Review: Trader Joe's Italian Tiramisu

Trader Joe's Italian Tiramisu is the limited-time spiritual, more traditional successor to TJ's Tiramisu Torte and features a base of ladyfinger biscuits soaked in both coffee and Marsala wine, topped with a thick layer of sweetened mascarpone cheese, and finished with a blanket of cocoa powder.

It was $4.49 for a 13.05-oz package, which contains two individual servings of tiramisu. According to the package, it was made in Italy.

This is not something to buy if you want a dessert right there and then, or even an hour later, as Trader Joe's Tiramisu needs to thaw for about 8 hours (i.e. overnight). It's worth the wait, though, as it turned out quite well.

While there are two individual servings of tiramisu, they're not individually wrapped. With cocoa being fine and powdery, it coated every surface inside the bag, including the outside of the containers for the tiramisu. This can make just opening the bag and removing the tiramisu a potentially messy experience.

There was an almost protective layer of cocoa sitting atop the tiramisu. It didn't threaten to scatter off, but be careful of inhaling while taking a bite as you might end up choking on the powder. It gave the dessert a nice chocolaty note.

The mascarpone cheese was lightly set with a smooth, slightly fluffy texture and a moderately sweet, rich, and creamy taste.

The ladyfinger layer was soft and moist but not wet, which was nice as it meant it still delivered some spongy texture without feeling soggy.

Flavor-wise, the base layer offered a definite but not overly bitter coffee flavor that provided a welcomed contrast to the richer, more mellow cream of the mascarpone cheese.

When it comes down to it, Trader Joe's Italian Tiramisu turned out excellently. It hit all the right marks for both taste and texture. The price makes for a great value as, for the same price, any supermarket equivalent tends to be mostly cake with thin layers of cream (i.e. not really tiramisu at all).

Nutritional Info - Trader Joe's Italian Tiramisu
Serving Size - 1 tiramisu (185g)
Calories - 400 (from Fat - 210)
Fat - 23g (Saturated Fat - 14g)
Sodium - 180mg
Carbs - 36g (Sugar - 21g)
Protein - 11g