Mallomar Day!

You have no idea how happy I am that today is Mallomar Day. I have eaten three, yes three boxes of Mallomars since last Tuesday! Do you have any idea how many Mallomars that is? No wonder I always gain weight this time of year. It's all because of those cushions of chocolate delight; Mallomars! I may have had a panic attack when I finally got to Pennsylvania the other day. OMG I have no Mallomars for my post on Thursday! How am I going to describe those treasured golden boxes of delectable morsels. I ate them all! You see the picture above? I have two confessions about that image. First, it's small on purpose. There is no way in this world I could bear to write these words and look at all those Mallomars staring at me as they whisper "Here I am, just waiting for you" No Way! Second, the package must I mean Must! stay closed until the very last moment...

Wait! Is it possible there is someone out there that doesn't know what a Mallomar is? I ask this question because, as I type this, every time I type the word Mallomar, a red line indicating a spelling error lights up the word in red. Don't even tell me you don't know what a Mallomar is, if you do, I would have to assume you never tasted one and that would be a crime punishable by a beating with a naked marshmallow. You know the type, naked of crunchy semi sweet chocolate perched gently on a graham cracker biscuit. Now, you must know a naked marshmallow punishment can not ever be as good, (unless it's toasted, then it's a toss up) as a sweetly coated Mallomar.

It didn't surprise me to discover Mallomar's were introduced to the American public on November 20, 1913 by the National Biscuit Company (now Nabisco), after all, these little delights of heaven are somewhat seasonal. Whoops, I almost typed cookies but, quite frankly, I wouldn't describe them as a cookie (although, Nabisco does:). Yes, they do have a cookie base topped with a puff of marshmallow, covered with crunchy semi sweet chocolate but I'm not sure cookie is the answer. As one writer wrote, a Mallomar is a Mallomar is a Mallomar! There's a great article about the Mallomar as an American icon at Extreme Chocolate. You see, I'm not the only one who has a fixation on these pillows of contentment.

How one eats a Mallomar seems to be another top priority to true Mallomar aficionados. To freeze or not to freeze is another dilemma when it comes to these bundles of joy. I'm not a freezer. And, I'm not quite sure what category I fit in to although, standard with a twist might be where I fit with my Mallomars.

...There are many ways to eat a Mallomar, but only three are officially sanctioned for international competition: biting off the marshmallow part and saving the graham cracker for last (superior method); biting off the graham cracker and saving the marshmallow part for last (dorsal method); and biting into the cookie like regular food (lateral, or "standard," method). I am something of a Mallomar dullard. I use the standard method. But I should add that I employ wilder scenarios for both Oreos and Vienna Fingers (breaking them open, eating the half with no delicious cream, then either scraping off the delicious cream with my front teeth or, if rushed, simply eating the other half), so you can still invite me to your party without fear that I'll kill the fun...more, more...

I wouldn't dream of peeling the chocolate away like I do with a chocolate covered vanilla ice cream pop. I think I do that because I really only want the chocolate:) No dunking or deep frying either. You know who you are you Oreo lovers, you. I really don't know how I eat a Mallomar now that I think about it. I mean when one is diving in to a bath of bubbles does one really consider the depth of the tub? Well, maybe. Not so with a Mallomar. I dive right in while I'm thinking about my next parcel of choice. My real calculations comes when I'm getting to the end of the box. Do I just devour the entire box and hope I will find another? If not, how many should I save for my next attack? Three, five, nine? This has to be done precisely according to time, mood and circumstances. Take today for instance. I bought a fresh box of Mallomars yesterday in the neighborhood Weiss supermarket. Like I said, I wasn't sure I would find them here since they seem to be indigenous to New York. The one thing I have discovered about PA though is, they LOVE their snacks especially unique morsels. Weiss had them and I grabbed them. I know this is going to sound a wee bit unusual but I swear those chocolate "devils" put a whammy on me this morning. I think there were whiffs emitting right from the box. "How could that be," I thought. They are sealed in the box. It would not have been a big deal for me to open the box if they were individually wrapped. Dam that Nabisco, it's a conspiracy! And, no self seal like the new design Oreos have. I LOVE that flip and seal. Perhaps, that is why I don't glob down a whole bag of Oreos. Or, maybe it's because I am not addicted to them. I had errands to run today so I paused, got my composure and decided I would rethink my need when I got back. The day seemed to get away from me today. All signs pointed toward Mallomar when I returned home. Guilt. Have I ever told you how much I detest food shopping? Well, I do. I mention this for a reason. You see, when ever I finally drag myself to the grocery store for what I call big shopping, as opposed to run in for a quart of milk shopping, I reward myself with a treat. Just a small treat and not always a sweet treat. Okay now you can laugh, I'm not much of a sweet eater. I'll leave it at that. Suffice to say, I kid you not. Hey, someone could say they are not much of a fruit eater and just love bananas couldn't they? I resisted the temptation simply because, I was hungry. There's a revelation about how I eat Mallomars. I don't indulge when I'm hungry. Hmmm...there must be some cerebral reason for that. Knowing the intensity of tonight's post illustrates the need for circumstances. Another such circumstance could just be a glass of my favorite Pindar wine. Wine and Mallomars are not to be ignored.

The evening has set in Pennsylvania. (time) I feel a flurry of excitement. (mood) Today is Mallomar Day. (circumstances?) Get your own. I'm not hungry and I need one Now!

FYI At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November Nouveau Beaujolais Day is celebrated. Now you see, chocolate and wine also blend in the same post:)

Resources

• 1. Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies Recipe just in case
• 2. The Cookie That Comes Out in the Cold (excellent NYT article)