Trader Joe's Bonanza of Holiday Items

Oh, Trader Joe's, you know exactly how to fatten us up every holiday season. Besides the usual favorites, like the Mini Gingerbread Men (with white fudge icing) and the Pfeffernusse cookies (now in new packaging!), here are a few more items in stores right now. I'm assuming most of these items will be gone soon. Stock up, just like I did with the Pumpkin Bread Pudding (now gone!)

Trader Joe's Egg Nog Ice Cream ($3.99)
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels ($4.99)
Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe Joe's ($3.99)
Mini Panettone ($1.79)
Cranberry, Walnut and Gorgonzola Salad Dressing ($3.49)
English Toffee with Nuts ($8.99)
Peppermint Pretzel Slims ($2.99)
Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Cremes ($2.99)
Gingerbread House Kit ($7.99)
Dark Chocolate Collection ($6.99)
Taste Test of Caramels ($5.99)
Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars ($2.99)
10 Petits Four ($5.99)
Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Mix ($3.99)
Butterscotch Cupcakes ($3.99)
Egg Nog and Light Egg Nog ($2.69)
Salted Caramel Chai Latte Mix ($3.99)
Joyful Trek Mix ($4.99)
Cranberry & Chocolate Rolls ($3.49)
Gingerbread Cake & Baking Mix ($2.49)
Fig Butter ($2.29)

Trader Joe's Wants to Ruin Your Diet This Holiday, Part 2

Remember when I listed a roundup of Trader Joe's holiday treats? Turns out there were plenty that we missed. Here's a second round of TJ gifts that we found in a recent visit:

Cocoa Truffles $2.99
Sea Salt Butterscotch Caramels $3.49
Cranberry Caramel Delights $7.99
Fruit and Nut Log $3.99
Brandy Beans $2.99
Dark Chocolate Orange $2.99
Belgian Chocolate Shoppe $9.99
Dark Chocolate Triple Ginger Cookies $2.99
Chocolate Liqueur Cherries $5.99
Peppermint Sandwich Cookie Cake $6.99
Winter Wonderland Mini All-Butter Sugar Cookies $3.99
12 Peppermint Macarons $4.99
Peppermint Bark $9.99
Gingerbread House Kit $7.99
Chocolate Peppermint Brownies $3.99
Mini Gingerbread Cakes $3.99
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes $3.99
Caught In A Blizzard Chocolate Cookies $3.99
Almond Snow Man Cookies $4.99
Caramel and Dark Chocolate Popcorn Crunch $3.99

Anything else we're missing? Drop us a line?

Trader Joe's Wants to Ruin Your Diet This Holiday

I mean, just look at the holiday goodies we've already spotted this year at Trader Joe's, and I'm sure we missed a few:

English Toffee with Nuts
European Cookies
Panettone
Edel-Marzipanstollen
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Astounding Multi-Flavor Joe-Joes
Chocolate Drizzle Stick Cookes
Winter Wonderland Mini All-Butter Sugar Cookies
Mini Peppermint Waffle Cookies
Mini Gingerbread Men
Almond Snowman Cookies
Dark Chocolate Caramellows
Pfeffernusse German Spice Cookies
Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn
Dark Chocolate Triple Ginger Cookies
Dark Chocolate Stars
Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe-Joes
Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Butter Cookies
Candy Cane Joe-Joes
Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
Mini Candy Cane Cookies
Salted Caramel Nut Delights
Peppermint Baked Alaska
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffles
Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Truffles
Peppermint Pretzel Slims
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Chocolate Rings with Sprinkles
Cocoa Truffles
Dark Chocolate Cashew Brittle with Sea Salt
Candy Cane "Coal"
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel
Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows
Fleur de Sel Caramels
Cranberry Pecan Caramel Delights

Wow. Thank you, Trader Joe's. I mean... stop making me so fat, Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's Wants To Stuff Your Face with Holiday Goodies

Cookie Butter -- spread made of crushed biscuits

This is why I'll be getting fat this holiday season. Trader Joe's seems to have upped the number of specialty holiday items on its shelves. I mean, how can you not try something called "Cookie Butter," right? Or Kettle Corn drizzled with cocoa? Just a sampling of treats you'll be putting in your Trader Joe's cart this holiday season:


Mini Gingerbread Men cookies with white fudge icing


Chewy egg nog cookies with white chocolate drizzle


Mosaic of chocolates


Cocoa Drizzled Kettle Corn


Astounding Multi-Flavor Joe-Joes covered in chocolate, sprinkles and drizzles


Pfeffernusse -- German spice cookies


Dark Chocolate Minty Mallows


Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe-Joes

This Year's Best Holiday Treat

Oh, Trader Joe's Pfeffernusse, how I love thee so. I can scarf three, four, eight at a time.

The outer shell, with the right amount of powdered sugar dusting -- and a nice, slight crunch. The inside, a perfect spice and (best of all) NO NUTS! The Pfeffernusse is pretty close to the perfect cookie. And is easily one of my favorite things about the holiday season.

We've already gone through two boxes. And the holiday season is still underway. Pfeffernusse. I just love the word.

A Mother's of a Cookie Returns

As first reported by Serious Eats at the end of last year, Mother's Cookies -- yes, the brand famous for those pink-and-white-frosted (and sprinkled) "Circus cookies" -- was set to return to grocery shelves on the West Coast this summer.

And indeed, they do appear to be back. Mother's, which had been based in Oakland, filed for bankruptcy last year. As a result, it looked like the brand was toast (and indeed, it went away for almost a year).

But Kellogg's, which already owns Keebler, saved the day by acquiring the rights to the Mother's Cookies product trademarks and recipes.

It's a similar story to the recent reappearance of Wonder Bread on SoCal shelves earlier this year.

The Trader Joe's Taster: Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies, Dark Chocolate Chipotle Hazelnuts and Edamame Hummus

Lucky we live in the land of Trader Joe's, right? Every week we stumble across another unique -- and most of the time, tasty (but not always) -- treat. And then we usually blog about it.

My latest loves include the Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies, which yes, taste about as good as they sound. I love Mexican Hot Chocolate (with that nice, cinnamony spice) and I love cookies... so yes, the merger of two equals works out well. The consistency -- similar to Mexican wedding cake cookies -- makes for a nice crumble in your mouth as well.



Oh yeah, it's the holidays... so yes, we're going a little crazy with the sweets. But again, I couldn't pass up the promise of spicy dark chocolate "with a hint of cinnamon and cocoa." Sense a trend? Again, I was pleased with the results. I can do without the hazelnuts; I'm really here for the spice. And although this item promises "mild, smoky heat," I was actually impressed with how spicy they allowed it to be. I'm a big fan of mixing chocolate with other flavors (except orange, don't ask me why), and this wins.



I was also pleased with my edamame hummus selection, even though the edamame flavor may be too subtle to notice. I find that I tend not to like flavored hummus these days... it always leaves such a lingering, garlicky taste in your mouth. But the edamame hummus flavor was pleasant, and didn't leave a long-lasting aftertaste. I approve as well.

Wow, three for three. That's why we heart the TJs.

MEANWHILE, thanks to the Atwater Village Newbie for his holiday hint: TJs goodies are great gifts for people who don't live anywhere close to the chain.

Got any new Trader Joe's finds? Leave your comments below.

Treat of the Season: Candy Cane Joe-Joe's

Maria and I snarfed down quite a few of these the other night... while watching "The Biggest Loser," natch. Thanks to Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joes, I do believe I'm finally getting into the holiday spirit.

Batty for Gingerbread

When the mailman delivers a surprise package from JustJenn, it is indeed a happy day. Even if he also dropped off the water and power bill. Above, JustJenn's gingerbread bats. Check out the process here.

Eat a Cookie, Help a Starving Kid

Not like you need an excuse to go to Scoops, the most unique ice cream shop in all of Los Angeles.

But here's another good reason to visit the East Hollywood shop on Saturday, Aug. 18: The No Cookie Left Behind bakesale.

The event is part of Share Our Strength's "Great American Bake Sale," which encourages people to hold sales in their community, with proceeds going toward fighting childhood hunger here in the U.S.

Cold hearted, and don't care about no stinking starving kids? How about this: The baked goodies set to go on sale sound pretty awesome: maple vanilla granola, fleur de sel caramel cake, pumpkin cupcakes, vegan cupcakes, lemon bars, Mexican chocolate rice crispie treats, Persian baklava, Barefoot Contessa coconut macaroons, and more. Live music will also be there.

The bake sale will take place that day from noon to 4. If you haven't been to Scoops -- and really, what's wrong with you?! -- it's at at 712 Heliotrope Ave., just north of Melrose, between Normandie and Vermont.

Thanks to organizer Tannaz for filling us in on this delicious event.