Having waxed poetic on the subject of Sweetzels Spice Wafers, I would be remiss to ignore the other great seasonal special of our local cookie isle, also on offer for more than 90 years running. This time I write of a delicious morsel that appears locally from October to April courtesy of national megabaker Nabisco. From its graham cracker base to its chocolate coat and all through its marshmallow core, it leaves you wanting s'more. Oh hell yes, it's the Mallomar.

These cookies have been getting some serious press attention lately, reminding me of the frenzy associated with the "Mallomar season" of my youth. I had a friend growing up whose mother so eagerly anticipated the arrival of those tiny brown domes that she'd have our local market give her a call when they got their stock. As crazy as that sounds, I can't say we didn't crowd the kitchen when she came home with those yellow plastic packs. Nowadays they pack them in boxes, but the cookies inside are just the same.

Like other multi-part cookies, Mallomars offer an opportunity for play and/or a personality test. Some people eat the cookie first, some scrape off the top, and some bite right through all three components in one fell swoop. I once lost interest in a boyfriend who preferred shoving the whole cookie in his mouth at once. Just because Mallomars are small doesn't mean they shouldn't be savored. The brute!

Eat Local. Eat Seasonal. Eat Mallomars.