Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Butter Cookies **No longer available**

 

Unfortunately, this was a seasonal item, so it is no longer available.  Trader Joe's has a lot of "seasonal" products, so you just have to try your luck sometimes.  

Milk chocolate salted caramel butter cookie...that is a very long and self-explanatory name, and what a great name it is.  The cookies really was truly amazing, which was expected as a product of France.  It has the sweet and smooth milk chocolate pocket filled with silky salted caramel sitting on top of a buttery cookie.  Little taste of heaven.  You got the salty caramel that basically married the chocolate and the cookies together, yet the salt just complimented everything, created this sweet harmony in your mouth.  Too bad you can't find them anymore, but maybe you can write to Trader Joe's and command them to bring it back.  

I give it a 10 out of 10. 

Jacquot Truffes (Truffle chocolate) Hazelnut Flavor

I basically found these by accident, but a happy accident indeed.  My brother and sister-in-law were in town, so I took them to this store to do some shopping.  I spotted these chocolates in the chocolate and sweets section.  You should know this by now, chocolate and hazelnut are a match made in heaven.  So, there was no way that I was going to walk out of the store without this seductive confection in hands

So apparently, "Truffes" is French for "Truffles", which I did not realize until after I bought it.  I actually thought that it might have been a typo...how silly of me.  So obviously, this was made in France, which was another incentive for me.  It is not easy to find new and unique European chocolates in the regular American supermarkets.  Anyway, let's get right to the point.  

Imagine yourself tasting Ferrero Rocher, without all that unnecessary hazelnuts pieces.  This truffle was literally my dream come true.  Rich and silky truffle chocolate with the delicate hazelnut flavor without all that textures.  I am not saying that the textures from the nuts is a bad thing, but I personally enjoy chocolate the way it meant to be, sweet, rich, and silky smooth.  If you can find this, I highly recommended.  If you want to enjoy this, do not pass it around at a dinner party.

I give it a 9 out of 10. 

Nutella Croissant Bread Pudding

Sinfully delicious dessert...
Deliciously chocolaty...
Rich...
Should not be consumed on a regular basis.  

Unfortunately, I did not write down the recipe as I was making it.  I basically invented the recipe on the spot, so bear with me.  


5 medium croissants
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups of milk or half and half
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
400g Nutella spread
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven at 350F. 

Slice the croissants horizontally in half.  Place the bottom half in the bottom of a 11 x 7 in baking dish.  

Mix milk, eggs, and Nutella together until well blended.  Add sugar if needed.  Add the salt.  

Pour half of the mixture over the croissants, then put the rest of the croissants over.  Pour the rest of the mixture in the pan.  

Press down with a spatula or your hands to make sure the croissants have absorbed all the custard mixtures.  

Let it soak for 10 minutes.  

Place the dish in a large pan filled with hot tab water.  Cover the entire pan with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil, and bake for another 25-30 minutes.  

Remove from the oven to chill.  

The bread pudding can be served both warm and cold.  Warm is best in my opinion, with a cup of coffee.  

ENJOY!

Macarons review

These French cookies are quite popular anywhere.  And no, it does not pronounce "Ma-ka-roon", it is pronounced "Ma-ka-hon".  Macaroon is a something completely different, and taste like sweetened paper glue. 

Macaron is quite a delicate item, and it is definitely not easy to make.  I came across three places that sells these wonderful little cookies.  

First one that I tried is Paulette Macarons, or known as 'lette Macarons.  It has a store in Little Tokyo in Downtown L.A.  

Paulette Macaron are small in size, very delicate, with lots of flavors.  Some of my favorites are salted caramel, coffee, passionfruit, and earl grey.  Paulette's macarons are also one of the few that has delicate designs on the cookies, which many others don't have.  Next time, when you are in Little Tokyo, definitely stop by the place and try it out!!!

Bon Epi was discovered by me by accident.  I was in the plaza dining, and just glanced at one of their posters.  It is an Asian style bakery, with mainly pastries and cakes.  They have a decent selection on macarons.  The macarons are also slightly cheaper than Paulette's, and bigger.  But somehow, the "bigness" makes the maracons look cheap...strange.  Bon Epi's macarons are OK flavor-wise, but not comparable to Paulette's.  But I will let you be the judge. 

Last, but not least, XT patisserie macarons.  XT is by far my favorite of them all.  It is about the same size as Paulette's, price is about the same.  However, the flavors are incredible.  I've ordered the box of 12, and each one is a different flavor, and each is so unique on its own.  The outside of the cookies has a nice crust, with the soft and chewy inside.  The fillings in the middle are rich, yet not too sweet.  Macarons are made with a lot of sugar, but XT's are not overpoweringly sweet at all.  They are the perfect companion with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Haagen Dazs 2012 Limited Edition: Salted Caramel Truffle

Last, but definitely not least, salted caramel truffle.  If you thought "spiced caramel biscuit" was unique, salted caramel truffle is definitely way more intriguing.  "Salted" was not usually a word that you will see with desserts. 

This flavor reminded me of a flavor that I loved from a discontinued product line of Haagen Dazs called Haagen Dazs Reserved.  Reserved were ice creams made with unique, sometimes unheard-of ingredients, and very limited.  There was a flavor in the Reserved called Fleur de Sel, which was a caramel ice cream with fleur de sel caramel ribbons and chocolate throughout.  What is fleur de sel?  Fleur de sel is a special French seasalt.  It is not as sharp as regular sea salt, but has a milder and gentle saltiness.  Fleur de sel ice cream was one of my all-time favorite ice cream from Haagen Dazs.  I was quite depressed when it was discontinued.  

I am so pleased to see another ice cream marrying caramel and fleur de sel together.  Salt and caramel are made for each other.  Salt and chocolate also worked beautifully together.  The truffles in the ice cream are chocolate truffles, which have a rich, soft and velvety texture.  With the salted caramel, and creamy truffle with rich and silky ice cream in every bite, it is hard to stop.  This ice cream is like a love triangle, with no conflicts and all three parties love each other with perfect harmony.  This sort of harmony does not exist in human relationships, but certain in foods.

I give it a 10 out of 10.