else. Its like the deep fried mars bar. Even if you know you aren't going to like it you should try one in your lifetime just to say you have.
I love seeing the American snacks but is there anychance of you doing Asian ones again please. It feels like forever since your last review of anything pocky or like that!?
@Ricky did they have to stop selling them here because there were too costly to keep shipping over from the US to sell all the time?
Get me some form of discount code Jim and I wont be needing any sort of 2nd invitation here ;)
I think you would havea legit claim to have tried the most amount of pop tarts in the Uk jimbob.
Whatever carry on the way your going and you aint gonna be far off it. How many is it now? 10+?
Did you miss me whilst I was away>> So much for taking this day to catch up on all the reviews, it took me long enough to go through the four of them today lol. I have tried normal ChipsAhoy but none of the rest of any of these. I think I would try the PTs and the cookies but I've no interest in the pie thing or the curious looking marshmallow stuff. Thank you for the reviews babe. I'm glad to be back getting my choccie reviews each day.
x
x
I remember the days when we could never buy these sort of foods so easy. Its amazing how you can pretty much buy any snack you want these days. Granted some of them can come at a big price depending on what it is you want.
Ricky did they take them out because they were way more expensive to make compared to the other two?
Its very cool that AS allow you to write honest reviews on all they sell. One would expect them for you to want to say that these are all the best snacks ever etc. Its just comforting knowing that you are giving us honest opinions all the time. Has anyone ever approached you different? You don't have to say who they are. Im just being a nosey parker lol.
Incredible reviews Jim. Give your congratulations to your father for the photos dude ;) We can all tell when hes done them because of the picture quality.
Top reviews Jim. The cookies got me drooling big time.
The chocolate and marshmallow pop tarts used to be the bomb man. The chocolates ones they do us now are still ok but I always used to buy the chocolate ones with the marshmallow and plainer pastry when they had them. Im interested to hear why they stopped them (Ricky!!) I googled it quickly but I didn't find anything.
That marshmallow fluff is just begging to be put on the top of hot chocolate. I can see it being the ultimate topping for that.
Chips Ahoy > All other cookies.
Lol ive said it before but those chewy ones just confirm things.
That is a superb Fluff picture. Enough so that I will let go its sneaking out of snack of the week into chocolate territory ;) That Pop Tart is actually the first that has ever appealed to me, maybe cause real smores are fantastic. Or it could be the photography again...lol that you used to eat those for breakfast, I seem to remember someone being quite hard on my occasional childhood pack of chocokrispies.. :D
Nice reviews Jim. They really need to send you soft batch cookies though!
I was at a convention the other day and a stall was selling imported candy. One of the treats was marshmallow fluff, and I was sorely tempted to get it. But at £7.99 a jar, I gave it a pass. All the imported American sweets I've seen on sale seem double the price of UK stuff. Is that because it is imported and costs more to send over here, or is it that expensive in the states as well?
Are the MoonPies similar to Wagon Wheels? They sound like it.
They do like Graham Crackers and Marshmallow combinations,- and separately - in America dont they lol. Those Moon pies remind me of Wagon Wheels (and I think they left the wrapper in the 80's! lol), then Kelloggs go and make the Pop Tart version!
Those jars of Fluff are bizarre, Bill Bryson talks about them in one of his books when he moved back to the US, Id love to know what UK consumers would think if confronted with a row of jars of different flavoured marshmallow :P
@ Lee - you can also get them on ebay although the ones I saw were in larger packs rather than just a few grrr. I know what you mea, I think in the US aerated chocolate isnt very common so its quite interesting Hershey have produced a version - though I much prefer our Wispa as a name lol. Air Delight sounds a bit odd.
Hi All,
Bits and Bobs has gone down a treat once again. I'm sure you have gathered this from the review already but if you fancy anything of what is on offer today be sure to check out my guys at www.americansoda.co.uk who I'm sure will be more than happy to help you out with any questions etc.
Thanks for all the requests - I will see what the guys at AS are willing to send over and hopefully cover off the ones I can for you all.
TRICKY - No I don't think they are that new. Request noted.
NICK - I would use AS for now. Their rates are the best on shipping yet still competitive on the products. Go figure.
LISA - Panda Duello by anychance? Review coming soon.
NIGEL - It isn't the most exciting no. Luckily I'm just horrendously busy this week so I have stuff keeping me occupied. I'm not the greatest England fan no but I do watch their games.
RICKY - I think I know the answer to this :D I will let you spill the beans though.
GOLDEN - No way! The name stays even if the content evolves a little :D
XEN - I will see what I can do.
LINDA - Im still yet to get my HC Halloween package I'm afraid. It could be a last minute job this year. Sorry.
LEE - I have done. I will review it one day.
ANTHONY - They already do sell them I think. Have a look in their Grocery section.
HAYLEY - Sure it would be great to see some pictures if you have them.
ANON - Leave your name and I will talk cheetos with you :D
HENRY - A health update post wouldn't be very compelling. I've pretty much just stayed the same bodyshape as I just incorporate the chocolate/snacks I have in to my daily balanced diet. Believe me with work time pressures its more a case of not getting to eat enough rather than too much. I need some of that horrible calorie mate japanese stuff :D
ROSE - As soon as Jlist are listing chocolate again it will be all stations go. Watch this space.
DARREN - One thing you can rest assured with this place is that the reviews are all 100% legit and honest.
BJ - That nearly made me fall off my chair! £7.99 ... that hilarious they think they can charge that much. I think Moonpies are relatively inexpensive.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed already. I hope Ricky comes back to reveal his answer.
JIM
God some of these things take me back. Chips ahoy reminf me of the holidays we used to have in america and the pop tarts remind me of getting ready for school in the morning when I was younger.
No matter how careful I was I always used to get red marks on my shirts from the filling spewing out. My mum used to get so cross with me because the stains were always so tough to get back. Ahhhh those were the days.
What kind of relationship do you have with these peeps. Why are they so keen to send you things to eat?
You made me legit laugh out loud with the bit about the moon pie. You are so right, its one of those things that the Yanks always bang on about just assuming that every1 knows what it is. Lol Im glad you cleared it up for us :)
No one has come out with what I think is the right answer yet so I will wait a few days before I let the cat out the bag :)
You should have named this Bits and Bobs American Junk lol.
Yay. I have always wanted to know what the hell a moon pie was. Like you said in the writing bit Jim its one of those cakes that always get refferred to in american programing and they just assume you know what it is. Lol its nice to see/hear we aren't actually missing out on anything that major. It doesn't look like anything more than an oversized wagon wheel if you ask me.
I normally use cybercandy but I might give these lot a try now. Do they deliver fast? It took cybercandy 2 weeks to send out a parcel once grrrr. Slow post = most annoying thing ever.
Awesome photos + reviews m8. Im so jealous of you being able to try all this gear. By the sounds of things you are getting to do it all for free aswell. Thats just so cool.
I've always wanted to try that Fluff stuff. Its surprising we don't have our own UK alternative because from what I hear its very popular in the states.
That is so no what I thought a moon pie was going to be. I thought it was made out of ice cream to begin with lol.
I really think that a lot of these American products are overrated by British people just because they are a novelty. In my opinion, everything listed here is pretty gross, especially Pop Tarts (Toaster Strudels are better). And I think British products are incredible, likely because of the same reason; they are all new to me.
Jim - the other products I saw there weren't as expensive as that, but they were more than I would expect. Something like 65p chocolate bar we would buy at the shop here was about £1.65 for the imported equivalent.
I live in the US and in the south and moon pies are pretty good I think, but I admit that chocalate is my least favorite. IMO banana is better flavor. plus I also like the lemon and orange moon pie
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