Editor's Choice: Almondina Toastees

Now that Halloween is over, retailers have shelf space for more healthy and delicious snacks such as Almondina Toastees.

These crisps come in four delectable flavors; Cranberry Almond, Sesame Almond, Lemon Poppy Almond and Coconut Orange Almond.

Here at the office, we tried the Sesame Almond. They are thin and crunchy, and are bite-size with the perfect consistency which keeps them from crumbling and making a mess. They can be prepared with both strong and mild cheeses. I recommend serving them with goat cheese and preserves or with creamy havarti. They would also be appetizing paired with fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil and a balsamic glaze for a twist on a traditional caprice salad. Almondina Toastees can also be paired with coffee or used as a garnish for frozen yogurt.

Almondina Toastees are a lighter version of founder Yuval Zaliouk’s grandmother Dina’s Petit Gateau Sec cookie recipe. These Toastees are great by themselves as a snack or light dessert and remind me of a cross between a cracker and my own grandmother’s Norwegian Christmas cookies.

Unlike my grandmother’s Norwegian cookies, they are a lot healthier. Almondina Toastees boast no added fat or salt, don’t have preservatives and are dairy free.

Almondina Toastees make a great snack or dessert alternative to Halloween candy. I would recommend them for their versatility, easy preparation and consumption, and most importantly, their delicious flavor.

-Claire

Editor's Choice: Stonewall Salt and Pepper Crackers

The truth is everything tastes better with a little salt and pepper. We put this simple and elegant combination on essentially everything savory we eat, and sometimes sweet things as well. Heck, I add it to hot milk if I am not feeling well (just the tiniest bit of pepper, mind you). So the Salt & Pepper crackers from Stonewall Kitchen are adding a little bit of something good to crackers.

For me, crackers are just a conduit for cheese or something else tasty. I don't usually think about the crackers too much. They should be crunchy, not distractingly flavored and not stale. My requirements are fairly simple. I noticed, as I downed a little Port Salut the other night, that I was eating more crackers than cheese. Preposterous! But true. That crackers are so simple, so tasty and with just the right dash of salt and nice fresh pepper that they add that little kick to everything you slather across the top of them. I tested this theory with a sweeter cheese, a dip based in dill and even just a dash of cream cheese. Delicious.

Everything tastes better with a little salt and pepper and these hand-cut beauties are the perfect delivery system for that perfect combination.

-Elizabeth Dugan