Flashback Friday – Num Yummy

The following originally appeared on 10/24/08 at Exit 51.

Num Yummy

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the commercials with Mr. Num Yummy – the guy who can’t get his face out of a cup of soup – raise an interesting question.  Namely, what food do you find so irresistible that you can’t pull yourself away? Like Pooh, sticking a paw in the buzzing hive because that’s where the honey is, I’m a sucker for caramel.

Not the sickly sweet sauce that comes from the grocery store, and not the chalky squares hermetically sealed in plastic either.  Nope, I’m talking about the smooth liquid love that only comes from a pot on your stove.   I’ve been neglecting this love of mine because I can’t resist its charms.  Having it in the house is a one way ticket out of the South Beach life.  But SFC’s birthday is coming up and I thought what better way to say I love you than to make the most cracktastic treat in the world – Chocolate Covered Matzoh Crunch.

The last time I made it, I knew I was in trouble.  My waist, if not my mortal soul, was at risk.  Its powers are that strong.  So the recipe stayed hidden away, surrounded by idols and charms to keep it from calling out to me.  But the caramel would not be dismissed.

It waited for me over at Smitten Kitchen where Deb offered a primer on Caramel Sauce.  And then it led me further away from the light with David Lebovitz’s Ten Tips for Making Caramel and How to Make the Perfect Caramel.  Which was really just its way of getting me back to where this all started with DL’s recipe for Matzoh Crunch.

So after I get back from New York I’m going to say a few Hail Mary’s, sprinkle some holy water, and let the devil back into the kitchen.  If you don’t hear from me in a week, please send help.