Ring Ding Dong

There has been a little debate going on in our family about which is better: Ding Dongs, the popular chocolate, creme-filled cake snack sold by Hostess here in the Mountain West; or Ring Dings, the popular chocolate, creme-filled cake snack sold by Drakes in New England. Both are comparable in weight and ingredients, and both are owned by the same parent company. Both, in my opinion, are yummy and worthy of late-night snackage.

For the record, Shelby has argued with my mom for years about this topic. He argued that they were both owned by the same nation-wide company and were therefore pretty much the same. Mostly he wanted her to stop griping about how Ring Dings were SO much better.

We decided to settle this once and for all by conducting a blind taste-test in our very own kitchen/lab. Here's how it all went down:

Skyler was very methodical, but quick. He voted with a preference for the Ding Dongs. 1:0
Aria took her vote very seriously. She nibbled one, had a sip of milk, nibbled the other and repeated several times. After deliberating audibly with her, "Hmm....s" and "Uhmm.....s" she confidently declared her allegiance to Ring Dings. 1:1Xander opted to ditch the blindfold and happily gorged himself on both. He seemed impartial. We assumed he voted both. 2:2Now the big tests. I tried the first, then the second. With a tinge of guilt I began apologizing to Shelby. "I'm sorry honey. Maybe it's because it's what I grew up with, but for whatever reason I just like the second one better. It's just a little bit creamier and...What?" I tore off the blindfold and saw Shelby laughing. I had voted for the Ding Dong! I shamed my mother...but I honestly don't care. Ding Dongs are WAY YUM! 3:2Finally, with his reputation on the line, Shelby stepped up to the plate. He tasted one. He took a drink. He tasted the other. His discerning palate at work, Shelby knew there was a lot riding on this test and final vote. And...he unwittingly voted for the Ring Ding! 3:3 We all had a good laugh at the strange reversal in which eight years worth of arguments over these silly snacks were suddenly turned on their heads.
Ah, the irony is rich. 330 calories and 17 fat grams, to be exact.