Today, one of the greatest cookies of all time, the Oreo, is 100 years old.
It started out mound-shaped, but eventually was changed to its present shape. There have been imitations, but none can hold a candle to the cookie that can be twisted apart, or dunked in milk. And let's not forget that creamy middle.
There's been Oreo with Double Stuff, as well as holiday and season variations. And those old school ads with the Middleman were memorable.
For many years, Oreos weren't kosher, as they were made with lard. In 1997, after a three-year process, all Nabisco products were declared kosher by the Orthodox Union. (The company's 100 enormous baking ovens had to be cleaned with blowtorches.)
Recalling the 1976 remake A Star Is Born, where African-American vocalists Venetta Fields and Clydie King backed Barbra Streisand. The trio's name? "The Oreos"!
If one actually wanted to make Oreos at home, could it be done? Is there a recipe with instructions? Oreos don't seem baked as much as they seem stamped out—like license plates.
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"If it's hot, don't sit on it." —NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
I don't eat Oreos very often, but when I do they are a treat.
Also, I'm glad they aren't made with lard anymore.
Not sure if this is true, but I heard somewhere that the recipe wasn't being changed just for Jews. Muslims and vegetarians also couldn't eat lard-ridden Oreos, and the diet-conscious were starting to read ingredients on food labels. IIRC, just before they changed the recipe, Nabisco started noticing that more and more packages of Oreos were staying on the grocery shelves.
Plus, there's Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream that uses Oreo cookie chunks as an ingredient. That is, the premium brands use Oreos; no idea what the discount grade brands put in their mix. Remember Nabisco Oreo's chief rival, Sunshine Hydrox? What was up with that "chemical" taste? Though, to be fair, Sunshine Bakeries also made those excellent Vienna Fingers. Of course, the Sunshine Bakeries have been assimilated into the Keebler collective.
Hydrox Cookies came first. First on the shelves in 1908. Name from "Hydrogen" and "Oxygen"-elements in pure water. And it is (was?) Kosher...no lard in the recipe.
Keebler (which bought Sunshine Biscuits in 1996 and then Kelloggs bought Keebler in 2001) brought back the Hydrox for a short time in 2008 to celebrate its 100th anniversary but in limited markets.
I'm more of a fan of "Mini-Oreos"...nice bite sized size.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Mar 10, 2012, 12:29 PM)
In 1997, after a three-year process, all Nabisco products were declared kosher by the Orthodox Union. 
(The company's 100 enormous baking ovens had to be cleaned with blowtorches.) 
