I stopped off at the Superwalmart on my way home from work the other day. Aside from the Orange hue of the Halloween Oreos (actually just plain flavored Double Stuff) and the Blue hue of the Summertime Oreos, they also still had Birthday Creme Oreos and all you’re standard Oreo flavors. The next day, at Target, I saw the new Candy Cane Oreos as well as a sleeper favorite of mine, the DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos.
Seriouseeats.com did an interesting taste test a while back in which they tried “every” flavor of Oreo (actually, they didn’t — they missed some of the exclusives, plus they forgot the Sugar Free ones). The consensus from the comments was that many of the flavors fell short, and that the true Oreo aficionado will always prefer the standard Oreo, or, if more of a creme fan, the Double Stuff Original.
I mostly agree with this assessment, although I’ll be frank in admitting that I don’t dislike the Reduced Fat Oreos as much as some, and even find value in the often ridiculed Berry Burst Oreo. Likewise, a recent tasting of the Peanut Butter Creme Oreos has me once again rethinking my Oreo philosophy.
Many have disparaged the Peanut Butter Creme Oreo because the creme flavor doesn’t taste like peanut butter. I find this to be the kind of pretentious statement that might be true if you’re one who lives off a diet of natural brand and haughty “designer” peanut butters, but seriously, if you can go to town with a can of JIF and a spoon (and if so, more power to you) than I think you’ll find the creme to taste pretty damn like peanut butter. It’s sweet but salty, with a slightly oily (in a good way) mouthfeel that plays perfectly with the cocoa-dense crunch of the wafers. I like the cookies because they’re actually the most restrained Oreos in terms of sweetness, allowing that time-honored combination of chocolate and peanut butter to shine through at its fullest.
Note the mark of a true Oreo: the creme should peel from the wafer cleanly. Imposters cannot.
My favorite Oreos? Nope; that would be the Original. But don’t knock Peanut Butter Oreos. This is the kind of cookie I have to keep myself from buying for fear I’ll eat the entire package in one sitting. Now that’s what I like to call some really seriouse Oreo eating.
