Favorite Day Caramel Macchiato Trail Mix

If a person who makes alcoholic beverages is a bartender (or mixologist) and a person who makes coffee beverages is a barista, then what would you call a person who makes trail mixes? It's every bit as much an art form if you ask me. I think that person needs a fancy title. Hmmm. Let's go with "trailblazer." Trailmixblazer? Nah. Too clunky. Mixblazer? Maybe.

At any rate, this caramel macchiato offering takes the art of trail mix creation to a whole 'nother level. This is some fancy, tasty shizzle right here. The opened bag actually smells like fresh-brewed coffee. Maybe it's the coffee-glazed pecans. Maybe it's the coffee-dusted white chocolate coffee beans. I'll have the "coffee, coffee, pecans, white chocolate coffee beans, and coffee" please. In case you forgot to have your morning cuppa Joe, you can get caffeinated with this product for sure. And it's VERY tasty...

Chocolate pretzel balls: They're not really balls. More like oblate spheroids. But if you like chocolate pretzels, you won't be disappointed. It's kind of a dark-ish chocolate, fyi.

Coffee-glazed pecans: Sweet and full of rich coffee flavor. Also nutty. Who'd have guessed?

Coffee-dusted white chocolate coffee beans: These are literally coffee beans dusted with more coffee. Coffee-lovers, rejoice. Also, there's some white chocolate in there for sweetness.

Salted caramel praline almonds: They're not whole almonds. They're like miniature almond shards coated in some delicious caramel candy stuff. I wish they were way bigger.

Peanuts: Self-explanatory

Caramel cashews: They're salted cashews slathered in a thin candy glaze which actually does taste like caramel.

All together these ingredients make a fabulous indulgent pick-me-up. I'm honestly shocked how much I like it, considering I'm no coffee connoisseur. The wife concurs this is astoundingly good. I think we'll bestow it with only the second perfect score EVER on this blog.

I give this caramel macchiato trail mix a perfect 10 stars.

Favorite Day Caramel Apple Crisp Cookies

If you know me or have read some of my previous reviews, you'll know I'm not a huge fan of dry, crispy cookies. I much prefer soft cookies, or better yet, fresh-baked.

So why review crispy cookies at all, you ask? Because once in a while one comes around that's special. Some crispy crunchy cookies stand head and shoulders above the rest. 

These here are a prime example. They're not just dry and crispy. They have caramel chips and real apple to make the texture a little more interesting.

The cookies are just sugary enough to satisfy a sweet tooth or a post-dinner dessert craving. They don't go overboard with sweetness. 

The caramel chips are nice and soft and they taste surprisingly salty. Any more sea salt and I think it would have been overkill. But as is, it's a pleasant salted caramel vibe that blends nicely with the taste and texture of real apple bits.

Notes of butter, cinnamon, and vanilla round out the overall flavor profile and make these cookies a definite thumbs up in my book. There's actually a surprising amount of apple flavor despite the small size of the apple pieces. They're definitely not "chunks," but rather "bits." Still, they work in this application.

The wifey and I fought over who got to finish the last few cookies. That hasn't happened with a bag of crispy cookies in our household...maybe ever. I'd buy again. I'm assuming these are a limited time fall flavor. I'll definitely be ready for more in a year or so.

I give these appley cookies 8 out of 10 stars.