Day 333 - Montezuma's Chocolate Truffle Collection

Every holiday season, especially around Hanukkah and Christmas, Trader Joe’s has new, unique products.  They seem to have an inordinate amount of them this year.  One such product is MONTEZUMA’S CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COLLECTION. 

I cannot be the only one who thinks this product name is a fail…  The one and only thing I think of when I hear “Montezuma’s” is…  Do I have to say it?  I mean, you are thinking it, too, right???  Ok, ok, ok – I think of MONTEZUMA’S REVENGE!!!

And it was because of that negative association with the name that I didn’t even want to taste any of these.  I was afraid one bite twould send me running to the bathroom.  So I let David eat them.  J

LOVELY truffles

This collection is billed as “innovative british chocolate” (all lowercase theirs, apparently spelling british without capitalizing it is innovative!).  The collection contains truffles that go by these lovely names:

·         Columbian Cappucino

·         American Idol

·         Sweet Summertime

·         Tiger Tiger

·         Eclipse

·         Secret Squirrel

·         Milking Maid

The box is gorgeous.  It has a lovely design, great colors, and is tied with a fat, black grosgrain ribbon.  Very classy!  All of the truffles are also beautiful and very well displayed.  And I love that they come with a little guide that has the names, descriptions, and photos of each truffle on it.

Here is what David, who normally adores chocolates, thought:  “I ate one that had white bits around the top and wasn’t too happy with it – it was too hard.  (I think he must have meant Columbian Cappuccino.)  They all seem too hard to me, they should be a bit more yielding.  This one (Tiger Tiger) has quite a nice truffle on the inside – a deep, dark, rich truffle.  This one is not so bad.  But they all could do with being a bit more yielding.  And a bit buttery-er would be nice.” 

(I asked him if he would give this item as a GIFT, as that is what it looks like it was intended for to me):  “It depends on who the gift recipient WAS and how I felt about them…  If they were the kind of person that loves pretty packages then I might give it to them and presume to think that because it looked so nice that they were enjoying the chocolates.  If it were someone who really appreciated chocolates I probably would not.”

Pretty cool logo, but the name....

I decided that I owed it to you, the readers, to taste one of these, even though I feared it might result in Montezuma’s Revenge…  So I ate a Columbian Cappuccino.  Surprisingly, I like these more than Mr. David Chocolate Lover!  The outside was hard, so when I bit it I lost a few bits.  Be warned – do not bite these over a white rug (especially if it is not your white rug!) cuz chocolate bits are going to falls.  But the truffle was nice.  And fancy.  Not to mention, pretty. 

I give bonus points to any truffles/chocolates that come with a KEY.
Seriously, it makes the whole experience so much more fun.

I checked out website of the chocolatier in the UK – company website here  I see you can buy the same box of truffles directly from them for 11.99 British, which when I convert it at today’s rates equals $18.22 US!!!  Yowsa, even after shipping these little chocolate balls to the USA, adding what must be a mark-up, and putting them on the shelves, Trader Joe’s STILL MANAGES to give us an amazing bargain at 8.99!!!!  Go Joe!!!

I did a bit of research to see how this all came down, and I see that this is Montezuma’s first foray into America.  They inked the deal in August 2015 with TJ’s and shipped 20,000 boxes of those truffles.  So if you want one, you best grab it soon.  article about Montezuma working with TJ's here

These truffles would make a fine gift.  But I really do think that they really should go back to the drawing board on the name. 

P.S. - TODAY IS MY DAD'S 80TH BIRTHDAY!!!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD.  I LOVE YOU!

Dad holding me in 1966.  Neither of us look QUITE like this any more.  :)

Price – $8.99

Rating - 4

Day 58 - Capers

At our house, we have a thing about CAPERS.  Anytime we want to make something “fancy” (or pretend to make something “fancy”) we say “ADD CAPERS!”.  Because, in our mind, capers bring on the fancy!!  Maybe it is because they were something I never had growing up?  Whatever the reason, I LIKE CAPERS now! 

The thing about them is, until we found them at Trader Joe’s, they were crazy expensive!  Other grocery stores sell them in teeny tiny jars (near the olives) that cost an arm and a leg.  The jars are so tiny I always had to use a little miniature espresso spoon to get them out.  And because they came in such small jars, and cost so much, I was always very careful to only use a few  in whatever I was making.

See - an avocado gets FANCY when you add capers!

Not anymore, my friends!  Trader Joe’s capers are delicious and ridiculously cheap (or perhaps they are “priced just right” and everyone else is ripping shoppers off??).  Not only that, Trader Joe’s sells capers in regular size/shaped jars, so you can use a real spoon to scoop them out!  And they taste just as good as any capers at other stores, seriously!!!!  You get more than DOUBLE the capers as you would at Giant Supermarket for only one thin dime more. 

Trader Joe's capers - nice size jar and perfect price

Giant store brand capers - R-I-P  O-F-F (and lousy size jar)

And do you know what??  Because they are not expensive, you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing tons of them into whatever you make!  FANCY IT UP, FRIENDS, FANCY IT UP!

We use capers on salmon, with asparagus, in omelets – capers, capers, capers!  Always have a jar in the fridge because you never know when you are going to need to BRING ON THE FANCY.

Price – $2.69

Rating - 5

Day 10 - Greeting Cards

Trader Joe’s has a small selection of greeting cards.  They are usually pretty good – not the top quality paper but very acceptable.  They are all priced the same - .99 cents.  That is a bargain – Hallmark keeps raising their prices and you can easily plop down $4.00 for one of their cards. 

.99 cent greeting cards - cheap and functional (but not fancy)

Here is what I see as pros and cons to Trader Joe’s cards:

Pros:

·         CHEAP

·         Some cute designs

·         Convenient since you can pick them up while you are at the store

Cons:

·         Very limited selection

·         All the same price, and all very “Trader Joe’s” looking, meaning anyone you send one to (if they also are a fan of Trader Joe’s) knows you did not splurge on them (I know, I know, it’s the thought that counts, but there are some situations where a bit more than a buck is appropriate – such as, “Gee, congratulations on your wedding!  It was gorgeous and all!!!  Thanks for the sit down plated steak and lobster dinners you served me and my plus one that you had never met before.  Here’s a .99 cent card from Trader Joe’s!” (which presumably would be taped atop a fancy gift from the couple’s registry at Williams Sonoma, but still…).

·         Not many “occasion specific” cards – more blank and generic

The cards are hard to find in some Trader Joe’s locations, you may need to ask.  In our favorite TJ’s they are on a post near the front of the store.

Price - .99 cents

Rating – 3 stars