By February 2030. Valentine's week and the tulips Gary brought are standing in the kitchen in the particular red-orange he chose this year, which are the best color of tulip and which I told him so. He said, "I know. That's why I got them." Twenty-five years of Valentines — we've been together since 2004, married since 2005 — and he is still bringing the right flowers. Not because he consults a list but because he pays attention. That's what love looks like after twenty-five years: attentive, specific, still trying.
I made the chocolate lava cakes for Clara Grace's first Valentine's — she's nine months old and cannot eat lava cake but can eat the very small amount of chocolate that Mia allowed, and her response to chocolate for the first time was the same as her response to every food she encounters: absolute focused attention followed by a second request. She reached for the spoon. That's a Larson child.
Olivia called on Sunday with news I'd been half-expecting: she's met someone. A policy analyst at her organization, she said, someone who thinks about food systems the way she thinks about food systems, and they've been seeing each other for four months. She sounded happy in the specific way that people sound when something good has been happening and they've been carrying it carefully for a while and are ready to share it. I said, "Tell me about him." She told me. His name is James. He comes from Maryland. He has a mother who is an excellent cook. I said, "Bring him to Thanksgiving." She laughed. She said, "I was going to say the same thing."
The chocolate lava cakes are our Valentine’s standard now, but this year I wanted something a little more celebratory — the kind of dessert that matches the feeling of twenty-five years of getting it right, of Olivia’s careful happiness over James, of Clara Grace reaching for that spoon with absolute conviction. Deep-fried Snickers are ridiculous in the best way: warm, over-the-top, and impossible not to smile at. Some moments deserve a dessert that doesn’t hold back.
Deep-Fried Snickers
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 full-size Snickers bars, frozen for at least 2 hours
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Caramel sauce or chocolate sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Freeze the candy bars. Place unwrapped Snickers bars on a parchment-lined plate and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until completely solid. Do not skip this step — a frozen bar holds together in the hot oil.
- Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of about 3 inches. Heat over medium-high heat to 375°F. Use a candy or fry thermometer to monitor the temperature.
- Make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until a smooth, thick batter forms.
- Coat the bars. Working one at a time, insert a wooden skewer or chopstick into each frozen Snickers bar. Dip into the batter, turning to coat all sides completely and letting any excess drip off.
- Fry until golden. Carefully lower each battered bar into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until the batter is deep golden brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pot — fry in batches if needed.
- Drain and serve. Transfer fried bars to a paper towel—lined plate and let rest for 1 minute. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve immediately with caramel or chocolate sauce on the side, if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 68g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 310mg