Snack News: Viennetta Returns!

‘Tis the season for tidings of joy, and have I got some joy to tide! That beloved frozen dessert of our (ok, my) childhood is returning, albeit for a limited time. That’s right, people, Viennetta is back!

What is Viennetta, some of you may be wondering. Well, it’s basically layers of ice cream and chocolate shaped like a wavy yule log. It has crispy layers and melty layers and layers of just plain goodness. For a more detailed look, there’s even a YouTube video of the making of Viennetta.

As a kid, I loved seeing the box of Viennetta in the bag when my Mom came home from the grocery store. Needless to say, I’m excited to see it back! Plus, the price is right - only about $3 for a box. The only downside of this re-release is that it’s only until March 2009, so if you’ve been missing it, go get some now and stock up! Both chocolate and vanilla varieties are now available.

Snack Review: Sweetzels Spiced Wafers

OK, I promise not to make this into another rant about the Good Old Snacking Days. On one condition. You promise to buy some gingersnaps next time you find them.

I am not instructing you to buy Sweetzel’s Spiced Wafers in particular, but that’s not because they aren’t good. They are very, very good. However, they might not be available where you live, since they are a local speciality. As it says on their website:

Over 90 Years ago, we at Sweetzels® revived the colonial Spice and Molasses Cookie by developing a unique recipe for our Spiced Wafers. Fresh baked Spiced Wafers, warm apple cider and a glowing fire have become a favorite Philadelphia Tradition to the welcoming of fall.

They’re now available in other parts of the east and parts of the Midwest, but are apparently still only made in the fall and winter. So you want to go out right now and look for them.

I kind of have my doubts about the 90 year old recipe – the ingredients contain palm oil, which is not a very traditional American baking ingredient. But the important part of the recipe is no doubt the spice blend, and enough molasses to make a difference. These are wonderfully spicy, molasses-y, and not too sweet.

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Snack Review: Breyers Triple Chocolate Ice Cream

While visiting my Mom the other day, we discovered that we had the house to ourselves, so we brought out the Breyers ice cream. My Mom is a big fan of Breyers, so she always has some various flavor packed away in her freezer. This time it was Breyers Triple Chocolate All Natural Ice Cream.

I’m all for chocolate, but sometimes things can be a little too chocolaty, so I was hesitant to try it, figuring all three flavors combined would give my taste buds spasms. The three flavors in this ice cream carton were: white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. I decided to try all of them separately before combining them.

I tried the white chocolate first: I noticed the taste of chocolate right away, but my Mom didn’t think so and said it tasted like plain vanilla. She is so wrong.

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I Drink Your MILKSHAKE!

Milkshakes have always been an important part of the complete snacker’s repertoire, and with the success of this year’s There Will Be Blood and the popularity of the quirky and brilliantly creepy “milkshake” scene (is there any doubt that Daniel Day-Lewis is a genius?), there seems to be a slight surge in popularity for the frosty and deeply satisfying drink.

You can also find t-shirts at the “Ultimate T-Shirt Search Engine” Teenormous featuring the milkshake-drinking catchphrase.

With cooler weather upon us, or at least gaining on us, I took one last look at this summertime beverage and compared a few of the choices on the market. Here are the astounding results.

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Snack Review: Breyers Vanilla Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

OK, this is my own fault. I do nothing but complain about the passing of the Good Old Snacking Days and yelling at those new-fangled ice cream flavors to get off of my lawn. I even wrote in my peach ice cream article about my fear that one of my favorite old flavors, vanilla fudge twirl, might be extinct.

So what do I do when faced by a virtual wall of flavors that includes my favorite old standby? Do I stick faithfully to the old friend when he shows up, after all that complaining that he never calls and never writes? Do I rejoice at his return?

No. What I do is get distracted by all the choices and pick another flavor. Because look - vanilla fudge brownie. It’s exactly like vanilla fudge twirl except that it also has pieces of brownie in it. How can you lose?

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