The Bittersweet Taste of Nostalgia: An Open-Box Review of My Mom’s Old Friend’s Puguo’s Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnut Cookies

The Bittersweet Taste of Nostalgia: An Open-Box Review of My Mom’s Old Friend’s Puguo’s Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnut Cookies

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

樸菓手工燕麥咖啡核桃餅乾的開箱試吃評價 / Puguo Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnutt Cookies Open-box Tasting Review

（This blog is in English; for the Chinese review, please click on the link below🔗/ 此文為英文版試吃評價部落格，欲看中文版評價請點以下連結🔗）:
huaijiu-de-kule-canban-canma-laopengyou-de-puguo-shougong-yanmai-kafei-hetao-binggan-de-kaixiang-shichi-pingjia/

• Watch Our YouTube Open-box Tasting video First:

As I sink deeper into our couch while waiting for my mom to return from her meeting with an old friend, wondering if I am being abandoned again, The TV sound fades into the background as I take another sip of my scrumptious milk. Yes, I’m drinking milk instead of wine for a change, but we’ll get to that later. Another 30 minutes have passed; my outer canthi droops into sad, puppy eyes; I feel my tears welling up. I rush into my bedroom to grab the stuffed puppy my mom recently gave me when I was depressed. I squeeze my puppy hard, telling myself to stay strong. Finally, hear the rattling sound of her keychains wiggling through the front door’s keyhole. “Mommy!” My frown turns upside down at the first sight of her. I notice an unexpected package sitting at the entrance. My heart does an excited little flip when I see it – it has to be from her old friend who has been abroad! They hadn’t seen each other in ages, meaning this gift had to be exotic.

I carefully open the plain brown bag, half expecting some sort of book or boring scholarly stuff. But nestled inside were jars full of homemade cookies and a few bags of dried fruit chips. As you all know, I haven’t had any snacks for years because of my eczema. I’m an old soul; these snacks look grown up enough for me to crave. Puguo’s Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnut Cookies is the first item that catches my eye. The familiar full bags of snacks bring a flood of memories rushing back to when we were grocery shopping in Canada, my mom grabbing family-sized chips off the shelf (she somehow preferred the super Canadian-limited ketchup flavour!), and then returning home where she hops on the couch, rips open the chip bag’s size of her torso and munching them one after another, indulging in happiness.

Puguo’s Handmade Oatmeal Coffee Walnut Cookies weren’t just ordinary cookies – they were “kiss-the-tips-of-your-fingers-buono cookies! She must’ve spent a long time perfecting the ultimate cookie recipe, perhaps after countless trials and errors involving mysteriously green baked goods, minor kitchen fires, and an oven mitt melting incident.
The glass jar isn’t just any store-bought cookie jar; it is sealed with an easy-open tin can lid. I eagerly open the jar, and the heavenly aroma of oatmeal, cinnamon, and coffee envelops me. It is like stepping into a time machine back to my childhood kitchen. Rather than looking rustic and brittle, these cookies have the sterile uniformity of store-bought cookies. As I wonder if they’ve already gone IPO, I open my laptop and do a quick search. This batch shares no similarities with the other homemade cookies‘ bumpy, imperfect edges.
I can’t resist any longer. I slowly bite into one, letting the flavours overwhelm my senses. The outside edge had a light but satisfying crunch that transitioned into a melt-in-the-mouth, airy center. As I savour, the molasses notes of brown sugar mingled with the airy wholesomeness of rolled oats. The occasional walnut added bursts of earthy notes. And then, the coffee kicks in, starting with a hint of bitterness that grows into a bold mocha flavour. I like my coffee black and dark roast; Puguo perfectly balances the sweet and bitter as if I’m sipping on my morning coffee, creating an invigorating cookie experience.
While local Taiwanese may not have any homemade cookie experiences, as Taiwanese households don’t typically have ovens ideal for baking. Luckily, I grew up in the West.
The tastes of these handmade cookies trigger a kaleidoscope of vivid memories – laughing with my childhood friends as we licked batter from mixing bowls, surreptitiously stealing chocolate chips, and cranking Spice Girls as loud as possible while baking. With eyes closed, I see us dancing around the kitchen, belting out the lyrics to Wannabe without a care in the world. Simpler times.
The texture was utterly addictive and mind-blowing- each cookie is about 1 inch thick with about a 3-inch circumference; yet, it bites into a completely airy and burdenless texture, along with a fluffy coarseness from the rolled oats. This is where the milk comes into play. What pairs best with cookies other than milk? Fluffy crumbs cascade down my chin as I take one after another a heavenly bite. I don’t care. I am in pure bliss. The interplay of flavours and textures is like a party in my mouth that I never want to end.
I cannot help but moan aloud as I keep devouring cookie after cookie. The decadent combination of bitter and sugar leaves me with a sensory overload. My legs turn to jelly, and I sink blissfully onto our couch, letting the tastes and memories wash over me.
After polishing off half the batch, I finally come up for air. I pour another mug of warm milk to complement the cookies‘ “bittersweetness.” With the first sip, the flavours transformed. The bitter notes soften, and the oats’ hearty wholesomeness shine through. The milk somehow reset my palate, so each new bite feels like falling in love again.
Puguo’s cookies paired with milk become my own personal heaven. The world falls away – no stress, no deadlines, just me and the nostalgic flavours of a longing to be breastfed. Tears spring to my eyes as decades of PTSD unlock with each bite. I transport back to childhood, listening to my childhood friend’s mom yell at us to stop stealing cookie dough. I picture us pillow-fighting when her evil cat strolled by. I am an innocent kid again without a care in the world.
As I near the end of the batch, I slow down to savour each crumb. I don’t know when I would taste Puguo’s cookies again. These aren’t just cookies – they are edible time machines that bring me back to the golden days of childhood when the world seemed full of possibility.
All too soon, I am down to the last few cookies. I reverently eat one, moving again to tears by the rush of emotions and memories it evokes. The very last cookie I can’t bear to eat. Instead, I wrap it carefully in plastic and tuck it away, a little memento of childhood to cherish.
Puguo’s handmade cookies are far more than just cookies in a jar. It is a bridge to our past and our beautiful memories. The cookies reignite a glowing ember of childlike joy that too often gets extinguished by adult life. For a few brief minutes, thanks to the power of taste and memory, I travelled back to simpler times when my biggest worry was looking for my mom.
So thank you, Puguo, for this priceless edible time capsule. Your cookies are a masterpiece – the essence of nostalgia in edible form. Each one perfectly intertwined the flavours of coffee, oats, cinnamon, and walnuts. But it is the memories they unlock that mean the most to me. Just one bite brings me back to those golden rainy Saturday afternoons in our kitchen. These cookies will always hold a special place in my heart.

Recipe for Homemade Oatmeal Coffee Walnut Cookies

For those of you who’ve read up to this point, here is a gift for you: the recipe for Puguo’s oatmeal coffee walnut cookies, so you can recreate the blissful experience at home:

Ingredients:

• • 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (240g) rolled oats
  • 1 cup (110g) chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup (30g) finely ground coffee beans
• Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare two large baking sheets for cookies by lining them with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat the white and add brown sugars and the butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs individually, then stir in the vanilla.
Stir the dry ingredients gradually into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the oats, walnuts and ground coffee beans.
Scoop golf ball-sized dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Flatten slightly into discs about 1 inch thick.
Bake for 12-15 minutes in the oven until the cookies are lightly browned on the edges but still soft in the center.
Cool the cookies on the oven tray for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
Notes:
The ground coffee beans give these cookies a lovely mocha flavour without being overpowering.
Baking time may vary, depending on the type of oven, so observe to prevent burning.
Cookies will be chewy and slightly soft in the center when cooled. Enjoy!
Alternatives: If you want to get creative, here are some other options you may try:

Here are some other flavours that could complement and enhance Puguo’s oatmeal coffee walnut cookies:

• Dark chocolate chips :

Melted dark chocolate would add another layer of rich sweetness and texture while also pairing nicely with the coffee undertones. The bitterness of dark chocolate would balance the sugar.

• Cinnamon chips:

Tiny bursts of cinnamon flavour and warmth would enhance the cozy autumnal vibe of the oats and walnuts. The cinnamon would also amplify the cookie‘s natural sweetness.

• Orange zest:

Tiny grated bits of orange zest provide little hits of bright citrus flavour and aroma. Orange would work surprisingly well with the deeper notes of coffee and walnuts.

• Cardamom:

This warm, floral spice would add an intriguingly exotic twist. Cardamom‘s lemony, slightly peppery flavour would mesh well with coffee’s nutty, roasty notes.

• Crushed peppermint:

For a more indulgent wintry version, bits of crushed peppermint provide little pockets of refreshing minty coolness contrasting with the cookie‘s warmth. Peppermint and chocolate chunks together would be festive and delicious.

• Coarse sea salt:

A delicate sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top would add salty sparks of flavour and crunch, bringing out the cookie‘s sweetness. A savoury element would beautifully balance the sugar.

• Raisins or dried cherries:

Plump-dried fruits would add little bursts of tangy sweetness for a chewier texture. The contrast between the soft oats and chewy fruit would be highly satisfying.