NATIONAL PEANUT CLUSTER DAY

March 8th is National Peanut Cluster Day!  Melted chocolate mixed with peanuts makes a perfect combination for sweet and salty deliciousness!

Two things had to happen for peanut clusters to even exist. First, a method had to be invented for the cocoa bean to be processed and transformed into what we know as chocolate. That process wasn’t widely used until about the late 1890s and just about the same time the second extraordinary thing happened; agriculture found a way to grow the peanut and bring it to the public with steel tools and steam power.  

It didn’t take long for confectioneries to add the now readily available peanuts to melted chocolate. The sheer simplicity of the salty peanuts added to sweetened chocolate is a mouthwatering temptation few can resist, even today. Candy makers find them to be a popular addition to cookie tins or other holiday baskets. Their simplicity allows bakers to easily round out any cookie or bar tray. They also quickly satisfy a snack craving without much effort at all. 

More Candy….

HOW TO OBSERVE #PeanutClusterDay

Peanut clusters are an easy to make snack that can be ready in just minutes.  Melt the chocolate. Add the peanuts and stir them together. Drop them by spoonfuls into a “cluster” on waxed paper or foil. Let them harden and then ENJOY!!

Remember to share! Use #PeanutClusterDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE DAY

National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day on March 6th offers another way to celebrate one of our favorite desserts. 

Cheesecake is a sweet dessert that is a mixture of soft fresh cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs and sugar on a crust made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry or sponge cake. Cheesecakes can be prepared baked or unbaked and are often served topped with fruit, chocolate or whipped cream. There are many flavors in which cheesecakes can be prepared. However, this day honors the white chocolate cheesecake

Now, white chocolate is not chocolate in the strictest sense. It doesn’t contact cocoa solids. During the process of manufacturing chocolate, the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean separates from the fatty content. With milk or dark chocolate, these solids are reincarnated. However, when making white chocolate, these solids don’t return to the mixture. Additionally, white chocolate contains less caffeine than its darker counterparts. It also loses some of the health benefits as well since it tends to contain more fat and sugar. Add it to an already rich dessert and, well, decadence should be expected. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay

Make a white chocolate cheesecake to celebrate. We’ve provided several recipes to try. Or, visit your favorite bakery and give them a shoutout!

White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
Fluffy White Chocolate Cheesecake
No-Bake WhiteChocolate Cheesecake
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies

More Cheesecake…

Use #WhiteChocolateCheesecakeDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE-COVERED NUT DAY

National Chocolate-Covered Nut Day on February 25th recognizes the delicious and crunchy snack drizzled, covered, dunked, or smothered in chocolate. The possibilities are endless with so many different types of nuts and chocolate combinations.

For thousands of years, nuts have been a staple of the human diet. The walnut was a favorite of the ancient Greeks and Romans, while Native Americans favored pecans.

Both chocolate and nuts can be good for you. Dark chocolate possesses a substantial amount of antioxidants, while the nuts contain essential fatty acids and linolenic acids. For the most part, the fats in nuts are unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated fats. Nuts also provide arginine, a substance that may help make the walls of the arteries more flexible and less prone to blockage from blood clot formation. Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B2 and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.

The first chocolate-covered peanut candy was Goobers, originally sold in 1925. The word “Goober” was a common slang word for peanut. 

One of the more recognized chocolate-covered nuts is the M & M. These chocolate-covered peanuts or chocolate-covered almonds have become a favorite of many. The peanut M & M was introduced in 1954. They were tan until 1960 when the colors red, yellow, and green were added to production.

Go Nuts!!!!

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE-COVERED NUT DAY HISTORY

While we continue to seek the origins of this day, we’re not withholding any reward. Chocolate, with or without nuts, is a staple snack in the National Day Calendar offices. That doesn’t mean we won’t stop looking for the founder of the day. It just means, it might be helpful if the answer was at the bottom of a bag of Brach’s chocolate-covered peanuts. 

HOW TO OBSERVE CHOCOLATE-COVERED NUT DAY

  • Eat a chocolate-covered nut.
  • Visit your favorite candy or chocolate shop and pick up some chocolate-covered nuts.
  • Make chocolate-covered nuts at home.
  • Give a gift of chocolate-covered nuts.
  • Have a taste test using different nuts and different chocolates.
  • Use #ChocolateCoveredNutDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MINT DAY

Recognized by the US National Confectioners Association, National Chocolate Mint Day is observed annually across the nation on February 19th. This holiday has been set aside for all the chocolate mint lovers to eat their favorite treats all day long.

The Aztecs and Mayans are given much credit for their ways with chocolate. And while chocolate was brought back to Europeans, they were not fond of the dark, bitter bean, so they used more for medicinal purposes.

As it was mostly consumed as a hot beverage, Europeans mixed mint, cinnamon and other spices to make it more palatable. Over time, they added sugar, and the combination of chocolate and mint became fashionable.

Fast forward to the mid-1800s when inventions and improvements in processes made it possible for confectioners to begin mass-producing chocolates. Even then, small candy shops served a local public. Advertisements for mint chocolates, or chocolate mints, did not start showing up in newspapers until the turn of the century.

Quest Nutrition Ultimate Variety Pack, High Protein, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Keto Friendly, 12 Count

by Quest Nutrition
My husband loves these.  Quest Nutrition Ultimate Variety Pack, High Protein, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Keto FrienMy husband loves these.  dly, 12 Count

by Quest Nutrition

The International Dairy Foods Association states that mint chocolate chip is the 10th most popular flavor of ice cream.

One of the earliest mass-producers of chocolate mints was Huyler’s in New York. Their chain of stores spread across the country. 

YORK Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, Valentines Day, Shareable Stand up party bag, bulk candy, 35.2 oz
by York
YORK Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, Valentines Day, Shareable Stand up party bag, bulk candy, 35.2 oz

by York


We find mint chocolate in everything from ice cream to brownies, cookies and candies, liquors and sauces. Girl Scouts first sold Thin Mint cookies in 1953 and are still their most popular cookie. Mint chocolate is also the name of an herb with edible leaves that tastes like chocolate and mint.

Andes Creme De Menthe Thin Mints, 120-Count Thins
by Tootsie Roll
Andes Creme De Menthe Thin Mints, 120-Count Thins

by Tootsie Roll


HOW TO OBSERVE #ChocolateMintDay

Below is a favorite frosting recipe for chocolate cake. It looks great decorated with chocolate mint candies, a perfect way to celebrate National Chocolate Mint Day!

Mint Frosting for Chocolate Cake

1 package cream cheese (8 0z), softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
Green food coloring

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.  On low speed, beat in mint extract, 2 to 3 drops of green food coloring and 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar until mixed.  Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Store frosted cake in refrigerator.

Use #ChocolateMintDay to post on social media. Combine with National Vet Girls rock day, and give to as many female veterans as you can find.