Tag: candy

  • Dark Chocolate Truffles

    pistachio truffles

    I’m a sucker for Christmas music. From Nat King Cole to Mariah Carey, Christmas music gives me the warm and fuzzies. It throws me back to blurry childhood memories of coming in from the cold after a vicious snowball fight and eagerly tumbling over my siblings to get to the first cup of hot cocoa. It reminds me of that fresh pine smell and the way beautifully thick snow crunches underfoot. This time of year is filled with nostalgia, and I’m a fan.

    So I don’t waste any time when it comes to getting pumped for the holidays. Although I usually wait for the Thanksgiving dishes to be cleared, this year I couldn’t resist from listening to some Christmas songs in early November. This was not too appreciated by the people on the bus listening to me hum a little too loudly, nor by my boyfriend, who is the Grinch reincarnate. But I don’t care. The past few days have had me in a cookie baking frenzy as I try to wrap up all my holiday gifts, and I couldn’t have done it without the help of Bing Crosby’s familiar soothing voice reminding me that I’ll be home for Christmas.

    mocha truffles

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  • Hazelnut Buttercrunch Toffee

    buttercunch stacked

    I may love chocolate, but I’m not a candy fan. Jelly beans, sour gummies, hard candies, lollipops, Swedish fish…they just don’t do it for me. Cookies, brownies, cakes, mousses, and flaky pastries are more my thing…can you tell I’m a baker? I do have a HUGE sweet tooth, but candy is usually way too sweet for me. Or, at least that’s what I thought until last weekend, when I tried English toffee for the first time.

    Two words: Butter. Crunch. Say it with me. Buttercrunch. Crunchy, buttery buttercrunch.

    hazelnuts

    I never thought I’d be one to like toffee; I always thought of it as old lady candy. Or maybe I’m thinking of taffy?

    But after trying one bite I was converted. I believe my first words after it graced my tongue were “MMM BUTTERY”. It was not a stick-to-your-teeth caramel nor a painful-to-chew candy. It had a light, pleasant crunch and melted in my mouth after one bite (yeah, there was also chocolate on there – so it was officially better than brittle). This, my friends, was a candy game changer.

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