It's been busy over here at Fancy Food & Culinary Products while we try to get ready for the Summer Fancy Food Show. I've got an extensive list of booths to visit and people to see. Much of my time will be spent sampling new products and talking to owners of new companies, but there are some companies that I will always take a few moments to visit, even if they aren't introducing any new flavors. One such company is FunkyChunky Inc. Mother-daughter team Ronni L. Feuer and Erica Feuer-Kopilenko are the masterminds behind an absolutely addictive confection that starts with buttery caramel popcorn. Then layers of milk, dark and white chocolate are drizzled on and glazed whole almonds, pecans and cashews are thrown into the mix for good measure. They also have a pretzel version, drizzling chunks of pretzel in milk, white and dark chocolate, caramel and adding pecans. I can't decide which I like better, and at shows I find myself in front of their booth, gazing over the little sample cups, torn between taking the biggest sample I can find and the hard-learned wisdom of pacing with samples at the show. As it usually happens, this is a moment where caution is thrown into the wind and I end up trying whatever they're offering.
Added incentive for stopping by the FunkyChunky booth however comes in the form of a bar. This summer, the company is launching a brand new line of chocolate bars in four flavors: Chocolate, which blends milk chocolate with dried berries, graham crackers, pecans, crispy rice and chocolate sandwich cookies. The entire bar is then drizzled with white chocolate; Licorice, which packs dark chocolate with chewy caramel and soft red licorice pieces, then is finished with a white chocolate drizzle; Peanut Crunch, jammed with salty, fresh-roasted peanuts and crunchy chocolate puffs smothered in milk chocolate, topped with drizzles of chocolate and peanut butter confection; and Graham Cracker, which melds dark chocolate, fluffy marshmallows and caramel together, then tops the combination with a graham cracker drizzled with dark, milk and white chocolates. Is your stomach growling yet?
The new bars are packaged in a clear acetate bag topped with a black bow and hang tag to best display the premium ingredients used in the small-batch, handcrafted confections. If you're going to the Summer Fancy Food Show, these delightful new products can be found at booth #4734. Otherwise, check back with the website, www.funkychunkyinc.com, after July 1, which is when the bars will be available to ship.
-Stephanie
|