Bad Baker - Double Dark Fudge Cookies product reviews

I've certainly enjoyed the Bad Baler brand in the past. I've tried most of the original range (Berry & Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel Oat, Double Chocolate Chunk, and Ginger & Dark Chocolate) and was largely impressed with their strong unique flavours, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, and crunchy cookie texture that quickly dissolves in the warmth of the mouth. Now we have a "premium" range of sorts. Only 12 cookies in the pack, with stretched oval-shaped cookies in a tray, within a plastic package, within a cardboard box.

I can't say that I am too pleased with the amount of plastic packaging that the product has. Bad Baker is all about flavour over calories, but it could still try to reduce the unrecyclable packing. Plastic is unfortunately not very recyclable in New Zealand, so while the cardboard, and being made from recycled product is a good start, having 3 layers of packaging is a bit excessive. Ingredients-wise, the product is still very straightforward. Very recognisable ingredients, and minimal use of anything that you don't immediately know what is.

But the most important factor in a cookie is really the flavour, right? How do these Double Dark Fudge cookies compare to the other Bad Baker cookies. What is immediately obvious is that the consistency is different in these "premium" cookies. Rather than the slightly crisp then melt-in-your-mouth consistency, we are given a much more solid texture. Much more pressure is required to break through these cookies.

What is intriguing is the lack of any real melty, fudgy texture. Perhaps it is the time of year making the cookies more solid, but there is nothing that really screams "fudge" in these Double Dark Fudge" cookies. In fact, when you look at the ingredients, you can see that the double dark fudge is actually simply two different types of chocolate chunks with a less than 2% difference in cocoa mass.

And in the end, that just makes this a rather solid chocolatey cookie. The levels of butter and emulsifiers used do coat the mouth after you eat them which can leave a lingering flavour in the mouth, but there is little that would make these cookies unique.

The one element that gives these cookies a different feel, is the addition of walnuts for some reason. Inconsistently spread throughout the mixture, the walnuts are not present in every cookie, let alone in every bite, but does add a bit of bitterness to the overall flavour landscape of the cookie.

They feel decadent. And with 155 calories per 30 grams of cookie, it certainly is decadent. But there is nothing new or unique here. There is nothing that stands out, and nothing that would make me pick this cookie over any other.

Generally speaking I'm more of a savoury snacker than a sweet tooth, with the exception of cookies I really do have a weakness when it comes to a good old cookie! Bad Bakers Double Choc Fudge cookies perfectly fit that bill as a really, really good cookie. The type of cookie you bite into and question how it hasn't just been freshly baked! These cookies gave me all the good feelings of freshly baked home made cookies with the most divine melt in the mouth buttery texture that keeps you going back for more.

In fact in a family of five all that going back for more meant that the packet didn't last long at all but I feel are still very much worth the price. They are a lot nicer than your cheaper variety store bought cookie and have a gourmet look and feel in both the cookies themselves and the packaging they come in. I will purchase these again but they will be hidden in the mum and dad stash for once the children are in bed so I don't have to share this time.

If you are a fan of chocolatey cookies these are a great choice they have a great chocolate flavour but by combining the dark and milk chocolate you get a well balanced taste with not too much sweetness but no overpowering cocoa taste either. Though they didn't last long enough here to try it I did find myself thinking they would be incredible as the sandwich part of a mini icecream sandwich.

I can also see these cookies being a great addition to a Christmas food gift basket when you want to add something special. Maybe just buy two boxes so you don't end up eating the box you've bought to gift while your wrapping the presents.

I have a very sweet tooth, and find my self-control goes out the window whenever I am around sweet treats, cookies are a particular weakness. When I saw that there was a new brand I hadn't heard about, with two different flavoured cookies available to review, I couldn't help myself and made sure I requested both kinds. Thankfully I received some to try.

I had never heard of the company Bad Baker before, but their flavours sounded delicious. The box that the cookies are packaged in is exceptionally eye-catching, the contrasting orange against the creamy background stands out, and both the brand name and flavour are easy to read. At the top of the box is a quote saying 'Try one, then try stopping.' There is also another sentence on the box that says these cookies are "possibly three times better than any other cookie" I was keen to see if the cookies were as good as they claimed to be, the box contains 12 cookies.

I opened the box and the plastic packaging, there was a delicious chocolatey aroma when I took a sniff. The cookies are an oval shape, picking one up I was pleased that the cookie was firm and didn't crumble easily. The cookie is a dark colour, and there were some pieces of walnut visible. My first bite and the cookie was nice and chewy, the milk and dark chocolate chunks are sweet and the walnuts add a crunchy texture to the cookie. I found that after I finished the cookie, which took about 3 bites, that I was left with a strong aftertaste in my mouth, and of course I was definitely left wanting more. I gave my 3 children each a couple before I demolished the whole box by myself. Two of the children enjoyed and gobbled them, whereas the other said it tasted too much like chocolate and left a funny feeling in his mouth.

I will admit I was pretty gutted when I realized I had finished the box of cookies, needless to say I did some research into the different flavours available. Overall I think that we will purchase more of these, but probably only for a treat as they are certainly more expensive than what we would normally spend on cookies. I look forward to seeing what else the Bad Baker company releases next.

I had tried Bad Baker's Macadamia and White Chocolate Cookies and really, really enjoyed them. As a huge fan of chocolate, I was looking forward to trying their Double Dark Fudge biscuits. Bad Baker state that these biscuits are "possibly three times better than any other cookie". There are 12 chunky biscuits in the pack with a recommended 2 biscuits per serve. 12 % of the ingredients are made up of milk chocolate chunks and 10% are dark chocolate chunks. Surprisingly, there are also walnuts which I wasn't expecting.

The biscuits were a good size and relatively crunchy but need to be stored in an airtight container as soon as they're opened Upon opening the packet, my kids descended, so each got one to try. Both loved the rich chocolate flavour and said it tasted great with the nuts. I, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. I thought they tasted quite processed and didn't think they tasted of fudge at all, in fact, I think they should have been renamed 'Dark chocolate and walnut'. There was a slightly bitter smell or taste (I can't decide which) which meant they tasted a little bit burnt. I tried them with tea, and on their own later, but still couldn't shift this taste. My kids loved them though and were more than pleased when they got to finish off the remaining cookies. Possibly three times better than any other cookie? Definitely not!

Sometimes you have an urge to have something just a little bit sweet. As these were the only thing in the house tonight, the packet was quickly grabbed as eager hands stood poised ready to grab one. The first thing I noticed when opening the packet was how dark they appeared and rather small compared to our usual Bad Baker Biscuits. We each took one and I have to say I was left rather disappointed. They were rather chalky and dry and although I finished it, I wasn't as quick to go for another like my two girls were.

My husband said he would prefer them with a drink to dunk them in, so being the ever-so-dutiful wife I went and made us all hot chocolates with small marshmallows and returned with high hopes. Unfortunately even this did not help out much. It just left me feeling like I had something homemade that wasn't that great. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good either.

Now, I am a huge Bad Baker fan and somehow whenever I go down the biscuit aisle at the supermarket one packet usually ends up in the trolley. I love how big and chunky they are - so I found with this particular variety that the size is rather a letdown. It is great for snacks I guess and when you really don't need to eat anything but you just feel like something, but it is not something that I can see myself buying again.

I am shocked that these will be going in an airtight container tonight, but unlike the packet says I can not see myself or my husband going back in less than twenty minutes and finishing them. In saying that I am sure my girls will have no problem polishing them off tomorrow.

I have to be careful around chocolate - I don't tolerate milk chocolate at all but can manage small amounts of dark chocolate, something I enjoy very much. I was concerned that I might not be able to eat this product, given that it contains both types, but whatever happened during the processing was good because I was able to eat and enjoy an entire biscuit. Possibly it is because the milk chocolate makes up only 12% of the whole: it is dilute enough to stop any unwanted side effects. I also appreciated the occasional sliver of walnut: this is one of my favourite nuts, and in my book this means the entire bar is completely healthy!

Chocolate concerns aside, however, this is one of the nicest chocolate fudge bars I have ever tried. The packaging gives good advice: eat one and store the rest safely so they keep fresh until you finish them 20 minutes later! Not that I had any concerns at all about them keeping. I had several helpers to taste the contents with me, and every one of them wanted a second after finishing the first. They are all chocolate addicts and had been looking forward to the experience ever since I told them I would be bringing a packet home. My mother-in-law used to make afghans, complete with chocolate icing and a walnut on top. This recipe is not the same - the biscuit is softer - but it does have the rich strong chocolate taste and the nut as well.

My daughter liked them - she said the sweetness balance was just right, and she liked the way the texture was solid but not hard; the biscuits did not crumble when she bit into them, and she thought they might be quite good for dunking. The irregular sizes and shapes meant she could even pass them off as home-made if she wanted to cheat a little. Not that she would, of course! It was good that there were not too many in the packet as she said they could be addictive, and if she had the packet on her own she would probably eat the lot at one sitting. My partner added that they were just like hot chocolate in a biscuit so a cupful would be a reasonable helping. As it was, however, there were six of us and 12 biscuits, so that was not going to happen.

Mr 11 thought they were good value for what you got. He was, like his mother, prepared to help me out by eating more than his allotted two - I had already said I would eat only one myself and my second was up for grabs. Unfortunately for him, his sister liked them too and insisted that she should have half the spare one.

My daughter did point out that, although walnuts are listed in the ingredients on the back of the packet, they are not prominently flagged on the front. The finely printed orange writing on a white background is difficult to read as well. It would be useful to have something like "contains nuts" printed on the front of the box. Miss Nine is not allowed to take any foodstuffs that contain nuts into her classroom at school because there is one child who is allergic. This could be a huge issue for some families who might buy the product in good faith because it contains all natural ingredients, and then find too late that the biscuits must be eaten at home. Other than that, however, they are a dangerously good product and something we as a family will buy again for a special occasion treat.