Skip to content

It’s almost time for Paczki, those fried, filled pillows of deliciousness that are utterly irresistible. Zingerman’s Bakehouse makes them every year for Fat Tuesday, and this year the gluttonous day falls on Tuesday, February 28.

Our Paczki are only available for one day and sell out every year, so place an order for yours today to guarantee you don’t miss out! They come in five different filling flavors: Raspberry Preserves, Chocolate Pudding, Sweet Ricotta Cheese, Rose Hip Jam and Lemon Cream.

They’re available for pre-order and pick up at the Bakeshop (734-761-2095 ) or Zingerman’s Next Door (734-663-3354). Call or stop in at either location to place your order. 

Chocolate News & notes

The holidays are upon us and it is time to start talking gifts! Our chocolate corner is bursting with a worldly array of chocolates and confections, sure to suit most anyone on your gift list. To help spur the sweet spirit, I’ve made a list of a few of my favorites (although it is only a small percentage of our chocolate offerings!)

1. Askinosie Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Askinosie Peppermint Bark

It is no wonder this artisanally made peppermint bark made in Springfield, Missouri is a much anticipated delight in the Deli every holiday season. Shawn Askinosie layers dark single-origin chocolate with buttery single-origin white chocolate and tops it all with all-natural crushed peppermint from Denver’s Hammond’s Candies. Shawn describes his special treat as “bean to bark”, due to the chocolate he incorporates into his recipe. He uses his complex 72% Mababu,Tanzania chocolate, which is a result of a special educational project, Chocolate University. In addition Askinosie is one of the only chocolate makers in the U.S. to produce single origin white chocolate, which he presses in his shop on a machine he had built special for their factory. Makes a cheerful gift or an indulgent confection to keep all for yourself!

2. Veruca Chocolate Grown Up Gelt for Chanukah

Veruca chocolate gelt
Enjoy the tradition of Chanukah gelt a bit more deliciously! Gold and silver dusted disks from Veruca Chocolates in Chicago, are formed to look like Judean coins circa 40 B.C. As Mo Frechette of Mail Order says “The real treasure is their flavor” and this year we have them available in three sophisticated flavors: milk chocolate, dark chocolate with crunchy nibs, dark chocolate with crystals of sea salt. A great gift for every day of Chanukah!

3. Pralus Pistachio Diabolical Bar

Pralus Pistachio Diabolical Bar

A new addition to our shelves from one of France’s premier chocolate makers Francois Pralus. This intense bar is a unique treat made of 75% rich dark chocolate brimming with creamy pistachio paste and speckled with roasted pistachios. This unassumingly packaged bar, weighing in at over a quarter pound, makes for an impressive gift or I recommend slicing in crossed sections for a perfect addition to a festive fruit and cheese plate at your next party.

4. Big Picture Farm Goat Milk Caramels

I am smitten with these handmade caramels from a small family farm in Vermont. These soft & creamy caramels are crafted using rich milk from a happy herd of pasture-raised goats, lovingly tended to by farmers Louisa and Lucas. Originally makers of aged goat’s milk cheeses, the couple soon began tinkering in the kitchen and developed a smooth and buttery caramel with a complex earthy sweetness. You will find them packaged in a gift-worthy box adorned by adorable illustrations of the goats, cleverly drawn to highlight each of the animals’ individual characters.

5. Dandelion Chocolate Single-Origin Chocolate Bars

Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring craft their chocolate in a small factory in the Mission District of San Francisco. They carefully source beans from small farms and use a simple recipe of just cocoa beans & sugar, which highlight the flavor nuances of the bean and specific roast given to each of their single origin chocolate bars. Each unique batch is limited edition, numbered, signed and wrapped in decorative gold-flecked Indian paper.

6. Poco Dolce Toffee Tin

Poco Dolce Toffee Tin

The name Poco Dolce translates from Italian as “just a little sweet”. Owner, Kathy Wiley has created just that – an indulgent and addictive confection with the perfect balance of salty, savory and just the right amount of sweet. The packaging might be modest, but inside each tin you will find a whopping half pound of award-winning hand-crafted buttery toffee, with a sublime texture enrobed by bittersweet chocolate. ‘Espresso’ features toffee infused with house made espresso while ‘Popcorn’ is just that – freshly popped popcorn folded right into sea salt toffee.

7. Mindo Chocolate Makers Ecuadorian Drinking Chocolate

We are incredibly fortunate to have Mindo Chocolate Makers right in our backyard, in Dexter, MI. Our newest addition to our shelves, from our friends at Mindo is a rich drinking chocolate. After several test batch variations, and I’ll admit delicious taste tests, Barbara Wilson at Mindo Chocolate Makers concocted for us at Zingerman’s a decadent 77% dark drinking chocolate which is delicately floral, has a nice acidity and has a pleasant lingering finish. A flavorful and well balanced hot chocolate, perfect for cozying up during the cold wintery evenings ahead.

8. Enric Rovira Bombolas

These flavorful nuggets of goodness immersed in chocolate are crafted by Barcelona’s whimsical chocolate artisan, Enric Rovira. Available in two tempting varieties: Candied orange pieces, enveloped in 70% dark chocolate and gently dusted with confectioner’s sugar or Spanish Largueta almonds caramelized and dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder.

9. D. Barbero Tripolino Chocolate Covered Nougat

D. Barbero Tripolino Chocolate Covered Nougat

Made by the Barbero family since 1883, this traditional treat comes to us from Asti, located in a region of Italy known for its particularly flavorful variety of Piedmont hazelnuts.Their toasty torrone is loaded with the region’s lush roasted hazelnuts (over 51% of the recipe!). Their not-too-sweet treat is crisp and crumbly in texture, delicately aromatic and lightly sweetened with honey from beehives, which are nestled among the hazelnut trees. Once cooled the nutty slabs of torrone are smothered in extra-dark chocolate.

10. A Custom Box of Chocolates!

A Custom Box of Chocolates!

Delight those on your gift list with a custom box of handmade confections. The truffle case at Zingerman’s Next Door’s is brimming with a tantalizing assortment of hand-crafted bonbons, confections and treasures. Come peruse the selection or let one of our staff gather together the perfect assortment of flavors and textures. It is not an easy task to pick a favorite, but let me highlight a few to get you started: Chocolate in Chelsea’s Chocolate Mousse (whipped chocolate ganache, with a divine texture coated in dark chocolate); Sweet Gem’s Chocolate Covered Pate de Fruit (one nibble into the rich chocolate reveals juicy French-style fruit candy made with Michigan fruit); Chocolat Moderne’s Baby Bourbon (milk chocolate & single-grain bourbon whiskey from NY’s Tuthilltown Spirits); and Grocer’s Daughter’s Pomegranate Ginger (oozing with flavor; pomegranate extract, fresh grated ginger all dipped in dark chocolate).

Admittedly, the above list is but a tiny tip of our incredibly alluring chocolate iceberg. As always, if you’re still hunting for that perfect something and need a little assistance, our knowledgeable staff is ready and more than enthusiastic to show you their favorites and help you find a special gift for everyone on your list.

Yours in Chocolate,

Emily Case
Zingerman’s Chocolate Specialist

Rustichella Egg Laganelle

Featuring special guests Rolando Beramendi, Gianluigi Peduzzi, and Ari Weinzweig!

Please join us on Thursday, November 13, 630pm for a very special event!

We’re very fortunate to welcome  not one, but two of the powerhouses of the traditional pasta world joining Zingerman’s co-founder Ari for journey through the history of Italy’s greatest pastas.

Gianluigi Peduzzi is a third-generation pasta maker from the Abruzzo, whose Rustichella pasta line has long been one of THE best in Italy and the US. At his side we’ll have chef, importer and pastalogist extraordinaire Rolando Beramendi whose excellent palate and passion for traditional Italian food have significantly altered the food scene here in the US.

Gianluigi, Rolando and Ari will guide you through a tasting of 6 pastas starting with the very first Rustichella pasta ever brought into the US.

Here’s the evening’s pasta plan direct from Rolando:

1- Whole Wheat Penne, our first pasta ever imported into the US, so I think we will serve it very simply as aglio, olio e peperoncino. This was the recipe that was then written on the original Penne bags!

2- Linguine tossed with the simplest tomato sauce. And we’ll add some grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Simple and direct, so we can really taste the flavor of the pasta.

3- Orecchiette which we we’ll serve alla Pugliese, with broccoli rabe and sausage. This pasta calls for something hearty.

4- Egg Pappardelle will help everyone taste the difference and supple texture of an egg pasta. We’ll serve it with some melted butter, and chopped mushrooms or dry porcini.

5- PrimoGrano Sagne a Pezzi so Gianluigi can talk about his 0 Km project, which is intended to aid the recovery of local agricultural system. PrimoGrano is a 100% Abruzzo product, traveling zero distance from sowing to collection. We’ll also talk about the grains we use and what a difference they make in the flavor.

6- ZeroTre is one of our latest projects. It’s a kid’s pasta, and we’ll talk about growing up eating pastina and serving alphabet pasta in chicken stock. It’s my favorite comfort food.

This is a once in a lifetime event in Ann Arbor and guaranteed to take the quality of your pasta cooking up to the level of Italy’s best chefs!

reserve your seat here

See you soon!

pasta

Top Picks from Emily:

IMG_3514

chocomarshmallow

chocostrawberries

Pre-order Valentine’s Day Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, call 734-663-3354. Only sold in the truffle case this time of year, a real treat! Available for pick up at Zingerman’s Next Door: 2/13 through 2/16.


Valentine’s Day Chocolate & Bourbon Cocktail Hour at Zingerman’s Events on 4th – TWO Seatings!

Join us on Valentine’s Day for a sample flight of bourbon hand-picked by our very own in-house aficionados, paired with chocolate and confections made by Joan Coukos of Chocolat Moderne. The perfect complement to a dinner with your sweetheart.

reserve your 6pm-7pm seat here

reserve your 8pm-9pm seat here


Chocolate and Cheese Tasting at Zingerman’s Creamery

Join us on Valentine’s Day at 6pm for a night of tasting delicious handpicked cheeses and freshly made chocolate. We welcome special guests from Zingermans Candy Manufactory to bring the worlds of sweet & salty together for a mind-blowing chocolate and cheese event of a lifetime. With cheeses ranging from nutty, hard-crystalized Goudas to fresh, buttery-soft ripened cheeses, and fresh chocolates made especially for the event! Don’t miss it!

reserve your seat here

An evening celebrating mountain cheeses with noted cheese expert, Jonathan Richardson

Cheese of the Alps

Join Jonathan and the Zingerman’s Deli cheese folks this coming Wednesday, November 6, 630pm – 8pm, for a discussion of Alpine cheese making. Throughout the talk we will taste a selection of mountain cheeses that Jonathan helps us source and light nosh on the side. Space is limited to 30 guests.

Don’t miss this unique event!

At Zingerman’s Next Door Upstairs, 422 Detroit Street.

Call 734-663-3400 or reserve a seat online!

Piazza Zingermanza!!

It’s our Free Italian Street Fair!

This coming Saturday and Sunday, August 17th & 18th, 11:00am-3:00pm!
On the patio in between the Zingerman’s Deli and Zingerman’s Next Door

Piazza Welcome

Schedule:
12pm – Pio Tosini Prosciutto di Parma Slicing
1pm – Mozzarella Making
2pm – Parmigiano Reggiano Cutting

Parmcut

Our annual August tradition of transforming the Deli’s Patio into an Italian Street Food Fest is one of the highlights of the year. Come and watch as we cut those 80 pound wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into approachable chunks. Witness as we turn curd into delectably soft balls of mozzarella. Taste all manner of wonderful treats from Italia!

Get your fix of Prosciutto- sliced to order. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves, but they’re all firmly rooted in the traditions of the Italian gastronomic powerhouse. It’s an event not to be missed!

Check out the photos from previous years! 

See you there!