Consumer Critique: Nielsen-Massey Extracts and McCrea's Caramels

If you have someone it's hard to shop for, consider creating a gift basket. If I'm not sure what to give, I enjoy giving collections of consumable items, instead of a trinket the recipient may or may not want. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and McCrea's Candies sent some great ideas to me

·         Hostess Gift – For the hostess who has it all, these luxurious products are the perfect, scrumptious way to say thank you.

·         Infused Holiday Drinks – Make a homemade, infused Salted Caramel & Coffee Vodka for a unique signature drink that’ll be the hit of the holiday party.

·         Caramel + Sugar + Herb – Create a sweet and savory gift for the foodie by pairing the products with a planted herb—it’s a beautiful and useful present that’s sure to delight!

I had a chance to sample gift basket with the following products:

·         McCrea's Black Lava Sea Salt Caramels (5.5 oz tube, $14.95) — Rich, creamy caramel with crystals of Hawaiian black sea salt. A moment in paradise.

·         McCrea's Classic Vanilla Caramels (5.5 oz tube, $14.95) — McCrea's original caramel generously infused with sweet, aromatic vanilla. For the purist.

·         Nielsen- Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar (7.5 oz jar, $23) — A flavorful blend of gourmet baker's sugar and the pinnacle of all vanillas, Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. Use it in any recipe where vanilla and the sweetness of sugar are desired. 

·         Nielsen-Massey's Pure Coffee Extract (2 oz bottle, $9) — The rich, freshly brewed flavor is achieved through our careful distillation of premium coffee beans. This concentrated extract is easy to keep on hand, unlike ground coffee or beans, which rapidly lose their flavor.

I absolutely loved the vanilla caramels. Normally I don't like sea salt caramel all that much - but these were really good, not over-salted like sometimes happens (I really don't like salt much at all). You can buy McCrea's online or at a variety of retailers. The vanilla sugar was a delight to use to decorate cakes or make a little different flavor than just using standard sugar. The coffee extract added a richness to cakes and can be used in a variety of recipes ( get ideas here).