Betty Crocker Snickerdoodle and Gingerbread Cookie Mix

 

Usually my sister and I make completely homemade cookies, but this year has been a particularly busy holiday season; thus, semi-homemade cookies seemed like the way to go. Having had the molasses cookies in this brand (and because they were on sale in the grocery store), we chose these to bake this year. We also got pumpkin spice, which will be reviewed in the future.

Both cookies baked well into cute circles as long as the batter remained cool so that it could be rolled into balls.

The snickerdoodle was perfect. I have no complaints about these. The cookies tasted exactly like the kind you would get at The Great Cookie in the mall. My only baking suggestion would be to sprinkle the provided cinnamon sugar on the top of the cookies as opposed to baking it inside – we tried both ways – because the cookies keep their cream color that way.

Betty Crocker Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix: 5/5

The Gingerbread cookies tasted fairly good. They contained a strong gingerbread flavor, which was satisfactory, but the sugary taste was less apparent. My suggestion would be to frost these cookies to add some sweetness, and then they would be perfect.

Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix: 4/5

So Delicious Coconut Nog

Having tried one other vegan nog that did not necessarily tickle my fancy, I cannot say I was particularly thrilled to try this one. But, being the nog lover I am and desperate to find a healthier alternative to egg nog that wasn’t a light/low fat version, I went to my local Wegman’s and purchased it. And I must say, this was one of the best holiday food purchases I have made to date.

When I opened it up, I smelled a nice waft of nutmeg, which was promising. When I poured it in my clear glass, I was in awe of the thick consistency even apparent in the pouring process, a consistency I’ve not experienced since I ceased purchasing regular egg nog. I held the glass to my lips, and again was taken aback; it tasted like nog too! The flavor was not overwhelmingly strong, but distinctly nog-like. The more I consumed, the more I enjoyed the creamy, familiar beverage.

The only thing keeping this from a perfect score is, as a non-vegan rating this to people who, by the content of this blog, I assume are also non vegan, the beverage does not contain the egg flavor, or even an imitation of t. While I am more than okay with that and just enjoy having a nog that’s healthy for which I do not have to compromise deliciousness, I realize others want that egg taste.

So Delicious Coconut Nog: 4.5/5

Eddy’s Pumpkin Ice Cream and Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Just a little back story on the picture. Finals week is approaching, so I’ve had lots of late nighters writing papers (boo). Usually my TV is always on The Food Network or The Cooking Channel, and while watching “Extra Virgin,” I learned what affogato was, a life changing experience, I assure you. And thus, this concoction was born. Pumpkin affogato.

I would be lying of I didn’t admit I searched reviews on different store brand pumpkin ice creams to find one worth purchasing. Near my university is a Kiwi Yogurt and a family owned ice cream shop called Scooped, both of which are serving festive flavors, including pumpkin. While both are absolutely delicious, I cannot afford to spend $4+ whenever I am craving pumpkin ice cream, one of my favorites since my freshman year (my first school’s dining facility actually carried pumpkin and pumpkin pie ice cream, brought by a local creamery, so I was spoiled). But I can spend that much on a gallon. So after some research, I came across Edy’s pumpkin ice cream. And I was not disappointed. The texture was smooth, and the ratio of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice was 50/50. The only reason it does not get a perfect score is because it does not have anything that makes it particularly special, like gram cracker or pie crust chunks, but it’s exactly what I wanted.

Edy’s Pumpkin Ice Cream: 4.5/5

Honestly the only reason I got the Dunkin pumpkin spice coffee was because it was on sale for under $2. I aleady had regular coffee and International Delight pumpkin  spice creamer. But I am glad I got it. It was labeled correctly, pumpkin spice, not pumpkin, was flavored well, and smelled heavenly. A satisfactory choice in holiday coffee.

Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee: 4/5