Appetizers

By Allen Pierleoni
apierleoni@sacbee.com

Who doesn't like Oreo cookies?

Because Kraft Foods knows the answer to that question, it's marketing two new limited-edition versions of Oreo - with the football season very much in mind.

Before we get to that, take note that Kraft has joined the national Huddle to Fight Hunger initiative and will "donate 500,000 meals to the Feeding America (cause)." Details are at www.huddletofighthunger.com and www.kraftfoodscompany.com.

To continue: Oreos in the shape of footballs (called, appropriately, Football Oreos) are identical in taste and texture to the traditional cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie. They're a fun novelty, though, especially when you try kicking one through the uprights.

More interesting is the Double Stuf Oreo Heads or Tails cookie, continuing the football-season imagery. Picture the pre-game scenario, when the referee flips a coin to see which team kicks off and which one receives the football. In this case, "heads" is a traditional chocolate Oreo wafer, while "tails" is vanilla favored. Or is that vice versa? No way to tell.

Heads or Tails are $4.19 for a 15.25-ounce package; Footballs are $3.30 for 10.9 ounces. Find them at Safeway and other stores.

Meanwhile, we held an impromptu taste test of Heads or Tails:

"They don't flip worth a darn - they're too heavy! I tried flipping two cookies 10 times each, and I'm an experienced coin-flipper. They usually just went straight up, then came down the same way. With a little more exertion, they flipped one complete turn, but that was it. On the positive side, they're sturdy - they didn't break on impact."

"Regular Oreos can get too chocolatey. The vanilla cookie mellows out that flavor."

"What - no milk?"

"I like the original version much better. The 'vanilla' tastes artificial and I quit after two bites."

"It maintains its distinct Oreo quality. The difference is that it offers a great alternative for people who might get overwhelmed with the chocolate flavor (of traditional Oreos). My final test was to eat one with coffee. Not bad at all."

"I far prefer the traditional rich chocolate Oreo with its vanilla center. This does not get my vote."

"I'm not a big Oreo fan, but I liked these better than the all-chocolate ones."

"Hard to say which is heads and which is tails. Taste-wise, it's fine, although I prefer the regular Oreo to any vanilla version."

Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni at (916) 321-1128.