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Graham crackers a tasty, stand-alone treat
By KATHY SAUNDERS
Published September 14, 2005
There's no question that graham crackers are best when wrapped around marshmallows and milk chocolate. But they stand alone as a solid, crunchy and sweet snack.
Taster's Choice put five brands of honey-flavored graham crackers to the test, and all satisfied our panelists.
The favorite was from Nabisco ($3.59), receiving 56 out of 80 points.
Panelists liked the crispness of the Nabisco crackers as well as their lighter color and airy texture.
"These would make a great cheesecake crust," said one judge.
The second and third choices were close behind with 55 and 54 points respectively. Keebler grahams ($3.99) were praised for their sturdiness, dark, golden color and crunch.
"These have an excellent graham flavor," said one judge. "I want this with peanut butter."
She also liked the bumpy texture of the cracker.
Next were graham crackers from Albertsons ($2.19).
"These are golden and appetizing," said one judge. These were also the most honey-flavored, according to the tasters.
In each case, three of the four panelists said they would purchase the top three brands.
Some of the samples were sweet, but the texture was more like "cardboard" than crackers, said panelists. Graham crackers had to be strong enough to hold toppings from butter to cheese.
All judges said they like a graham to snap when cracked. I prefer them softer, even a bit stale. All crackers we tasted were fresh and crisp.
I would leave them in a cookie jar for a couple days, unless I wanted to make s'mores. Also tasted were graham crackers from Kash n' Karry ($1.50) and Great Value ($1).
Panelists were: Nan Jensen, registered dietitian with Pinellas County Extension, Gary Kawalec, chef/owner of Supper Club, a make-and-take meal assembly business soon to open in Safety Harbor, personal chef Julie Overton and Times food editor, Janet K. Keeler. All products were tasted blind.
Send suggestions for product testing to Taste section, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail them to krieta@sptimes.com Please put TEST SUGGESTION in the subject line. To read past Taster's Choice columns, go to www.sptimes.com/food
RANKINGS
No. 1: Nabisco.
No. 2: Keebler.
No. 3: Albertsons.
[Last modified September 13, 2005, 09:02:05]
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