Monday, July 9, 2007
Trader Joe’s Espresso ChocolateIt’s been well over a year since I had my first Pocket Coffee. They’re not easy to find in the United States, so I’ve been looking for an adequate locally-found replacement. I tried the Anthon Berg Coffee filled chocolates as well, but I haven’t been able to find just the espresso ones (the other flavors are a little too sweet for what I’m looking for in this case). So I was quite excited when I saw these at Trader Joe’s, Espresso Chocolates. The package says that they’re “Rich, Dark Chocolate filled with Liquid Espresso Coffee.” Exactly what I’ve been looking for. The package holds 3.88 ounces, and by my count, that’s 11 or 12 individual pieces (I can’t remember how many I ate ... except for “all of them.”) The pieces are about the same size and shape of Pocket Coffee (or Mon Cheri) with a pleasant little wood grain on the top. Like it’s a log filled with espresso ... you know, the kind that you find in the Black Coffee Forest. The chocolates are gorgeous and all were prefectly formed with no cracks or bleeds. Unlike the Pocket Coffee, these have no internal sugar shell (though they might form one eventually ... see above where I admit that I’ve already eaten them all and can’t experiment). The ingredient are: Cocoa Mass, Wheat Syrup, Sugar, Lactose, Cocoa Butter, Espresso Coffee, Soy Lecithin. Now, I suspect that the Wheat Syrup and Espresso Coffee are the syrupy filling (as I can’t imagine Wheat Syrup integrating well with chocolate and the Espresso filling is definitely sweet). The filling is thicker than espresso, it’s woodsy and tangy and has a good coffee flavor but also some other notes rather like molasses or barley. The chocolate shell is sweet and tasty. I’m not quite sure who makes these for Trader Joe’s, but the box says that they’re made in Germany, so I don’t think they’re made by Ferrero (the ingredients aren’t quite the same either). The package is very kind to list the caffeine content: 22 mg for a serving of 4 pieces. Compare that to a small cup (6 ounces) of brewed coffee which has 100 mgs. Sleep easy and have one in the evening! Notes from the box:
While it recommends one bite, I like biting off one end and holding it upright, drinking the syrup center, then eating the chocolate. Melting them in your mouth is a completely different experience, because it reverses things and you get your chocolate first and an espresso chaser.
POSTED BY Cybele AT 6:09 am |
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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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You’ve sold me! I’m going to pick up a box on my next TJ run!
I actually picked up a box of these on Friday. I totally agree that they deserve a 9. Really delicious. I’m trying to work out if there is a way for me to incorporate them into a cookie or something, but for the moment, I’m “drinking” the filling and eating the chocolate.
I am also a Pocket Coffee fan and have never found them in the US. I’m curious to know, you obviously think they’re great, but are they the same, slight architectural differences aside?
That picture with the syrup oozing out makes them look REALLY good. I can’t believe I missed these when I was in a Trader Joe’s last week.
I keep looking at these every time I go to TJ’s. Now I’ll definitely have to give them a try!
These are very tasty. Another great thing about them is, if you eat the entire box (as I also did), it’s not a ridiculous amount of calories.
Agreed with Marvo, the action shot with the syrup makes them look excellent. I loved the Pocket Coffee when I had it, though that was before I started my blog! Just a shame that Trader Joe doesn’t trade in England. :(
SO not fair. I’m 1,200 miles away from the closest TJ
Trader Joe’s is actually owned by Aldi, and has been since 1969. It’s a German-based company, and they share a lot of manufacturing plants, or occasionally they will buy from mainstream suppliers like Sargento Cheese, but label it as their own (private label).
Little-known secret!
I saw these also and wanted to try them, but for reasons you mentioned (namely, you ate them all in one sitting), I didn’t pick up a box.
As it is, I’ve got a couple of boxes of Pocket Coffee in the fridge, protected from the summer heat…which I’m rationing out to myself v-e-r-y carefully…
I love Trader Joe’s I will defiantly get those
delicious! i love my chocolate covered beans..as well as putting a little bit of extra dark chocolate in the bottom of my espresso cup…this is the best of both worlds!
I picked some up at TJ’s yesterday and they are every bit as good as you said they were. Yum. I’ll be back for more, especially at only $2.49 per box!
Last time I checked a couple weeks ago, they don’t sell these at Trader Joe’s anymore :( Do you know where else I can get them?
I bought the last box of these at my Trader’s Joe. When I asked if there was more, the manager said no and that all TJ’s will not carry this anymore due to poor sales. Bummer as this is my favorite candy and I can’t not find Pocket Coffee anywhere in US. I first tried Pocket Coffee while in Naples Italy when I was in the Navy.
You can find pocket coffee on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Coffee-Ferrero-Piece-Packs/dp/B000Y8Y5F4 there is also a place in NJ that sells it if you don’t want to buy a case of them.
http://www.malincho.com/p-4623-ferrero-pocket-coffee-225g.aspx
I was looking for them when I came back from Germany and found out they are imported from Italy. My dad loves them and I had searched all over to find them. I googled ferrero pocket coffee and finally found a few places that sells it on line and in the US.
Where can I get Espresso chocolates near Wilmington,NC?
Ferrero Pocket Coffee is $2.99/5-piece at Cost Plus World Market. German import.
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