Tastëlanghe Nocciola Caramel
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. In their Nocciola Caramel, those renowned hazelnuts turn into a creamy, rich, sweet caramelly spread with a hint of salt. Light in texture but deep in flavor, this spread is full of caramel flavor from a mixture of caramelized hazelnuts and milk that is cooked down to perfection. It’s like dulce de leche, but less dense and far more flavorful. Spoon it onto ice cream, cakes, cookies, or any baked good, spread on toast or eat straight from the jar!
Tastëlanghe Nocciola Dark
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. In their Nocciola Dark, those renowned hazelnuts turn into a creamy, rich, sweet dark chocolate spread. Light in texture but deep in flavor, this spread has just a hint of dark chocolate and intense notes of roasted hazelnuts. It’s like Nutella, but less dense, far more flavorful, and with only natural ingredients. Use it to spoon onto ice cream, cakes, cookies, or any baked good or anywhere you would Nutella, spread on toast, or eat straight from the jar!
Tastëlanghe Piedmont Hazelnut Paste
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. The company uses these same renowned hazelnuts to turn them into a creamy, dreamy paste. Naturally sweet, nutty, earthy and spoonable, this spread lists hazelnuts as the only ingredient, so it is remarkably flavorful. Similar in consistency to tahini, use it for baking and cooking, stir into yogurt, add to smoothies, drizzle over ice cream, make granola or simply eat it with a spoon straight from the jar.
Blossoms Syrup Sour Cherry
The first ingredient in this Sour Cherry Syrup by Blossoms Syrup is real cherry juice concentrate, so the syrup actually tastes like cherry, not a laboratory formulation of what cherry should taste like. Winner of a Great Taste winner in 2015, our kitchen called it “lip-smacking good”–rich and dark in taste and color with just enough acidity, reminiscent of cherry pie. It hits all the marks and doesn’t contain any colorings or flavorings. Use it in cocktails like a Manhattan, in drinks like a cherry lime rickey or drizzle over ice cream. We love it swirled into yogurt and granola.
Blossoms Syrup Pomegranate
The first ingredient in this Pomegranate Syrup by Blossoms Syrup is real pomegranate fruit juice concentrate, so the syrup actually tastes like pomegranate, not a laboratory formulation of what pomegranate should taste like. For the traditionalist who prefers pomegranate in their grenadine, this pure pomegranate syrup is a great option, as the fruit flavor doesn’t get lost or muddled. Winner of a Great Taste winner in 2018, it’s tart and tangy with just enough sweetness to keep it from tasting sour. It hits all the marks, and doesn’t contain any colorings or flavorings. Use it in cocktails or drizzle on desserts. We love it swirled into yogurt and granola.
Blossoms Syrup Passion Fruit
The first ingredient in this Passionfruit Syrup by Blossoms Syrup is real passion fruit juice concentrate, so the syrup actually tastes like passion fruit, not a laboratory formulation of what passion fruit should taste like. One of our favorites from the company, we see why this was the winner of a Great Taste award in 2012 and 2019. It’s sweet—but not cloyingly so—and levels out with a balanced tartness. It hits all the marks, and doesn’t contain any colorings or flavorings. Use it in cocktails or drizzle on desserts. The founders at Blossoms even like swirling it in yogurt.
Blossoms Syrup Grenadine
The first ingredient in this Grenadine syrup by Blossoms Syrup is real fruit juice concentrate, unlike many other versions we’ve tried that end up tasting artificial. Popularized by the classic American drink, the Shirley Temple, grenadine is traditionally made from pomegranate, but most modern grenadines are actually nothing but sugar water, flavorings and dyes. Blossoms’ rendition is a deeply hued, sweet and tart syrup, purposely NOT made with pomegranate, because it normally gets lost and muddled by all of the other fruit flavors that make up grenadine. Instead, this syrup focuses on a mixture of blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant and elderberry to get its tangy, balanced grenadine flavor. It hits all the marks, and doesn’t contain any colorings or flavorings. Use it in cocktails or mix with soda water for a refreshing drink, or drizzle on desserts.
Clif Family Napa Valley Organic Peach Preserves
Made from peaches grown organically on the Clif Family Napa Valley, these peach preserves are sweet and tart with plenty of punchy, fresh peach flavor—unlike other versions that have almost a sulfuric flavor from being overcooked. With a pleasant texture that isn’t too runny but loose enough to spread, it’s great lathered on top of pancakes or biscuits, or added to a bowl of yogurt.
Clif Family Farm Organic Red Pepper Jam
We’ve been looking for a good pepper jam for awhile. Not to be confused with the popular red pepper jelly, which has a gel-like consistency and is strained to eliminate solids, red pepper jam is a thick spread containing small bits of pepper to add texture. Some versions we tried were too hot or weren’t jammy enough while others were overly stiff with a hard, crumbly texture. But when we tried this rendition from Clif Family Napa Valley, we knew we had a winner. Pourable, with a lovely red hue and perfect sweet to tart balance with a mild heat level, it makes for a great addition to cheese boards, sandwiches, veggies or as a glaze for duck or other game birds. You can even toss it with wings, or drizzle it on a pizza for a sweet and salty hit.
Clif Family Napa Valley Organic Fig Preserves
We love these thick, spreadable fig preserves, made from figs that are organically grown on the Clif Family Farm in California’s Napa Valley. They have a lovely hint of acidity from the addition of lemon, which keeps the flavor from being too cloying. With a pleasant texture that doesn’t give you a mouthful of seeds, it’s a wonderful add-on to a cheese board but also delicious treated as a breakfast jam or spread on sandwiches.
Eat This Yum Meyer Lemon Lavender Marmalade Jam
Mildly tart, this one-of-a-kind marmalade from Eat This Yum is adaptable to sweets, breakfast and savory dishes. The marmalade is surprisingly silky for housing multiple textures: Lavender buds, which subtly highlight Meyer lemon’s floral notes, and strands of lemon peel (Meyer lemons have famously tender rinds) are suspended in a loose, curd-like jelly. Use this balanced spread in everything from dessert glazes to dollops atop ricotta toast for a pop of bright citrus.
