I'm partial to Pearson's Salted Nut Roll, made in St. Paul, with its perfect combo of salt, nuts and nougat. As a child, the pleasure not only was in the taste itself but the act of disassembling the bar, peanut by peanut, as I slowly savored the salty sweetness.
These days I have a second option. Lucia's To Go offers its own homemade peanut bar with more nougat than nuts. Heidi Lee, of Lucia's, was experimenting with nougat when she created her own version. Hers is a whipped blend of brown sugar (which gives a slight maple flavor to the mixture), vanilla bean, egg whites and corn syrup, studded with roasted peanuts. Mmm.
Lee, who also makes the granola, dog treats, cookies and more at Lucia's, prepares a new batch every couple days. As any fan of Pearson's nut roll knows, a freshly made bar is an entirely different taste experience than one that has languished in a vending machine too long.
Which do I prefer? If both are fresh, I'll take one of each.
