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Reese's Cookies

OFFICIAL SNACK REPORT
Sanctioned By WASAW Snack Committee

Reviewed By: Paddy O'Poppycock

Location: CVS (Eatonton, GA)

OFFICIAL NAME OF SNACK:
Reese's Cookies

WEIGHT: 2 oz.

DESCRIPTION OF SNACK:
This, from Hershey's website: "Smooth, creamy REESE'S peanut butter layered on a delectable, crunchy cookie... then dipped in 100% real HERSHEY'S milk chocolate."

Um, okay. That's their take on it. Here's mine: They taste like mini-Peanut Butter Cups melted onto a cheap chocolate cookie. Nothing wrong with that. Not much right about it, either.

SSI RATING (SNACK SATISFACTION INDEX - 1-10):  4.27

UPSIDE TO REESE'S COOKIES:

  1. 0 grams Trans Fat
  2. They prove that candy bars made into cookies taste better than cookies made into candy bars
  3. No one has died yet from eating one



First 4 Ingredients

Milk Chocolate
Peanuts
Enriched Wheat Flour
Sugar

DOWNSIDE:

  1. Take a close look at the image above - the cookie, itself. See that thick layer of peanut butter? Well, take a good look now, because the actual cookie has half that thickness (or thinness, in this case). Chocolate wins out over peanut butter in this latest brand extension effort from Reese's. And you have to feel for the company. Someone there obviously has mandated that the company increase profits - they've tried everything to make their classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups reach more folks. Unfortunately, every effort - white chocolate, putting the peanut butter on the outside and the chocolate on the inside, has fallen short. But Reese's seems ready to try anything, at any cost. (See #3.)
     
  2. I think I experienced a slightly salty aftertaste.
     
  3. Reese's has finally done the inconceivable - it has pretty-much ripped off the Girls Scouts. Tagalong, anyone?

PACKAGING:

Consistent with Reese's brand. Shows snack cookie visual on the cover. Well done. One slight oversight - nowhere on the package is this actually called "Reese's Cookies." You just have to infer the name from the big Reese's logo and the image of a cookie.
 

DO YOU RECOMMEND THIS SNACK? (YES/NO - EXPLAIN):

Not really.

Listen - there's nothing technically wrong with this snack. Just like there's nothing technically wrong with James Belushi. But why encourage more sub-par product?

You're not going to drop your other favorite snacks in favor of Reese's Cookies, you're just not. They're fine, they come four to a bag, they make a fine addition to a child's lunchbox, you'll eat them (Reese's Cookies, not your kid's lunchbox) if they're just sitting around. But honestly, they hold no real redeeming quality outside the no trans fat thing over Peanut Butter Cups - unless "a light crunch" and "tastes almost as good as a Tagalong" are now redeeming qualities.


WHAT ELSE?

There has never been a better time to try a world of exciting snacks. The Internet has made ordering candy, chips and beverages from all over the world easier - and less expensive - than ever. Obviously, the large U.S. candy companies are feeling the pressure. And I'll admit, I should be encouraging more snack choices. But not when they all taste the same, the only difference being a single ingredient or flavor or shape or size.

So go ahead and give Reese's Cookies - or Hershey's Cookies, Almond Joy Cookies, whatever - a try if you're curious. But remember this - enough people keep watching According to Jim that it somehow stays on the air year after year. Why not do our best to kill this cookie line of Hershey snacks during its freshman season? Who knows, it could lead to a "Seinfeld of snacks" debut next fall.

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