Review: Trader Joe's - Easter Dove Bread

Trader Joe's Easter Dove Bread ("Columba di Pasqua") is a sweet dessert bread interspersed with candied orange peel, topped with almonds and pearl sugar.

A 16-oz loaf was $4.99.

The shape is meant to resemble a dove somewhat (very vaguely if you ask me) and are traditional in Italy for Easter.

Easter Dove Bread is basically a variant of a panettone. It has the same airy texture and lightly sweet, lightly buttery flavor. Being that it's imported from Italy and was probably baked some time ago, it was a little dry. The bread also stuck really well to the baking liner. The candied orange peel infused the bread just a tad and delivered a sweet and bitter citrus taste when you bit into it.

On top, there's a crusty layer with almonds and sugar pearls embedded into it. There's not much flavor to the layer but looking at the ingredients, it appears to be made of a blend of hazelnut paste and hazelnut flour. The sugar pearls are like a more delicate, less dense sugar cube with a cylindrical shape; you get the same grainy texture and plain sweetness. The almonds are roasted and provide a nice crunch.

Overall, Trader Joe's Easter Dove Bread is nice if you're looking for an orange-y dessert bread that not too sweet. There's a pleasant mild flavor to it and a good bit of variety between the crust and the candied orange peel. I've never been a huge fan of panettone though (they're kind of like fruit cake but as a lighter bread).

Nutritional Info - Trader Joe Easter Dove Bread
Serving Size - 1/6 cake
Calories - 290 (from Fat - 90)
Fat - 10g (Saturated Fat - 5g)
Sodium - 125mg
Carbs - 46g (Sugar - 25g)
Protein - 5g