Trader Joe's blog and cooking.
The longer I’m at this blog, the more patterns I see. I’ve seen products come and go. And come back again. Sometimes after years of disappearing. If you are familiar with Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites, you might recognize this cake. In fact, Trader Joe’s Opera Cake hasn’t been on shelves in many years.
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Mochi. There isn’t really quite much that is like it. It’s one of those fun things to have people try. It’s quite polarizing too. Either you’ll love it or you’ll hate it. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground when it comes to this sweet confection and now Trader Joe’s Mochi Cake Mix is available to those who want to make it themselves.
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I love Blondies. I reviewed Trader Joe’s Blondies Bar Baking Mix not too long ago. When my Mom and Sister hear that I’m making a Trader Joe’s run, that is their usual request. That is one of my sister’s favorite items to make and bring to her workplace. Because who doesn’t love the dense blondie nature that reminds you of a big cookie?
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My Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze recipe is quick, easy, moist and uses lemon to add another dimension of flavor. This is a perfect breakfast, brunch, or dessert item to share or to freeze for fresh scones in the morning. These are delicious with both fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries. I’ve included lots of ways of adapting this recipe to make it even more delicious.…
Trader Joe’s Bunny Gummy Tummies are back. But this year they are different The last time I reviewed these it was 2017. There has been a subtle change to the bag. And while I wasn’t actually going to revisit this review, a quick glance at this bag made me realize that I probably should because this is a different product on a quite a few levels.
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Behold! A perfectly timed product gracing shelves in time for Valentine’s Day that is chocolate, but quite different. The color you are seeing here is not the result of coloring of any sort. And apparently, this is a new type of chocolate you can be sure that you’ll be seeing more of whether you find it at Trader Joe’s or available commercially.
Here is a recipe straight from my Mom’s cookbook. This Crumb Cake recipe is super simple, but always impresses who ever tries it. This recipe features lots and lots of that amazing cinnamon spiced crumb topping that wows every time. Perfect for entertaining and sharing.
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Vegan cookie review part deux. I figured these cookies need separate reviews. This cookie right here has certain similarities to the lemon variety like the fact it’s vegan, the cookies are huge, and they are new to shelves. However, the taste on these are quite different.
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There is something special about the holidays and Trader Joe’s. I’m not mentioning this because Valentine’s Day is coming up. I’m reflecting on this past holiday season. As a foodie, going in there was almost as exciting as going into FAO Schwartz as a kid. Now kids won’t even know what that is. Alas, Trader Joe’s has found a way to extend the holidays for just a bit longer. And perhaps your waistline too. …
Most of the new products hitting shelves this week aren’t of the healthy nature: there are new almond butter cups, candy coated peanuts, and this Blushing Apple Tart. So snacks and dessert items seem to be the order of the day. Trader Joe’s Blushing Apple Tart is the new addition in the freezer aisle.
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So in case you didn’t have enough sweets and cookies and candies yet, I figured I’d cover this item before New Year’s Day arrives when healthier eating seems in order. Yes, this is another example of a hybrid food much in the way a Cronut is kinda donut and kinda croissant.
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If there was on holiday food memory other than cinnamon rolls, it was making a rum cake with my mom. It was nothing fancy nor was it a family secret. Nope, it was the classic 1980’s Bacardi Rum Cake recipe. It was moist, boozy, delicious, and had the shelf life of a fruit cake. I loved making it with my mom. She let me handle the cake, but the making the glaze was on her. In either case, I loved it and was hoping for the same awesomeness in this box.
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Let me apologize in advance for all the goodies that are going to be posted on this blog over the next month. I like reviewing real food, but this time of year all the goodies are out. Including this fancy breakfast/dessert that is so fancy it didn’t feel like it needed the “e” in chocolat.
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Easy as pie. Or at least that is how the saying goes. But what about the gluten-free crowd? Making pie without flour can be a bit of a challenge. However, just in time for the holiday season is Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pie Crust in the freezer section. It’s already shaped and even has its own pie tin too. But how does it compare to a non gluten-free crust?
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If I had to pick one line where every flavor is pretty much on point, I would say the Hold the Cone! series is pretty darn near perfect. Unless you despise pumpkin, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ginger Hold the Cone Mini Ice Cream Cones rounds out some good flavors that one can only hope that they continue adding to.
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The pros: Trader Joe’s Macaron Aux Framboises has three generous servings and delicious dessert from France.
The cons: The coconut was a surprise but not a deal breaker.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chunk Cantuccini are new to shelves and are priced under $2. These are a hybrid between the traditional biscotti and a chocolate chip cookie.
The cons: Bag is not resealable. If you are nut free, you need to skip this product.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Neapolitan Joe Joe’s is the newest flavor of Joe Joe’s to hit store shelves.
The cons: The pairing here might not be everyone’s favorite.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mint Chip Ice Cream is one the best mint chip ice creams that I’ve ever had.
The cons: Don’t look at the nutritional label. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Mango and Cream Bars are light and refreshing.
The cons: No stick, but I’m not sure why these needed such explicit instructions.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s 8 Mini Croissants are new and replace the frozen ones you have to proof. Don’t worry though, the Chocolate and Almond croissants are still in the frozen aisle.
The cons: If you imagined (like I did) that these would be about the size of say a crescent roll, then you will be surprised by how much they puff up. This bag is not resealable. They are made in Belgium.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Soft Baked Snickerdoodles are delicious on their own, but it’s very clear there is also a targeted audience: people with allergies.
The cons: If you like crisp cookies, then you won’t want to pick this up. Box only contains 12 cookies.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramels are essentially salted caramels. If you love the salty sweet combination, then this a treat for you.
The cons: Texture was all caramel. I think these would have been more successful if they had the a touch of salt on top.
The verdict: …
The pros: Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cartwheel Cookies are the newest cookies to hit Trader Joe’s shelves.
The cons: If you like truly crispy cookies, then you might want to pass on these as these are crisp around the edges.
The verdict: …
