Candy Dish Blog

Happy Milk Chocolate Day everyone. If it's as hot where you are as it is here in Washington, DC, the recipe below might be just what you need to cool off and celebrate this wonderful day.

Milk Chocolate and Black Pepper Ice Cream by David Lebovitz (here is the original post on David's blog)

Makes about one quart (1l)

Recipe adapted from The Perfect Scoop

8 ounces (230g) dark milk chocolate (at least 35% cacao solids), broken or chopped
1 1/2 cups (375ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups (375ml) crème fraîche or heavy cream, or a combination (see Note)
2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon good-quality ground black peppercorns (I used Tazmanian peppercorns)

1. Put the pieces of milk chocolate in a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top. Then make an ice bath in a larger bowl (or the sink), that you'll rest the bowl of milk chocolate within later.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the milk, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

3. Once the milk is warm, slowly pour about half of it into the yolks, whisking constantly, to warm them. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof utensil, until the custard thickens and coats the spatula.

4. Immediately strain the custard over the milk chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the crème fraîche or heavy cream (or combination of the two), the cognac, then the ground peppercorns.

5. Rest the bowl of milk chocolate custard in the ice bath, and stir until cool. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Should the custard get very thick once chilled, whisk it vigorously before adding it to your machine, which will thin it out so it's pourable.

Note: If using crème fraîche, chill the ice cream within eight hours of adding the crème fraîche; letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight and turn the whole batch a bit too-tangy. If using heavy cream, it's fine to chill overnight.

If crème fraîche is unavailable, you can use full-fat sour cream.

David is a wonderful pastry chef with a mile-long list of accolades and the author of several cookbooks. You can learn more about him on his website (where I found the recipe above).

July 20 is National Lollipop Day, and boy do I ever have a lot to tell you about this sweet confection on a stick.

Last week my co-worker Alison (you may remember her from The Best Chocolate Cake. Ever.) sent me a link to a photo gallery on the People magazine website about stars enjoying lollipops. Ali is a food scientist so I'm sure someone else sent her the link; she spends most of her free time reading peer-reviewed volumes of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The gallery features Katy Perry, Snooki, Nick Jonas and nine others nibbling on colorful and sweet lollies. Well, not so much Katy Perry. She's actually wearing her lollipops. You'll have to check out the gallery to see what I mean.

I wasn't surprised to see the stars enjoying lollipops; they are extremely popular right now. NCA just issued a press release listing the top items scanned by candy industry trade customers in the New Product Showcase at the SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO and three items in the Top Ten were lollipops (with another four included in the Top 25).

Celebrities and candy buyers love lollipops, and so do I. Do you love lollies? What's your favorite flavor or type? How will you celebrate National Lollipop Day? 

Lollipop lollipop, ohhh la lollipop by Swamibu

I had a really hard time choosing between the three Sixlet photos SweetWorks uploaded to the Candy Dish Blog Flickr pool. They were all lovely in a different geometric way. In the end, I picked this one (DecoSixlets_3)because I found the texture on the front piece of candy compelling. 

Check out the DecoSixlets_1 and DecoSixlets_2.

Do you want your candy photos featured here? Submit them to the Candy Dish Blog Flickr group. There's nothing we like better than beautiful photos of candy (except for eating beautiful candy!). 

DecoSixlets_3 by SweetWorks

Yesterday the Center for Science in the Public Interest continued its campaign against food dyes or colors by issuing a new report that suggests food dyes “pose risks of cancer, hyperactivity in children, and allergies.” Although the report is 58 pages long it does not present any new previously un-reviewed scientific research.  CSPI itself notes that the cancer link is tenuous at best. 

The fact is that colors are an important component of confections providing distinguishing characteristics, flavor recognition and appeal.  All certified colors used in food production in the U.S. meet stringent FDA requirements and are safe for human consumption.  For more information, read this FDA brochure on “food ingredients and color” safety.

CSPI’s goal appears to be to create alarm among consumers thus bringing public pressure to bear, in an attempt to force the Food and Drug Administration to review their position that food colors (and indeed other ingredients in food) are safe. 

All food additives, like colors, are carefully regulated by FDA and various international organizations to ensure that foods are safe to eat and are accurately labeled. In fact today, food and color additives are more strictly studied, regulated and monitored than at any other time in history.

It’s always smart to understand what ingredients are used in the food products you eat and to be informed about your health, and it’s good to know that the some of the top scientists in the world at FDA are helping us learn what is safe and good to eat.

Colour Wheel by Tiny_Packages

If you're planning a patriotic celebration this weekend in honor of the birth of the U.S., you're going to need some red, white and blue candy assortments. Here are a couple of our top picks:

• Red, White and Blue Mix Jelly Belly (great decoration for cupcakes)
• Red, White and Blue Peppermint Sticks (perfect to jazz up iced tea or lemonade)
• Decorating Dots and Nonpareils(packaged nice enough to make a good hostess gift if you're celebrating at someone else's place)
• Red, White and Blue Rock Candy (works wonders as a swizzle stick)
• Red, White and Blue Ribbon Candy (utterly charming)
• Red, White and Blue M&MS (or pick out whatever colors you like best from 25 options)

Wondering how to use these festive candies in your own celebration? Here are a few tips:

1. Red, White and Blue Cookie Bark
2. A couple of ideas for Red, White and Blue Cupcakes
3. Red, White and Blue Brownies

To make a similar version to the candy apple treat pictured above, try making Laura's Caramel Apples and coating them with small red, white and blue chocolate candies (like M&Ms) before the caramel hardens. Cool in the fridge and allow to set.

red, white and blue candy apples by inajeep

June 16 was National Fudge Day and I let it slip by.  As I didn't notice any "Happy Fudge Day" cards in my mailbox, I'm guessing you did, too.

But, don't worry. Fudge is a great treat that can be enjoyed all summer long (and, really, all year long).

Here are a couple of our favorite recipes:

• French Silk Fudge
• Incredible Fudge (it's made with ICE CREAM!)
• Snow Fudge

Find the recipe for the fudge featured in this picture on the vegan blog, Sweet Beet and Green Bean.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge by sweetbeatandgreenbean

Check out this video on NCA, just posted on Politico's website. Politico is a leading news source on federal politics and policy and is widely read by those who work in politics and on Capitol Hill. Politico reporter Patrick Gavin learned about NCA's colorful candy themed office and decided inside the Beltway "politicos" would want to know more about an office that strived to represent its industry the minute a visitor walks in our door. Let us know what you think. And please feel free to visit us anytime!

I'm pleased report the following information that has nothing to do with Steve Jobs, the new iPhone or Apple.

It's National Chocolate Ice Cream Day.

That's all. You may go back to work now!

chocolate ice cream by Kanko*

Many thanks to our friends at Yum Sugar for tweeting about this article. This shows the top 25 selling candies in America. Something interesting to note is this comment in the article:

The average age of the top 25 selling candies in the U.S., based on retail sales data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI), is 50 years. Favorite chocolate bars date back even further. Only two—Twix and Dove—were introduced after World War II, with the original Hershey (HSY) bar going back to 1900.

That really shows the staying power of some of these brands. However old any of these is, I think they are all great.

And taking the number one spot? M&Ms. Way to go, M&Ms!

The whole staff is in Chicago this week for the Sweets & Snacks Expo. It's the same show as we had last year but with a different name. This year we have more snacks than before but have not lost the central focus on candy. It's a great show and probably the most fun you can have at a trade show. Unfortunately it is not open to the general public, being a way for manufacturers to show off their products to buyers and press. But the show is chock full of fun. We are busy working, but believe me - we are working hard and the Swedish Fish are really biting:

We wish you were here with us. It's a great time. We will bring you more images soon and some real flavor of the show.