Trader Joe's Boozy Macarons Feature A Trio Of Liquors

Long a favorite of holiday shoppers, Trader Joe's thrives on unveiling edible surprises as the holidays arrive and winter holidays get the magic treatment, with some long-time favorites returning year after year and newbies making their debut. In its annual Fearless Flyer Holiday Guide for 2022, the company draws its share of oohs and ahhs from nostalgic feel-good favorites such as Jingle Jangle Pretzels, Candy Cane Tea, Peppermint S'mores Cake, and Gingerbread Ice Cream. But if all that overloads your sweet tooth, there's a grownup treat that transforms a typical French-stye cookie confection: Boozy Macarons.

Macarons lend themselves well to alcohol infusions, mostly because the creamy insides lap up most kinds of liquids. Recipes for boozy macarons come from the likes of Domino Sugar, which shares Margarita Macaron secrets using tequila and lime stirred into buttercream filling. And Pinterest photos showcase macarons made with everything from Bailey's Irish Cream to raspberry-laced vodka, beer, red wine, gin and tonic, and Jack Daniels with caramel and bacon flavors.

But making those delicate French desserts is much more tedious (and terrifying) than picking them up from the food-sourcing magicians at Trader Joe's. They comb the world seeking things to make you drool, chuckle, or just plain indulge — and the TJ's Boozy Macarons fall in that category.

In typical Trader Joe's tale-twisting jargon, the company introduces its three flavors of Boozy Macarons by comparing them to the three spirits in the Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." And why not? They did source these macarons to spare home chefs everywhere from a kitchen flop right before holiday parties.

The TJ's macarons harbor three types of spirits and come in three coats of colors cladding the outer shells. The selected alcohol comes from French XO brandy and Cointreau triple sec liqueur, both made in France, and a chosen premium rum. The pastel-leaning outer hues complement the booze flavors, with violet for the brandy macarons, cream for the rum, and orange for the triple sec, which is, appropriately, an orange-flavored liqueur, per Cointreau.

The frozen macarons come from a French supplier for authenticity, identified only as one specializing in fun and fancy macarons. Trader Joe's often conceals the identity of its suppliers in exchange for discounted bulk purchases from well-known players in the food industry, explains SF Gate. The alcohol in the macarons now available at Trader Joe's gets added straight into the batter for easy blending. Before rushing out to snag a box of these Boozy Macarons, be aware that each cookie contains up to 2.6% alcohol, per Yahoo! News, so be ready to dig out your ID.