Sans Souci Gourmet Confections launched its newest addition to their delectable line of treats just in time for the holidays. Truffamels -- a cross between a truffle and a caramel -- are nuggets of luscious salt butter caramel dipped in milk or dark chocolate and rolled in a variety of coatings (15 pieces for $15, 30 pieces for $25). A four-piece chocolate assortment ($12) will brighten anyone’s sleepy eyes when they empty their stocking Christmas morning. The smell of the fresh chocolates or of orange confit dipped in dark chocolate (6 oz. for $12, 10 oz. for $22) is the perfect start to the holiday. For friends or relatives with an insatiable sweet tooth, Sans Souci’s Gift Tower ($70) -- with boxes of chocolate dipped caramels, peppermint chocolate bark, and Champagne truffles -- will certainly do the trick! Still not enough? Throw in a few more truffles, some crunchy nut toffee, and a dozen Marquis Bars and there is the Gift Tower of dreams ($150). For more information, visit www.sanssouciconfections.net.
Fastachi raised the bar with its new Napa Medley, which combines almonds, pistachio meats, peanuts, apricots, peaches, and cranberries for a healthy and protein-packed snack. Nuts are roasted by hand in small batches in steel roasting drums, then cooled and quickly packaged. Available in bulk, cello bags, and gift packages, the snack packs are great for POP, as well as gift baskets. For more information, visit www.fastachi.com.
Open the midnight blue box and breathe in the luscious scent of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Lars’ Own Swedish Ginger Snaps are slightly heartier than your typical ginger snap and darker in color due to their rich spice mix. Baked in Sweden to guarantee their authenticity and imported by Chicago Importing Co., these cookies will definitely appeal to ginger snap lovers everywhere! Enjoy year-round or especially during the holidays with a glass of cold milk or a cup of strong Swedish coffee. For more information, e-mail vicki@chicagoimporting.com or visit www.chicagoimporting.com.
Want a salty snack that’s well . . . all natural. North Fork Potato Chips is a one-year-old company out of Long Island, N.Y. where a third-generation potato farmer in Mattitick is manufacturing both traditional and sweet potato chips. From the kettle-cooked potatoes he creates super-crispy chips with a hearty potato flavor. They contain neither preservatives nor cholesterol. North Fork Potato Chips are available in 2- and 6-ounce sizes. For more information, visit www.northforkchips.com.
For an unforgettable extravagant gift, D’Artagnan, the nation’s leading purveyor of organic poultry, game, charcuterie, and foie gras, is offering four “ultimate indulgence gift sets” for the holidays. Each set contains one of the world’s most precious foods -- truffles, caviar, foie gras, and Wyagu (Kobe beef), along with specially chosen tools for serving or preparing it, all delivered in a beautiful gift box. The caviar set includes 100 grams of sturgeon caviar (sustainably farmed in France), blini, creme fraiche, a serving set, and two mother-of-pearl caviar spoons. The Wyagu set includes four Mishima (the highest grade of Wyagu) rib eye steaks, a carving board, and a set of steak knives from a top maker of fine cutlery. The foie gras set contains a napoleon of goose foie gras layered with fresh truffle slices, a special terrine knife, and a serving plate. Finally, a truffle set contains four fresh truffles -- two white and two black, weighing approximately one ounce each -- and a stainless steel truffle slicer. Each set costs $1,000 and, for a truly memorable gift, all four together cost $4,000. For more information, visit www.dartagnan.com.
Creating quite a fiery stir were the new Fire Dancer Jalapeño Nuts from Ford’s Gourmet Foods, Inc. These jumbo peanuts are dusted with powdered garlic, onions, and jalapeno, along with paprika, sugar, and salt. As you bite into them, the heat builds gradually, but not overwhelmingly. The peanuts combine heat with great taste, are all natural and gluten-free, and kosher certified. Available in 11-ounce gift tins. For more information, call 800-446-0947, or visit www.winenuts.com.
Chefs’ Repertoire debuted their Savory Cheesecakes and Spicy Crisp Crackers. Wedged on the side of a salad, sprinkled on pizza, as a sandwich spread, and much more, these “Cheesecakes as Appetizers” are anything but ordinary. Currently available in five flavors, including 5 Herb, Sundried Tomato and Basil, Mushroom and Fontina, Smoked Salmon and Dill, and Roasted Garlic and Chive and Red Pepper. Two more flavors will be available this fall, Pine Nut and Feta. The Cheesecakes come in two sizes. A small five inch and a large 6 inch, are individually packaged, shipped frozen, can be thawed and refrozen, and last up to six months in the freezer. The Spicy Crisp Crackers that perfectly complement the Cheesecakes and are baked with a hint of spice in every bite are packaged in six- and 12-ounce bags with a four month shelf life. For more information, call 615-598-7947, or visit www.chefsrep.com.
Peeled Snacks showed off a brand-new line of grab-and-go snack mixes made with dried fruit and nuts. What sets these apart is a unique stay-fresh packaging -- the fruits and nuts are packed separately -- so they have no added sugar or oils in the mix, plus the large pieces of fruits stay moist and the nuts stay crunchy. Available in three recipes: Bing Bing Cherry, which includes bing cherries, apples, peaches, and cashews; FigSated, a mix of figs, apricots, dates, almonds, and pistachios; and Shock-olate, which features dark chocolate, pears, apricots, almonds, and walnuts. Peeled Snacks come in 2.6-ounce packages in cases of 24. Order six or more cases and receive an attractive display free with your order. For more information, call 212-706-2001, or visit www.peeledsnacks.com.
Peaceworks, a not-onlyfor-profit company with a social mission to foster conflict resolution through business, featured their KIND Fruit plus Nut Bars. Made in Australia from the highest-quality whole nuts, these all-natural, gluten, dairy, and wheat-free bars are an excellent source of fiber and have a 12-month shelf life. Five percent of profits from KIND go to OneVoice, a foundation that fosters peace in the Middle East. Available in ten flavors, including Macadamia and Apricot, Almond and Coconut, Nut Delight, and Fruits and Nuts in Yogurt. For more information, call 212-616-3006, or visit www.peaceworks.com.
The Sacramento Cookie Factory featured their California Wine Wafers made via a Czech wafer-making tradition that dates back to the sixteenth century. Today, only a handful of bakers still use the traditional recipes and time-consuming techniques used to create the treat. Each crisp, light wafer is hand made, baked, aged 12 days, carefully filled with all-natural filling, and baked again. To enjoy a Wine Wafer, pour a glass of your favorite wine, take a bite of the wafer, take a small sip of wine, then swallow. The wafer will not compete or interfere with the wine, only complement it. These also make an elegant accompaniment to coffee, tea, sorbet, and ice cream. Available in two flavors: Mocha Chocolate for red wine and Lemon Vanilla for white. For more information, call 877-877-2646, or visit www.wafercookie.com.
Dave’s Gourmet has a new line of Pita Chips in a variety of flavors that include Roasted Garlic and Herb, Cinnamon and Raisin, Rosemary and Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Olive Oil, and Chipotle Parmesan and Garlic. They have also teamed with J and M Foods to produce J and M/Dave’s Insanity Cheese Straws. Call 800-758-0372, e-mail info@davesgourmet.com, or visit www.davesgourmet.com.
YZ Enterprises, Inc. announced a complete redesign of the packaging for their Almondina brand cookies. The package design themes have been extended for all nine flavors and will appear on all marketing and merchandising materials. For more information, call 419-893-8777, or visit www.almondina.com.
The big news at Feridies was the launch of their new robust web site (feridies.com/retailers) for registered trade customers. On the site, retailers will have immediate access to pricing and specials and be able to place, track, and pay for orders; review past online order history; select future ship dates; and obtain sales and company information. To register online, you’ll need to complete a simple form and set up a log in and password. Approval and access to trade pricing will take 24 hours or less. For more information, call 866-732-6883.
Now you can support sustainable agriculture through snacking. Island Crisps are a traditional Indonesian snack made from the wildcrafted seeds of the Melinjo tree. Sustainably grown, traditionally produced, and handmade, they come two ways -- 100 percent Natural Seed Crisps with Balinese Sea Salt and with Balinese Long Pepper and Sea Salt. Contact them at 925-299-8887, or email them at islandcrisps@bigtreebali.com.
