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Trader Joe's Lobster Tails

The pros: Trader Joe's Lobster Tails are new to the freezer section and are one of two frozen lobster options that are available for the holiday season.

The cons: Lobster isn't cheap. This is less pricey than the other lobster option in the freezer aisle. These too are a seasonal item usually located next to Trader Joe's Black Tiger Shrimp.

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Review

A Tale of Two Lobsters. Or should I say, A Tail of Two Lobsters. Yes, the holiday season is completely underway at Trader Joe's. This is when a lot of items get shifted around. One such section is without a doubt the seafood section. Last year I had the chance to review Trader Joe's Stuffed Lobster. One of my biggest complaints was that the lobster they sold did not include the claw (which is my favorite part), plus it was price above what my local fish store would get for a whole stuffed lobster anyway. Trader Joe's Stuffed Lobster also sells for $7 more than these two frozen tails.

Now, a quick moment of honesty. I think most of us like the taste of lobster, but don't wish to "do the deed" when it comes to fresh lobster. So frozen becomes the go to when I have my cowardly moments. Now, I already know that my Instagram followers from Maine have already commented on them not wanting to buy this because, well, they are from Maine and have access to Maine Lobster. So what exactly is the difference between Maine Lobster and say Canadian Lobster?

Both lobsters are part of the same species, but the conditions they live in may be the reason people swear there is a difference between the two. Gordon Ramsay even had a Kitchen Nightmare's moment dealing with the difference between the two. Regardless of the nuances between the two, here is what you get if you buy this product.

Your liking of this will depend mostly on you and your skills. Yes, there is a bit of technique needed here. Now, to prevent curling of the tails you can go in one of two directions: skewer it or use a pair of kitchen shears, loosen the meat and cradle it back on the shell. The directions for butterflying this are mentioned on the back of this package. I opted for the second method of butterflying it to keep the shells from curling and I broiled mine. With some salt, pepper, paprika, and melted butter mine were prepped and ready for the broiler. The shells were firm, but nothing a pair of kitchen shears couldn't handle. After a 5 minute broil, I had lobster awesomeness. The meat was tender and flavorful. It was a really solid homemade dinner.

For $9.99 these aren't cheap, but with a little technique they are relatively reasonably priced and tasty. Compared to what you might pay at a restaurant these are a steal. To Maine lobster aficionados, they might never live up to what the fisherman just caught, but for a frozen lobster tail these are very good. Just be sure to not overcook these and you'll find this a delicious, but sadly seasonal treat in the freezer aisle. Yes, I would totally buy these again.

If you missed out on this product when it was on shelves, then reach for the Red Argentinian Shrimp or the Langostino Tails, which are both very lobster-like.

After being broiled you get:

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Lobster Tails again. These made for a quick and easy dinner for one.

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Trader Joe's An Assortment of Boozy Little Chocolate Truffles

The pros: Trader Joe's An Assortment of Boozy Little Chocolate Truffles are relatively strong little truffles. Best of all, the serving size is a bit more realistic at 6 truffles. These are small enough to share.

The cons: This is a seasonal item.

The verdict:

Trader Joe's has lots of options for the 21+ up crowd even if you local Trader Joe's can't sell you hard liquor (mine can't in NY). Last year, I review two items I absolutely adored and made it a point to stocked up on them when they reappeared this year: Brandy Beans and Liqueur Cherries. Well, I'll add these to the list of buy agains.

These are boozy enough where the aroma of alcohol hits you the second you open the box. In fact, I had to show ID to purchase these. The box even contained warnings on the back about who should not consume these (and to not operate machinery). Each is very different, but none the less well done. Best of all they are on the small size, so if you need to share you won't feel like you are going to sacrifice an entire box. Each has a few elements in common: a crisp shell and a soft boozy interior.

I grabbed the prosecco first because I like white chocolate the least. Well, it turned out those were my favorite of the entire box. As weird as it sounds there was an effervescence about these. It almost had the mouth feel of Pop Rocks, but not as intense. You could taste the prosecco which was perfectly complimented by the white chocolate. And if you are wondering why these are strong, then you'll be happy to note these are made with grappa prosecco. I wished they sold these by themselves.

The next one I reached for was the Navy Rum. Now, I was unfamiliar with the term Navy Rum, but Inside Hook mentions that this is overproof rum. This reminded me of having a rum ball. A very well done rum ball. This was really good too. It was a mix of both milk and dark chocolate.

After that it was off to the Scotch Whisky one. This was the dark chocolate one. This tasted pretty close to the rum one with the exception it did have that whisky flavor.

Last, I tried the London Gin. While I liked this, I did not love it. It did seem to have an added crunch to it that was beyond the snap of the chocolate. I did not think the gin was the perfect complement to the chocolate (but these chocolates won't be going to waste, so I'm not trying to kid myself). While it wasn't my favorite none of these will be going to waste.

For $6.99 for 36 boozy truffles, it was totally worth it. Something to have when it feels like 5 o'clock in your life. These would make a fantastic dessert, snack, gift, or gift to yourself. Worth the money, but be sure to bring your ID.

Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:

The box of Trader Joe's An Assortment of Boozy Little Chocolate Truffles:

The nutritional information:

The ingredients, allergy, warning, and flavor guide:

Out of the package you get:

Would I buy this again? Yes, Trader Joe's An Assortment of Boozy Little Chocolate Truffles is perfect as a gift to yourself or the person in your life who likes both chocolate and to imbibe in a bit of booze. These are well done and flavorful.

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Trader Joe's An Assortment of Boozy Little Chocolate Truffles review is posted. Each review features pictures, product and nutritional information including packaging, allergy and ingredient information, and pricing.

Trader Joe's Winter Snowflake Pasta

The pros: Trader Joe's Winter Snowflake Pasta is one of many seasonal and whimsical shapes of pasta that Trader Joe's offers on a rotating basis.

The cons: This pasta is special because of its shape, but there is nothing else that stands out about this product. For me, the cooking directions were off.

The verdict: ...

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Trader Joe's Black Truffle Butter

Truffles don't come cheap. However, Trader Joe's is starting to make me wonder about that. There have been several months were the foods had a theme. October seems dominated by all things pumpkin. This past March it was all things coffee. Now, aside from peppermint, truffle seems to be the new winter flavor. People's feelings towards truffles can best be summed up by one of two emotions: love or disgust.

Last year Trader Joe's offered Truffle Mac and Cheese in the freezer section. This year White Truffle Chips made an appearance on snack shelves. Now there is truffle butter, truffle dip, and I think I even saw some mixed in the prepared meats. While the truffle items are frequently seasonal, I do wished they would stick around longer. If you are going to make something with an ingredient that expensive, it needs to be well done.

That's pretty much what you have here. The star here is not the butter. If you want really well done butter on its own then by all means grab Trader Joe's Cultured Salted Butter. The star here is the truffles. When you open the package you are greeted by black dots that are speckled throughout the butter. Every butter knife stroke against this butter yielded at least some truffle bits on the each pat of butter. While not as intense as the white truffle chips, the earthy truffle flavor is all there. I enjoyed mine on bread, but I can also see using this with pasta as well.

For $2.99 this price here is a bit debatable. For butter, this is pricey for 3 ounces. That works out to almost $16 per pound. However, to truffle lover you know that price is a bargain. You would be hard pressed to find a good bottle of truffle oil for under $10 and those are frequently all chemicals anyways. This is well done.

While the truffle flavor is no where near as assertive as say the potato chips, but will compliment most breads, potatoes, or other starches you might which to have this with. I liked this a lot and if I run out I would like to buy this again, assuming it is still on shelves.

If you are looking for a seasonal alternative, then consider picking up some of Trader Joe's Truffle Salt. Add it to some unsalted butter and you'll get a product that is reasonably close to this while you wait for this product to hit shelves again.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I enjoyed Trader Joe's Black Truffle Butter. If it is still around, then I would absolutely buy it again. If you enjoy truffle flavor, then this will probably be a hit for you too.

The Bottom Line

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Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:

The package of Trader Joe's Black Truffle Butter:

The nutritional information and the ingredients:

Out of the package you get:

After being spread on some freshly baked ficelles you get:

Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.

Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Trader Joe's Almond Nog

The pros: Trader Joe's Almond Nog is soy free, gluten free, diary free, vegan, kosher, and seasonal. Best of all, it does a very good job of replicating the flavors that you might expect in a regular egg nog.

The cons: Why is there not a recipe on this carton to make this boozy egg nog? Isn't that what egg nog is supposed to be about? It's also not quite as thick as a regular nog.

The verdict:

...

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