I grew up without a Trader Joe's anywhere nearby, and honestly, I feel like I missed out. But when I moved to NYC, everyone from the roommate I met online to my BFF from college was going to TJ's. I remember going for the first time to see what all the hype was about, and it was great! But I did it all wrong—I bought lame stuff like frozen falafel and produce, and missed out on all the awesome Trader Joe's brand things. One of those awesome Trader Joe's brand things, new for the holiday season, is Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa.
Yeah, salted freaking caramel—sounds ah-mazing. And if it's flavor is even half as good as the Jingle Jangle ice cream, it's going to be sold out soon. So basically, get your salty and sweet hot cocoa fast. The product sells for $3.99 in stores (per 10 oz canister/8 servings), which is for sure way less than any hot cocoa at Starbucks.
The product is described on TJ's website as traditional hot cocoa, upgraded with natural caramel flavor and yes, salt. All of those flavors together makes a "warm, liquid manifestation of our ever-popular Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels," the description reads.
Seriously, just reading that, I feel decadent, like I'm in a weird perfume commercial. Damn.
You can start drinking this Trader Joe's Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa today, and keep on drinking it through the cold winter months. But if you're more of a fan of iced drinks (I see you Iced Coffee peeps), use the mix to make a copycat version of Serendipity in NYC's Frozen Hot Chocolate. Either way, top it with whipped cream or lots of marshmallows, and enjoy.