If the big game is must-see TV in your household, we’ve got three things you might want to have on hand.
Football pan from Wilton
How about an edible football? Wilton makes a football-shaped pan that you can use to bake a cake or a loaf of bread, or to shape one giant chocolate-flavored Rice Krispies treat. We tried all three. The pan will hold the batter for a two-layer cake, but be sure to grease it really well. We sprayed it with nonstick spray, then gave it a light coating of flour. The pan comes with directions for decorating a cake with buttercream — chocolate for the football and vanilla for the laces and end stripes. We also had great luck with baking a loaf of oatmeal bread in the pan, just right for a hearty make-it-yourself sandwich during the game. Chocolate Rice Krispies treats require just the addition of some cocoa to the standard recipe, and with plenty of nonstick spray on the pan, the big football released perfectly, ready for the addition of laces and stripes piped with vanilla frosting. Whatever you use the pan for, the football-shaped result will be a great conversation piece.
$16.59. Available at wilton.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The Atlanta Hot Sauce from Small Axe Peppers
Hot sauce is a game-day standard. Forget team rivalries, and declare your local pride with the Atlanta Hot Sauce from Small Axe Peppers. The company, based in the Bronx in New York City, donates hot pepper seeds to more than 75 community gardens in 15 cities across the country. Then, Small Axe purchases the peppers grown from these seeds (more than 11,000 pounds of peppers in 2021) and uses them to make a line of sweet and savory hot sauces. Fun facts: the biggest harvest was from the New Roots Community Garden in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they harvested almost 3,000 pounds of peppers; the smallest was from the Kids Garden in Great Falls, Montana, where they harvested 2 pounds. We got our hands on the Atlanta sauce, made with jalapenos, Thai chile peppers, peaches and onions. It’s a light green sauce, with heat-forward flavor tempered by the sweetness of the peaches and onions. Small Axe Peppers even makes city-branded T-shirts, so you can wear your loyalty for all to see.
$7.99 per 5-ounce bottle, $30 for the Atlanta Hot Sauce T-shirt. Available at smallaxepeppers.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Vegan cheese from Eat Unrestricted
Cheese dip and chips is standard munching when watching the game, but what if you’re vegan, or are having vegan guests over? Dianna King and Eric Thompson of Atlanta-based Eat Unrestricted have the solution — the Better Cheddar, which is nut-free and soy-free. When we picked up our jars, we were surprised to discover that the primary ingredients are potatoes, carrots and aquafaba. We never had tried a vegan “cheese” that was made with a base of anything but nuts, so we were looking forward to sampling this. These are creamy sauces, the color of cheddar (from those carrots!) and full of flavor. At room temperature, we enjoyed it as a dip for crackers or tortilla chips. Warm, it has just the right saucy texture for dressing your favorite pasta. As a matter of fact, in addition to Better Cheddar, Eat Unrestricted also sells pre-made mac and cheese. The cheese comes in original, garlic, spicy and chipotle flavors — our favorite is the garlic.
$18.99 for two 12-ounce jars, $13.99 per 21-ounce jar. Available at Nuts ‘n Berries and at eatunrestricted.com.
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