Baked snickers and $26,000 meal

Baked Snickers bar

One of the desserts I’ve wanted to try for years is deep fried Mars bar. This exclusive dessert is hard to find. The closest I’ve come to potentially having it was in Azerbaijan out of all places. A restaurant had it on its menu and it could also be delivered. I didn’t go for it and I still think that perhaps I should have.

Today I finally decided to put my curiosity at ease, but I only had Snickers bar at home. And I didn’t feel like deep frying, not that there is anything wrong with it. So instead I took the easier route, baking in puff pastry. I wouldn’t go into a debate on whether baking in puff pastry is healthier than deep frying. But baking is certainly the easier and less messy option.

As you would expect, baked Snickers bar is awesome. It is really awesome. Imagine warm gooey caramel and chocolate surrounded by crispy puff pastry. I can imagine it going quite well with ice cream.

The one downside, albeit small, is that the peanuts become slightly soft after baking. I can see why Mars bars are deep fried instead of Snickers bars.

Interesting facts about deep fried Mars bar. The maker of Mars bar contacted Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven asking them to make clear that the product (deep fried Mars bar) is not authorised or endorsed by Mars as it does not fit the company's promotion of healthy living. Carron Fish Bar claims to be the "birthplace of the world famous deep fried Mars bar". It is interesting how selling Mars bar is considered promotion of healthy living while putting batter around it and deep frying it turns it into something unhealthy.

According to Wikipedia, out of the 300 Scottish fish and chip shops surveyed in 2004, 22% sold deep-fried Mars bars, while an additional 17% had sold them in the past. The recipe is available here.

Today's Favourite Photo

Source: Sprinkle Bakes

Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with Dulce de Leche Walnut Streusel

Today’s Favourite Blog

Source: Huffington Post

This sounds absurd and unusual. Le Castagne, an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, is offering a $26,000 dinner for four. The nine-course meal includes white truffles and a 47mm Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio watch. The watch retails for around $11,000, according to Gear Patrol. I don't understand the many words used to describe the watch but I think it can also tell you the time.

To explain how the watch ties in with the meal, managing partner Anthony Masapollo said,"Timing is critical for both cooking the most delicious food as well as harvesting Italian truffles, the most expensive food in the world." That sounds reasonable, have a meal and walk away with a watch also. You hope the chef also has the same watch since he/she is the one cooking the meal. Maybe they should also give good quality thermometers since temperature is also critical. Now I am being ridiculous.

Anyway, if this is of interest to you and you need a watch, and a meal, here is the full menu:

 - puree of pumpkin soup, faro almonds, pumpkin oil and white truffles 

- milanese style egg, truffle bread crumb, spinach, roasted cherry tomatoes, truffle vinaigrette and humboldt fog goat cheese

 - beef tartare with marinated pioppini mushrooms, shaved parmesan cheese, quail egg, and white truffle ricotta mousse

 - tagliatelle con tartufi bianchi pasta with parmesan cheese sauce and white shaved truffle

 - veal rack, roasted baby potatoes, turnips, bacon, parmesan and shaved white truffle

 - roasted quail stuffed with house-made sausage, potato, guanciale and finished with black truffle demi-glace

 - creamy polenta, wild mushrooms, pancetta and shaved white truffles

 - fillet of dover sole stuffed with scallop, shrimp mousse and black truffle beurre blanc

 - chocolate lava cake with truffle ricotta gelato and honey

 - wine pairing with each course from the world-renowned Antinori Estates

 - one limited-edition 47mm Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio wristwatch

 - one full-day Italian cooking class conducted by Le Castagne executive chef Michael DeLone.