The Trader Joe's Mini Dessert Ted Allen Can't Get Enough Of
When it comes to seasonal sweets and treats, Trader Joe's is legendary. After all, there's a reason why people can't get enough of their holiday items and are "willing to brave Trader Joe's notoriously terrible parking lots" (via Forbes). To close out the year, Buzzfeed rounded up a list of their top 88 Trader Joe's products of 2022 (yes, almost 90 products made the highlight reel). Seasonal standouts include the Caramel Apple Mochi, Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cakes, and Springle Jangle.
While some Trader Joe's products only come around once a year, others are simply different variations of the same item. Take Joe-Joe's, for example — essentially the Trader Joe's version of an Oreo. These sandwich cookies have gathered quite a fan base over the years and include a variety of seasonal flavors. According to PopSugar, mango and matcha came out in the warmer months, while candy cane became a holiday staple.
Similarly, Trader Joe's sells one beloved ice cream treat that boasts classic and seasonal flavors and has even made its way into celebrity chef Ted Allen's heart.
Ted Allen loves to hold the cone
The Trader Joe's holiday Hold the Cone flavor, peppermint, sounds like a delectable delight. Melted chocolate coats the bottom of each mini cocoa-infused sugar cone, which is then topped with peppermint ice cream and more velvety chocolate. This is only one of their miniature cones' flavors — others include classics like vanilla and chocolate chip, and seasonal favorites like pumpkin ginger and coffee bean, according to Simply Recipes.
Ted Allen, host of Food Network's "Chopped" and previous judge on Bravo's "Top Chef," raves about the treat. "I'm not actually a regular at Trader Joe's, but I'll make a special trip for these mini ice cream cones with chocolate on top," Allen told The Kitchn.
And Allen knows a thing or two about ice cream. His take on vanilla ice cream involves mixing in honey and stirring the custard in an ice bath before whipping out the ice cream maker (via Food Network). And in response to the "Chopped" ice cream controversy, in which viewers were upset about the chefs' low-quality ice cream maker, Allen countered that the machine is easy to use and only takes six minutes (per Washington Post).
We'll take Allen's word for it. And if a famous food judge has endorsed Hold the Cone, we'll take it as an excuse to scoop up more of these delicious treats.