Our runners up span good-for-you foods like Pete & Jerry’s Organic Hard Boiled Eggs, Bonne Maman’s new Lemon Curd, and a new line extension from one of our favorite yogurts, Noosa Yoghurt (the Australian spelling).
 
 
SNACK FACTORY DESSERT THINS

We have long enjoyed Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps, so when they announced a new line of Dessert Thins cookies, we had hope.

And we are not disappointed! lightly textured, airy biscuits in delectable dessert flavors! Made with non-GMO ingredients, Dessert Thins are available in

 
All three are fragrant, flavorful, and a calorie bargain. Use them for mini cookie sandwiches, an ice cream garnish, dippers for chocolate fondue, or an alternative to biscotti with coffee.

When you want just a bit of cookie, without fear of overdoing it, you can be satisfied with just one (the recommended serving size is 4 pieces, 120 calories).

Following America’s desire for natural, better-for-you foods, Dessert Thins are non-GMO, contain zero grams of trans-fat, no cholesterol, no artificial colors or flavors.

As for why the company calls them by the British word for cookies—biscuits—we can’t fathom. In the U.S., “biscuit” does not indicate a sweet treat. But why ask why?

We hope the new line is a success for selfish reasons: We want to keep eating them.

See more at SnackFactory.com.
 
 
BONNE MAMAN LEMON CURD

Lemon curd has been a favorite British spread for centuries. Why it isn’t more popular in the U.S., we have no idea. You have to hunt for it in specialty food stores.

Thanks to Bonne Maman’s national supermarket distribution, you may now find it in an aisle near you. Don’t pass it by!

The combination of eggs, butter, lemon juice and sugar has uses beyond toast and croissants. Use it:

 
Bright yellow, delightfully lemony, this rich spread belongs at your breakfast table…and beyond.

The line is non-GMO, Certified Gluten Free and certified kosher by OU.

Discover more at BonneMamanUS.

Bonne Maman French preserves and spreads debut a new spread flavor: Lemon Curd (photo courtesy Bonne Maman).

[3] Noosa Mates score! Four mix-in yoghurts worthy of dessert (photo curry Noosa).

NOOSA YOGURT: NOOSA MATES

Noosa, the Australian yoghurt brand made in Colorado for the U.S. market, has been a NIBBLE favorite since it first landed here.

Made with 5% milk, instead of 2% or 0%, it is sumptuous, silky, and the closest yogurt you’ll find that can pass for pudding.

The 5.5-ounce containers have a separate container that holds the mix-ins. It’s a lot of packaging, but it’s delicious to the max.

Flavors include:

 
They’re all so good, we can’t even pick a favorite—although a nod goes to Banana Chocolate Peanut. Why is there not more banana yogurt out there???

The line is certified kosher by OU. See more Noosa at NoosaYohgurt.com.

[4] These organic, grab-and-go hard-boiled eggs from Pete & Jerry’s are from free-range hens who are treated very well (photo courtesy Pete & Jerry’s).

PETE & JERRY’S ORGANIC HARD BOILED EGGS

There’s a difference in the flavor of eggs produced by faceless factory farms, and eggs produced by small farmers dedicated to treating hens like the queens they are.

We have long admired Pete & Jerry’s organic eggs, from free-range chickens who live happy lives.

How, following the trend to nutritious, grab-and-go peeled, hard-boiled eggs, Pete & Jerry’s has packaged their eggs in pouches and larger containers.

We love them as snacks, with a bit of pepper or chili flakes.

 
It’s a food you can feel good about, both in terms of nutritional and humanity.

Learn more about Pete & Jerry’s organic farming at PeteAndJerrys.com.

We thought our own ice cube tips were creative: freezing coffee, fruit, herbs, juice, lemonade, vegetables, tea, wine—even bouillon for Bloody Marys.

We don’t like melting ice cubes to dilute our drinks, so we freeze the same liquid (e.g. iced tea cubes for iced tea) or a complimentary flavor (e.g., blueberry or other fruit juice ice cubes for that lemonade).

Then we saw these clever cubes, from Sherry Chen of Personal Creations, who has kindly provided them for today’s tip.

They turn an everday beverage—water, a glass of milk, iced tea or coffee, cocktails and mocktails—into something truly special.

SHERRY CHEN’S TIPS FOR PERFECT FLAVORED ICE CUBES

Whether for a party or a refreshing day at home, a flavored ice cube will always add style, says Sherry.

Making unique flavored ice cubes is simple. Here are a few things to keep in mind when prepping.

 
 
ICE CUBE RECIPES

The subhead reminds us of the joke about the cook who was so stupid, he forgot the recipe for ice.

But these isn’t ice: They’re frozen flavor art.

Here are five of Sherry’s ice cube recipes. You can find five more here.

 
 
Garnishing The Cubes

You can add even more festivity to the ice cubes with a garnish on top of the cube.

When the cubes have frozen into a slurry state, quickly remove and shake on your choice of whatever goes with the beverage:

 
 
MORE ICE CUBE RECIPES

 
And take a gander at:

[2] Ice cream cubes melt creaminess and flavor into the drink.

[3] Smoothie ice cubes.

[4] Matcha ice cubes.

[5] Jewel ice cubes.

[6] Latte ice cubes in a glass of milk (photo courtesy Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth).

[2] Zucchini noodles, spiralized and ready to cook.

[3] A classic dish of Cacio e Pepe. Here’s a recipe from Philo’s Kitchen.

Two years ago, when zucchini noodles became the rage, many of us ran out to buy spiralizers—simple gadgets that turned a zucchini into ribbons of vegetable “pasta.”

You can now buy spiralized zucchini in bags.

A big bowl of pasta with Bolognese sauce and lots of grated cheese can be lightened, both texturally and calorically, and is an attractive substitute.

We’ve previously written about Cacio e Peppe (KAH-chee-oh ay PEP-pay, cheese and pepper), an ancient pasta dish (in fact, one of the most ancient dishes in Italian cuisine).

The classic recipe is a quick one Grated cheese—cacio in Roman dialect, referring to a sheep’s milk cheese like pecorino romano—becomes a creamy, cheesy sauce when mixed with a a few spoons of the hot water used to cook the pasta.

The result: creamy sauce, obtained by combining the best quality Pecorino Romano and a few spoons of the water used to cook the spaghetti. The starch that leaches from the spaghetti into the cooking water combines with the grated cheese in just the right way.

But Good Eggs has taken it one step further in the name of lowering the carbs: They mixed conventional wheat pasta noodles with zucchini noodles.

The recipe is below, but first:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CACIO & PEPE

Cacio e Pepe, a Roman dish, was an easy comfort food. The ingredients were very portable and did not spoil. Roman shepherds and travelers needed only water and a fire to create a stick-to-your-ribs meal.

The classic recipe has no butter or cream, ingredients which are used to make creamy Alfredo sauce. There’s just pasta, salted water to cook it, cheese, and ground black pepper. Some modern recipes use a bit of olive oil to bind the ingredients.

All the ingredients are ancient foods:

Ingredients For 2 Main Course Servings

 
Preparation

1. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. While it heats, place the zucchini in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté for about 2 minutes, until al dente. Turn the heat off and cover the zucchini to keep it warm.

2. COOK the spaghetti according to package directions; then drain it, holding back a few tablespoons of pasta water. Add the pasta and half the pasta water to the zucchini pan, and toss together.

3. REMOVE from the heat and toss with the cheese and pepper to taste (Italians go heavy on the pepper). The heat of the pasta and the pasta water should help melt the cheese into a smooth, creamy sauce. Add more hot pasta water as needed to achieve the consistency you desire. If the water has become tepid, microwave it for 30 seconds.

4. GARNISH with parsley and serve. It isn’t part of the official recipe, but we like the crunch of toasted bread crumbs or croutons as a garnish.

________________

*Humans can’t live without some sodium. It’s needed to transmit nerve impulses, contract and relax muscle fibers (including the heart muscle and blood vessels), and maintain a proper fluid balance. Here’s more about it from Harvard Medical School.

†Long, thin spaghetti has different names in different regions of Italy; for example, capellini, fedelini, spaghetti alla chitarra and tonnarelli. Spaghetti alla chitarra, also known as maccheroni alla chitarra, is a variety of egg pasta typical of the Abruzzo region in Italy, with a square cross-section about 2–3 mm thick. Tonnarelli is a similar pasta from the Lazio region. In the U.S., you’re most likely to find spaghetti, spaghettini, and vermicelli (angel hair, capelli d’angelo, is too thin for this rich sauce). The widths of all of these strands vary, but not in a significant way to impact the recipe.
 
 

Appletinis evoke spring and summer; mulled cider is for the chilly fall and winter.

In-between, how about an Apple Cider Spritz?

We adapted this recipe from one from Elegant Affairs Caterers. The basic recipe is very versatile, and a lesson in the ease of substituting ingredients.

 
RECIPE: AUTUMN APPLE SPRITZ

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the vodka, apple juice, club soda and a squeeze of the lime wedge. Shake with ice until mixed and strain into a Martini glass or a coupe (the “sherbet champagne” glass).

2. TOP a slice of apple with the star anise and float atop the drink.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF LADY (API) APPLES

The Lady is an old French variety, which remains popular in Europe and the U.S. It is known in Europe as the Api, after the forest of Api in Bretagne, in western France, where it is thought to have originated.

It is a petite apple—an adult can finish it in three large bites—with a pleasing aroma and flavor. In photo #2, you can see how many fit into a pint container.

Throughout its history, the Lady apple has been used as much for decoration as for eating apple. Baskets of Lady apples were used to mask unpleasant odors.

Records suggest that Api appeared as a seedling some time before the early 17th century. It soon became popular in France, England and the U.S.

Records also show that the U.S. exported large quantities to England in Victorian times under the name Lady Apple [source].

In modern times, Lady apples are popular in the fourth quarter, as in centerpieces and other holiday decor, along with clementines, evergreen branches and pine cones.

The Lady apple/Api is not directly related to either Pink Lady or Lady Alice apples.
  

[2] Make your own apple chips, or buy our favorites from Bare Fruit.N

But this tip, courtesy of Castello Cheese, goes in a different direction.

Instead of (or in addition to) wedges of crunchy apples, serve your cheeses with an array of apple condiments:

 
Some recipes are below.

What cheeses should you select?

The best pairings are semi-hard cheeses such as Asiago, Blue, Cantal, Cheddar, Comte, Edam, Gruyère, Havarti, Idiazabal, Jarlsberg or Manchego, among others.

For four people, offer two selections. You can include more choices for larger parties.

You can acquire any of these items at a specialty food market, or make your own. Don’t forget the crackers (Finn Crisp (photo #1) goes well here).

A ROSH HASHANAH SPIN

Whether or not you’re Jewish, serve this apple and cheese plate for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

This year, the celebration runs from the evening of Wednesday, September 20th through the evening of Friday, September 22nd.

Apples and honey are a traditional snack to usher in a “sweet” new year.

If you make the Marinated Apples & Raisins recipe below, you’ve got the honey. Otherwise, simply add a jar of honey with a honey dripper, or a piece of honeycomb, to the plate.

Here’s more about the honey and apples tradition.

RECIPE #1: APPLE CHIPS

Apple chips are a deliciously sweet snack chip. They’re low in calories, yet have natural sweetness from the fruit.

Serve them with a cheese board, and also toss some onto a salad with crumbled blue cheese.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 300°F. Wash and dry the apples. Remove the cores and cut the apples into thin slices. As you slice the apples, place the slices in a bowl with the vinegar-water mix so they don’t brown (add more water to the bowl as needed).

2. BRUSH the apple slices on both sides with the melted butter and spread them out, without overlap, on three baking trays covered with parchment.

3. PLACE the trays in the top, middle and bottom of the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes. When you take the apple chips out of the oven, they will still be soft. Let them cool off on a griddle or other flat surface, and they will become crisp.

4. SPRINKLE the apple chips with salt as desired, and serve quickly afterwards to maximize crispness. One of the benefits of store-bought apple chips is that they’ve been dried in a long, slow process that keeps them crisp.
 

RECIPE #2: SPICY APPLE JELLY

This recipe takes store-bought apple jelly, spices it with ginger and glams it up with golden raisins (sultanas). You can substitute conventional raisins if you prefer.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. STIR the jelly, raisins and ginger together. Cover the jelly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

2. TASTE and season as desired with more ginger, or some allspice.

 
 
RECIPE #3: MARINATED APPLES & RAISINS

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. FOLD the apple into wedges into the vinegar. Add the honey and raisins and marinate for at least 15 minutea
 
 
RECIPE #4: QUICK PICKLED APPLES

These are so good, you may want to double the recipe.

Ingredients For The Brine

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. ADD the brine ingredients to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce the heat heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

2. WASH and core the apples, leaving the skin on. Cut into 1/8th-inch-thick slices, and cut again as desired (we prefer half-moon/wedge shapes).

[4] When making pickled apples or homemade apple jelly, red skins add color to the final product. They also look nicer when simply serving with honey—the traditional Rosh Hashanah treat (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[5] Pickled apples. Here’s another recipe from Best Apples.

3. TASTE the brine (don’t burn your tongue!). Adjust the seasonings add more sweetness or tartness as desired.

4. TRANSFER the apples to a quart container and add the spice pods. Pour the brine through a strainer onto the apples, cover and allow to come to room temperature, turning the container regularly to ensure all apples sit in the brine.

5. REFRIGERATE until ready to use.