Trader Joe’s Sfogliatella seems like something I should have liked. Crunchy pastry with a semolina, ricotta and candied orange filling. Not too sweet. Sounds perfect for me. But honestly, I’m just….ambivalent.
I like the filling. It’s thickened with the semolina and flavored with just the right amount of candied orange zest for me. So I think it’s the pastry itself that’s putting me off slightly. It’s brittle. But not in that delicious flaky way, like say fillo, can be. While baking, they leaked some oil (no butter listed in the ingredients), making the bottoms brown. But the tops were still light, so they stayed in an extra 5 minutes. Would all that account for the brittleness? Very possibly.
So, all that said. I don’t love them, I don’t hate them. They’re…fine? I wish Boracchino’s was still around (they closed after 90 years!), so I could compare with the real deal. I don’t see myself making these at home. Interestingly, I saved one for the next day and it was still crispy after spending the night in the fridge.
Would I buy Trader Joe’s Sfogliatella again? I don’t think so, but I’ll definitely be on the hunt for options at my local bakeries.
Check out some other We Tried’s from Trader Joe’s:
Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Filling