I love baked goods and bakeries. Who doesn’t? They smell delicious, generally have beautiful presentations, and the products tend to be delicious. I actually no longer crave sweet baked goods as much as I used to. However, I still love a good cookie, muffin, brownie, or piece of cake. Readers know that I struggle to get through a post without at least one story. Therefore, I have to mention a bakery my family used to visit. I know I’ve mentioned the big meals my grandparents served. At one point, they started going to a bakery in NY that allowed customers to go into the back and pick out their own bagels, breads, rolls, etc. (The sweet treats were in the front of the store and were not self serve). Thinking about the past several years with changes due to COVID, it is hard to believe we were allowed to do this (they had flimsy plastic gloves but still…) It was so much fun to select the products. I remember taking hot bagels as they came down the shoot and having to be careful as we put them in the bags so that they did not lose their shape as they squished the others. (By the way, it is hard to believe that they just trusted customers about what they bought vs carefully checking the bags). We used to get several dozen bagels at a time and froze them. We visited frequently enough that I think I made almost an entire school year eating one of these bagels every day.
Anyway…I like to check out the bakery section of grocery stores and Costco is no exception. Because of the large quantities I have not tried many items (and they no longer make the huge chocolate layer cake that I only had once) but many of the products are tempting. Not having tried many, I like to know which items people like.
I came across a review of nine bakery items by a professional baker/former bakery owner/recipe developer. I separated them into the items she recommends and the ones she does not recommend.
Buy
1. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie (5 lbs, $20)
This pie received a rave review, due to the texture of the crust and the fluffy peanut butter and chocolate mousse filling. The baker addressed my concern in that it would be too heavy by saying it wasn’t too rich or sweet. I have to admit that, as much as I like peanut butter (Product Review:Kirkland organic creamy peanut butter), I don’t love nut based desserts. However, I know others love them, especially when combined with chocolate.
2. Classic Cheesecake (4.5 lbs; $17)
The cheesecake gets a positive review, due to the consistency of the crust, the dense cheesecake with a slight vanilla flavor, and a sour cream based topping. (I had always assumed it was whipped cream…this is why it helps to have a professional describe it!) Although my family has bought this cheesecake before for meetings, I have never tasted it (I have had the cheesecake from BJ’s and it’s delicious) but I know it gets rave reviews.
3. Sour Cream Butter Pound Cake (2 lbs; $8)
The pound cake is ranked highly for its value, its appearance, and its flavor. Although the reviewer would have preferred it to be a little less dry, it got high reviews. In addition, it was mentioned as a versatile item, recommended plain or as the base for a shortcake. I would try this cake. Although basic, pound cake is usually very good and the addition of sour cream tends to make it better. In fact, the bakery I mentioned earlier sold a delicious sour cream pound cake. That cake made me realize that pound cake does not have to be boring and dry. Although often eaten as a dessert, I also enjoy pound cake with yogurt and/or eggs as a meal.
4. White cake with vanilla-cheesecake mousse (10-inch round; $13)
This cake gets high reviews for the soft cake, the creamy filling, and the overall balanced flavor that was not too sweet. Although the reviewer prefers homemade cake, she says that this one is worth buying when homemade is not possible and that it will appeal to many people. I actually have tried this cake and was not a huge fan. I was surprised that I did not love it, as I like vanilla cake, cheesecake, and buttercream icing. It could have been that my expectations were too high, that the combination just did not “work” for me, or that I was not in the mood for it. In any case, although I imagine many people would like the cake, I definitely did not like it as much as this reviewer did.
5. Tuxedo Chocolate Mousse Cake ($17)
The reviewer comments positively about this cake’s appearance, with its contrasting layers.
Even more so is the praise for the taste, at least for people who love chocolate. (She cautions that the cake may be too much for people who do not love chocolate.) I have definitely seen this cake and agree that it looks very good. I never actually knew exactly what it is so it was helpful to read the description. The description of chocolate cake, creamy chocolate mousse, white-chocolate mousse, chunks of brownie, and a chocolate ganache topping.
6. Mini Lemon Cakes (6 cakes; $9)
These cakes are recommended for people who love lemon based on their strong flavor. According to the review, they contain a light, lemon-vanilla cake base, streusel topping, lemon curd, and lemon frosting. Although I enjoy lemon baked goods very much (lemon poppy muffins are my favorite), these sound like the lemon would be overwhelming for me (Product Review: Upper Crust Bakery Mini-Lemon Bites).
Don’t Bother
1. Strawberries-and-Cream Bar Cake (seasonal; $18)
The reviewer praises the appearance of this cake, with its layers and decorative chocolates on the top. She also likes the texture of the cake and the way it mixes nicely with the whipped topping. However, she finds the flavor problematic, being simultaneously too sweet and too sour. She also comments on an unpleasant aftertaste. I agree that this cake is visually appealing. However, I tend to assume that cakes with fruit and whipped cream are less likely to freeze as well as other cakes. Therefore, even if this cake were rated higher, I’d be reluctant to get it unless it was to serve at an event, without expecting leftovers (with other baked goods that are large, I plan on freezing the leftovers as many baked goods freeze and defrost extremely well).
2. S’mores Cookies (24-pack; $10)
The reviewer expressed her disappointment in these cookies, as they did not live up to her expectations. Although she enjoyed the soft texture, she criticizes them for not having enough flavor. However, although she does not necessarily recommend buying them, she does say that they might be good as the replacement for the graham cracker in s’mores with marshmallow and chocolate in between. I have no interest in these cookies. I don’t generally eat marshmallows (most are not kosher) and, although I don’t mind graham flavor, it would not be my first choice for a cookie base.
3. Cookie Variety Pack (24 cookies; $9)
Costco sells a variety pack of cookies with three different flavors.
The pack includes white-chocolate chunk cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chunk cookies. The reviewer comments on the soft, chewy texture of the cookies and says the flavors are “decent”. However, although she recommends buying them for an event, she does not find them good enough to buy for herself. It is likely that I have tried the chocolate chunk cookies at some point (they also sell a pack of all chocolate chunk). I can’t imagine that they are bad and agree they are a good, easy treat to serve at a meeting or a casual party. The reviewer rated the chocolate chunk as the least appealing of the three. However, although the others look okay to me, I don’t love white chocolate or raisins in baked goods. Therefore, I wouldn’t buy the variety pack.
What do you think about these reviews? So you agree with this professional baker? Would the opinions of a professional baker make you more inclined to try a product?
Cruising Costco 