For Neil Edley of Forty Fort, PA’s Sugar Plum Chocolates, he didn’t choose the sweet life — it chose him. Since he was 15 years old, he’s been operating his confections business with his mother Frann in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Though his company focuses on premium, gourmet chocolates, Edley isn’t afraid to think outside-the-box when it comes to flavors. Willing to experiment with any combination that comes to mind — whether it’s bourbon caramel pretzel chocolate or Caribbean jerk peanuts — his team specializes in custom products. A graduate of renowned culinary college Johnson & Wales, Edley knows his way around a kitchen, and he brought lots of great ideas and ingredients along with him during his visit to the Pennsylvania Kitchen.
He and his assistant Gabby offered us one sweet and one savory way to use Sugar Plum’s delectable products, and both were divine. The first is a citrus thyme pecan salad, loaded with local veggies and topped with Sugar Plum’s own kettle-cooked Tangerine & Thyme pecans and a honey and orange-spiked dressing that you’ll make over and over again. The second recipe is for perfectly fudgy espresso brownies, made with eggs from backyard chickens, organic cocoa and other top-quality ingredients. Take a peek behind the scenes with this video, then keep an eye out for both of these fabulous recipes, coming to PA Eats soon!
- Video and photo: Dish Works
