Fancy Food Show | Dessert Surveillance

Jun 28 2016

2016 Fancy Food Show

As a chronicler of dessert and business trends (and perhaps much more importantly, a glutton), I attended the Specialty Food Association’s 2016 Summer Fancy Food Show,

What did I notice?

A lot of caramels; chocolates and desserts infused with spirits; and sometimes a combination of the two. Coconut was everywhere. A fair number of nut butters; treats made with nuts; and nuts for snacking. Interestingly, peanuts seem to be embraced now, instead of shunned.

Here are some of the interesting products I saw and/or sampled:

Milk Chocolate Apple Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates - Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates (VT)

Milk Chocolate Apple Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates – Photo Courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates (Burlington, VT)

Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels from Lake Champlain Chocolates — I don’t know of any other apple-filled chocolate product. It is a 2016 sofi^TMfinalist in the Chocolate category. (The sofi^TM awards are bestowed by the Specialty Food Association.)

Chocolate Peanut Brittle from Sir Francis Bacon – Photo Courtesy of Sir Francis Bacon (Atlanta, GA)

Peanut brittle from a company with a rather unusual name, Sir Francs Bacon Peanut Brittle. Why stop at plain Peanut Brittle when you can snack on Brittle gussied up with bacon and then coated with milk chocolate?

Clairesquares’ Shortbread & Caramel Dark Chocolate Squares – Photo Courtesy of Clairesquares (San Francisco, CA)

Clairesquares’ Shortbread & Caramel Dark Chocolate Squares — This product is a 2016 sofi^TMfinalist in the Cookies, Brownies, Cakes or Pie category.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake Ice Cream from Steve’s Ice Cream – Photo Courtesy of Steve’s Ice Cream (NYC)

Brooklyn Blackout Cake Ice Cream from Steve’s Ice Cream — Growing up in Brooklyn, I have fond memories (as most Brooklynites did) of Ebinger’s Blackout Cake – a filled and frosted Chocolate Cake, complete with Chocolate Pudding inside.

Turkish Coffee Ice Cream from McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams – Photo Courtesy of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams (Santa Barbara, CA)

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams’ Turkish Coffee Ice Cream — The Company’s tag line for this product: A true coffee fanatic’s ice cream. (Well, I am a coffee fanatic…)

White Chocolate Sauce from Somebody’s Mother’s – Photo Courtesy of Somebody’s Mother’s (Houston, TX)

I’ve written about the next two products before, but can’t resist mentioning them again: White Chocolate Sauce from Somebody’s Mother’s and Jeni’s Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream.

So few days….so many carbs!

Tagged Clairesquares, Jeni's, Lake Champlain Chocolates, McConnell's Fine Ice Creams, Sir Francis Bacon Peanut Brittle, Somebody's Mothers, Steve's Ice Cream

Jun 30 2015

2015 Fancy Food Show (also known as the Specialty Food Show)

Summer Fancy Food Show logo – image courtesy of the Specialty Food Association (NYC)

The Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest specialty food show in North America, with 2,400 exhibitors and 180,000 products. In other words, it’s a glutton’s paradise.

In the dessert arena, I didn’t notice any brand new trends – gluten free desserts are still very well represented; salted caramel continues to find its way in all types of desserts; and chocolate is again paired with spices, especially different varieties of peppers.

These are a few of the interesting or unusual products I saw/tasted:

Chuao Chocolatier’s Strawberry Waffle Wild Bar and other Products – Photo Courtesy of Chuao Chocolatier (CA)

■ Chuao Chocolatier’s Strawberry Waffle Wild bar. This is one of Chuao’s breakfast-inspired flavors, with waffle pieces and strawberry pieces enrobed in milk chocolate. The other breakfast-themed bar is the Cinnamon Cereal Smooch Bar. Chuao’s marketing slogan for these two chocolate bars is “Eat chocolate for breakfast” (sounds really good to me).

Organic Coffee Barnanas – Photo Courtesy of Barnana (Santa Monica, CA)

■ Barnana snacks — no, this isn’t a typo. Barnanas are dehydrated Banana pieces with additions. The Organic Original variety is sprinkled with Banana Powder and, as you might have guessed, the Organic Coffee version is dipped in a (sweetened) Organic Coffee coating.

■ Kathi German Bee Sting Cake Mix, imported by Niche Gourmet — all you need to add is butter, water, and heavy whipping cream. What is a German Bee Sting Cake, you might ask? A yeast dough with a cream or custard filling topped with a layer of honey-almonds. And its memorable name might be due to the honey in the cake.

Meli’s Monster Cookies’ Trade Show Booth

■ “The Original” cookie — produced by Meli’s Monster Cookies. This “Monster” will not cause nightmares, is gluten free, and is chuck full of rolled oats, crunchy peanut butter, chocolate chips, M&Ms and peanut butter M&Ms.

Softer than Brittle logo – Image Courtesy of the Softer than Brittle company

■ Softer than Brittle is a peanut brittle without dairy, gluten, cholesterol, or preservatives. And as an added health benefit — since it’s softer than traditional brittle, it’s easier on your teeth.

I sure look forward to next summer’s Fancy Food Show.

Tagged Barnana, Chuao Chocolatier, Kathi German Bee Sting Cake, Meli's Monster Cookies, Softer than Brittle

Jun 30 2014

2 Comments

Fancy Food Show, Specialty Food Show

The 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show (also known as the Specialty Food Show)

The Summer Fancy Food Show, held at the Javits center in New York City, is the show for all things gourmet – including of course, dessert.

What was popular at this year’s show? Desserts with pistachios. Brittles – lots – and in plenty of interesting varieties, such as Butter Cinnamon Pecan, Cashew, Almond Mocha, and of course traditional Peanut. Other “brittles” – that are more thin brownies or cookies, with the consistency of crackers. Oats – not just as a hot cereal, but as an ingredient. Salted caramel, either as the star of a dessert, or as a supporting player. Healthier desserts. And of course gluten-free products.

Here are some products that illustrate some of these trends:

Seth Greenberg’s Authentic New York Brownie Crunch – Photo Courtesy of Seth Greenberg’s Authentic New York Brownie Crunch (NYC)

— Seth Greenberg’s Authentic New York Brownie Crunch is available in a number of different varieties, such as Cinnamon Cappuccino, as well as three new spicy flavors (Jalapeño, Chile Pepper, and Chipotle). What’s behind the spicy flavors? Seth Greenberg was inspired by a chicken with mole sauce dish he enjoyed while in Mexico City.

Big Bite Brittle from Droga Chocolates – Photo Courtesy of Droga Chocolates (Los Angeles, CA)

— Big Bite Brittle is buttery peanut brittle sprinkled with fleur de sel. It’s available from Droga Chocolates.

The Carmelia Bar from Valrhona – Photo Courtesy of Valrhona

— One of Valrhona’s new chocolate bars is the Carmelia. While it has a milky flavor, it also has a contrasting salted butter caramel flavor.

Pistachio Toffee from Gearharts Fine Chocolates – Photo Courtesy of Gearharts Fine Chocolates (Charlottesville, VA)

— Gearharts Fine Chocolates’ Pistachio Toffee is buttery toffee with lightly salted pistachios and it’s dipped in bittersweet chocolate.

The Muffkie from The Food System, Inc. – Photo Courtesy of The Food System, Inc. (Stafford Springs, CT)

— The “Muffkie” is a small muffin top. Since it’s chock full of pistachios and whole grain oats and lower in sugar and butter, it’s a healthier snack.

These are some other interesting products I noticed:

The Lover White Chocolate Bar from Chocolat Moderne – Photo Courtesy of Chocolat Moderne (NYC)

— The Lover White Chocolate Bar from Chocolat Moderne is a white chocolate bar filled with passion fruit caramel and it’s scented with cardamom. This chocolate bar is a 2014 sofi finalist (awards bestowed for culinary innovation).

Wicked Jack’s Tavern Rum Cake – Photo Courtesy of Wicked Jack’s Tavern (Marietta, GA)

— Marietta, Georgia-based Wicked Jack’s Tavern creates caramel-coated Jamaican rum cakes. There is a legend that an elderly woman (“Ol Gran”) related to the owner of a Wicked Jack’s Tavern in Jamaica baked rum cakes that were highly sought after.

Lemon Sugar Cookies from the Grey Ghost Bakery – Photo Courtesy of the Grey Ghost Bakery (SC)

— Another company with an interesting back story is the Grey Ghost Bakery. Based in South Carolina, the Grey Ghost Bakery was named for the legendary Grey Ghost – a friendly Low Country spirit that alerts residents of impending storms. The Grey Ghost Bakery’s Lemon Sugar Cookie is a sofi finalist.

— A product with an amusing name is Counting Sheep Coffee. While there’s a bold roast as well as an extra strong variety, you guessed it – they’re caffeine-free.

Downton Abbey Tea from the Republic of Tea – Photo Courtesy of the Republic of Tea (Novato, CA)

— I couldn’t help noticing Republic of Tea’s line of Downton Abbey’s teas. There’s a “Lady Cora’s Evening Tea,” a “Mrs. Patmore’s Pudding Tea” and a few other varieties.

I’m so glad the Specialty Food Association has been holding the Show again in New York (after a few years in Washington DC).

Tagged Big Bite Brittle, Chocolat Moderne, Counting Sheep COffee, Fancy Food Show, Gearharts FIne Chocolates' Pistachio Toffee, Grey Ghost Bakery, Seth Greenberg's Authentic New York Brownie Crunch, Specialty Food Show, The Muffkie, Valrhona, Wicked Jack's Tavern

Jul 01 2013

5 Comments

Fancy Food Show

Day 2 of the Summer Fancy Food Show

On the second day of the Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show, I realize there are a lot of products based on ginger:
● Lark Fine Foods’ Mighty Gingers – part of its Cookies for Grownups Line
● Theo Chocolate’s Gingerbread Spice Chocolate Bars
● Molasses Spice Cookies (with Ginger) offered by Grey Ghost Bakery
● Stonewall Kitchen’s Gingerbread Syrup

The other thing I notice are brownies – not just traditional brownies – but crunchy brownie products: Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle and Seth Greenberg’s Authentic Brownie Crunch.

Of the (many!) products I sampled on Day 2, these are real standouts:
● Somebody’s Mother’s White Chocolate Sauce (with Pear William)

Somebody’s Mother’s White Chocolate Sauce – with Pear William

● Margarita Sandwich Cookies from Vanilla Bean Unique Cookies – a shortbread sandwich cookie with a lime buttercream filling (with Tequila)
● Jeni’s Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream – this is a limited edition flavor offered once a year – the strawberries are hand cut

Jeni’s Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

I look forward to next year’s Fancy Food Show!

Jun 30 2013

Day 1 of the Summer Fancy Food Show

The Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show is North America’s largest specialty food event. In addition to desserts — my reason for attending — it also covers cheese, sauces, coffee & tea, snacks, spices, and a variety of other specialty foods.

This is what caught my eye (and taste buds!) on the first day of the show:
Desserts and other products with bananas – I noticed a few:
● Phin & Phebes’ Banana Whama Ice Cream
● Chocolate Banana Jam from Stonewall Kitchen
● Rodgers’ Banana Pudding Sauce
● Banana Slims Dessert Crackers from Trump Foods
● And combining bananas with another ingredient that was well represented at the Show — peanuts — PB Crave’s CoCo Bananas Peanut Butter

The pairing of white chocolate with novel ingredients:
Chamomile & Honey Organic White Chocolate Bar (from The Tea Room) and Stonewall Kitchen’s White Chocolate Fig Sauce

To be expected, there are many gluten-free offerings

Of the (many!) products I sampled, these three are real standouts:

Macadamia & Milk Chocolate Laceys

● Macadamia & Milk Chocolate Laceys from Desserts on Us – thin macadamia wafers sandwiched with milk chocolate

Three Twins Ice Cream

● Three Twins’ Butterscotch Pecan Ice Cream

● Bourbon Barrel Cake from Kentucky Woods – this is a brown sugar and chocolate bourbon cake with maple, caramel, and walnuts

Bourbon Barrel Cake

I look forward to Day 2 of the Fancy Food Show!

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