My Favorite Nabisco Cookie Is Finally Back In Stores

The cookies "everyone likes to hoard" are back.

There are certain signs of autumn's arrival that I always look out for: the leaves changing color, the days growing shorter and shorter, and Mallomars arriving on grocery store shelves. Yes, they're the product I (and many East Coasters) look forward to all year long, and unlike most seasonal products in the fall, there's not a hint of pumpkin spice in them.

Much like an endangered species, my family and I send each other photos of our first Mallomars spottings each year, and, as of last week, I finally saw them back on shelves in my local store. Here's why you should be stocking up on a box (or four) of Mallomars while they're still around. They just may very well become your new favorite Nabisco cookie, too.

What Are Mallomars?

For the uninitiated—sincere apologies it's taken you this long to learn about them—Mallomars are a 110-year-old (!) Nabisco cookie that originated in New Jersey (that's one thing Mallomars and I have in common). They feature a round graham cracker-like cookie topped with a mound of fresh marshmallow and a shattering-crisp dark chocolate coating.

The flavor combination is, of course, reminiscent of s'mores, but the contrast of textures is what sets this cookie apart from all others. The chocolate coating is like the Magic Shell of the cookie world, its satisfying *crack* gives way to ethereally light marshmallow and then buttery graham cracker. Much like a Lay's potato chip, it's exceedingly hard to eat just one.

As one writer described it in a 2015 New York Times article, Mallomars are akin to Proust's madeleines (or Antoine's ratatouille in the eponymous movie); The first bite never fails to transport me back to my childhood. They hold the same special place in my heart as Girl Scout cookies because much like the latter, they only come out at certain times of year. Here's why.

Why Are Mallomars Seasonal?

When Mallomars were first made in 1913, refrigerated trucks were a dream of the future and that crunchy chocolate coating could only stay solid for so long in the heat. Thus, Mallomars would come to be manufactured, shipped, and sold only in colder months, typically October through March.

Despite technological advances of the last 110 years, Nabisco decided to keep the seasonality of the cookie as a nod to its origins and to "maintain tradition," a spokesperson for the brand told NPR in 2013. Plus, as we know, a sense of scarcity as products leave and return to shelves creates buzz around them and their seasonality. As that NPR piece put it, the seasonality is what makes Mallomars "the cookie everyone likes to hoard." This is one case where the product lives up to the hype.

Where Can You Buy Mallomars?

Nowadays, Mallomars appear on shelves in late September-early October and stay until late March-early April. However, you may not see them on shelves by you. According to a blurb on the back of the Mallomars box, over 70 percent of the cookies are sold in the New York metropolitan area, keeping its ties to its New Jersey origins strong even a century later.

In fact, the company estimates about 95 percent of Mallomars are sold in the Northeast. If you're not from the region, these cookies might be entirely new to you. If that's the case, you're welcome, because these cookies are worth your attention, and these days, you can have them shipped anywhere in the country. Simply order them online via many of the major retailers (including Amazon, Walmart, and Target), sit back, and wait for your soon-to-be-favorite seasonal treat to arrive.

Last year, Nabisco discontinued the beloved, equally nostalgic chocolate wafer cookies. However, if they even think to come for my beloved Mallomars, I will launch a full-on riot. And, apparently, I'll have the support of the greater New York area behind me when I do.

Read the original article on All Recipes.