Review: Almondina
I know that I need to feature trendy and amazing products on this blog and I am excited that I found a winner to share with you all! Almondina is an amazing biscuit that comes in really fun flavors such as:
- Original-with almonds and raisins
- Chocolate Cherry-dark chocolate with cherries
- Choconut - Rich tasting crunchy chocolate
- Cinnaroma - The original biscuit with cinnamon
- Gingerspice - Chunks of Australian ginger
- AlmonDuo- Almonds and pistachios
- AnniversaryT - Award winning cookie with anise
- BranTreats - Oat bran and cinnamon
- Sesame - Biscuit with Sesame
- Seasonal Pumpkin Spice - A seasonal cookie with fall spices and almonds and pepitas
- Chocolate Dipped – the original biscuit dipped in the rich dark chocolate
We were lucky to try 8 flavors that they sent to us. Check out the photos below! My favorite is the Original with almonds and raisins. I love that they are thin and crispy. The flavor is unique. Now that I've tried them, I understand why they are so popular and even popping up in stores like Trader Joe's. My husband's favorite is a tie between the Bran Treats and Chocolate Cherry. My toddler loves them ALL! I would have been happy just buying any single container of these in any flavor, but it was much more fun to try one of each of these for a snack and I hope that you have the opportunity to do this as well! (Hint - keep reading for the contest below.)
The Almondina story on their website is interesting:
"Grandmother’s Secret: Grandmother’s secret recipe is a no added fat, no-cholesterol cookie for our time.
Almondina® is the inspiring success story of a man whose great loves include both music and wonderful food. For generations his family loved his grandmother Dina’s most secret cookie, which she called Petit Gateau Sec. Yuval Zaliouk, an internationally known symphony conductor and gourmet chef, always had a special place in his heart (and stomach) for this exquisite, crispy wafer with the delicate flavor of roasted almonds and the natural sweetness of plump raisins.
“Generous as she was in giving away her recipes, Grandmother Dina kept the one for Petit Gateau Sec a total secret until the end of her life. Only then did she finally reveal the secret to her daughter, Ahuda, my mother.”
“It is with her blessing and with pride that the Zaliouk family shares these delicious, healthful wonders with your family.”
Long after his grandmother’s death, Zaliouk became aware that the remarkable characteristics of this addictively delicious but extremely nutritious cookie fell squarely in line with the growing demands of health-conscious buyers at the end of the century. Within seven years having started baking in his kitchen, the cookies, renamed Almondina® for his grandmother, were available in all fifty states, sought after in seven foreign countries, and had brought him recognition as Entrepreneur of the Year.
This all-natural, crispy almond cookie has no cholesterol and no added fat, salt, or preservatives. It is wonderfully crunchy and does not have to be dipped. It is a delightful accompaniment for coffee, tea, soft cheeses and fine light wines. The rush to eliminate fat from gourmet foods too often has also eliminated most of the flavor, a fact which is in sharp contrast to this enticingly delicious cookie.
Since the introduction of the classic Original flavor, eight more distinctive variations have been introduced, all of which continue to be packed with roasted almonds. A recent innovation, Chocolate Cherry, combines the almonds with dark chocolate and plump cherries."
What a lucky guy to have such an interesting life and a grandma with such awesome recipes that he could create a company selling these products! How many grandmas out there have recipes that are cholesterol-free with no added fat, salt or preservatives? Way to go Grandma Dina!
Contest
Almondina has generously offered to sponsor a giveaway for our readers. The winner will receive an awesome sampler of Almondina! To enter, post a comment by June 1, 2012. Optionally, Earn one extra entry for each of these (just post a comment with the ones that you completed):
Optional Extra Entries:
- Follow me on GFC (upper right side of this page),
- Enter any contest on Tatum's reviews