So good it will make you go nuts. The best pecans on the planet - made in Wisconsin?! Join our behind the scenes look at this premium pecan process and how these nuts are transformed into your new favorite go-to dark chocolate treat, the Magic Bar.
In this episode of Wisconsin Foodie, host Luke Zahm visits one of his chef mentors, Eric Rupert of Fortune Favors to dive into the process of producing the most delicious pecan he has ever tasted. Growing this far north, the Hickory nut is the mother root tree of all the pecans, of which there are a lot of different varieties; “pecan” is a derivative of an Algonquian word that means “nut that is really hard to crack”. With 4 basic ingredients, these special candied pecans transform North America’s only tree nut into a mouth-watering balance of maple and buttery-ness, worthy of being deemed World’s Best.
At the store front and tasting room in Madison, WI, Luke samples some of the unique Fortune Favors flavors, and gets introduced to the chef’s kiss that is the Magic Bar. A product of love from Fortune Favor’s partnership with Mayana Chocolate, this decadent, deluxe candy bar with layers of candied pecans, rich salted caramel and vanilla bean nougat covered in 66% dark chocolate provides a mouth experience where people lose their minds over these flavors.
To continue this journey and see first-hand what really is a nougat, Luke travels to Spooner, WI to meet Mayana Chocolate co-owner, Master confection maker, and one of America’s top 10 Chocolatiers, Daniel Herskovic. In Willy Wonka fashion, his team is committed to making the most finely crafted candy bar there is, all enrobed in dark chocolate. Luke gets a behind the scenes look at the Mayana chocolate and confection making process that goes into making the Magic Bars.
So what is nougat? Nougat is an aerated confection, after that, anything goes. This can range from 3 Musketeers to Charleston Chew. The process is tough work, but the end result of beautiful striation and the balance of salt, sweet and fat leave the taster with a lot of depth, and a moment meant to be savored.
00:00 This week on WI Foodie
01:20 World’s Best Pecans: one of Wisconsin’s hidden gems
02:54 Fortune favors the bold, and this small-batch nut process
04:18 What makes a good pecan
06:57 Big bold flavors and partnering for Willy Wonka factory-type magic
09:59 People lose their minds over these flavors
11:27 World-class chocolate and confection-making process
13:12 What is nougat?! A labor of love
17:11 “All my neurons right now, EVERYTHING is flowing”
20:16 “I want to get some alone time with it and enjoy it”
21:57 Say what? (Outtakes)
Extraordinary candied pecans - Fortune Favors fortunefavorsnuts.com/
Best Chocolate you’ve never heard of - Mayana Chocolate www.mayanachocolate.com/
Get your Magic Bar today fortunefavorsnuts.com/product...