Banana Split Cupcake From Ooh La La

Most of the boxes I open at work contain boring things and occasionally, the contents actually cause me physical pain as in the cases of the paper ream that gave me a mother of a paper cut.

But today I unpacked something lovely and delicious.

And, impressively, only slightly squishy from a hot car ride.

The August Cupcake of the Month from Ooh La La Sweets.

Ooh La La's August Cupcake of the Month: Banana Split.

This over-sized confection has a  Neopolitan (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) swirl cake base that is topped with a very generous portion of banana buttercream frosting, a crunchy, hard coating of dark chocolate, and, of course, a cherry. 

Decadent and a perfect representation of banana split flavors. It also boasts the advantage of not melting nearly as quickly.

Happy National Hot Fudge Sundae Day.

A short post for an ephemeral holiday.

What makes a good hot fudge? I think, uniform thickness, strong, enduring deep cocoa flavor, and melt-ability. 

The last word I made up and copyrighted. 

What's the best hot fudge sundae you've ever had? Where?

July 7th: National Strawberry Sundae Day

Happy National Strawberry Sundae Day!

[Yikes. Is she really going to cover every single contrived food holiday even marginally related to ice cream?]

YES! So, deal with it.

Are there components besides strawberries that characterize a  "strawberry sundae"? Or is any sundae that prominently features strawberries a "strawberry sundae"? Did McDonald's invent this food holiday to drum up business for their version?

McDonald's Strawberry Sundae.

These are the hard-hitting questions, my friends.

As you can see, I made my own strawberry sundae last night and while I will surely be criticized by some for using vanilla ice rather than strawberry ice cream, all I will say is: "Haters gonna hate."

Sundae, Argentine-Style

Forgive the blurriness, my eyes glazed over in anticipation.

This past week I received my bimonthly box from Try The World,  a subscription service that sends you a curated box of food products from a particular country. 

Naturally, I'm predisposed to love any type of vendor that delivers food to your door; however, Try the World is truly in a league of its own. From the cute but utilitarian packaging (collapsible Tiffany-blue boxes!), to the diversity in components (cookies, tea, sauces, spices!), to the clever touches (recipes and historical background sheets), this company has definitely tapped into what jet-setting (or those who aspire to be) foodies want. 

Drink it like regular milk.

The most recent box contained an assortment of goodies made in and traditionally associated with Argentina, including a jar of  Magdalena Dulce de Leche.  Some refer to Dulce de Leche as the official dessert of Argentina and while I'm not particularly well-versed in Argentine cuisine, cursory research suggests this sweet condiment is most often used to adorn baked goods. 

Leave it to an American, then, to dump a whole lotta it on some vanilla bean ice cream.

This product makes generic-brand caramel seem like HFCS-flavored rubber cement.