Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.
If it’s reserved for bakers, am I going to have to show an American Bakers Association, The Bread Bakers Guild of America, The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association, or Independent Bakers Association card in order to buy this? Or is “Baker’s Reserved” some marketing phrase to make a cream cheese stick seem more impressive than it really is? (Spotted by Erin at Harris Teeter.)
A Christmas-looking treat, but not Christmas-tasting treat. (Spotted by Erin at Target.)
Oh, sriracha! You flavor bandwagon! (Spotted by Dustin at Mariano’s Fresh Market.)
I’m going to prove to you all why you should be thankful I’m not in marketing and I don’t name products. I want to rename the Peppermint Velvet Premium Cookie Mix to PeppeREDmint Velvet Premium Cookies Mix. You’re welcome. (Spotted by Steve at Target.)
Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.
The best I can figure on the Baker’s Reserve cream cheese is that it’s higher in fat content than regular Philly, since the ingredient list seems to involve cream rather than low-fat milk. But that’s guessing from ingredient lists on the interwebs. One site claims it has fewer additives, but available ingredient lists don’t support that claim.
Cheese cake goes together fine with reduced-fat cream cheese, and I’ve never had a complaint that it’s not rich enough that way, so I’m not feeling this one.
What is so special about “baker’s reserve” cream cheese? To me it looks like normal cream cheese. I think people will continue to slather this on bagels and not giving a damn on the fancy labeling. Wonder prices will be same or higher?
The higher fat content of the cream cheese would make it better for making herb-infused cream cheese using a device like the Magical Butter machine
http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Butter-Newest-Version-2013/dp/B00CYKIXEY
The higher fat content probably makes it a superior medium for making herb-infused cream cheese, which doesn’t count as baking but can certainly get you baked.
I’ll admit, I’m curious.
This is the ingredients list for Baker’s Reserve:
Pasteurized milk and cream, salt, carob bean gum and cheese culture.
Compared to standard Philly cream cheese:
Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Carob Bean Gum, Cheese Culture. Contains: Milk.
So they artificially enhance the protein content of the original cream cheese? Someone do a test taste in the name of SCIENCE.
I asked philly on their f-book page what the difference was with this vs. reg cream cheese. This is their response to me:
“Good question, Mary. Baker’s Reserve is a unique recipe with five ingredients that can be used for your most important baking occasions. It is a limited edition cream cheese. Please let us know if you need further information. Hope this helps!”
I don’t feel like it helps.
I too checked the label carefully. As a professionally trained baker I can see the benefits (possibly) of a richer product, however, there appears to be no difference. At nearly double the price I will not purchase out of principle unless they provide some background. Not too much too ask, don’t you think?
The peppermint cookies are the work of Satan. See the pentagram in the chocolate chips?
Those sriracha veggie chips have been around since before sriracha started to trend. Maybe they’re going to more mainstream stores now.
Removing the whey in the Philly might make for a less gummy, creamier baked good?
But why you wouldn’t want better baked good year round is beyond me.
Philadelphia Baker’s Reserve is so limited edition that info. regarding it is not even available at the Kraft website . . . .
Those sneaky people at Stop & Shop placed the “Baker’s Reserve” beside the regular Philadelphia Cream cheese. The regular Philly was on sale for $1.99/8oz brick. The “Reserve” was $3.49/8oz brick. I paid $7 for ONE lb of cream cheese! Cheesecake is going into the oven soon…
The Philadelphia cream cheese baker’s reserve definitely makes a better cheesecake!
I thought the baker’s reserve seemed like a gimmick but decided to try anyway. The cheesecake baked with two huge cracks (which I covered with chocolate topping anyway) but it was the best cheesecake I’ve made. I always use the same recipe and have used regular Philly cream cheese and various generic brands in the past. It was fluffier (but still smooth and moist) and the texture was more consistent throughout.
The Philly Baker’s Reserve has a higher fat content (see: the “calories from fat” line on the nutritional information). I used it to make a cheese cake and it came out noticeably better than using original Philly. Your mileage may vary, but several people made comments about the richness of the PBR cake.
PS: low fat cream cheese cakes are just wrong on so many levels.
I found some of the bakers cream cheese as it was going on sale at the end of its shelf life. It was amazing for cheesecake. Compared to the standard Philli cream cheese it was softer right out of the fridge and was much easier to mix. bakers reserve also gave me the best cheese cake I’ve ever made. I am sad that it is no longer on the shelve. My only hope is that it will come back for the holidays.