Lunchtime Links for March 19th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Garlic bread pepperoni pizza casserole.
• Crazy for Crust: No bake Reese's peanut butter bars. 
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Baked mac and cheese. 
• Averie Cooks: Sheet pan roasted sweet potatoes and chicken. 
• Cookies and Cups: Kit Kat cookies.

Lunchtime Links for February 12th, 2019

• The Kitchn: Creamy Parmesan shrimp.
• Sora News 24: Kit Kat makeup. 
• Oh Sweet Basil: One pan simple Asian shrimp noodles. 
• Dessert for Two: Lobster mac n' cheese.
• Table for Two: Copycat Trader Joe's pancake bread.

Lunchtime Links for May 9th, 2017

• Love and Olive Oil: Japanese Kit Kats.
• The Kitchn: One bowl vanilla cake. 
• Dessert for Two: Ramekin Funfetti cakes. 
• Bakerella: Nutella chocolate chip cookies.
• Creme de la Crumb: Salted caramel Frappuccino.

Lunchtime Links for August 29th, 2016

• Averie Cooks: Cinnamon roll bars with cream cheese frosting.
• Bakerella: Peanut butter chunky chocolate cookies.
• Table for Two: Spicy Chinese cucumber salad.
• Bake at 350: Homemade Kit Kat bites.
• Crazy for Crust: Frosted cupcookies.

Skoshbox - Glico Box

It's no secret that I love Japanese snacks and candies, and I also love trying out new and different products that come out.  While the crazy flavored Kit Kats might be the most well-known Japanese snacks, there are lots of other fun and delicious items that come out every day.  So when I heard about the Skoshbox subscription box recently, I thought it was a great way to get a sampling of Japanese snacks, especially ones that I might not be able to obtain in stores by me.

The Skoshbox comes in two sizes - the one I got (above) is the sample sized Skoshbox, and there's also a larger Dekabox that has more full sized items in addition to the other items.  You can choose from a single box, 6-month subscription, or a 12-month subscription for both types of boxes.  

The box that I got was a special Glico collaboration, which was really fun because I love Glico products.  Their most famous product is Pocky, which I think is sold all over the world these days.  The box came with a nice variety of chocolate, flavored chocolate, biscuits, and even two savory items - the tall boxes contain Sweet Corn and Tom Yum soup flavored biscuit sticks!  Of course I also loved the Glico stickers that came in the box as well, which were a cute bonus to the box.  I am looking forward to seeing what comes in my next box in September! 

Japanese Passion Fruit Kit Kats

Fruit-based Kit Kat flavors are very popular in Japan, and they always turn out pretty accurately, in my opinion.  This Passion Fruit Kit Kat was purchased by my mom a while back on a trip to Japan, and while I can't really say I eat real passion fruit regularly, it seemed like a fun one to try out.

That being said, if you told me this was a different tropical fruit, I probably would've believed you, haha.  The white chocolate was a nice base for the strong fruit smell and flavor, and I think their regular chocolate would've covered that up too much.  The Kit Kats themselves were a very pretty pale yellow color which was fun too.  In the middle of the bag, it says "Grown Up Sweetness", which is very true - it wasn't overly sweet, more of a sweet/tart mix that adults would probably appreciate more so than little kids.  I'm happy I got to try this one! 

Kit Kat - Orange

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of fruit-based sweets, but of course curiosity beats actual preferences for me in most cases, haha.  

I got these Japanese Orange Kit Kats a while back and was surprised that they were not white chocolate based.  I guess I assumed that the fruit flavored Kit Kats would automatically have a white chocolate base, but as you can see on the box, these look like the regular milk chocolate Kit Kats on the outside.  The orange smell isn't too strong, but you can definitely taste it once you take a bite.  They reminded me a lot of those chocolate oranges that stores sell during the holidays - the ones where you smack the "orange" on a table to crack it open into segments.  I like oranges, and chocolate, but more so separately than together like this, haha.  But, if you already like those chocolate oranges, you will definitely like this Kit Kat flavor :o) 

Japanese Wasabi Kit Kats

Of all of the crazy-sounding Japanese Kit Kat flavors, this is likely up there in the "What the heck?!" ranking.  Yes folks, this is a box of Wasabi flavored Kit Kats.  Yes, as in the pile of green next to your plate of sushi, is also found in these candy bars, haha.

I must say, the light green hue of these white chocolate based wafer sticks was actually very pretty to look at.  They didn't really smell like wasabi right off the bat, but you definitely get a little tinge of something like horseradish.  As far as the taste, the white chocolate flavor is very strong, which helps to mute the wasabi flavor.  There's definitely a wasabi flavor in here, but it's not overpowering.  This was definitely one of the more interesting flavors to try out! 

Kit Kat - Chili Pepper

I enjoy spicy food, but I was still a little unsure about these Chili Pepper Kit Kats from Japan.  I wasn't sure how spicy these would be, or if they would really go well with the chocolate and wafers.

The initial smell seemed like a regular chocolate Kit Kat, and the color didn't give anything away either. I was wondering if they were going to be tinted red, haha. After a few bites, I finally got some of the heat from the chili peppers.  It wasn't too strong, and built up a little bit the longer you eat it.  it was actually pretty cool, and reminded me of some "spicy Mexican chocolate" that you see sometimes in desserts and chocolate shops.  The mild spice didn't take away from the chocolate, it just made it more interesting compared to a regular chocolate Kit Kat.  I wouldn't necessarily buy these all the time if I was in Japan, but I am glad I tried them out! 

Kit Kat - Tiramisu

Mmm, Tiramisu!  I love the flavors of real Tiramisu so I basically knew that this Kit Kat flavor was going to be a winner, haha.  As you can see this Japanese Kit Kat is white chocolate based, which makes sense for a dessert like this one, where the Mascarpone cheese is a big component.  I have no idea how they do it, but there really was a coffee-soaked-vanilla-ish element in both the smell and the taste.  This was definitely one of the better Japanese Kit Kats I've tried, and would love to have this flavor again! 

Kit Kat - Strawberry Cheesecake

These Strawberry Cheesecake flavored Kit Kats from Japan are definitely one of the top Kit Kat flavors I've tried so far!  Right off the bat, they smell a lot like cheesecake when you unwrap the bars.  The strawberry flavor is there, but a little muted - almost like there's just a little bit of strawberry folded in.  Which is great for me since I prefer the cheesecake portion to the fruit portion, haha.  I hope they make more cheesecake variations in the future! 

Japanarama: Baked Pudding Kit Kats

I always love trying out the fun Japanese Kit Kat flavors, but this one was especially interesting with the interactive component to it.  It's a pudding flavor (likely a Japanese flan, which is usually called "Purin"), which in itself isn't that unique, but there's also a big picture of a toaster oven on the front of the bag suggesting that you toast them!

Pudding flavored Kit Kats are already delicious, but the extra step of toasting them in the toaster oven adds a tasty touch to the bars.  You definitely have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't totally melt away/burn, but it's also sort of fun to see them brown and bubble up through the toaster oven window.  It adds a slight caramel-y taste as well, like a quick and easy creme brulee.  I'm so happy I got a chance to try these, and I hope they come out with more unique flavors and preparation ideas as well! 

Japanese Kit Kat - Pumpkin Purin

A big "Thank You!" to my friend L for sending me a fun package from her trip to Bali/Tokyo, including these Japanese Pumpkin Purin Kit Kats! Purin is the Japanese word for creme caramel, or flan as some people might know it.  

I think we all know where this review is headed, considering my love of pumpkin sweets and love of the regular Japanese Purin Kit Kat. This had a great pumpkin cream smell right when I opened the wrapper, and tasted very sweet and delicious.  Speaking of the wrapper, I loved the festive illustration, including the kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) with purin inside (on the bottom left), and a somewhat sad expression on its face, haha. Thanks again to L for sending me the lovely package! 

Lunchtime Links for May 2nd, 2013

• Serious Eats: Ice cream recipes for coffee and tea lovers. 
• Picky Palate: Homemade box mix style brownies. 
• Cookies & Cups: Vanilla cream filled muffins.
• Warm Vanilla Sugar: Cream cheese brownies. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Kit Kat cake. 

Spring - Japanese Kit Kats

About a month ago, my mom mailed me a package packed to the gills with Japanese candy, food, and random sundries (such a funny word, sundries, haha).  I was especially excited for three new Kit Kat flavors to try out and review!

On the top left we have a Rilakkuma edition of Hotcake Kit Kats; on the right is an Orange flavor commemorating the new Tokyo Sky Tree; and on the bottom is a box of chili powder Kit Kats.  It's always fun to try new flavors, and luckily Japan never seems to run out of these new Kit Kat offerings, haha.

Lunchtime Links for February 28th, 2012

• The Kitchn: Favorite tools for freezing food.
• Serious Eats: 10 must-eats in New Orleans. 
• In Good Taste: Spicy noodles with Szechuan tofu. 
• Kirbie's Cravings: Kit Kat flavors from Japan.
• Tasty Kitchen: Vanilla crumb pie.

Japanese Azuki Bean Sandwich Kit Kat

It's been a while, but here's a new (to me) Kit Kat flavor from Japan!  

Don't let the "bean" part make you think it's a savory item- Azuki beans are often sweetened and used in a LOT of Japanese sweets, usually as a filling.  I love pretty much anything in Japan with azuki bean paste, or "an" as it's called.  Rolls, mochi, cakes, waffles, crepes, and so much more!  This Kit Kat flavor mimics the taste of an azuki bean sandwich, as shown on the box.

Being a fan of azuki bean sweets in Japan, I really like these Kit Kats.  The smell and taste are really pleasant, sweet but also nutty, as azuki beans really are.  I think the nutty/toasted flavor helps to bring out the "sandwich" portion of this snack as well.  These Kit Kats have an impressively complex taste that is really different from other Kit Kats, for sure.  I'm so glad I got to try these!

Lunchtime Links for January 20th, 2012

• Serious Eats: Grapefruit juice review.
• Adventures in Bentomaking: Modcloth Take Your Picnic tiffin.
• One Bite at a Time: Slow cooker dulce de leche. 
• Japanese Snack Reviews: Pumpkin cheesecake Kit Kat. 
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Recap from TVGasm.

Treats from Kirbie's Cravings

If you read my daily Lunchtime Links, you will know that Kirbie's Cravings is one of my favorite baking blogs- she makes SO much stuff that looks and sounds fantastic!

A while back I had mailed her a few new Japanese Kit Kats (posts on those two coming soon) because she was interested in the flavors.  Soon after that, I received a surprise thank you package from her, which you can see above :o)  It included some new-to-me Kit Kats which I was really excited about: Tiramisu and Custard Purin (pudding/flan basically), woo!

In addition to the Kit Kats, she also sent me a bunch of homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!  These were soft and super delicious.  Thank you for the great surprise package!!

Lunchtime Links for October 28th, 2011

• Serious Eats: Sandwiches in Philly.
• Eat Drink Pretty: Pumpkin bars.
• Bakerella: Halloween sprinkles.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Pumpkin rolls. 
• Jen's Kit Kat Blog: Tiramisu Kit Kat.