What the hecken’s a “Schnecken”?

This past weekend, I went to a going away party for friends in Bethlehem, PA.  I brought along a plateful of my famous Schnecken.  After the oohs and ahhs people kept asking what it was.  I proudly announced…..Schnecken was the name of the delicious delicacy they had sampled.  This resulted in the usual reaction.  What the heckin’s a Schnecken?  So, I thought I would make the world aware of this special snack, so there is no more confusion. 

 

This is a schnecken (pronounced shnek-en).  I know it’s a strange word and even more difficult to say, unless of course, you come from Jewish or German descendants, but I want people to learn how to say it rather than confuse it for rugelach, which happens way too often. 

A schnecken is a tasty little croissant-like pastry generally filled with nuts and raisins and occasionally chocolate chips (however my brother Todd prefers them without chocolate), rolled in cinnamon sugar leaving a crunchy, chewy caramelized bottom.  While I am sure Schnecken is made in baked in many places around the world, this version is popular in and around the suburbs of Philadelphia.  I don’t know why, and will continue to search for the origins, but as far as I know, this kind of Schnecken has it’s roots in the city of Brotherly love.

I recently did an on line search and came across the Brusken Bakery in Cincinnatti that sells something called Schnecken which is very different than my version.  Theirs is more like a sticky or cinnamon bun and much larger, so don’t be confused.

 The word Schnecken actually means “snail” in German, so I think this baked good gets it’s name since it’s “rolled up” like a snail.    Some people make Rugelach that looks like Schnecken but it’s the dough that really makes the difference.  Schnecken is made with sour cream, whereas Rugelach is made with Cream Cheese.

What is it about this scrumptious little snack that causes people to close their eyes, lick their lips and mutter, mmmmm?  I have been baking Schnecken on my own for about 10 years.  I learned from my mother who taught me everything I know about Schnecken.  How to prepare the dough, how much cinnamon sugar to use, and the best direction to roll them up.  This is one of those recipe you must watch someone make before you tackle it. 

Some day, I may open up a Schnecken business to share this yummy treat with all of you.  So, stay tuned.

What’s all this about the Indian on Tootsie Pop wrappers?

This is a follow-up to yesterday’s post about Tootsie Pops —–

I do not know where it came from but as long as I have been enjoying Tootsie Pops, I have been searching the wrappers for the “Indian” with the bow and arrow, shooting a star.   The version I always heard was that if you find an “Indian” on your wrapper, you’ll have good luck.  However, when I was doing some research for yesterday’s post, I came across the story of a long-standing rumor about the “Indian and the star”.  The rumor claimed that if you find and Indian or a star, you are entitled to a free pop or even a case of Tootsie Pops.   Unfortunately, this story is not true and the Tootsie Roll company continues to respond to inquiries with a simple letter similar to the one I received long ago.  No free pops for anyone.  So, I guess I should feel better about the letter I received.

Read more about the rumor at SNOPES.com or UrbanLegends.com.

Free Tootsie Pops!

When I was 11, I sent a complaint letter to the Tootsie Roll company, asking why the chocolate center in Tootsie Pops had become smaller and smaller through the many years I had been a consumer.  They responded only with the above letter.  What I had hoped for was some free tootsie pops, just as a gesture.  All I ever got was this letter which I have saved for almost 25 years.

I recently had brunch with some childhood friends and their son, Jaden.  The restaurant had a bowl of “Dum Dum” lollipops for the kids.  When Jaden was happily licking the pop, it struck me was how small the lollipop was now.   Did I remember it bigger because I was little when I last had one or had the size of the “dum dum” actually shrunk through the years?  It got us talking and reminded me about the complaint letter I sent to the Tootsie Roll company so long ago about Tootsie Pops, my beloved snack. 

I just loved Tootsie Pops.  My favorite flavor back then was grape.  ( I have since switched to orange).  I used to dip my “pops” in water which for some reason added to the taste and then took lick after lick.  This treat was a great snack because it lasted such a long time unless you could not resist the great chocolate treat in the center and bit into the Tootsie Pop prematurely, just like the owl in the old TV commercials (how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? 

It’s nice to know that years before there was ever an internet, some companies were proactive enough to respond to customer complaints.  But, I still would have preferred some free Tootsie Pops. 

What, No More Free Samples?

Since Spring has sprung and the weather was a balmy 60 degree in NYC today, on my way home from a meeting I stopped for ”snacktime” at Tasti D-lite.  For those who live outside of NYC, this store sells soft-serve ice cream in a multitude of flavors such as Milky Weigh, Fluffernutter, Trail Mix along with the classic Chocolate and Vanilla.  They bill themselves as “lower in calories and low-fat” soft serve ice cream, so health and weight-conscious NYers flock there on a daily basis to get a treat that won’t pile on the pounds, so they think.  But that’s a story for a different day.

Any way, on today’s visit, I noticed a sign displayed on one of the ice cream machines which said, “Samples 25 cents – first one free with purchase.”  I could not believe it!  How many times have I sampled their creative named flavors, one after another, some times  even just out of curiosity, without having to pay an extra penny?

After I had my (free) sample of today’s creative flavor since I made a purchase, I said to the woman doling out the ice cream, “so you charge for samples now?”.  She responded,  “yes”, and explained that people just come in and taste all of the flavors sometimes without buying anything, and when it gets really busy, it becomes too difficult to give out all these free samples. 

I understood her explanation but wanted to retort, “but isn’t that one of the reasons people go to Tasti D-lite, because they let you taste their flavors before you order something you may not like?  When you make flavors like Angel Food Cake,  Cake Batter,  Burnt Sugar or Pineapple Cheesecake don’t you think you need to be able to taste them for free?  Most of the flavors, although they may be “tasti”, taste nothing like their names.  And if that is the case, how will you get people to try the non-traditional flavors unless you encourage them to try them with free samples. 

I thought samples were ”supposed to be free”, to entice you to make a purchase based on your experience, taste or how it matches your decor.  How can consumers make educated decisions unless they ”try something on for size?” I guess the folks at Tasti D-Lite are more interested in making a profit these days than letting their customers try all their creative flavors without a taste.  Unless they want consumers to buy just Chocolate, Vanilla, why bother to make these fun flavors if you can’t spare a lick?

So, I guess for now, as ice cream season is upon us, if I want to sample more than one flavor without spending more than my alotted free sample, I can keep my calorie intake the same if I walk a few blocks out of the way to Baskin Robbins.

All Out of Pretzels

Okay, so today I am frustrated.  I am all out of pretzels, my favorite snack.  What’s a Pretzelgirl to do? 

 I had stocked up on my favorites when I was last in Philly, but I finished them up way too quickly.  Living in New York City where you can find anything – Pretzels are not as big a thing here as they are in PA.  Pennsylvania, the Keystone state, should be renamed, The Pretzel State because you can get numberous brands, flavors sizes, shapes and textures in any supermarket.

While living in LA a few years ago, I used to mail order from my current favorite pretzel company, UTZ Snacks.  They also make delicious potato chips, cheese curls, and corn chips but their pretzels are what turned me on to the company and the basic sourdough hard pretzels are my absolute favorite.  They have a spectacular crunch and the perfect amount of salt.  (They do make salt-free pretzels for those who are watching their salt intake.)

Most companies offer mail order through the web these days.  Here are some links to my favorite Pennsylvania pretzel companies.

Utz Snacks - Pretzelgirl’s favorite are sourdough twisted hard pretzels, but the “specials” are delicious too.

Unique Pretzels - Known for their “splits” – pretzels that split while baking giving them a unique crunch.  Dark Splits, with a slightly burnt taste, are especially good. 

Tom Sturgis Pretzels - a slightly less crunchy pretzel but equally delicious

Wege Pretzels - The classic hard sour dough are tasty and they make a yummy “honey wheat” as well.

 So, if you can’t find these brands in your local store, hop on the internet and order a bag, box or even better, a case…..so you’ll never be caught like me…..all out of pretzels.

Hoorah for Mint!

Last weekend, I journeyed to Philadelphia to attend the famous Philadelphia flower show.  As usual, the wonderful floral event did not disappoint.  This year’s theme was Legends of Ireland.  We were treated to beautiful landscapes, traditional Irish gardens, Irish singers and dancers along with the classic spring favorites, tulips, daffodils and the like.  If you have never been, you must go at least once.   

Visiting Philadelphia always turns into and eating and snacking affair, but my big treat discovery did not happen until I stopped at the supermarket to stock up on snacks for the ride home.  I made an amazing new discovery – Mint Kandy Kakes from TastyKake.  

 My favorite Philly treat had gone “Minty” just in time for St. Patty’s Day.  If you love the Girl Scout Thin Mints, you’ll flip over these new TastyKakes.  My favorite way to eat Kandy Kakes is straight out of the freezer.

  I love when the dark chocolate coating has a little crunch to it and the creme is cool and firm rather than mushy.  

Don’t miss these delicious new treats.  Sometimes these new flavors are just a “seasonal treat” for a limited time, so don’t miss out on this one.

 

No More Transfats

What is it with “NO TRANS-FATS” as the latest trend in the food industry these days!!!!  Not that I think trans-fats are bad for us, but why is this what all the health professionals and food companies are talking about to make their products “healthier”?  

I might actually buy into this hype that eating trans-fats is actually good for me  had I not started reading food labels many years ago, just to make sure there was no palm oil or coconut oil in anything I ate.  I had always known that these were some of themore  difficult fats to break down, staying in the body longer than other vegetable oils which would make these foods a no no on a diet.

Why do I mention those oils?  Because those are two of the non-trans-fat oils being used now in most processed  food products and restaurants in an effort to go trans-fat free.  While these oils are better for us than some other oils made of animal fats such as butter or lard, or even other vegetable oils, it’s not like eating these oils are going to make us healthier individuals in complete control of our weight.  We need to remember that they are still fats, which we need to have in our diets but in limited quantities. 

I spent the earlier part of the week at the International Restaurant and Food-service Show of New York at the Jacob Javits Center.   This show featured mostly restaurant service products but there was a fair amount of specialty foods and snack items, including baked goods featured.  Every booth had a sign  or a sales pitch telling me that their food products contained no trans-fats. 

I get it.  You have replaced the “fat” in your products with a “fat” that has “no trans fat”.  Trans fats are the ones that are bad for your cholesterol and cause heart disease.  But the product still has “fat” in it and lots of it.  None of these foods are fat-free. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love snacks. Having afternoon tea and a cookie is usually the best part of my day.  I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea that eating foods made with no trans-fats does not mean the product is low-fat.

You still have to read labels and select snacks based on what you are eating in terms of sugar, carbohydrates, vitamins and of course percentage of  fat.

No one talks about fruit or vegetables being trans-fat free.  Because they generally have no fat at all. 

So, next time you reach for a box or bag of anything that claims it’s trans-fat free, make sure you know what you are really getting.

Snack Smart

By now you must have seen the pictures of the British 8 yr old, Connor McCreaddie, who was threatened with being taken away from his mother because she has allowed his weight to skyrocket to obsesity and beyond. 

What kind of mother does not realize that a  diet of chips, cookies and soft drinks is extremely harmful to a child’s health.  Does Mrs. McCreaddie not read Hungry Girl, the website that uncovers lo-cal, healthy snacks and recipes to keep us fit and trim?  Just look at Hungry Girl’s Top Ate long-lasting snack list to find out what might keep you or your child so busy munching that you’d be satisfied before you reached for the next cookie.

HG’s “Top Ate” Long-Lasting Snacks
1.	Tootsie Pops
2.	94% fat free popcorn mini-bags
3.	Steamed artichokes
4.	Sugar-free popsicles
5.	Weight Watchers Fruities
6.	Pomegranates
7.	Tasty Eats Soy Jerky – Hot N’ Spicy
8.	7-Eleven’s Crystal Light SlurpeesSource: http://Hungry-girl.com

What was most disturbing from the list of Connor’s daily intake was the absence of any fruits or vegetables.  Boy, has he been missing out these eight years!  What better snack for a child is a crisp red apple or juicy succulent orange?   What about strawberries or grapes or sweet baby carrots?    I can understand the craving for something with chocolate or salt, so why not have some fun with chocolate dipped fruit or spreading a little peanut butter on an apple or celery?  It’s does add some calories but is certainly better that a bag of fat ladened potato chips.

 

I am not suggesting we only eat super healthy snacks (although many argue we should) because god knows I love a good TastyKake, or bag of salt and pepper Kettle Chips. But let’s be smart about it.  Mix it up.  Make sure you put the daily recommended number of fruits and vegetables into your diet.  Fruits and vegetables make great snacks and then you can fit in an occasional cookie just for fun.