Peppermint Marshmallows
Posted: December 17, 2015 Filed under: Candy (6), Holidays (29) | Tags: Candycane Marshmallows, Marshmallows with crushed candycane, Marshmallows with egg whites, Peppermint Marshmallows Leave a comment
Some treats evoke a sense of cozy. Marshmallows are cozy. Fluffy, soft, sweet- what’s not to like. This is the season of joyful and cozy eating and indulging. Just go with it. Forget the diet for now. Just once in your life you need to make homemade marshmallows. I think Christmas time is the perfect time. Imagine Christmas morning as you set up a hot chocolate bar and include these as part of your cozy plan. Make your hot chocolate and have it sitting warm on the stove as your little gremlins open their presents.
I have made mallows several times and I find my favorite recipe is one with a little egg white in the mix. They come out softer and less rubbery. The Husband proclaimed he doesn’t even like marshmallows but he likes these. A lot. This recipe makes a nice thick square when cut and quite a few so you can wrap them in cellophane bags and give as gifts-perhaps with a sleeve of mocha, hot chocolate mix or peppermint mocha mix. Plan to make them early in the day or the night before so they can set up. It’s a gift to yourself curled up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and tucked into your favorite fuzzy blanket.
Peppermint Marshmallows
yield: one 9×13 inch pan (36-40 marshmallows)
3/4 Cup cold water
3 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin
3 Cups sugar
3/4 Cup light corn syrup
3/4 Cup hot water
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pure peppermint extract
3 Tbsp. finely crushed peppermint candy canes (about 3 mini candy-canes)
red food coloring
confectioners sugar and cornstarch for tossing marshmallows
Line a 9×13 inch pan with baking parchment, allowing excess to hang over both sides. Sprinkle liberally with confectioners sugar
Place the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl with set up of mixer with whisk attachment.
In a small bowl place cold water. Sprinkle gelatin over water a teaspoon at a time allowing to soak in as your sprinkle. Let stand to bloom.
In a heavy saucepan (3-4 quart) combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt. Cook over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Once sugar dissolves, stop stirring insert a candy thermometer and continue to cook until mixture reaches soft ball stage (240 F on a candy thermometer). Once mixture reaches 200 F start to beat egg whites on medium high-speed until stiff; BE CAREFUL TO NOT LET WHITES GET OVERBEATEN AND DRY. IF OVERBEATEN, THEY WILL APPEAR CURDLED. Turn mixer speed down to low if whites appear to be ready before sugar mixture reaches 240 F. Once mixture reaches 240° F turn off heat and add the bloomed gelatin, and whisk with hand whisk to combine. Carefully pour the sugar/gelatin mixture to the stiff egg whites down the side of mixer bowl in a steady stream being careful not to let sugar touch whisk. Add in vanilla, peppermint and crushed candy cane and beat until stiff and glossy; about 8-10 minutes. Pour half of marshmallow mixture into prepared pan spread to distribute evenly, then drop about 6-8 drops of red food coloring, moving quickly swirl color into mallow. Pour the remaining mallow into pan, spread evenly and again drop more random food color and swirl with knife or bamboo skewer. Dust entire surface with confectioners sugar and cover with plastic wrap.
refrigerate marshmallows overnight to allow to set. Remove entire slab of marshmallow using the parchment paper and cut into squares using sharp scissors.
Whisk together 1 Cup confectioners sugar along with 1/2 Cup confectioners sugar and toss cut marshmallows. Shake off excess sugar mixture and store in an airtight container.
Raspberry Lemonade Bars
Posted: July 4, 2015 Filed under: Bars/Brownies (17), Citrus (28), Holidays (29), Raspberry/Blackberry (25) | Tags: Raspberry Lemon Bars, Raspberry Lemonade Bars Leave a comment
Happy Independence Day
Raspberry Lemonade Bars
yield: (about 30-32 bars-depending on the size cut)
Crust:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Cups flour
pinch of salt
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt together, then add to butter/sugar and beat until combined. Prepare a 9×13 inch pan lined with parchment paper with a 2 inch overhang. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° F and bake for 15-20 minutes until very lightly browned. Place the pan on a wire rack while you make the filling.
Filling:
2 1/2 Cups sugar
zest of 3 lemons
1/2 Cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 Cup seedless raspberry puree (press fresh or thawed frozen raspberries through a fine sieve).
6 large eggs
1 Cup flour
red and/or burgundy gel paste food color (optional)
Confectioners sugar for serving
1. In a food processor pulse the sugar and lemon zest together several times; about 8-10. Add the lemon juice, raspberry puree, and eggs and combine until smooth. Add in the flour and pulse to combine. The filling is not quite the color that I liked- so I added a few drops of red and burgundy gel paste food coloring.
2. Pour the filling onto the crust and bake in a preheated 350° F oven for about 30 minutes until set; when you jiggle the pan the center should not look loose. Let pan cool over a wire rack. Refrigerate the pan of bars until well chilled before cutting into bars. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar before serving.
Happy Chinese New Year 2015: Chinese Almond Cookies
Posted: February 22, 2015 Filed under: Cookies (39), Holidays (29) | Tags: Almond Cookies, Chinese Almond Cookies, Chinese New Year Cookies 5 CommentsHappy Chinese New Year 2015. The year of the sheep or as some say; the goat. These cookies are simple and perfect any time of year with a little bit of tea, but very popular during Lunar New Year. May the year bring you prosperity, good health, and above all-happiness.
Chinese Almond Cookies
yield: about 4 1/2 dozen small cookies
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 Cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
3/4 Cup almond meal (almond flour)
1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 egg (for egg wash)
2 tsp. milk (for egg wash)
blanched almonds for tops of cookies*
* (If you don’t have blanched almonds-you can take whole almonds with the skin on-and soak them in water for 1 hour. After one hour drain the almonds and gently push the skins off by pressing with your first two fingers. Blot almonds with paper towels to absorb any excess water).
1. Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy; about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and almond extract. Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and combine on medium speed until almost combined. With clean hands mix together gently until rest of dough is combined. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and roll each into a 1.5 inch wide by 14 inch long log; wrap in parchment paper and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 325° F. In a small bowl; make the egg wash by whisking the egg and milk until combined. Cut logs into scant 1/2 inch slices and press an almond onto each cookie. Place cookies 2 inches apart. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 17-19 minutes until cookies are light golden brown. Let cool on sheets over a wire rack until cooled. Serve with tea.
New Years Eve Champagne Cocktails
Posted: December 28, 2014 Filed under: Beverages/Cocktails (22), Holidays (29) | Tags: New Years Eve Champane Cocktails, Sherbet Cocktails, Turquoise Sip Champagne Cocktail 5 CommentsI’m not one to go out on New Years Eve. This does not mean I don’t drink champagne; that is a MUST. I’ve just never been one to go out and party on New Year’s Eve; for some reason I enjoy staying at home and making a special meal and celebrating with the ones I love.
With champagne.
I know that sounds incredibly boring. I love champagne. I know a lot of people do not really care for the taste of it, so I have made it my mission to come up with a few ideas for you. Yes, there was some serious tasting and research involved. Someone has got to do it. You see the lengths I go to for you?! . The first champagne cocktail is a turquoise sip. I just made that up. Perhaps it is a rif on a blue angel-so I’ll just call it the New Years Eve Champagne Cocktail, or maybe I’ll call it the turquoise sip. That sounds kinda cool; or maybe it’s because it’s a Sunday morning and I just have had waaayyy too much champagne taking photos and making cocktails…yep, that’s it for sure.
The second cocktail is really a process and less of a recipe and that is filling a champagne flute with different flavors of sorbet or sherbet and then filling with champagne. You could totally use 7-up or a lemon line soda in place of in both these drinks so your young-ins can partake. For the Turquoise sip; just remove the blue curacao and use blue Hawaiian punch instead. I totally dorked out and forgot to rim the glass with sugar for the turquoise sip, but definitely do that with silver, blue or regular sugar if you have some.
New Years Eve Champagne Cocktails
“Turquoise Sip”
yield: one drink
1 oz. pineapple juice (cold)
1/2 oz. blue curacao (1 Tbsp.)
sparkling wine or champagne
sparkling sugar for rim (optional)
In a champagne glass pour the juice and blue curacao, add the champagne and serve cold.
For kids Non Alcohol version:
1 oz. pineapple juice
1-2 oz. blue Hawaiian punch
7-up or Sprite
Sherbet/Sorbet Cocktail
Sherbet/Sorbet Cocktail
Per cocktail/mocktail
1 small scoop lime sherbet
1 small scoop raspberry sorbet
1 small scoop mango sorbet
Champagne, Asti Spumante, or sparkling wine (7-up or Sprite for non Alcohol version)
Salted Caramel-Chocolate Truffles
Posted: December 15, 2014 Filed under: Candy (6), Caramel (14), Chocolate (28), Holidays (29) | Tags: Salted Caramel Truffles, Salted Caramel-Chocolate Truffles Leave a comment
I know a lot of people do not consider themselves a baker, or they get intimidated with complicated multi step recipes. Holiday time is a time to have fun and TRY to decrease your stress by just having fun in the kitchen and making tasty treats that you enjoy but are comfortable with. If you are not one to knock out a Buche de Noel then- by all means this easy truffle recipe is something you can certainly do. I love anything caramel and especially SALTED caramel. I HATE tempering chocolate so these truffles are covered in cocoa, but you could certainly dip them in tempered chocolate if you like a more formal looking truffle.
Salted Caramel-Chocolate Truffles
yield: about 72-80 truffles
2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup water
16 oz. (1 pound) semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 1/2 Cups)
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream
2 tsp. kosher salt
Cocoa powder (natural-unsweetened) for coating (such as Hershey’s)
1. In a heat proof medium bowl place the chocolate chips and set aside.
2. Place a small glass of water and insert a pastry brush inside the glass (I prefer a silicon brush for this) and set next to the stove. Measure the salt and have next to the stove as well.
3. In a 3 quart (medium) saucepan place the sugar and carefully pour the water over the sugar to combine. Heat the sugar and water over medium high heat and bring to a boil until sugar turns amber in color. DO NOT stir the caramel- but rather swirl the pan from time to time to ensure color stays even. If sugar crystals form around the edges of the pan- take the wet pastry/silicon brush and let water drip down the sides of pan to dissolve any crystals. Once sugar is almost amber microwave the heavy cream for about 30-40 seconds until warm. Once sugar is amber color, remove from heat and pour in the warm cream and kosher salt and whisk to combine. Caution- with the adding of the cream it will bubble up and spit so be careful not to get burned. Combine well and then pour the caramel over the chocolate chips until combined and the chips are melted. Pour the mixture into a shallow cake pan or heat proof container. Chill the mixture (uncovered) in the refrigerator until it becomes set; about 50-60 minutes.
4. Remove chilled and set truffle mixture and scoop out small amounts (about 1 inch) and roll in your hands until smooth. If you have a small scoop this works well. Roll the balls in cocoa powder and place in a wax paper or parchment lined container. Once the truffles are all rolled, chill again to help the cocoa meld a bit to the chocolate. Serve at room temperature.
Fourth of July Meringue Cookies
Posted: July 4, 2014 Filed under: Gluten Free (10), Holidays (29) | Tags: Meringue Cookies, Meringue Cookies for Eton Mess, Swirled Meringues Leave a commentHappy Birthday America.
On Independence Day you MUST wear something red white and blue as well as try to eat something red white and blue. I’ve got you covered with the last one. The rest is up to you.
An extra special Thank You to all the Men & Women in our Armed Forces for your selfless and brave service.
Eton Mess: Layer sweetened whipped cream, top with macerated raspberries and macerated blueberries, drop in some crumbled meringues, top with whipped cream and repeat…
Fourth of July Meringues
yield: about 16 meringues
3 large egg whites
3/4 Cup superfine sugar
large pinch (1/4 tsp.) cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
In the bowl of a clean stand mixer bowl place the egg whites and sugar. Place over a saucepan that has about 1 inch of water. Bring water to simmer and whisk whites and sugar until sugar granules are no longer felt when you feel with two fingers, and mixture is warm. Whisk in cream of tartar and salt. Place bowl on stand mixer with whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed until meringue forms and is stiff peak and glossy; about 7 minutes; towards the last minute pour in the vanilla while whisking.
Take a disposable pastry bag and fit with a round large tip (such as 804 or 805 Ateco). Using a bamboo skewer use gel paste food coloring and make a stripe of red color down one side of the inside of the bag. Do the same with blue gel coloring on opposite side of the bag. Make sure the stripe of color is fairly thick. Place the pastry bag inside a large glass or tumbler and fold the cuff of the bag over the glass to keep the bag in place. Carefully use a large spoon and drop dollops of meringue down inside of bag being careful not to disturb the sides of the inside of bag as much as possible.
Pipe decorative swirls of meringues going about 4-5 turns onto prepared sheet pan. Bake in a 200 degree F (preheated oven) for about 1 hour and 15 to 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on the humidity and size baking times will vary) or until meringues are dry. Rotate baking sheet half way through baking time. If meringues are taking long to become crisp you can turn off the oven and keep door propped open and let meringues cool the rest of the way inside the oven.
Meringues will keep for several days in an airtight container.
Serve meringues crumbled over ice cream or with whipped cream and macerated berries to make Eton Mess.
Happy Memorial Day- Cherry Crisp
Posted: May 24, 2014 Filed under: Cherries (14), Holidays (29) | Tags: Cherry Crisp in Ramekins, Sour Cherry Crisp Leave a commentI have a very vivid memory of my childhood peering into the abyss of a large freezer filled with sour cherries. This freezer still exists at my parents house. It is ancient, but trustworthy. Michiganders are notorious for squirreling away vast quantities of food in freezers as you can never be too prepared for a brutal winter, or frankly just prepared for any kind of weather.
We were not one of those families who had freezers full of deer meat. Like I said, for some reason I remember seeing a lot of sour cherries. Sour cherries (which are the variety Montmorency cherries) are a big thing in Michigan- right up there with blueberries. You never know when the mood strikes you to whip out a cobbler or crisp- and you must be prepared! If you are not privy to sour cherries by all means use fresh sweet bing or a mixture of bing and rainier cherries; just reduce the sugar probably by half.
Vanilla ice cream just takes it over the top….
Cherry Crisp
serves 7
yield: 7 individual 4.5 oz ramekins or one large 1.5-2 quart casserole dish
7 Cups pitted frozen tart cherries, thawed
1 Cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1. In a medium nonstick saucepan combine first 3 ingredients. Cook over medium heat until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Stir in the extracts. Fill ramekins 3/4 full, then top with crumble mixture (recipe below). Bake at 375° F for 24-30 minutes until topping is lightly browned. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Note: if you like you may make one large dish and use a 1.5 or 2 quart oval or rectangular casserole dish, and adjust the baking time as needed.
Crumble:
1/4 Cup flour
1/4 Cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 Cup soft butter, cubed
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 Cup slivered almonds
