THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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GIFT OF THE DAY: The Best Chocolate Cherry Gift From John & Kira’s

Chocolate Cherry

Only a grinch could resist these chocolate
cherries. Photo by Katharine Pollak | The
Nibble.

 

To quote Al Jolson,* “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

John & Kira’s makes the best chocolate cherry bonbons.

Even if you don’t think they’re better, they’re as good as the artisan chocolate cherries you currently enjoy. For example, we’re also quite fond of chocolate cherry bonbons filled with real kirschwasser (cherry eau de vie), but they’re hard to find in the U.S.

And neither they, nor any other chocolate cherry, is as beautiful as John & Kira’s hand-colored bonbons.

These are not the conventional cherry cordial—a maraschino cherry wrapped in fondant (that turns into a drippy sugar syrup) and enrobed in chocolate.

Instead, the center is a 62% Valrhona dark chocolate ganache, mixed with dried tart cherries and a hint of brandy.

Beautifully gift-boxed, you can place your gift order at JohnAndKiras.com.

 

  • See more of our favorite chocolate gifts.
  • Learn more about chocolate in our Chocolate Glossary.
  • If you haven’t found the perfect Thanksgiving chocolate, try John & Kira’s beautiful pumpkin bonbons.
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    *America’s most famous, highest-paid entertainer of the 1930s.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Panko, Japanese Bread Crumbs

    We no longer use American bread crumbs. For several years, our crumb of choice is panko, the crispy bread crumb used in Japanese cuisine (think tonkatsu and crunchy sushi rolls).

    They’re actually “bread flakes” rather than bread crumbs. Panko is made in small flakes, not ground into crumbs like traditional bread crumbs. The flakes provide a crisper, crunchier coating and an airier texture.

    Use them to coat fried chicken, crab cakes, fried zucchini, mozzarella sticks and all of your favorites. You can even sprinkle them on ice cream for crunch.

    You can find panko in the Asian products section of many supermarkets; at all Asian food markets; and online.

    Boxes of panko also make creative stocking stuffers for people who love fried food. The panko from Sushi Chef, in a smart black, white and red box, is particularly giftworthy.

     

    Panko-crusted pork. Photo by
    Parkerman & Christie | Wikimedia.

      

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    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Tatte Nut Boxes, The Best Dessert

    The best dessert this year! Photo by
    Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

    Tatte’s Nut Boxes aren’t just our favorite pastry or our favorite nut dessert; they’re our favorite dessert of the year.

    That’s because the recipe and the visual presentation are simply divine.

    Rectangular shells of butter pastry are lined with a perfect caramel, then topped to overflowing with the tastiest, fresh-roasted nuts.

    There are nuts to suit every palate: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios or walnuts. Or, have them all in the mixed nuts version shown in the photo.

    Then drizzle a tiny bit more caramel over the nuts; bake and sell to grateful customers.

    These elegant desserts will dazzle at a dinner party or tea party, make a memorable gift, or treat you to a sublime pastry experience. And for only $6 per nut box!

    Each nut box could easily be shared by two people—but don’t even think of asking for half of ours.

     

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    TREND: The Next Thing In A Fresh Cookie?

    The Sweet Flour Bake Shop in Toronto is at the vanguard of something we haven’t seen before: cookies and muffins custom-baked with your choice of mix-ins, prepared while you wait—in as little as two minutes. You can create just one cookie or take home a dozen.

    Do the math, and you get 15,000 different combinations—a different cookie for every day for the next 41 years.

    First, you start with a choice of an Original, Oatmeal or Peanut Butter cookie dough (what—no chocolate?) or muffin tops in Original or Bran muffin tops.

    Then pick 2 or 3 mix-ins:

    • Chips: dark chocolate chunks, semi-sweet chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chunks, white chocolate chunks, chocolate mint chips, peanut butter pieces and butterscotch chips, plus sprinkles

    Cookies made to order in two minutes.
    Photo courtesy Sweet Flour Bake Shop.

    • Candy: M&Ms, mini pretzels, snickers, toffee pieces
    • Dried Fruit: blueberries, cherries, cranberries, figs, raisins
    • Nuts: almonds, macadamias, pecans, pistachios, walnutsIf you’ve in the mood for ganache, have a sandwich cookies in chocolate, peanut butter or shortbread with chocolate, maple, peanut butter, salted caramel or vanilla crème.

       

      OK, we’ll start with a chocolate sandwich cookie with salted caramel ganache; then move onto a bran muffin with dried cherries, figs and pistachio nuts. We’ll be back later for an Original cookie with M&Ms, toffee and snickers.

      How about you?

      And when is a Sweet Flour bakery opening near us?

       

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    GIFT OF THE DAY: Food Face Dinner Plate

    It’s fun to play with your food. Photo
    courtesy WorldwideFred.com.

    If your kids won’t finish their food, at least let them play with it.

    Food face, available with a man’s or woman’s face, is a ceramic plate that gives children (or the child within) free reign to play with his or her food.

    The 8-1/2-inch plate is $12 to $13. If you give one to every member of the family, there can be nightly food art competitions. It’s also a fun party activity.

    • Buy online at Amazon.com. See WorldwideFred.com for a complete list of online retailers.
    • See our entire list of holiday gifts for kids.
    • See 10 more holiday gift lists—from Diet Gifts and Kosher Gifts to Stocking Stuffers.

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