[1] French Fries with peanut butter (satay) and jelly dips. From left to right: satay sauce, crushed peanut and scallion garnish, smoked raspberry jelly (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Idaho russet potatoes (photo © Potato 101 | Idaho Potato Commission.

[3] Satay sauce is very versatile. Here’s a recipe for a classic use: a Thai-style stir fry (photo © Nourishing Amy).

[4] Want to make your own raspberry jelly? Here’s an easy recipe from Sweet + Savory By Shinee (photo © Sweet + Savory By Shinee)

French fries with peanut butter and jelly?

This recipe comes with a sub-title: Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

The recipe was created by Mike McKinnon, owner of Potato Champion restaurant in Portland Oregon.

The restaurant began selling Belgium-style fries (twice fried for extra crispness), served with a variety of dipping sauces, plus poutine, the “national dish of Canada.”

Over the years, the menu has expanded into inventive fry-related dishes. French fries with PB&J is one of those.

Mind you, it’s not PB&J from the jar: The peanut butter is made into a satay sauce, and the jelly is smoked (with liquid smoke). These are served as dips with the fries.

Any leftover sauces can be served with skewers, as sauces for meat and poultry, or as dips for crudités.

Are you ready for a French fry adventure for National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day?

Thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for the recipe.

If you don’t want to make this amount, use this ingredient converter to decrease the recipe size.

> More great peanut butter and jelly recipes.

> The history of peanut butter.

> The history of jelly.

> The different types of jelly and preserves.
 
 
RECIPE: FRENCH FRIES WITH PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY
 
Ingredients For 10 Servings

For The Fries & Garnishes

 
For The Satay Sauce

 
For The Smoky Raspberry Jelly

 
Preparation For The Satay Sauce

1. BLEND the ginger, cilantro, onion and garlic in a food processor. Add to a stockpot. Add the sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and sambal oelek and bring to a boil.

2. ADD the coconut milk and lime juice and return to a boil. Turn off the heat and the add the peanut butter.

3. BLEND with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Reserve.
 
Preparation For The Smoky Raspberry Jelly

1. COMBINE the jelly, lemon juice and liquid smoke in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then stir in the sugar.

2. BLEND well with immersion blender. Reserve.
 
Preparation For Fries

1. CUT THE potatoes into 3/8-inch-think sticks. Wash the starches off. Blanch in oil between 325°F and 350°F, then fry to crisp at 375°F.

2. PLACE the fries on a sheet pan to cool a bit; then season with salt. Garnish the fries with the crushed peanuts and scallions, and serve with the satay sauce and smoked jelly.

We re-created this Easter milkshake, after seeing the photo on the Facebook page of Alden’s Organic Ice Cream.
 
 
RECIPE: EASTER MILKSHAKE

Ingredients Per Shake

 
Additional Garnishes

This Easter milkshake is the definition of “food fun.” Affixing the malted milk eggs to the rim was the biggest challenge in re-creating it (photo © Alden’s Ice Cream | Facebook).

Milkshake: The milkshake portion is simple. Just combine the first three ingredients in a blender and process to desired consistency. Pour into the glass, garnish with sprinkles, add the straw and top with garnishes of choice.

Note that to keep heavier candies on top of the whipped cream so they don’t sink in, you should use homemade whipped cream: It’s thicker than the airy aerosol whipped cream. Also check out stabilized whipped cream.

Macaron Pops: Run a kabob skewer or a long lollipop/cake pop stick through the macarons.
 
Candy Rim: The tough part is affixing the jelly beans or other egg-shaped candy to the rim of the glass.

They’re just too heavy for the standard affixing of simple syrup, which works for shredded coconut or sprinkles.

 

Here’s more about Alden’s Ice Cream, an organic line.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ICE CREAM & FROZEN DESSERTS

> THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM

[1] Chocolate Earl Grey tea is available year-round, and in this special Easter packaging [all photos © David’s Tea).

[2] You can see why this tea is called Hot Chocolate. It’s pu’ehr tea with chocolate chips that melt into the brew.

[3] An Easter sampler with six different chocolate flavors. During the holidays, there’s a holiday sampler.

[4] Here’s another winner: Hazelnut Chocolate.

Here’s a calorie-free chocolate treat: chocolate-flavored tea.

David’s Tea has blended its fine loose teas with chocolate flavors.

They are available year-round, but for the Easter season there’s special Easter Egg packaging.

Plus, there’s a gift box with six chocolate flavors.

Yes, the teas do have the subtle and delicious taste of chocolate, and can be enjoyed hot or iced.
 
 
LIMITED EDITION EASTER PACKAGING

 
The Limited Edition Easter Sampler (photo #3) is a gift box that includes:

 
 
YEAR-ROUND PACKAGING

 
 
ETHICAL TEA PARTNERSHIP

David’s Tea has partnered with the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP).

The organization’s mission is to create a more fair, more sustainable tea industry for the tea farmers, the tea workers and the environment.

They also created the David’s Tea Impact Fund, which enables meaningful change by supporting projects in countries where they source their tea.
 
 
GET YOUR CHOCOLATE TEA!

For a tea lover, for a calorie counter:

This is a much more welcome Easter gift than sugar-laden Easter candy.

In fact, the chocolate teas have so much flavor that we didn’t even need to sweeten the tea.

Head to DavidsTea.com.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEA
 
> THE HISTORY OF TEA