Thursday, May 21, 2015

Assorted Macarons (revisited) - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ

Assorted Macarons (revisited) - Trader Joe’s - Marlton, NJ
Let's get fancy! (But not really, because these are from the freezer section.)

Nearly two years ago I reviewed Trader Joe's frozen assorted macarons, which were really yummy and very affordable, but since then most of the flavors have changed, so I thought I'd give these another try.
Want to know the difference between a Macaroon and a Macaron? Check out the nifty little breakdown in this post.
The flavors weren't the only change made to this product, the packaging (thankfully) had a little update of it's own. Compared to the older box, this is much better. The image is colorful, although still very warm-toned like a lot of Trader Joe products, and the layout is leaps and bounds better than it used to be. I love this medallion-like textbox at the top, it's a lot more structured and refined than the previous design, and the image of the macarons draws your eye upward towards it. This is so much better than how it used to look. (Good job Trader Joe's designers!) 

In this box there are six different flavors, but two of them are repeats from the older box I have already reviewed, so today's post will just focus on the four newer flavors.


The flavors in this assortment are:

These are a frozen product, so I followed the thawing instructions perfectly before taking my first bite. Each flavor was deliciously light and crisp on the outside, while staying rich and supple on the inside. Every cookie had a distinct flavor.


Fig (pink-y-mauve): I love figs, so I was really excited for this one. The biscuit-portion is light and crispy on the outside, with a delicate almond and meringue-flavoring, and as far as I can tell none of the macaron-bases are individually flavored, it seems like all of the flavoring is in the fillings. This filling is a very sweet, deep, and jammy. There are actual fig-seeds in this one, adding a nice texture, and the flavoring is almost berry-like. I liked this one a lot, but I wish the fig jam inside had a hint of citrus to it. I make my own fig-based jam, since my step-dad has his own fig tree, and I always add a splash of citrus in there to brighten things up. I feel like this would have been even better with a citrus-y zing, but this was still really yummy. 


Coconut
(beige): Again, this has a light and flaky almond-based outside, but this time the filling is very thick and creamy. Visually it looks like the creme filling of an Oreo, but it tastes like the coconut crema you can buy in the Goya section at the grocery store. It's very rich, sweet, and filled with coconut flavoring, but there's no dessicated or shredded coconut to get caught in your teeth. This was really delicious, and the coconut flavoring made it have a very rich and decadent mouth-feel. I would buy a whole box of just these, they were that good.   


Apricot
(orange): Apricot is another one of my favorite fruity flavors and it's something that I don't see too often, so I was super excited to see it added to this already delicious line-up. The filling for this one is a little more on the marmalade-side of things than a jam, and on it's own it tastes really delicious, but the macaron/cookie portion dulls a lot of the filling's flavor.  There's definitely some delicious apricot flavoring there, but it doesn't really get to shine. Which is a pity. I'm a bit disappointed the flavoring for this one wasn't bolder, but it was still really delicious.


Lemon (yellow): This was wonderful! Oh man, the lemon filling is very bright and zesty, like a lemon curd or lemon meringue pie. At first bite you get a lot of the same almond-y goodness as the other cookies, but as you chew on that lemony center is releases a pretty strong dose of delicious lemon-curd-y-flavoring which is perfect for spring/summer. I feel like it works very well with the other flavors in this line-up, and if you love lemon meringue pie, this is a must try.


Although some shine a bit more brightly than others, these are fantastic, and I can honestly say that I don't miss any of the old flavors at all. These are way better. I know there are bakery-fresh macaron-snobs out there turning their nose up at the thought of a frozen product, especially an Americanized one, but really, this is a fantastic item. It might not be entirely the same texture as one made in a French bakery, but the flavoring of these little macarons is just fantastic and the price can't be beat. If you even need to plan a fancy tea party, head to Trader Joe's and stock up on these. (They come in chocolate, vanilla and occasionally pumpkin as well.)


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3 comments:

  1. These do sound delicious. Great blog btw.

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  3. Oh. I'm so glad these are good! I've really been trying to find quality macarons where I live, and I believe there is a Trader Joe's not too far. Thanks for this review!

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