Haagen-Dazs Black Cherry Amaretto Gelato review

This is one of the few unusual flavors from Haagen-Dazs' new gelato line.  I wouldn't pair these two flavors together, but now that I see the actual product, it is quite unique.  I did like the big chunks of black cherries in the ice cream.  They provided a slight tartness and nice balance overall.  However, the ice cream itself is still a bit too sweet, and a very strong flavor of almond and cherry.  Both flavors can be too strong and overwhelming, so I did not care for them too much.  


I give it a 5.5 out of 10.

Haagen Dazs Limoncello Gelato review

O...M...G!!!  Haagen Dazs' has a new product line, Gelato!!!  

Wait...Gelato means ice cream in Italian...so it's just ice cream...Hmmm...

Doesn't matter, they all look awesome.  I really love the new design.  Semi-matte black backgrounds really bring out the other colors, and makes the product really catchy.  

So, when I first found out about the new gelatos, I was very excited.  And I know that I have to try the Limoncello flavor.  Limoncello is a lemon flavored liquor.  It is quite delicious by itself, and becoming more popular amongst foodies.  

The gelato texture is very rich and creamy, everything expected of Haagen Dazs.  Heck, do you see phrases like "low-fat" or "low-calories"?  Of course not.  The lemon flavor is very distinct, and the slight tartness of the lemon juice helped cut down the sweetness and richness slightly.  That is always dangerous, because then I can't stop eating.  There is vodka in the ingredient list, but really, I can't really taste any alcohol.  But that does not hurt the overall score on the gelato.  

I give it a 9 out of 10.  

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!