Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Southern Pralines!

Whether you pronounce them prah-lines or pray-lines, they are southern confectionery favorite. These delicious treats are a favorite among our customers, however we cannot always keep up with them. Since pralines taste better made fresh we only make ours once a week and when they are gone they are gone!

At Sweet Pete's we believe in keeping our confections simple, clean and delicious. The praline is no different. We make ours with fresh, whole ingredients and recommend you do the same. Please see our simple, traditional recipe and feel free to call the shoppe if you have any questions!

Recipe:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
3 cup toasted pecans (toast in oven at 450 degrees for 5 minutes)
1 pinch salt
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

Heat butter on high heat, mix in brown sugar, granulated sugar and mix
thoroughly.

Add milk & pecans

Stir all together and bring to a boil over high heat.

Let boil for 20 minutes until thick 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Take off heat and add salt and vanilla.

Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

Use spoons to portion out golf ball sized portions on a greased cookie
sheet.

Cool and wrap in cellophane or plastic wrap.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Sweet Pete’s Healthy Chocolates Help Hydrate Skin!


Many of Sweet Pete’s customers already love our ATICOA chocolates. The chocolates are known for their super antioxidant properties and their great taste. The chocolates which are processed in the patented ATICOA process retain much more antioxidants than traditional chocolates. In addition to the many health benefits we already knew about ATICOA, including heart health, new research shows they are healthy for your skin.
Barry Callebaut unveils the results of a new study into the anti-aging properties of its range of ACTICOA® products. According to the study presented at FIE, the daily consumption of an ACTICOA® drink rich in cocoa flavanols has been shown to have a positive effect on the hydration of the skin, an important factor in maintaining a healthy, vital-looking skin.
Hans Vriens, Chief Innovation Officer at Barry Callebaut says: “This study is part of the mounting evidence in support of the beneficial effects of cocoa flavanols on human health. Barry Callebaut’s ACTICOA® cocoa and chocolate are one of the richest known sources of cocoa flavanols, powerful antioxidants which are rapidly changing the way we view chocolate. The growing body of research, of which this study is just a part, is helping to make chocolate more permissible by actively showing how it can be a constructive part of a balanced, daily diet”.
For more information on ATICOA go to http://www.acticoa.com/en/ to purchase ATICOA, drop in the Sweet Pete shoppe or go to http://sweetpete.net/chocolate_exotic.html