YumSugar

Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act Means Free Candy For You

YumSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:30:38 -0700

Your Fridays just got a little sweeter. Mars Snackfood is giving away a quarter of a million full-size packages of chocolate on its Free Chocolate Fridays. As part of the brand's Real Chocolate Relief Act, customers are encouraged to visit RealChocolate.com, where, every Friday through the end of September, the first 250,000 consumers can download a coupon for a full-size package of Twix, Dove, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Milky Way, or M&Ms.

In response to overwhelming demand the first week, today the company is making an exception to give away free chocolate to the first 500,000 visitors. The Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act is part of a new campaign to highlight its chocolate made with 100 percent cocoa butter.

The strategy takes a jab at archrival Hershey's for having made the switch to cheaper ingredients: "Without cocoa butter, chocolate simply is not chocolate. Some companies use artificial ingredients to make their chocolate sweeter or because it's cheaper. Know that with Mars, there's no substitute for cocoa butter." The promotion even includes tips on how to spot "fake" chocolate.

I can think of a slew of people who will appreciate this "relief act." Did you sign up to get your free candy bar?

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Trend Alert: Foodies on Facebook

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:15:08 -0800

Foodies may be serious about eating, but apparently they're serious about computers: Fast-food chains, food companies, and food celebrities are raising their profiles on social-networking platform Facebook.

Last month, we mentioned that Pizza Hut was the first fast-food chain to launch a Facebook online ordering system, so die-hard users never have to leave the site to order dinner. And yesterday, number one fast-food chain McDonald's launched a Facebook fan site of its own to honor the 25th anniversary of its wildly popular Chicken McNuggets.

In a push to connect to its younger customers, pizza delivery Papa John's has launched a new promotion: Anyone who becomes a "fan" of the Papa John's page on Facebook will receive an online redemption code for a free medium pizza with any online order.

It isn't just fast-food chains who are promoting themselves on Facebook - other food industry insiders are following suit. Candy company Mars advertised its "Get Some Nuts" campaign for Snickers on Facebook, and rumors about Next Food Network Star finalist Lisa Garza spread after she changed her marital status on her Facebook page.

I'm surprised to learn that Facebook has become so important in the world of food. Have you been following the food and beverage industry there?

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Did This Snickers Commercial Go Too Far?

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:00:58 -0700

For the second time in two years, best-selling candybar, Snickers, has found itself in the middle of a controversy surrounding their latest ad campaign. Candy company Mars has yanked the ad from UK airwaves, where it received backlash from gay-rights activists for being homophobic. The commercial featured surly '80s icon, Mr. T, berating a speed-walking man, calling him "a disgrace to the man race." The tagline? "Get some nuts."

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation criticized Mars and its ad agency for perpetuating stereotypes of gay men. Mars issued a statement last night, saying that the commercial was intended to be funny, not offensive.

While I can see how the ad was meant to be funny, it might have taken things too far. After watching the spot below, let me know what you think. Do you feel the ad is cruel and insensitive, or was the whole situation blown out of proportion?

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Yummy Link: Snickers Adventure Bar

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:01:33 -0700

Ready to go on an adventure? Check out Snickers new Adventure Bar. In a special promotion for the new Indiana Jones film, they're releasing a bar with "exotic spice and a hint of sweet coconut." - Candyblog

Yummy Link: Snickers Charged

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:28:31 -0800

Snickers has released yet another limited edition version. This time it's a caffeine infused bar called Snickers Charged. - Candy Blog

Forget the Snickerdoodle; Have a Snickers Cookie Instead

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:18:33 -0700

I was about ten years old when I had my first snickerdoodle cookie. I had no idea what one looked like, but recall being excited by the idea. A cookie, made with a Snickers candy bar? Oh how fantastic!

Imagine my surprise when the cookies arrived and I saw that they were just sugar cookies coated in cinnamon sugar. There were no Snickers bars, or doodles for that matter. While I enjoyed the cookie tremendously, it still left a small void in my heart. A void that could only be filled by cookies stuffed with mini Snickers bar. To get the void-filling, totally tasty recipe - peanut butter cookies with gooey candy chunks! - read more

Snickers Bar Cookies
From Pillsbury's Cookie Book via dragonfly459 on RecipeZaar

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Snickers miniature candy bars, unwrapped

Makes 20 HUGE cookies.

In large bowl, combine sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs.
Beat well.
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Mix well.
Shape about 1/4 cup of dough smoothly around candy bar making sure bar is completely covered.
Place 4 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375°F for 13-14 minutes or until light golden brown and puffy.
Cool 10 minutes and remove from cookie sheets.

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No Snickering at the Snickerdoodles

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:14:00 -0700

Earlier this week, I gave you guys a recipe for a cookie full of Snickers candies, which is what I dreamt of every time folks would mention snickerdoodles. Well, a few of you wrote in to ask exactly what a snickerdoodle was. Simply put, a snickerdoodle is a type of soft sugar cookie, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. They're usually a little crunchy on top, and soft and chewy in the middle.

Some folks think the name comes from the corruption of the German word schneckennudeln - a type of cinnamon-dusted sweet roll - but no one is really sure. No matter where its name comes from, it's definitely a cookie worth trying, and one to keep in your cookie repertoire. For a classic recipe, read more

Snickerdoodles
From Betty Crocker
Image Source

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
(Total time will vary; cook or bake time is per batch.)

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Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Halloween Candy?

partysugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:50:18 -0700

Half the fun of trick-or-treating is the bartering that takes place after you've gone door to door. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor with my siblings or friends and saying, "I'll trade you my Snickers for your Milky Ways." Besides Milky Way, I was especially fond of Nerds, Junior Mints, and Airheads. Now that I'm too old for trick-or-treating, I like to stock my Halloween candy bowl with my all-time favorite, Reese's Pieces. How about you? What Halloween candy did you enjoy as a child and what do you prefer now?

Would You Eat Fried Mealworms?

partysugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:30:29 -0800

A couple of weekends ago, I attended a deep-fry party at my favorite bar in San Francisco, 15 Romolo. The fiesta was celebrating the inauguration of their new deep fryer and everyone was asked to bring an ingredient to fry. There was a delicious assortment of crispy goodness including Snickers, game hens, cheesecake, bacon (my contribution!), arancini, and crab cakes.There was also a selection of more outlandish items like fried durian, oranges, squab, and mealworms. Typically used for fishing bait, mealworms are the larvae of a beetle. They are perfectly OK to consume, so being an adventurous eater, I popped a few in my mouth. They tasted earthy, with a chewy texture similar to calamari. If you had been attending the party, do you think you could have stomached them?

Who Put Gum in My Candy Bar?

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:11:19 -0700

This morning Mars Inc - makers of M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles, and more - announced that it would buy gum manufacturer Wrigley for $23 billion. If you recall, the Wrigley company recently announced new packaging and flavors, in order to help sluggish gum sales.

The deal will create the world's largest confectionary company, and could possibly force Hershey's and Cadbury to join forces - there's been previous rumors of these two combining in the past.

The Wrigley portion of the company will continue to run as an independent unit, and it will be helmed by current Chairman Bill Wrigley. The deal is seen as a win-win on both parts, as Wrigley will now have a bigger infrastructure to help them with marketing and distribution. The interesting foodie tidbit is that current nonchocolate Mars brands - Starburst, Skittles, etc. - will now become part of the Wrigley portfolio.

So tell me, what do you think of these two powerhouses joining forces? Do you care if it is one giant company? Do you think it will affect the way the candy tastes?

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