Mini Sugar Hearts

David and I normally review Trader Joe’s stuff TOGETHER, sitting at the same table, chomping on the same food, and then reviewing it.  Today was different…  David was working (teaching), and I was working from home.  I was tempted to open a package of Mini Sugar Heart Cookies we got at Trader Joe’s last night and have some for breakfast, but I felt bad doing that without David here…  But I NEEDED a cookie…  So let’s just say - my guilt didn’t last long, and I ripped that bag open and sat down to try these puppies out!

David looked like a fan of these cookies in the store,
but when it was time to OPEN them and EAT 'em he was no where to be found!

Boy was I surprised!!  First off, these cookies are teeny tiny!  I took a photo of them on a small plate next to half a kiwi so you could see their size.

Adorable little heart cookies!

I am not sure why I expected these cookies to be bigger.  I guess it was because of the picture on the packaging showing a big ol’ cookie getting dipped into a small tea cup.  Of course, when I look at the package now that I have eaten a cookie (or two or three…) I see that the drawing is totally out of proportion and was not meant to be an accurate representation of cookie size.  My bad.

Purple!  And see the BIG cookie in the tiiiiiny yellow tea cup ?  Subconsciously tricked me!

This bag of cookies caught my eye on the Trader Joe’s “New Products” end cap last night.  It does not look like most TJ’s packages – it is PURPLE, which is a color not often used in their palette I guess, because it really stood out.  The package describes these as “sugar sprinkled cookies”.  From the packaging, I expected these cookies to taste like a French cookie called a palmier.  We lived in Paris for a while, and I learned that French desserts are almost always gorgeous, but to my palate almost always bland tasting and unsatisfying.  French desserts (in my opinion) are rarely worth the energy to eat (and even more rarely they worth the expense of buying them…).   So, I THOUGHT, from the looks of the packaging pictures, that these would be palmiers and I wouldn’t really like them. 

Flashback Photo!!!  Us on the banks of the Seine in Paris.  Hey, neither of us had any grey hair back then...

I was wrong!  They are not palmiers and I DO like them!!

They are little, rather bland (in a good way!), heart shaped cookies.  The “sugar sprinkled” claim does not seem all that accurate to me, as they are not very sweet.  But not being sweet doesn’t mean not good!  The package emphasizes over and over that you want to eat these cookies with coffee or tea (I had mine with a double cappuccino).  As TJ’s puts it, “If coffee and tea could fall in love with a cookie, the romance would be with Trader Joe’s Mini Sugar Hearts”.   I think that is a good recommendation – these pair well with a hot beverage.  I didn’t dunk mine, but that would be a good thing to try with these.

A serving size is listed as 14 cookies!!!  I admit, had I read THAT in the store I would have KNOWN that these were going to be baby sized cookies!!  I am in favor of the size – to me they are one bite cookies.  I like these!  They are simple and plain.  I think BISCUIT is a better name for these than COOKIE, as they are not sweet. But they are good biscuits!  They would be nice any time of day: with an afternoon cup of tea or your morning coffee.

Very affordable Valentine's treat.

These are CUTE.  They are little hearts, which make them nice for upcoming Valentine’s Day.  I think you should give them a shot.  Heck, you should get some for your Valentine and surprise her/him.  They are more creative than your run-of-the-mill box of chocolate and will be more appreciated than one of those silly life sized stuffed bears that you see advertised this time of year.  (Note to men – just don’t on the expensive life sized teddy bears, ok?)  But hey – if you take me up on my suggestion to get your sweetie these cookies, get her/him a little somethin’ else to go along with them, ok?  Cuz they are only a buck 99….  And she/he is worth WAY more than that.

Price: $1.99

Rating: 4.25

Bonus flashback photo.  Ahhhh, memories.  This is a gentleman who we often smiled at in Gare du Nord train station in Paris.  He couldn't talk. and he lived in the station.  He had his knees wrapped with heavy cloth, then covered by RUBBER.  Hence, I am a bit embarrased to admit, our name for him was "Kneesie".  One time we talked to a homeless lady who was sitting by him and she told us his real name was Marcel.  He was VERY SWEET.  We sometimes brought him food.  Often he was asleep/passed out in this exact spot where he is sitting now, so we would just leave the food by him.  Things I love about this photo:  Kneesie's smile, the little Camembert cheese box next to him (typical!), his wheelchair covered in stuff, the fact that his fly is not all the way closed (also typical), and the fact that I held his hand.  His hands were not, how shall I say, clean...  He couldn't walk, so would pee in a water bottle and dump it RIGHT BEHIND HIM (which in this photo is right behind US...) in a little groove.  Kneesie's section of the train station was a bit smelly...
 But oh he was sweet!!