KFC's Chocolate Chip Cake

Have you seen the latest KFC ads where they promise a free chocolate-chip cake with any bucket of chicken?  I'd seen them, but I hadn't paid much attention to them.  Which is why, when I was at Kentucky Fried Chicken picking up supper, I was totally taken by surprise when the kid behind the counter asked, "Would you like a free cake with that?"

Why thank you, young man, I would indeed enjoy a complimentary baked good.

The cake is a very moist, almost fudgy, chocolate ring cake drizzled with white confectioner's frosting. It's very good, though a little light on the chocolate chips.  If you happen to be in the mood for KFC and you're offered the cake, take it.

Archway Cookies: Holiday Edition!

Last year, the awesome folks at Archway sent us their line of holiday cookies to review. They were completely amazing, and this year, the generous folks at Archway has surprised us yet again with a sampling of their holiday cookies. We got them just before the snowstorm, so they were a delicious, sweet way to forget that we didn't have lights.

These cookies are just as delicious now as they were then. We were given a sampling of Wedding Cakes, Pfeffernusse, Iced Gingerbread, and Gingerbread Men.

The Wedding Cakes are almost as delicious as my grandmother's: a sugar-coated, melt-in-your-mouth treat studded with Brazil nuts and baked to perfection. These are definitely my favorite of the bunch, but then again, I'm biased - these cookies have a huge emotional connection attached to them.

Next up are the Pfeffernusse, which are slightly spicy and almost licorice-tasting with hints of cinnamon, cloves, and raisins (which is not at all surprising, seeing as there's raisin paste added to them.) Chewy and (also) rolled in powdered sugar, these are another delightful treat to have with coffee or tea.

Next, we have two variations on one of my favorite holiday cookies: gingerbread. Dave and I used to make gingerbread houses when I was a kid: huge, elaborate, Necco-wafer-shingled Victorian-esque houses with melted lollipop windows and Twizzler fences. (The best part was eating it.) But I digress. Archway's gingerbread cookies are just as good as any I can make, if not better. The crunchy gingerbread men are a perfect go-with for hot chocolate, and the softer iced gingerbread cookies practically scream wintertime at you as you eat them.

If you've never had any Archway holiday cookies, you're seriously missing out. They're truly "just like homemade" and are just as worthy of a spot at your holiday gatherings as the ones your family makes. Archway holiday cookies should be available at your local grocery store now.

It's National Milkshake Day!

You know what that means, right?

Well, it might mean something entirely different for you. For me, and Holyoke Community College, that means that today is Free Smoothie/Milkshake Day, sponsored by our Student Activities office and the folks at f'real Milkshakes and their rolling Milkshake Wagon. (Note: I have no idea if it's really called the Milkshake Wagon. It just sounded good.)

If you had been in line with me, you would have heard
students of all ages grumbling about wanting
that damn smoothie "NOW, DAMMIT."

f'real milkshakes started showing up this semester in HCC's cafeteria at a whopping $3.79 a pop, but you can find them using f'real's store finder and they'll cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.50.

So, are these milkshakes any good? In a word, yes. Creamy, smooth, and made with a thickness that you get to choose, these shakes start with ice cream in a cup and are blended to the way you want them. (More or less, of course. There's three settings to choose from: less thick, regular, and more thick. Less thick is a little runny, regular is like a standard milkshake, and more thick is more like the still-mostly-ice-cream 'shakes you get at McDonalds.)

Their smoothies are even better. Creamy, fruity, and subtly sweet, the smoothies are my favorite of the bunch. Made the same way as the shakes are, plug them into the machine, select your thickness, and away you go.

The smoothies and shakes are made with a standalone, ready-to-use blender that operates with a fully integrated LCD touchscreen. Its sensors know when you've placed a milkshake cup in it, and bring up the prompt for thickness. Select what you're craving, and that's it. Sometimes the screen plays an animation, sometimes it does something else like give company history or little trivia bits. Either way, in about 45 seconds, the machine is done and so is your shake. And the blender is self-cleaning after every blend, so you never have to worry about cross-shake contamination.

But seriously, with ten regular flavors from milkshakes to smoothies to frozen cappuccinos, and two limited edition flavors (Reese's peanut butter cup and mint chocolate) you really can't go wrong. You'll have a tasty smoothie or shake every time.

So go out there and celebrate National Milkshake Day. Go get a f'real shake and go make yourself happy.

Links:
f'real Main Website - the epicenter of delicious frozen drinks

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I'm not being paid by f'real Milkshakes for advertisement, or by Holyoke Community College. I just freaking LOVE milkshakes.

Sweet Treasures Petit Fours

I'm going to lay it down on the table right now: of all delicious desserts, Petit Fours are probably my absolute favorites. It's common to find me combing the "yesterday's bake" rack at Stop and Shop during the holidays for any packages of petit fours I can find. There's something about their delicious chocolate-coated-cakey goodness that I can't resist.

So, imagine my delight when I found boxes of petit fours at Ocean State Job Lot the other day. Delicious! I begged Dave to get me a box of them and couldn't even wait until we were in the car to try one. I held the small cake in my mouth as I struggled to close the box, and Dave couldn't help but laugh at me as I said, "Oh my God, I'm drooling!"

And these petit fours are totally droolworthy. Rich vanilla flavor and soft, spongy cake are perfectly matched by soft, smooth vanilla buttercream frosting and white chocolate coating. I'm completely content with these petit fours, although my favorites will always be the vanilla ones with the smidge of raspberry jam in the center.

Rita's Ice, Vernon CT

When you live in the Northern Connecticut / Western Massachusetts area, there are plenty of Italian-Americans, and this means that there are plenty of places to get Italian Ice.  Really AWESOME Italian Ice, in fact, like at Vecchitto's in Middletown CT or Albano's Grocery Store in Springfield MA, or Smyth's Soft Serve in Enfield. Each of these places have top-notch ice and they are my Italian Ice Destinations.  

But there are other places that also sell pretty decent Italian Ice as well and they deserve a shot, too. Places like Rita's Water Ice, a franchised ice/frozen custard store which has several Connecticut locations. We recently stopped in at the Vernon store, which is tucked in off to the side of the former Vernon Circle at 378 Kelly Road in Vernon. It's a seasonal location, only open from the end of March to the end of October.

Along with traditional flavors of ice, Rita's makes "special" flavors as well, often with a nod to pop culture. Lynnafred went for one of those flavors, ordering Swedish Fish ice, while I decided on the blue option and got a cup of Cotton Candy flavor.

Lynnafred's Swedish Fish flavor was perfectly authentic and just like eating Swedish Fish candies in frozen water ice form, right down to the slightly waxy flavor of the confection. I found it a little too agressively sweet for me, but that didn't surprise me because over the past few years my taste for sweets has somewhat diminished as I've been weaning myself away from sweet treats.  My Cotton Candy flavor was similarly excellent with it's vanilla/burnt sugar flavor and bright blue color; it was also less powerfully sweet though believe me, more than sweet enough.  Lynnafred had a taste and said she'd wished she'd gotten the cotton candy.  And though Maryanne passed on the ice in favor of a soft-serve vanilla frozen custard, she too was quite satisfied with her selection (a soft-serve fan since childhood, she's selective about ice creams and not hesitant to say when one doesn't meet with her approval.)

Now that the weather is getting hotter and a quick stop for an Italian Ice is blessed temporary respite from the oppressive weather, it's great to have a few places in mind when one is on the road.  Share your favorite Italian Ice shop in the comments.

Cake, With Asses

Hearts?  Balloons?  No, ASSES.

David Glass Sells Out In Two Hours!

David Glass and his wife, Vivie - dessert makers par excellence - have opened a "pop-up bakery" in subleased space in South Windsor, CT.  Baking during the week to satisfy demand, "Vivie and David Glass' Delicious Desserts" is opening on Saturdays only from 9 am to 4:30 pm with tastings and retail sales.

Saturday December 4th was the first day of retail operation.  Maryanne and I had planned to be there at the opening, but a prior engagement meant that we didn't arrive until about noon.

400 Chapel Street in South Windsor is one of those small light-industrial condos that have cropped up here and there all over the Connecticut River Valley in recent years.  The facilities look almost like a strip mall, but there are fewer windows and barely enough parking for employees.  There was a steady of stream of cars into the entrance and although no signs were posted, one of the "storefronts" had a door standing open.  It had to be the place; there were a lot of folks milling around, but as many of them were leaving - emptyhanded - as were coming in.  I walked in to find a somewhat embarrassed man (not David Glass) explaining that the five hundred desserts the Glasses had prepared were sold out before 11 am and there was nothing left to purchase at the shop.  There was a sign on the door:

If there were any doubts that the Greater Hartford area appreciates and misses the Glasses' baked treats, Saturday should be sufficient to quell them.  Disappointed customers being turned away were told that next week, the Glasses plan to have "three times" as many desserts with them.

Unfortunately, we have another prior engagement next Saturday as well.  If any of you manage to score a Delicious Dessert by Vivie and David Glass, feel free to send me a gloating email detailing the exquisiteness of your tasty morsel.

David Glass Is Back!

Photo from www.davidglass.com

According to this story by Korky Vann at ctnow.com, David Glass is back - for now, at least - in a "pop-up" bakery in South Windsor.  Glass and his wife Vivie are calling the new shop "Vivie and David Glass' Delicious Desserts," and will be the only employees, baking during the week and opening to the public for tastings and sales on Saturdays through December 18.

This Saturday, December 4, will the first tasting and sale with the bakery open from 9 am to 4 pm.  The new location is at 400 Chapel Road in South Windsor.  For more information, click the link on the beginning of this post to go to the ctnow.com article.

Stone Ridge Creamery's Awesome New Flavors

I love this retro-1940's logo.

Stone Ridge Creamery, as you might know, is the brand name used by SUPERVALU Stores for their house-label ice cream.  I have always been mighty impressed by the quality of the product - they deliver premium-brand quality at store-brand prices - and originally wrote about them over a year ago.  SUPERVALU operates a number of regional supermarket chains, including Acme, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop ‘n Save, and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, so chances are you've got one nearby.  Stone Ridge Creamery ice cream is one of the reasons I really miss having a Shaw's in town.  It was always great.

Recently, I was contacted by SUPERVALU.  Knowing how much I love Stone Ridge Creamery ice cream, they sent along a press release about three new ice cream flavors that were created as a result of an employee contest.  Pretty cool.

Here's the backstory:  SUPERVALU sponsored a sweepstakes for their employees called the "Stone Ridge Creamery Name Your Dream Flavor Sweepstakes."  Associates were asked to submit their "dream" ice cream flavor, and three flavors would be selected for addition to the Stone Ridge Creamery lineup.  Not only would the winhners see their dream flavors put into actual production, but they'd also get their charicatures featured on the carton, a $500 gift card, and  - most awesome of all - free ice cream for a year.

The winners, announced on April 29, 2010 and listed along with their caricatures, were:

Tom Lindberg, retail technology specialist for SUPERVALU’s supply chain services northern region in Minneapolis, for his “Twisted Pretzel” flavor;

Amy Youngblood, senior business support specialist at SUPERVALU’s innovation center in Minneapolis, for her “Red Velvet Cake” flavor; and

Joe Agrusa, direct store delivery receiver at the Albertsons store in Chula Vista, Calif., for his “Italian Bliss” flavor.

Along with the press release, SUPERVALU also sent me a container of each of the new flavors to try out, and let me tell you:  these ice creams are awesome.  Maryanne, Lynnafred, and I have been enjoying them for a few days now, and all three of them are incredible.  We've tried to pick our favorites, but each of them is so good in its own way that we're finding it impossible to chose.  So, without any further gushing, here's our reviews of each one:

Tom's Twisted Pretzel - Chocolatey-covered pretzel bits swirled with caramel in caramel ice cream.  Although the pretzel bits had a bit of a problem staying absolutely crunchy in the ice cream mix, this flavor is a truly unique winner.  The caramel ice cream is made even more rich and decadent with the ribbons of caramel running through it, and the addition of the chocolatey pretzels was just ingenious.  Besides the crunch and chocolate hit, the nuggets of salt here and there make for a fantastic flavor contrast and a wonderful enhancement.  "Sweet and salty" is a combination that seems only recently to have gained a wider acceptance, and treats like this one just serve to confirm how delicious it can be.  In fact, the saltiness was one of the things that Lynnafred liked best, and I agree.

Joe's Italian Bliss - Hazelnut flavored ice cream with ribbons of hazlenut fudge and chocolately chips.  The first time Lynnafred tasted this one, she just closed her eyes, smiled, and sighed.  If you could wave a magic wand and turn chocolate hazlenut truffles into ice cream, this is what you would end up with. Joe's Italian Bliss is so good, you could turn this into a dinner party dessert just by adding a few wafer cookies and a dot of freshly whipped cream.  Maryanne loved the texture contrasts between the crunchy thin ribbons of fudge and the smooth, creamy ice cream.

Amy's Red Velvet Cake - Red velvet and vanilla bean ice cream, swirled with cream cheese frosting.  Lynnafred and Maryanne both thought that this ice cream was perfect.  "It tastes exactly like a red velvet cake!" Lynnafred said,  "So much better than those 'birthday cake' flavored ice creams that are out there."  Maryanne agreed.  The red velevet and vanilla bean ice creams are perfect compliments to one another, and the cream cheese frosting swirls give it the crowning touch.   Maryanne baked a red velvet cake yesterday because this ice cream awakened a "red velvet cake craving" in her.

Stone Ridge Creamery has hit three consecutive home runs with these new flavors.  No matter which one you try, you won't be disappointed.

Links:

Stone Ridge Creamery website

SUPERVALU Brands website - check out other SUPERVALU house brands.

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Easy Bake Kids' Dessert Kits: Cotton Candy Parfaits

When Dave and I hit the food section of job lot stores, it's always going to be a unique experience. But there's a huge difference in what we look for when we go. Usually, while Dave is inspecting some kind of dubious canned meat and prowling for oddly shaped pastas, I'm busy looking for some kind of strange confection or decent quality chocolate that I haven't tasted before. But on one of our latest outings, we were both struck by the same thing: a box of Easy Bake Cotton Candy parfaits. At $1.50 per box, we decided to try it out.

Preperation for these is as easy as making instant pudding, because that's essentially what they are: Two packets of colored cotton candy flavored pudding (in attractive pastel pink and it's-a-boy blue), and a packet of those hard marshmallows you get in hot cocoa or a box of Lucky Charms cereal. After mixing up the pudding according to the package directions, I spooned it into the plastic cups that were included in the box. After filling each cup halfway, it was time for the marshmallows to go in.

The package said to divide them evenly between the four cups. Now, partly because I'm a loser and partly because I had nothing better to do at the time, I decided to count up the hard, dehydrated bricks to see how many were in the packet. The total was 220.5, making that about 55 marshmallows per cup. After adding the marshmallows as the middle layer, I topped the desserts off with the remaining pudding and chucked them in the fridge to set.

Acouple of hours later, Mom, Dave, and I enjoyed them for dessert. Overall, they weren't bad. Artificial cotton candy flavor is very much like a burnt sugar taste, and these were no exception. It's nowhere near as delicious as pulling apart fresh cotton candy at a county fair or something, but these little treats were certainly passable. After sitting in the fridge, the marshmallows had begun to soften and start to melt between the wet layers of pudding, so those were kind of nasty. However, the package says to eat the pudding within three hours, and with good reason: the fourth parfait got to sit in the fridge overnight, and when I looked at it the next morning, the marshmallow center had melted into a very odd layer of pale white slime. Yuck.


The best place to look for these dessert kits are in job lot stores, I guess. They're made by Jel-Sert, the same company that makes Royal Gelatine, Royal Pudding, and My-T-Fine Pudding and Pie Fillings. A check at their website doesn't even mention Easy Bake Kid's Dessert Kits, so I think it's safe to say they're no longer in production.

Link:

Jel-Sert Website
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