If you were like me growing up, prepackaged snacks like Dunkaroos were part of your childhood diet. Granted, Dunkaroos were not a common thing for my family, but we did get them from time to time as special treats. So, like many of us, I was extremely excited when Betty Crocker, the company that made Dunkaroos and owns the rights to the snack, announced that they would be returning to shelved in 2020. They did, and I bought some to simply enjoy, but with a price tag of around $2.00 per snack container, it was a bit high priced for me to get much more, so I decided to see how I could make them myself with more readily available items.
Let's start by covering the differences between these remake Dunkaroos and the originals. The first is that the remake only comes with one flavor combination: vanilla cookies and vanilla frosting. Or at least that's what it says on the package. In reality, they're more light good quality shortbread cookies with a very specific frosting: Betty Crocker rainbow chip frosting. In comparison, the original Dunkaroos came in multiple flavors: Chocolate Cookies with Vanilla Frosting, Graham Cookies with Chocolate Frosting, Graham Cookies with Vanilla Frosting, Vanilla cookies with Strawberry Frosting, and Chocolate Chip Graham Cookies with Rainbow Sprinkle frosting. On top of that, there were special versions with media deals, like with Megamind, Shark Tale, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Oh, and there were the Australia-specific Hazelnut Chocolate frosting Dunkaroos.
Now, I can't tell you how to recreate all of those, mostly because I don't have access to them to taste test, but I can get you close, and for a decent price. I've also found a few that I consider to be particularly good. For most of these, I'm going to be using items from Dollar Tree stores, because I like the added challenge, but let's cover the best way to get a full recreation of the original flavor *and* it's modern remake first.
The Real Deal
Just get yourself some graham cracker cookies, not actual graham crackers, and that specific Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting. Teddy Grahams are good, though I personally prefer graham sticks. You can find the latter in Kroger brand all over the U.S.A. You can also use Scooby Snacks.
The Remake
Same Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting, but this time get some good quality shortbread cookies. A brand name Walkers has a variety of shortbread cookies, including a mini Scottie Dog, but just about any shortbread cookies that are thin will get you pretty darn close to the taste and texture of the remake.
From here on out, we're doing Dollar Tree only versions. The biggest failing of Dollar Tree for this particular endeavor is they generally don't carry Betty Crocker frosting, and definitely not the rainbow chip, but they do carry close. At my local dollar tree, they carry Pillsbury Frosting in three flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, and Funfetti. Now, the Funfetti does not have the sprinkles mixed in, they're on top, so if you want them mixed in you'll have to do that yourself. Otherwise, feel free to just replace any of these with their Betty Crocker equivalents.
The Classic
This one I consider classic simply because it most closely matches what we all remember. At Dollar Tree, you will find either 8-12oz bags of Sauffer's animal crackers, or you'll find Grace Snacks 6-ct Animal Crackers packages. Get some of the original style, either brand, and pair them with vanilla frosting. That's it, that's the original Dunkaroos most of us tried as a kid.
The Chocolate
This one is just an expansion on the same theme. Go back to Dollar Tree, find the Sauffer's Animal Crackers, and look nearby for Staffer's Animal Crackers Chocolate Flavor. Pair those with chocolate fudge frosting. Perfect for the person in your life that can't get enough chocolate, but also wants to remember the 90's in snack form.
The Switch Ups
Simply Put, switch the animal crackers from the previous two: chocolate crackers with vanilla frosting, and vanilla crackers with chocolate frosting. Both of those flavors were available back in the day.
The Party Maker
Animal Crackers. Funfetti Frosting. Very classic, very fun. When I was a kid, it would have been a dream.
The Right Description
This one I just did for fun, but it doesn't taste bad. At Dollar Tree, you can find little containers of mini Nilla Wafers, the actual brand. If they're out of stock, they have an off brand, Bud's Best Cookies, that makes Vanilla Wafers labeled as "bite size." They're not quite as good, but they'll do the trick. Pair those with the vanilla frosting, and suddenly you have the Dunkaroos that are described on the package, rather than what's in the container.
The Don Quixotes
This one I stumbled across just trying to find good dipping cookies in general. At Dollar Tree, you can often find Lil' Dutch Maid Almond Windmill Cookies. They have an almost gingerbread flavor, but not super strong. If you pair these with a vanilla frosting, it is heavenly. I call them Don Quixotes because you're killing windmills.
The Tropical Depression
Let's be real here, most of us are overeating right now because we're stuck inside and starting to feel depressed, so while we're at it, let's go ahead and make it fun. Again, I found this combo looking for good dipping cookies in general, and just liked how it turned out. Dollar Tree carries Lil’ Dutch Maid Coconut Bar Cookies, which have a lovely vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut, and they're perfect for scooping up some of that frosting. If you're sticking with the Dollar Tree theme, I heavily recommend the Funfetti with these, but if you're willing to go a little out of your way, try lemon frosting. So good.
And that's the end of the Dollar Tree ones. There's just one more I want to share with you, because I came across these and figured I'd try them, and they provide a unique experience. They're imported, so I'm gonna name the combo properly.
Fancy Fingers
There's a brand of cookies called Stella D'oro, and one of their most commonly liked products are Stella D'oro Margherite Cookies. You can get these either in all original, or original and chocolate. I got all original. Margherite cookies are somewhere between Lady Fingers and Biscotti. They are made for dipping in coffee or tea. The original flavor has a bit of lemon in it, but is otherwise very light in flavor. Obviously, with the basic flavors we've already talked about, the best is the chocolate fudge, as they're made to go with something bitter. However, if you feel up to finding some, or making some, some espresso or coffee frosting would be divine.
Oh, and now I have to tell you the most important information: How to eat them! (yes, I know it seems obvious, but let me talk, it's my post after all).
Now, if you're like me and just too tired to do prep, you can just grab the package of cookies and a jar of frosting and go ham, but if you're looking to try to have a little bit more of a classic experience, go get yourself some two-compartment snack containers. You can find these at Dollar Tree or just about any grocery store. There are reusable parfait cups that Dollar Tree used to carry that work perfectly, in my opinion. Just fill the larger of the two sections with your preferred cookie, and the smaller with frosting. Then you just take a cookie, dip and scrape up a little frosting on it, and enjoy. Repeat as necessary.
If you're looking to impress, bring the elegance of being an adult to your nostalgia, or hosting a "90's kids remember, but millennials adult" party, get yourself some disposable shot glasses or condiment cups, and bowls for all your different kinds of cookies. Fill the cups with frosting, make sure there's enough for everyone to get to have at least one cup of each flavor (this is why I suggest condiment cups, you can get 2oz ones with lids in case you have leftovers), and have tongs or something so people can pick out cookies they want to try, put them on a plate, grab some frosting, and enjoy your fancy dinner party with treats to make the 90's kid inside your smile.
I know this isn't a super important thing to talk about, it's not important at all really, but I figured sometimes you've got to take the time to enjoy yourself, and help others find some enjoyment, especially now. So please, try some of these out, have a little fun. A couple bucks can give you enough "treats" to last you well over a week, believe me, and sometimes it can give you that little extra something to look forward to at the end of the day.
And incidentally, since they've done such a great job providing us with our snacks and nostalgia, maybe go ahead and spend your $2.00 on the actual remakes. Betty Crocker obviously did not sponsor this, but they make nice treats, and if you're like me, they helped make your childhood a little more worth remembering.
God bless if you'll let Him, and otherwise have a great day.
- Draknus
No comments:
Post a Comment