Review: Bahlsen Azora Cookies

I thought I would feature another wonderful snack from my childhood. Unfortunately, I know these are not marketed in the US- but I am curious if anyone has tried anything similar to them?

These cookies are produced by the German company Bahlsen. Bahlsen manufactures many different types of cookies, and I have seen some of them in the shelves of American grocery stores. However, I have never seen their "Azora" cookies state-side.

Azoras were a frequent snack of mine when I was younger because they are relatively low in phe. They have slightly over one gram of protein per fifteen (!) cookies. Granted, the cookies are relatively small, but I don't think I've ever eaten fifteen in one sitting.

What makes these "Azora" cookies so unique is that they are orange flavored! It is a very subtle flavor that blends with a more traditional vanilla taste. As corny as it may sound, I think they taste like summer. The flavor is fresh and the texture of the cookies is very light and crispy. It has the crunch of a waffle cookie without becoming splintery in your mouth.

These cookies travelled with us all the time. It was an easy snack to take on the road. And since they were considered a "normal" food, 5-year old me did not feel self conscious about having to eat them!

I have looked into ordering them online, and a website that my mother uses to buy German products online features them. At the very moment they are listed as out of stock- but hopefully they will come back soon!

Order at German Deli!

Review: Choquitos (Olé!)

For my next review, I thought I would feature a PKU food that I LOVED growing up! For those of you who don't know, I spent the first decade or so of my life in Europe. Now, Europe has some great products for a PKU friendly diet. Unfortunately, I have yet to find these treats stateside- kudos to anyone who may have some insight on how to get them sent to me in Cali!

Choquitos (manufactured by Taranis) look like rectangular chocolate truffles and come wrapped in festive metallic paper. As you can see above, they come in bags of twenty and are a great treat to keep in the cupboard! They are, however, not truffles- the center of the chocolate is filled with sweet, soft, and chewy nougat! They are specifically made for us who are following a low phe diet. Each nougat has about 11 mg of phe.

From a visual standpoint, these are great. The wrapping is fun and very easy to open- they twist just like a Jolly Rancher. The actual chocolate itself looks like a homemade truffle candy. If you ever go to a Kilwin's (anyone from the Midwest...?) these Choquitos look like they could be found on the shelves there. They are very transportable- perfect to stick in your kid's lunch!

The taste and texture of the Choquits are great as well. Again, they are not truffles, so they are soft and chewy- almost the texture of a caramel. It tastes sweet in the way that a marshmallow is sweet. Not sugary like a lollipop, but more understated. The chocolate shell is very thin and provides for a very light crack as you bite into the candy.

I can't begin to tell you how many happy memories I have of eating these as a kid. Inside the wrapper is a small paper comic, which I loved to look at as I ate my candy. This was one of those "special" PKU foods that I was happy to eat, and didn't mind other people watch me eat because I knew they were jealous. ;)

I can't figure out how these have not made their way stateside yet. If any of you reading this work for Cambrooke or Nutricia- *hint hint!* I think these would sell like hotcakes out here!

Thanks y'all for reading!

Review: Cambrooke Apple Breakfast Bars

So, one feature I have wanted to include on my blog is a review of PKU foods that I have tried. Sometimes they can be a little... interesting. But every now and then I come across some that I find delicious!

For my first review, I am going to feature the Apple Breakfast Bars made by the dietary food company Cambrooke Foods. I discovered these a few months ago, and I now I make sure I always have some in the freezer.

The breakfast bars come in packages of four, are individually wrapped and kept frozen. It is very simple to prepare one. You simply have to take it out of the package, put it on a microwave safe plate, and defrost for about a minute and a half. After it has cooled for about a minute, it is ready to eat!

The breakfast bar is essentially an apple turnover. It consists of a pastry-style shell which is dusted with cinnamon, and filled with an apple filling. The taste is very good! The warm apple is a really comforting taste, and the light cinnamon on top adds a great accent. 

The one down side of this food is the "pastry-style" shell. It's not quite as flaky as one would expect a turnover to be. And since I heat it up in the microwave, it rides the fine line between being soft and being chewy. 

One big plus for this, however, is how incredibly convenient it is. Preparation takes about two minutes, and the bars can be eaten on the go. Since they come frozen, they keep a very long time as well. This is the type of food that can be taken to work, traveling, and virtually anywhere you can find a microwave.

Overall, I would highly recommend this breakfast bar. The taste of the turnover is excellent, and the convenience of it far outweighs the less-than-perfect "pastry" shell.