September 29, 2009 at 7:47 am
· Filed under The Nibble
We’re about to be run out of town. We live in a big cupcake town. Everywhere we turn there are cupcake shops. Yet we turn to ordering ours from the other side of the country—Burbank, to be exact. We send Yummy Cupcakes’ Cupcakes In A Jar as gifts—and we put ourselves at the top of the gift list. We’re in love with Yummy Cupcakes. Anyone you send them to will be in love with you.
Let us explain the concept: A cupcake is not plopped into a jar. Rather, the folks at Yummy Cupcakes, creators of beautiful gourmet cupcakes, took their craft in a new direction. They layer different flavors of cake and buttercream frosting into Mason jars and top them with popular candies—Goobers, M&Ms, Raisinets, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Whoppers and other treats. There are also candies hidden in the layers below. The experience is more fun than regular cupcakes—and that’s saying something.
Cupcake In A Jar is the best way to eat cupcakes. Photo by GG Merkel | THE NIBBLE.
The cakes and frostings are better than our own recipes—perhaps because Yummy Cupcakes’ bakers are graduates of Le Cordon Bleu. Even when you think certain flavors must be gimmicky, you’re wowed—for example, with the licorice buttercream in the Good & Plenty cupcake and the citrus cake and buttercream in the Sour Patch Kid that are perfectly set off by Sour Patch candies on top.
Yet any notion that these are cupcakes for kids must be dispelled: They’re cupcakes for people who appreciate fine food. How do you eat them? With a spoon!
Read the full review, see the photos and get ideas for baking your own yummy cupcakes.
See all of our favorite cake reviews and recipes in THE NIBBLE’s Gourmet Cakes Section.
Discover all the different types of cake in our Cake Glossary.
September 29th is National Coffee Day, so celebrate not with an everyday cup of Joe, but with a coffee cocktail. For generations there was Kahlua, an ingredient of the Black Russian and the Mudslide. More recent challengers are Starbucks and Illy liqueurs and the elegant Patrón XO Café, which comes from a small, family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, home of tequila (the liqueur is tequila-based). All three newcomers are more sophisticated than the old standby. Starbucks liqueur is sweeter, Illy and Patrón liqueurs are espresso-like. Try them straight; or for a Black Russian, mix 1 ounce of coffee liqueur with 1 ounce of vodka and pour over ice. For a Mudslide, shake together 1 ounce each of vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur and light cream and pour over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
After your celebratory cocktail, visit our Coffee Section for great articles about coffee, product reviews, recipes, and everything you want to know about coffee terminology and tasting coffee.
September 28, 2009 at 3:41 pm
· Filed under Contest
Dark chocolate lovers rejoice with new
Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.
This week’s Gourmet Giveaway prize sponsor is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which never fail to deliver what they promise: creamy peanut butter encased in rich milk chocolate. It’s hard to fathom how the classic treat could be improved, but it’s definitely been upgraded for those who consider themselves die-hard dark chocolate lovers.
Hershey’s recently re-introduced Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups for those who prefer dark chocolate, and can’t get enough of that smooth peanut butter taste. (The dark peanut butter cups were first introduced in 2003 as a limited-edition item.)
The prizes: Three winners will each receive four two-packs of Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups along with two bags of the dark chocolate miniatures. If you’re concerned about too much candy, you can give the two-packs away and allot yourself two miniatures a day.
To enter this week’s Gourmet Giveaway: Visit THE NIBBLE’S Gourmet Chocolate Section and click on the link at the bottom of the page. Enter your email address for the Gourmet Giveaway prize drawing. Good luck!
September 28, 2009 at 7:04 am
· Filed under Contest, Recipes
Do you have an original, easy-to-make recipe that makes a great family meal? Then enter it in French’s first-ever Live National Cook-Off and you could win the $25,000 grand prize.
Encourage friends and family to vote for your recipe: In addition to the grand prize of $25,000, weekly prizes will be awarded based on the number of popular votes a recipe receives.
Recipes must include at least one French’s product. You can get inspiration from the recipes on the website. Submit your recipe by October 31, 2009 at www.frenchsfoods.com.
QUICK BURGER TIP: Make your burgers taste better. To 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey, mix:
1/4 cup French’s Classic Worcestershire Sauce or French’s Reduced Sodium Worcestershire Sauce (30 % less sodium)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Shape into 4 burgers.
Garlic & Lemon Herb Marinated Chicken is
made with French’s Spicy Brown Mustard or
Honey Dijon Mustard. The recipe is on the
website.
Grill over medium heat for 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning once.
Instead of giving a friend a bottle of wine as a birthday, congratulatory or holiday gift, take him or her to a wine tasting. Share the experience and the memories, and build your wine knowledge together. If your budget allows, you can add a bottle of wine as a surprise at the end of the tasting. Most cities have regular tasting events and classes. If you don’t know where to find them, ask at wine stores.
For some pointers on wine, visit our Wine Section.
