Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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FOOD IN FOCUS MORE COOKIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD Acme Import Co., importer of cookies from England and Germany; acmeimport.com Almondina/YZ Enterprises, producer of Almondina cookies, based on the owner's grandmother's recipe for Petit Gateau Sec; almondina.com Atalanta Corporation, importer of cookies such as the Solo Italiana brand; atalantacorp.com Bewley Irish Imports, importer of such cookies as Sunstart brand; bewleyirishimports.com Brands of Britain, importer of European cookies such as Dean's of Scotland brand; brandsofbritain.com Carl Brandt Inc., importer of European cookies; carlbrandt.com Chewys Rugulach, authentic rugulach in 21 flavors including Apple Raisin and Poppyseed; chewys.com Dare Foods, producer of cookies such as Canadian Whippets; darefoods.com Euro-American Brands LLC, importer of holiday cookies from Europe; euroamericanbrands.com French Farm, importer of cookies from France such as the Traou Mad brand; frenchfarm.com Gourmet International, importer of cookies including Bahlsen, Manner and Loaker brands; gourmetint.com Henry Lambertz Inc., producer of an array of German cookies; lambertzus.com Heritage Shortbread, maker of Scottish shortbread based on a family recipe; heritageshortbread.com Holland American Food Co. Inc., importer of Dutch cookies; hollandamericanfood.com Independent French Manufacturers, importer of French cookies such as Biscuiterie de l'Abbaye butter cookies; ifm-usa.com Kelsen Inc., producer of Danish butter cookies; kelsen.com Minuet Cookies/Fimex Inc., imports cookies and wafers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East; minuetcookies.com Peters Imports, a KeHe company, importer of cookies from Europe; petersimports.com that have never tried them, but based on the quality of the coffee, they trust to try the speculaas." An even bigger seller for Behrmann is the stroopwafel. "It's common to see 15 brands of stroopwafels in every Dutch grocery store," he says. While the speculoos is a dry cookie, the stroopwafel sandwiches buttery caramel between two paper-thin waffle cookies. It's typically placed over a hot beverage to let the caramel soften, mak- ing it a delectable treat. South American Dulce de Leche. One of Argentina's most beloved delicacies is the caramel-like spread dulce de leche. Popular as a cake filling, a spread for toast or an ice-cream flavor, it's also the quintessential filling for alfajores, a traditional Argentinean cookie composed of two thin, buttery short- bread-like cookies with a smooth filling, often enrobed in coverture chocolate, sugar icing or meringue. "People love dulce de leche, which dif- fers from the caramel American consumers are used to as it's made only with milk, sugar, vanilla and a touch of sea salt and boiled down for several hours until it is creamy and delicious," explains Graciela Schargorodsky, owner of Dulce Caramel Co., Buffalo Grove, Ill. Eager to bring her love of her home- land's most popular cookies to the U.S., Schargorodsky began selling her alfajores in 2011, combining her memory of the cookies with French techniques she learned in cooking school. She initially launched the traditional flavors, including Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche and Tradicional, a shortbread with dulce de leche filling and lemon zest. The response has been so positive that the line may soon be growing. "We're coming up with new takes on the flavors, such as filling them with chocolate mousse," Schargorodsky reveals. Also on offer are White Chocolate Dulce de Leche 100 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com Alfajores and individually wrapped choco- late Dulceletts. Knowing that cookies make excellent gifts, she packages her alfajores ready to give, with a burgundy wax seal and hand-tied raffia knot. The treats from Dulce Caramel Company aren't the only ones that will be distinctively packaged for gift-giving. As you plan your cookie holiday merchandising, consider creating one major destination for inter- national cookies to make the most of the gift-giving potential. Batch treats near other country-specific imports, and highlight the history of the cookies while giving consum- ers the opportunity to sample the flavors of these sweets. The holidays especially are a great time to sell not only to customers who are already looking for these international delicacies but also to those who are looking for unusual and interesting gifts. |SFM| Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. Turn to p. 110 for cookie recipes from around the world.