Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
The pros: Beautiful round “marbles” of chocolate that are little works of speckled art. You are getting 16 truffles for about $4 and they are quality chocolate. There are 4 different varieties in Trader Joe’s Chocolate Marbles. The varieties are mostly similar but with subtle variation.
The cons: It’s so easy to keep eating these.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Peppermint Almond Beverage is shelf stable (mine is good until October 2017, so about 11 months), gluten free, kosher, vegan if that is a concern to you or your family. I was surprise how good this was. This could easily pass as real chocolate milk with a slight and subtle but pleasant peppermint flavor.
The cons: It’s a nut product so anyone with allergies will obviously have to stay away. It’s seasonal and I literally only saw this product once in my local Trader Joe’s.
The verdict: …
Trader Joe’s Almond Croissants are outstanding selections in the frozen aisle. There are currently three varieties to choose from: mini, chocolate, and almond. Their croissants are highly rated and the almond flavor is no exception to this. If you enjoy the flavor of almonds in a variety of forms this is a great item to reach for. You’ll also want to have an egg wash ready before they go into the oven. Mine did not look like the box until I added the egg wash. The powdered sugar is optional and may make your Almond Croissant a bit too sweet….
The pros: $7.99 might sound like a lot for Trader Joe’s Blanched Almond Flour, but that’s actually a very reasonable price. King Arthur Almond flour sells for double.
The cons: Still expensive compared to regular wheat flour, but for some wheat flour is a non option.
The verdict: …
I absolutely adored Trader Joe’s Molten Chocolate Macarons. I dream about them. With vanilla ice cream to cut through the deep luscious chocolate. If I’m not buying a variety pack, the mango, or the pumpkin, I’m buying the big chocolate ones. Because at Trader Joe’s I can afford to be affluent like that. At $2.99 for 2 giant macarons Trader Joe’s Salted Butterscotch Macarons are a pretty good deal.
The good: Two large macarons that act like a lava cake but….
The bad: Salted butterscotch filling that reminded me of burnt caramel. Not what I hoped it would be. In fact I ended up scraping it out and just eating the cookie to not waste the cookie.
The verdict: …
Summer doesn’t last forever. But the flavors of summer should. Fresh fruit is one of those classic summer flavors. The mango flavor in Trader Joe’s Mango Macarons were bright and refreshing. This flavor has been in Trader Joe’s for a while, so hopefully it will stick around. Here is what you get for $4.99 per box.
The pros: These are a solid choice in the freezer section. They are seasonal. The entire package is the same flavor
The cons: If you do not enjoy the flavor of mango, then reach for the Macaron Variety Pack or the Chocolate and Vanilla package.
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Craving chocolate and crunch at the same time? Love chocolate lava cake and pillowy soft macarons? Look no further than Trader Joe’s Molten Chocolate Macarons. You get two large macarons that go into your microwave. It’s the taste of a large macaron and a center that will remind you of a chocolate lava cake….
Yes, I know I reviewed other varieties of macarons from Trader Joes. I’ve even included a recipe to make your own macarons. I am very well aware that I’ve encouraged people to Deep Fat Fry your Macarons. This review is on Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Macarons a seasonal flavor that makes an appearance in the fall.
However, like Christmas in August, it’s September and everything is coming up Pumpkin. It’s still early and I haven’t had my fill of pumpkin just let, I figured I’d give these a go. They can easily be missed in the freezer aisle at Trader Joe’s as the box, if not looking closely looks a lot like not so seasonal Mango Macarons….
Below is sectional list and an alphabetical list of all the Trader Joe’s Reviews on this site so far. It should be in order based on the name that appears on the packaging. If you don’t see it, use the search feature. Feel free to comment on product you’d like to see me do a review on and I’ll add it to my list of items to try! I’m not affiliated with Trader Joe’s. Some ladies are excited to bring home a brown bag from Bloomingdale’s. This Betty gets excited when the brown bag is from Trader Joe’s….
There are times company comes by expectedly or without any warning. Whatever the case is, there are handy items to keep in the freezer if you are just having a cup of tea and want something sweet. Be warned, if you are not familiar with macarons, they are light and somewhat sweet, they are not made with regular flour like most cookies, they are made with almond flour. So if you have a nut allergy, steer clear….
Deep fried Oreos move over. If you can get to a local Trader Joe’s an locate Macarons in the freezer section, this is an easy recipe for Deep Fried Macarons. It’s also more affordable as you can pick up a dozen macarons at Trader Joes for about $5. Some places charge something close to that for one macaron. The principles apply here as in deep fried oreos. Yes, I know I posted a macaron recipe on this site already. If you don’t have hours worth of time or don’t want to deep fry your hard work it is totally a Bettyfied way of going about things. Judgement free zone here, short cuts are absolutely acceptable. Trader Joe’s has a variety of flavors ready to go: Vanilla and Chocolate, Mango, the six variety pack, or molten chocolate. For this experiment I used the Vanilla and Chocolate variety….
If there was ever a foodie Home Depot, it would be called Sur La Table. I confess it is the one store I have a weakness for. Some women struggle with going into Target and walking out with numerous unplanned purchases. I have the same struggle, but it’s at Sur La Table. Yes, it could be so very easy to not walk in. But I have to. You see Sur La Table has Cooking Classes. If you struggle to boil water or just want to learn, they have a calendar set up (and even occasionally offer sales) just with classes. If there were just one class I would recommend everyone to take, it’s the Knife Skills class. After that feel free. You’ll walk away with solid recipes or the knowledge that you should not try this at home (Yes, sushi class I am speaking to you). I’ve taken more than a dozen Sur La Table Classes. They’ve all been excellent….
Macarons (noun) Deriving from the French word meaning “awesome intimidating slice of heaven cookie.” I’m sure some foodies out there will correct me. No, that isn’t actually what the word means, but it’s what it should mean. They are intimidating and notoriously fickle cookies to make. They are beautiful. They are expensive to buy. So why not make them? They are expensive to purchase, but not nearly as expensive to make. They will take practice. Even your cracked, broken “Ugly Bettys” will be worth while. Unpresentable, but tasty….
Some of my cookbooks are ones that will be cherished and unopened on a coffee table in the house. Others look like the have waged kitchen warfare. In addition to the iconic Betty Crocker books that line my bookshelf, this is one book that deserves to also be a “Betty.” A funny story about this one:
One Christmas, I asked my then boyfriend for a series of cookbooks as a gift suggestion. One of which included Gina Homolka’s The Skinnytaste Cookbook. Upon opening the gift it was difficult for my then boyfriend (now husband) to not see the joy in my face. With a big “Thank you” he promptly replied, “I’m glad your happy, just don’t make me any of that crap.”…
