Chick-Fil-A sauce is not just your ordinary honey-mustard dipping sauce. There's a smokiness to it and it is one of my family's favorite sauces for their Chick Fil A sandwiches and nuggets.
I opened up my CFA app and a pop up with this message came up:
"Due to industrywide supply chain shortages, some items, like sauces, may be unavailable."
What??? We were able to each get a packet of sauce with our entree, but that's it. No more asking for "extra sauce."☹️
Then all the news outlets started sharing the shortages on social media.
A slight panic set in. What to do?? First it was toilet paper & now it's CFA sauce?
Apparently, this is happening to other fast food restaurants, citing both labor and supply shortages. For example, ketchup packets are in high demand and in short supply. Heinz announced a 25% increase in production.
Note, that CFA did NOT say that their sauce is in short supply...they said that it "may not be available due to a supply chain shortage." This leads me to believe that CFA sauce IS being manufactured, just not readily available.
What is a supply chain? A network of people, organizations & activities that move a product from supplier to customer. It works like a chain and if it's broken in one or more areas, customers may not be able to get product.
A disruption: Any sudden change or crisis, local or global, that has a negative impact on the process.
WHY is this happening?
CFA didn't give a reason, but my guess is the Covid-19 pandemic has created a ripple effect in the work force (processing & transportation) and demand is greater than the supply. Experts tell us there is NOT a food shortage.
What to do?
1. Buy CFA sauce at your grocery store.
Yay! Walmart was completely OUT of the original CFA sauce, but had plenty of their Polynesian flavor. I drove over to my Smiths (Kroger) store and look what I found!
You can find it at Walmart, Target, Kroger or even at Amazon. It is 16oz and the price ranges from $3.49-$3.99.
BONUS: Did you know that 100% of the profits from these CFA sauces are donated to their scholarship program? Cool, right?
These popular cornbread cookies only come every once in a while, so here's my recipe to satisfy your Crumbl craving! Warm cookies, brushed with a honey butter glaze and a dollop of honey buttercream frosting on top are sure to fit the bill.
A friend of mine saw my Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and gave me a challenge, should I choose to accept it, to make her Crumbl favorite Cornbread cookie. She and her family became my taste testers, giving me feedback while I tweaked the recipe.
IMPORTANT: Flatten the tops of these chilled cookies slightly. Otherwise, they will look like domes after baking.
I put the plastic wrap over the cookie and smoosh it with a drinking glass to about 2.5".
Right after baking, these warm cookies are brushed with a honey butter glaze that soaks into the cookie...
While the cookies are cooling on the baking sheet, make the fluffy Honey Buttercream frosting.
Using my small, 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, I put a dollop of creamy honey buttercream frosting on top of each cookie.
Ooooops....they are a little too warm! The frosting begins to slide off the cookie...
Once cooled and frosted, these cookies were gobbled up quickly!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my friend and our family did. 😍
Crumbl Cornbread Cookie Copycat
Yield: 10 extra large cookies
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from several recipes
Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 17 Total time: 45 min
These simple cookies are brushed while warm with honey butter, topped with whipped honey buttercream frosting & taste like a warm corn muffin fresh from the oven.
Ingredients:
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter (156g)
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (117g)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (180g)
1 cup yellow cornmeal (139g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt (reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter)
Honey Butter Glaze
1/4 cup honey
4 Tablespoons butter
Honey Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature soft
2 Tablespoons honey
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons heavy cream or evaporated milk
Instructions:
Crumbl Cornbread Cookies
In an electric stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.
Add vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Using a large #16 cookie scoop (1/4 cup), scoop the cookies onto a plastic lined tray or plate.
Cover with lid or plastic wrap and place cookie dough in the fridge to chill for 1-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.
Place 6 chilled cookies on each prepared baking sheet.
Before baking, flatten each cookie with a flat bottom drinking glass, to about 2.5" in diameter.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or till cookies are a light golden color and tops are just beginning to set. Cookies will appear to be under baked, but will continue to bake while cooling on the baking sheet.
Remove baking sheet from oven & allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.
Prepare the Honey butter glaze: warm together in microwave or sauce pan and brush cookies while they are warm & continuing to cool on the baking sheet.
Prepare Honey Buttercream Frosting: Cream together honey & butter with electric mixer. Add halft of the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add milk, mixing well. Add rest of powdered sugar on low speed, then mix on med-high speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Frost cooled cookies with honey buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
Notes: Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months. Bake as directed, straight from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to bake time.
Baked & cooled cookies store well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment or foil between cookies and store in a freezer safe baggie, removing as much air as possible. To thaw, remove cookies from the container and allow to come to room temperature before serving
I didn't until last week. I grew up with this CRUNCHY whole wheat cereal as a child and still love it to this day. I enjoy it with cold milk, heated as a hot cereal, or as toppings in my homemade yogurt.
Apparently, due to the pandemic, GrapeNuts has been in short supply. Post hopes to get this cereal back on the shelves by late Spring, but in the meantime, you can make your own!
I couldn't believe how easy this was to make....
Ingredients
White Wheat Flour - I grind my own wheat flour, but you can use King Arthur Whole White Wheat or Prairie Gold White Wheat flour. I prefer the color and mild taste of white wheat flour, but you can definitely use red wheat flour for a heartier, nuttier taste. Weighing your flour will give you more consistent results.
Brown Sugar - I used light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar for a deeper, darker color and stronger flavor. This recipe tastes sweeter than the original GrapeNuts, but you can cut it back to 3/4 cup.
Buttermilk - Gives moisture and a slight tang to the recipe. I used milk & lemon juice (or vinegar) to create a soured milk that works great in place of buttermilk. You can use powdered buttermilk and water as well.
Salt -added to enhance the flavors
Baking Soda -neutralizes the acid (from the buttermilk), adds tender texture and leaving (rising).
1. Mix all the ingredients together, scraping the sides of the bowl. I really enjoy my Kitchen Aid Flex Edge beater that scrapes the sides.
4. Remove and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
5. Once cool, break into large chunks and place into a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don't pulse too many times or it will become a powder. 6. Spread the crumb mixture onto 2-3 large cookie sheets or in a couple of 9x13 baking pans and place in the oven. Bake, stirring mixture every 15 minutes or until crisp.
7. Cool the cereal completely and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. For longer storage, put cereal in the freezer for up to three months.
The cereal tasted great, was super crunchy, but the real test comes with pouring milk...
These little nuggets stayed crunchy and were perfectly sweet, without any need for sugar.
I plan on making this again and again, as I always have the ingredients on hand. I hope you try this recipe and let me know your results. Enjoy!
Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal
Yield: 8 cups
Author: Frieda Franchina, adapted from HeavenlyHomemakers recipe
Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 1 hour 15 min Total time: 1 hour 30 min
A crunchy, nutty-sweet cereal that is great with cold or hot milk, or as a topping on yogurt.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 532g/18oz
1 cup brown sugar, 217g/7.6oz
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice & enough milk to make 2 cups)
Instructions:
Homemade Grape Nuts Cereal
In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, combine the wheat flour, sugar, salt, & baking soda.
Pour the buttermilk into dry ingredients, mixing well. Mixture should resemble a thick batter.
Prepare a 13x18 baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or grease it well with butter or shortening.
Spread the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, into an even layer.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 15 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Once cooled, break the bread into large chunks and place into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Don't over process into a powder.
Divide crumbs between 2 or 3 large 13x18 cookie sheets and spread into a single layer.
Reduce oven temperature to 250°F, place baking sheets with crumbs and bake for 1-1.5 hours, stirring mixture every 15 minutes, or till crisp.
Remove from oven & cool completely, about 30 min and store in an air tight container for up to two weeks. For longer storage, put cereal in freezer safe baggies for up to three months.
Notes: You can use white or red wheat flour. I like to use white wheat for a more mild flavor. You can use light or dark brown sugar. Dark sugar will give your cereal a darker color and more pronounced flavor. For a malt flavor, try adding 1 teaspoon barley malt powder or flour.
These creamy, dreamy peanut butter balls, dipped in melted chocolate, are SO much better than the store bought Reese's Peanut Butter cups! With only a handful of pantry ingredients, they are SO easy to make, so grab your kiddos and give this recipe a try.
These are also known as "Buckeyes." There is a tree native to Ohio that produces seeds, and these chocolates sure look like them...eyes from a male (buck) deer....I haven't seen a buck up close, so I wouldn't know for sure.
Buckeye Nut
So, go here if you want to know more about Ohio & buckeyes.
The recipe couldn't be more simple. Mix softened butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extractin a stand mixer to make a stiff dough. I love using this Flex Edge beater that scrapes the sides of my bowl!
Use a small, one Tablespoon cookie scoop, filled with peanut butter goodness, and level it by scrapping off the excess against the bowl.
Roll each ball between your hands and chill in the fridge until firm.
Melt chocolate chips with some shortening (or butter), and dip your peanut butter balls into the chocolate. The original Buckeye recipe has you take a toothpick, insert it into the peanut butter ball, and dip it into the chocolate. I found this method of using a fork & a toothpick SO much easier and faster.
1. Simply put your peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate.
2. Using a fork, swirl the peanut butter ball in the chocolate until fully coated.
3. Tap the fork against the edge of the bowl a couple of times,
4. Scrape off the excess chocolate with the fork, on the edge of the bowl.
5. Use a toothpick to push the coated chocolate ball onto your prepared cookie sheet.
by Frieda Franchina, adapted from several recipes April-3-2020
These chocolate covered peanut butter balls taste so much better than the store bought version. The creamy centers are incredibly easy to make and even easier to make an impression! Tip: Sift your powdered sugar first, then measure. If you don't have a microwave, use a metal/glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Ingredients
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (sift, then measure)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoons shortening, or butter
Instructions
1. Put softened butter in a bowl. With a mixer, blend until smooth.2. Add peanut butter & vanilla extract, creaming together until smooth.3. Add sifted powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, until fully incorporated, making a stiff dough.4. Using a small cookie scoop, measure and place onto a prepared cookie sheet lined with wax paper, parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.5. Roll each ball between hands until smooth & place filled baking sheet in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.6. Melt chocolate chips & shortening in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute on High power. Stir, then microwave an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.7. Remove peanut butter balls from the fridge and dip in chocolate, using a fork and scraping the excess chocolate on the edge of the bowl. 8. Using a toothpick, push the covered chocolate from the fork & back onto the prepared baking sheet. 9. For "Buckeyes," use a tooth pick inserted into the peanut butter ball, and dip into the melted chocolate, returning to prepared baking sheet, chocolate side down.10. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.
Details
Prep time: Chill time: Total time: 2Yield: approx. 28 balls
