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December 2012

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels

Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch CaramelsOne of the new items at Trader Joe’s candy section is a twist on an old fashioned favorite, a chocolate covered caramel. I’ve always wanted a better Milk Dud and Trader Joe’s as been doing a good job of providing some tantalizing options over the years.

The newest is Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels which comes in a 7 ounce gusseted bag with a resealable top. They describe them as Soft and creamy, deeply flavored butterscotch caramels are tinged with sea salt and enrobed in dark, slightly bitter chocolate to offset the sweetness.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels

I was wondering if these were the same as the Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels sold in the small, single serving lavender bags. The ingredients are remarkably similar, with one difference: the Butterscotch Caramels use tapioca syrup instead of corn syrup. So these are free of corn (or at least don’t have any stated corn ingredients).

Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels

The flavor is very, well, butterscotchy. They taste like a butter flavor, but not an overtly artificial one like some fake popcorn topping can but more like a maple, woodsy flavor with stronger dairy notes. Instead it’s just rich and a little less sweet than the Tahitian Vanilla variety.

The dark chocolate coating is mild, on the semi-sweet side but has a creamy melt with a little smoky and pipe tobacco profile to it, instead of a dried fruit flavor that some darks can have.

I had wondered when the Tahitian Vanilla Caramels came out whether they’d be available in a bulk bag for serving in a bowl (or creating your own snack mix). This is a pretty good value at $3.49 (which is about $8 per pound) and the ingredients are all natural. I hope these stick around after the holidays, they might make a great travel mix with raw almonds, pretzels and milk chocolate drops. For right now they might just be my go-to candy for sneaking into a movie theater.

There is no statement or any info I can find about the sourcing of the ingredients, specifically the ethical sourcing of the chocolate. They also contain palm kernel oil (though very low on the list). They’re made with milk and soy and may contain traces of wheat, peanuts and tree nuts.

Related Candies

  1. Dove Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Promises
  2. Trader Joe’s 70% Dark with Caramel and Black Sea Salt
  3. Helliemae’s Salt Caramels
  4. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee
  5. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels
  6. Short & Sweet: Dollar Store
  7. Milky Way Simply Caramel


Name: Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Trader Joe’s
Place Purchased: Trader Joe's (Park LaBrea)
Price: $3.49
Size: 7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 142
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Trader Joe's, Caramel, Chocolate, Kosher, 8-Tasty, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:22 am     All NaturalCandyReviewTrader Joe'sCaramelChocolateKosher8-TastyUnited States

Friday, December 14, 2012

Jelly Belly Tabasco

Jelly Belly TabascoIf you’re tired of all the other red flavors of candy that are especially prevalent at Christmas like cherry, cinnamon and peppermint, perhaps you’ll enjoy Jelly Belly’s newest: Tabasco Jelly Beans.

The new flavor is an officially sanctioned Tabasco product, so it’s not just your ordinary spicy pepper jelly bean. The ingredients list Tabasco Brand Pepper Paste in the 2% or less part of the listing, which makes sense since it’s pretty concentrated stuff in its liquid form, a paste must be extra potent.

Jelly Belly Tabasco

The do smell a bit like Tabasco, which has a bell pepper and tomato paste sort of scent. They are quite strong and spicy, not just in the sugary shell but clear through to the core. The peppery flavor is a good blend of the cayenne-style heat along with a hatch chili sort of green, earthy flavor with a little hint of a vinegar tang towards the end.

On the whole, very convincing. It does cause a bit of heat in my mouth ... a lasting one for me, so much so that I had to eat some crackers after the build up over about 10 of them. I’m a lightweight when it comes to chili heat though I’m fine with horseradish/wasabi and curry spices being cranked up, so some may find these tame. The only issue is really, are you the sort of person who would enjoy these? They’re not for me, they’re just not “candy” enough to eat one after another and not “snack” enough to be added to some other sort of mix. I don’t expect them to stay around very long, though they are well done for the goals they must have had. (In the sample package Jelly Belly sent me, they included some Citrus Mix ... I’ve finished that bag, but could barely get through five of the Tabasco.)

They’re currently sold as an individual flavor, not in the standard mixes, so no need to be cautious around Jelly Belly varieties. They’re made in a peanut free facility and are gluten free as well. Jelly Belly uses beeswax and confectioners glaze, so these are not a vegetarian product.

Related Candies

  1. David’s Signature Beans Jelly Bean Sampler
  2. McIlhenny Co Tabasco Brand Spicy Chocolate
  3. Jelly Belly Candy Corn Jelly Beans
  4. Hot Chocolate Mochi Krunch
  5. Hot Tamales Spice Jelly Beans
  6. Cowgirl Chocolates Buckin’ Hot Habanero Caramels
  7. Jolly Rancher Fruitas Enchiladas
  8. Jelly Belly Soda Pop Shoppe


Name: Tabasco Jelly Belly
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Jelly Belly
Place Purchased: Samples from Jelly Belly
Price: $2.25 retail
Size: 3.1 ounces
Calories per ounce: 99
Categories: Candy, Jelly Belly, Jelly Candy, 7-Worth It, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:40 am     CandyReviewJelly BellyJelly CandyKosher7-Worth ItUnited States

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Trader Joe’s Holiday Roundup 2012

Every year I look forward to the post-Halloween emergence of holiday sweets at Trader Joe’s. There’s always a bit of a European flair to their selections, with an eye toward traditional confections with the occasional new age/artisanal candy. This year I perused three different stores in two counties to see what the offerings are this year. Here’s my roundup of what you might be able to find at Trader Joe’s to satisfy your (or a gift recipient’s) sweet tooth. (I may have missed something, so please chime in with your observations or reviews.)

New for 2012:

Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Butterscotch CaramelsTrader Joe’s Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels $3.49 - little nuggets of caramel covered in rich chocolate and more than a hint of sea salt. Gourmet Milk Duds. I picked these up (I’m not sure if they’re seasonal or not) and plan to review them, so you’ll probably be seeing that photo again.

Fruit and Nut Log $3.99 - a nougat center, covered in pistachios and pecans along with dried cranberries and apricots.

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Caramallows $2.99 - a layer of marshmallow on top of caramel, covered in dark chocolate. It’s no See’s Scotchmallow, but I suppose it will do in a pinch.

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles $3.99 - I reviewed these already, and though they’re fun, they’re not quite as good as some other seasonal items. (See review - 7 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Organic Peppermint Starlights $1.99 - yup, organic hard candies. Great if you’re looking for something corn syrup-free.

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Truffles $3.99 - kind of like individually wrapped Frangoes, as far as I can tell.

Trader Joe's Brandy Beans

Returning Favorites for 2012

Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel CaramelsTrader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramels (wood box) $6.99 (2006 review, still the same packaging. Classic, nicely done but a little pricey for boiled sugar. 7 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Cranberry Caramel Delights $7.99 - these were called Trader Joe’s Merry Mingle last year - caramel with pecans and cranberries dipped in dark chocolate (read review - 8 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Brandy Beans $2.99 - these have been coming back on and off for years, they tend to sell out really early.

Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate & Dark Chocolate Oranges $2.99 - the price went up 50 cents (Reviewed in 2009 as Florida Tropic Oranges. Good quality & price plus always charming package and dark is vegan 7 out of 10 & 8 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Belgian Chocolate Shoppe $9.99 - I don’t have great luck with these, but they’re a nice hostess gift if you can’t get to See’s.

Trader Joe's French TrufflesTrader Joe’s Cocoa Truffles $2.99 - inexcusable fat bombs imported from France. (see my review - I gave them a 3 out of 10, though I think the ingredients have changed a little bit, they’re still quite thin tasting yet stupidly fatty)

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Liqueur Cherries $5.99 - the price is up on this one, I recall they were $4.99 last year. But dried cherries are insanely expensive, so perhaps their ingredient cost went up.

Trader Joe’s Peppermint Bark $9.99 a tin - a great bargain for a very well made product.

Trader Joe’s English Toffee with Nuts (Tall Can) $7.99 (previously in a box like this? It’d call it a step above Almond Roca)

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter CupsTrader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups $.99 - I have a serious problem with these (review from last year). When they’re not sold individually wrapped, they’re in tubs.

Trader Joe’s Chocolate Rings with Sprinkle - they’re just little disks of dark chocolate with sprinkles, like giant SnoCaps - $1.99

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Cashew Brittle with Sea Salt $2.99

Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Coal - dark chocolate covered candy cane bits - $1.99

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Sea Salt CaramelsTrader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels $4.99 (2007 review - more of a flowing caramel than the chewy style of the Fleur de Sel - 6 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows $2.99 (2010 review - they’re quite moist and dense 7 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate After Dinner Mint Thins $2.99 (made in England) - they’re better than After Eight mints.

Also returning are the chocolate covered Peppermint JoJos and a variety box of other chocolate covered flavored Jo Jos. Though I reviewed the JoJo’s before, I can’t really call them candy.

Not Returning (unless you’ve sighted them):

Trader Joe's Classic Holiday Candy MixTrader Joe’s Classic Holiday Candy Mix - classic hard candy straws & pillows made with all natural ingredients. $1.99 (read review - 7 out of 10)

Trader Joe’s Eggnog Almonds - $3.99 (read review - 9 out of 10) These are made by Marich and I did see them at Sprouts in the bulk aisle labeled as Nutmeg White Chocolate Almonds.

Trader Joe’s Minty Melts - it’s peppermint bark for people who don’t like the crushed candy canes in it - $4.99 (read review - 7 out of 10)

What have you picked up that you liked this year? What do you miss from years gone by? I miss the Trader Giotto’s Soft Almond Nougat and the Dark Chocolate Covered Gingersnaps.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:44 pm     CandyTrader Joe'sHighlightShopping

Monday, December 10, 2012

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel TrufflesLet’s see, if I was going to make my own candy, what would be the most popular ingredients to include? Dark Chocolate. Peanut Butter. Caramel. So it’s not surprising that I bought this gable box of Trader Joe’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles.

The box holds about 15 individually wrapped bon bons filled with layers of caramel and peanut butter all covered in dark chocolate.

The front of the box says that there are no artificial flavors or colors, but that doesn’t mean that the ingredients are simple. There are things like malto-dextrin, fractionated palm oil (organic) and tocopherol (Vitamin E). But part of what makes the list so long is also how many of the items are preceded by “organic” such as the caramel (organic milk, organic sugar, etc).

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles

The bronzy twisted mylar wrappers hold the bon bons well. They’re glossy and nicely domed, about 1.125 inches in diameter. They’re about 12 grams each, which is approximately the same size as a Lindt Lindor Truffle (though not spherical).

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles

The shell yields easily to the soft interior. The burst of caramel comes first, as it’s more of a syrup than a firm chewy variety. The flavor is good, a little hint of burnt sugar but mostly a salted sweetness. The peanut butter base is very smooth with a smoky flavor for the most part and a light burst of salt as well. There’s a bit of chocolate in the filling as well, it looks like maybe a layer between the caramel and peanut butter - probably to keep them from mingling. The melt of it all is less than stellar, the chocolate is quite firm but the peanut butter is soft but slightly waxy (is that what fractionated palm oil is like?). Overall, it just never came together for me as a decadent whole. I’ll probably finish the package at some point but I’ve passed them over plenty of times when looking in my goody drawer over the past week, which is a rating in and of itself.

I still might consider these as a hostess gift, especially if you know the person is inclined towards the elements of caramel, dark chocolate and peanut butter. Even though they’re not as flashy, I prefer Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (which I’ve been eating by the tub-full for extra calories).

There is no ethical sourcing statement for the chocolate on the box, though the organic status of many of the ingredients bodes well for the attention the makers pay to sourcing ingredients. The truffles contain soy, peanuts and milk. They’re made in a facility that also processes wheat, eggs and tree nuts.

See also Rosa’s review at ZOMG! Candy.

Related Candies

  1. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
  2. Trader Joe’s A Very Merry Mingle
  3. Madelaine Duets
  4. Snickers Peanut Butter Santas
  5. Lindt Lindor Truffle Eggs
  6. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels


Name: Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Trader Joe’s
Place Purchased: Trader Joe's (3rd & Fairfax)
Price: $3.99
Size: 6.34 ounces
Calories per ounce: 158
Categories: All Natural, Christmas, Trader Joe's, Caramel, Chocolate, Kosher, Peanuts, 7-Worth It, Canada

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:06 am     All NaturalCandyReviewChristmasTrader Joe'sCaramelChocolateKosherPeanuts7-Worth ItCanada

Friday, December 7, 2012

Russell Stover Red Velvet Santa

Russell Stover Red Velvet SantaThe store shelves at the drug stores in my neighborhood are filled with Christmas candies, including the seasonal array of Russell Stover candies in Santa shapes. There’s a new one this year, the Russell Stover Red Velvet Santa in dark chocolate.

I have to say that I found the idea of a Red Velvet and Santa Claus combination intriguing. It seems like a natural fit and evokes the tactile elegance of a rich, deep red St. Nicholas coat and the traditional white ermine fur trim. But this was much better in my head than the actual execution. The wrapper doesn’t play upon that Victorian image, instead has a cartoon-style Santa on the front, holding a teddy bear.

Russell Stover Red Velvet SantaI have very little experience with Red Velvet as a baked good. I’ve had the cake a few times, including several times baked from scratch as well as some high-end cupcakes. The cake is usually a buttermilk yellow cake with a dash of cocoa for light flavor along with either beets or loads of red food coloring. (Before the era of Dutched Cocoa, a little vinegar in the recipe would turn undutched cocoa deep red.) The selling point, for me, is the cream cheese frosting (but I usually satisfy that with a dense Carrot Cake sans nuts when given the chance).

In this case the candy is constructed of a cream center made from white chocolate (a lovely substitute for cream cheese) and actual Red Velvet cake mix according to the list of ingredients. (So this has wheat in it.)

Russell Stover Red Velvet Santa

The filling is a creamy red and a little grainy, probably because of the cake mix in there. It looks like it should be raspberry, but it’s not. The flavor is a little doughy, like a cookie dough bite, but better. The dark chocolate coating is just the right ratio - it’s not too thick or chalky and has a good, bittersweet counterpoint to the sweet center. It’s very filling.

If I had been given this lump (which doesn’t look like Santa, by the way) without any description, there is no way I could have guessed that this was a Red Velvet influenced object.  I’m guessing it’s more like a cake pop (which I’ve never tried, either). I’m glad they went with dark chocolate and not white chocolate, but hypothesizing that it could have been worse is hardly a recommendation.

Related Candies

  1. Godiva Cake Truffles
  2. Candy Tease: Sweets & Snacks Expo 2012 - Part 2
  3. Cupcake Bites
  4. Russell Stover Santas
  5. Cookie Dough Bites
  6. Recipe: Peppermint Stick Layer Cake


Name: Red Velvet Santa
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Russell Stover
Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Echo Park)
Price: $1.00
Size: $1.25
Calories per ounce: 144
Categories: Candy, Christmas, Russell Stover, Chocolate, 5-Pleasant, United States, Walgreen's

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:27 am     CandyReviewChristmasRussell StoverChocolate5-PleasantUnited StatesWalgreen's

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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.

 

 

 

 

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