Allergen-free candy from Gimbal's

I don't often run stuff straight from a press release (Candy Yum Yum is one place where I can be blissfully free from marketing banter), but in this case, I was impressed enough to want to share this info with you. (And, coincidentally enough, I happened to buy a bag of Gimbal's jelly beans the other day specifically because they're made in the U.S. and don't contain high fructose corn syrup). So here you go. Check this out:  

"Gimbal’s Fine Candies confectionary is one of the only major confectionary manufacturers in the USA that has committed to be free of the eight major food ingredients that are responsible for over 90% of food allergies. These food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. In order to eliminate risk of cross contamination, these eight foods are not included in Gimbal’s recipes, nor are they permitted inside their production and packaging facilities.  

Additionally, the company is proud to manufacture all its confections right here in the United States, so people know when they purchase any candy, they are supporting American made products and jobs."

Nut-Free, Vegan and Gluten-Free Valentines

Everybody has at least one friend with special dietary needs. There's Lactose-Intolerant Lucy, who is forced to eat frozen "dessert product" instead of Ben & Jerry's; Celiac Cicely, who still eats pizza but pays the price two hours later; and Vegan Violet, who wonders why she never gets an invitation to dinner parties.
So what's a guy or gal to do for Valentine's Day for their special-needs sweetheart? Fortunately there are major candy options in these enlightened days. Let's look at a few.Any parent of a school-age kid knows the importance of the peanut-free zone. At the Sugar Baby's school, the rules are strict: no products with nuts or made on machinery with nuts. I'm so thankful that he has no nut allergies; it makes life a lot easier. But for his little friends with sensitivities (and, of course, let's not forget No-Nuts) there are companies like Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates. They have chocolates, truffles, granola bars and jelly beans, in addition to holiday goodies, like these heart-shaped sweets.
For some vegan chocolates with a spiritual bent, Wei of Chocolate offers a unique product. Their organic dark chocolates come in cute little flower shapes and are packaged in environmentally-friendly bags packaged by nymphs and wood sprites. (Okay, I made that last part up.) For your crunchy granola, crystals & moonbeams partner, check out their Herbs & Spices chocolates:

Daily Gratitude - 65% cacao with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and other "chai" spices together with herbs traditionally thought to encourage mental clarity, immune system support and be calming and relaxing, like lemon balm, rhodiola and codonopsis.

Daily Love - 74% cacao with a subtle blend of cinnamon, mace and a chili finish, together with South American maca, eleuthero and astragulus, herbs thought to support the immune and adrenal systems.

Sensual Love - 74% cacao with a smoky, earthy blend of five herbs respected by indigenous cultures worldwide for their gentle aphrodisiac qualities, like maca, shatavari, gingko biloba, epimedium and catuaba bark, together with a two varieties of chilis and some tasty spices.

They also have a line of chocolates with flower essences with names like Inner Clarity, Inner Peace and Inner Delight.

It just doesn't get any groovier than that.

And last, but not least, I'd like to share a recipe I made a couple of weeks ago for a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake. I know, I can see you rolling your eyes. Flourless Chocolate Cake is so '90s, with its ooey-gooey molten chocolate center. But this was totally different. It wasn't molten. It was fudgey like a brownie with a crisp outside and dense inside. We served it with homemade cinnamon whipped cream and strawberries. I don't know how everyone else felt about it, because I was too busy staking out a second piece to care. Let me point out that this was a super easy recipe. I highly recommend it. (Note: I refused to go out and buy chocolate for the recipe, since I have so much candy in the house. I decided to use five dark chocolate Dove hearts and it worked out perfectly.) You can find the recipe here.

Pass Me Another Bon Bon, Darling

Yes, I can truly say now that I'm sitting on my couch, eating bon bons. This tin of South 'n France Bon Bons arrived on my doorstep last week. Lots of candies pretend to be "bon bons" (and of course, there's the ice cream variety, too), but these are truly worthy of the name.
Exactly what is a bon bon? According to the website, the direct translation is "goody goody," but in this case, to be more specific, they're balls of doughy confection-y stuff dipped in chocolate. It's not easy to describe actually. You'd think they'd be like truffles, but the center isn't soft ganache. It's more cakey than creamy.So here's the deal: each bon bon is a decent size. Two bites, maybe even three. They come in the following flavors: Cafe au Lait, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Coconut, Cookies 'n Creme, Peanut Buttah (love that!) and Pistachio.
The first one I tried was coconut and, lawd have mercy! It was one fine piece of candy. The chocolate shell was snappy and the coconut was creamy and chewy. All of the flavors are true to their names, although the Peanut Buttah did stop me in my tracks. It wasn't just peanut butter in the center; it also included cherries, dates and sugar. I'm not so sure how I feel about that. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was good, but I'm a purist. It kind of freaked me out to have other stuff mixed in with the peanut butter.
(Here's an item of note: four of their flavors are gluten-free.)
The factory is located in Wilmington, N.C. and I wish I could go there for one of their Bon Bon Parties. This looks like the coolest thing ever: you get a bunch of friends together, bring some wine or champagne, and you learn the secret art of bon bon making. And-- get this-- it's only $25 per person. How cool would this be for a bachelorette party or, hmmm, maybe a 40th birthday party?
So now that February is here and we're on our way towards Valentine's Day, I highly recommend these as a gift. (Especially the coconut!)
www.southnfrance.com