Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Who doesn't love Candy Corn?

Candy Corn was originally manufactured by the Wunderlee Candy Company in the 1880's. Later in 1900, the Goelitz Candy Company (more commonly known now as Jelly Belly Candy Company) began production of this current holiday staple. More than 130 years later this item is consumed world wide.
Besides eating alone, blending into trail mix, or topping baked goods, candy corn has also inspired recipes, other candies and adult beverages.

Candy Corn Shooter

What you need:
1/3OZ Galliano
1/3OZ Orange Curacao
1/3OZ Heavy Whipping Cream

To Create:
Pour Galliano into bottom of shot glass, float Orange Curacao on top of that,
and finally float the Heavy Whipping Cream and enjoy :)


Candy Corn Taffy!


Candy Corn Dots

Candy Corn Twinkle Pops

Not to mention all the fun flavor variations shown here:


Friday, September 23, 2011

It's Friday, time to prop your feet up and have some bottle caps!

Bottle Cap

What you need:
Root beer Schnapps, Raspberry Liqueur, 7UP, Lime Margarita Mix
Shot Glass, Small Tumbler

Pour equal parts of the Raspberry Liqueur and Root beer Schnapps into the shot glass.
Fill the tumbler 2/3 of the way with 7UP and add 1oz Margarita Mix.
Drop the shot into the 7UP/Margarita Mix glass and enjoy!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Smith Brothers Stained Glass Cookies

What you need:
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 boxes of Smith Brothers Wild Cherry Cough Drops
1 (2-3 inch) star cookie cutter
1 small triangle cookie cutter

Instructions:
Preheat oven for 350 degrees
In a large bowl cream butter with sugar until smooth, add egg and vanilla.
Mix in flour until well mixed. Press dough into rectangular shape and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate 1-3 hours.

Section dough into thirds. Roll out one section at a time to about 3/16 inch thickness. Cut out as many large stars as possible. Repeat until all dough is used.
Cut a small triangle out of each of the arms of each star.

Place the cough drops into small plastic bags, place a towel over the bags and crush candy with a mallet.
Place all cookies on parchment lined sheet pans. Fill each triangle in each star with crushed drops.
Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before removing from sheet.



Thursday, September 8, 2011

History of Smith Brothers Cough Drop


 Smith Brothers Cough Drop packaging portrays two bearded gentlemen who are affectionately known as Trade and Mark, are legendary. The Smith Brothers really existed. Their names were William (Trade) and Andrew (Mark) and they helped found Smith Brothers in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1847.
William and Andrew were sons of James Smith who moved to Poughkeepsie from St. Armand, Quebec in 1847 to establish a restaurant. Though James was a fine carpenter by trade, he was an even better candy maker and a businessman. The story of the birth of the first Cough Drop is a good example. As that story goes, a journeyman stopped at the Smith restaurant and gave James the formula for a delicious and effective cough candy. James saw a need for such a product in the cold, windswept Hudson Valley and immediately mixed up a batch on his kitchen stove.
The Drops were a quick success and demand for the "cough candy" grew fast up and down the river. Only a few years later, in 1852, the firm’s first advertisement appeared in the Poughkeepsie paper, inviting all "afflicted with hoarseness, cough or colds" to test it. Young William and Andrew were active in the new business from the start. They helped mix the family secret formula in their father’s kitchen and busily sold the product in the streets of Poughkeepsie. The two boys inherited the fast growing business on the father’s death in 1866, and the company officially became known as Smith Brothers. As sales grew throughout the Hudson Valley, this success was met with a whole flurry of imitators-"Schmitt Brothers", "Smythe Sisters" and even other "Smith Brothers" appeared with imitative product. The real Smith Brothers, by this time having long, flowing beards, decided to place their own pictures on their product packaging, which consisted of glass bowls for a counter display and small envelopes into which the shopkeeper counted the Smith Brothers Cough Drops for each sale.
By chance, the word "Trade" appeared under the picture of William and the word "Mark" under that of Andrew. Thus, it happened by a mere coincidence that the famous Smith Brothers’ trademark was born and the Smith Brothers became known to generations of Americans as Trade and Mark. The glass bowl and envelopes then in use, had definite limitations. For one thing, the Smith Brothers could not be sure that only genuine Smith Brothers Cough Drops would be sold in envelopes which bore their pictures, so in 1872 the brothers developed a package bearing their likenesses, which was filled under their own personal supervision. This package was one of the first "factory filled" packages ever developed. Andrew (Mark) died in 1895 but William (Trade) continued as President of Smith Brothers almost up to his death in 1913. He was succeeded by his son, Arthur G. Smith, under whose direction the company continued to prosper. Menthol Cough Drops were added in 1922, a cough syrup in 1926 and the famous Smith Brothers Wild Cherry Flavor in 1948.


Friday, September 2, 2011

There are so many ways to enjoy PEZ, why limit yourself to just the candy?

PEZ for big kids ;)

The Orange PEZ

1oz Soli Ohranj Vodka
8oz Red Bull energy dink

Pour Red Bull into medium glass, drop in shot of Stoli and enjoy :)

Read more: Orange Pez recipe http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink12163.html#ixzz1WcrIworp

The PEZ
1 part Captain Morgan® Original spiced rum
1 part Chambord® raspberry liqueur
1 part sweet and sour mix

Mix ingredients together over ice in a tumbler. Shake well, and strain into a whiskey sour glass. Adjust sour mix ratio to taste.


Lemon Raspberry PEZ Cupcakes

3/4 cup room temperature butter
3 eggs at room temperature
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Chambord
2/3 cup buttermilk
Red food coloring
Chambord Frosting:
3/4 cup room temperature butter
7 cups confectioners sugar
6 Tablespoons Chambord
red food coloring
PEZ Candies for Garnish

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350
Mix the dry ingredients, set aside.
Use mixer to combine butter, lemon zest, sugar, lemon juice, and Chambord.
Add eggs, one at a time, continue to beat.
Add buttermilk and flour in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
Add red food coloring to desired shade.
Fill lined cupcake tin 2/3 with batter.
Bake 15-20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.


For the frosting:
Beat butter and 2 cups of confectioners sugar, add Chambord.
Add remaining sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Add food coloring to desired shade.

Frost cupcakes to desired appearance and decorate with PEZ candies.
Enjoy :)