SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Bourbon Balls

      Have you noticed at Holiday time that almost every kind of booze is on sale? bourbon, rum, brandy, you name it, it’s likely to be on sale. Is this a good excuse to make some bourbon balls?!

      Uhhh, yeah!

      No guilt, no shame when you buy that huge bottle of booze; you walk straight to the counter girl, head held high, shoulders back. You’re welcome. You’re gonna need a good 1/2 cup of booze for these bourbon balls, you owe it to yourself to buy the economy size. I know, the check out guy is smiling, huh? Yeah, you go right ahead and tell him you’re making bourbon balls!….careful now he might just follow you out of the store. Easy girl.

      Hey, you might have to slip a few to the reindeer, Rudolph needs a good warm up to keep that nose going. Santa won’t mind….

      Bourbon Balls 

      (recipe adapted from Kate Wheeler)

      10 oz. graham crackers, crushed fine in a food processor

      3/4 Cup finely chopped walnuts

      1/2 Cup confectioners sugar

      6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

      1/2 Cup good quality bourbon

      3 Tbsp. light corn syrup or Lyles golden syrup

      Coarse sanding sugar or decorative sugar for coating

      1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground walnuts, and confectioners sugar in a large mixing bowl.

      2. In a glass bowl, place the chocolate chips and in 30 second intervals melt the chips in a microwave on high; stopping to stir between each interval, then heating at 10 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Add in the corn syrup; the mixture will seize a bit, just keep stirring and do the best you can.

      3. Pour the bourbon over the crumb mixture in the bowl and stir to combine as best you can; not all of the mixture may combine and that’s okay. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and combine with a spatula until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Chill at least 30 minutes.

      4. Pour the sanding sugar or decorative sugar in a dish. Form the bourbon balls into one inch to 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in the sugar. Store for up to a month in an airtight container. BUT DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY ARE GOING TO LAST THAT LONG?

      {Printable Recipe}:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aJVoSBr2ITf3ppyV1Z3Tvj_hwABIMQDZUbEBK7hbQIE/edit

    • Marcona Almond Brittle

      This year I wanted to try something different instead of making peanut brittle. One of the things I love about marcona almonds is that they have a real meatiness to them and are super crunchy. I like the nuts in my brittle to be crunchy. Ever get a brittle where the nuts are kind of gummy and soft and not that crunchy? These nuts will provide the crunch you are looking for.

      Marcona Almond Brittle

      1 Cup Sugar

      1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup

      1/4 Cup water

      1/4 tsp. salt

      3/4 Cup Marcona almonds

      2 Tbsp. soft unsalted butter

      1 tsp. baking soda

      1 tsp. vanilla

      Prepare a cookie sheet pan by greasing it or place a Silpat silicone liner on the sheet pan. Grease a large heat proof spatula with a small amount of butter or a metal spatula.

      Measure out the baking soda, butter, and vanilla and place next to the stove for later.

      In a heavy 2 quart sauce pan bring to a boil the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, do not stir the mixture [If the mixture starts to form any sugar crystals on the side of the pan, use a wet pastry brush to wipe the sides of the pan]. With a candy thermometer, bring to a boil without stirring until the mixture reaches 310°. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the almonds, butter, baking soda and stir briskly. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture all at once out onto the sheet pan and using a heat proof or greased spatula, spread the brittle out as much as you can to create an even surface. Let the pan cool on a wire rack until completely cool. Crack into pieces.

      {Printable Recipe}:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/17agbGkL0LFioZ3vPbL6aMWIBk4n22AxgMKmgJNG4Bbw/edit

    • (Snowballs) Russian Tea Cakes

      Hi all, had a bit of blogging lapse…we were vacationing on a nice relaxing cruise to Mexico.  Now that I am back home in San Francisco, it is time for serious ramping up for Christmas cookies! It would not be Christmas without these cookies. My Mother always made these at Christmas time. Everyone knows these cookies and everyone’s Mother has a recipe. Some people may know them as Mexican wedding cakes or cookies; in our house they were Russian tea cakes; the recipe is essentially always the same with a slight twist. Some people prefer walnuts, some prefer pecans; your choice. I’m not sure why we never made these other than Christmas time, this cookie just seemed to be synonymous with Christmas only and now I make them every year as well and they are a favorite with my family. If you have kids; involve them in the making these delicious little cookies, they love rolling them in powdered sugar.

      Russian Tea Cakes

      1 Cup unsalted butter, room temp

      2 tsp. vanilla

      1/2 Cup confectioners sugar, + more for rolling

      2 Cups All purpose flour

      1/4 tsp. salt

      1 Cup chopped lightly toasted pecans or walnuts

      Preheat the oven to 325° degrees.

      Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and gradually add the 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until all the flour is combined. Stir in the nuts. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until pale golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheets and while still warm roll in powdered sugar. Cool the cookies on a wire rack and coat again in powdered sugar.
      Printable Recipe:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rd6Faz3LZAYLDuvg1dXqOSZ8XERHjDkOwI9eyhUFSvY/edit

    • White Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

      Here in San Francisco there is an Asian bakery chain called Sheng Kee that bakes all kinds of amazing and yummy treats including bread, cakes, Asian pastries, and several types of cookies.  One of the cookies they make are these tiny little coconut macaroons. They are a one bite/pop in your mouth sensation. They are so addicting it is hard to eat just one. My son calls them coconut bombs. They have the perfect chewiness and coconut flavor without being too sweet. Whenever we walk past this bakery my son Seth cannot help but stop and buy a bag. “Oh Mommy, let’s get some coconut bombs”!  he’ll say. One of their bakeries is smack right next to Home Depot; oh so conveniently located while The Husband shops for drill bits. This recipe reminds me of that cookie. I took it one step further and dipped them in white chocolate.

      Coconut Macaroons Dipped in White Chocolate

      Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

      (yield 4 dozen cookies)

      3/4 Cup egg whites

      1  1/2 Cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

      12 oz. unsweetened finely shredded coconut

      1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      12 oz. finely chopped Ghiradelli white chocolate

      1. Position oven racks in the center and upper portions of the oven and heat the oven to 350°. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

      2. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy and add sugar, and vanilla bean paste until combined. Stir in the coconut until combined.

      3. Scoop the mixture using a one tablespoon scoop (1/2 oz. scoop) onto the pans leaving 1 1/2 inch spaced in between cookies. Bake until the cookies are an even golden color and they appear dry; not at all sticky or wet looking; about 25 minutes. Halfway through baking, switch the pans from top to bottom and rotate them from back to front also for even baking.

      4. Let the cookies cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Place the chopped white chocolate in a micro wave safe bowl and at 50 % power melt the chocolate slowly by using 15 second intervals stirring in between until the chocolate is melted. Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate and place onto a wax paper. Let cookies set up until chocolate sets.

      My beautiful Son and official cookie taster Seth

      {Printable Recipe}:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fADab3nGyh30f9rTG7U6wZHz75-HzFfd7KlcABT4d04/edit

    • Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate

      People always ask me if I miss the snow since I have lived here in California. It only takes me a second to respond; I don’t even have to think about it. My answer is always no. I do not miss the snow. I do not miss the cold. I do not miss the 20 minutes of scraping ice off a windshield in bone chilling cold. The picturesque scenes of winter white when everything is covered in snow? okay, maybe I miss that. I used to love waking up and looking out side to see several inches of new fallen snow blanket every tree on the street. I do have very fond memories of growing up in Michigan as a child. We used to strap our skates on and ice skate down our road when the roads would get icy. The beautiful scenes of Winter is my inspiration for a winter white palate of sweetness this week. The snow? you can have it…

      Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate

      {Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s White Hot Chocolate}

      (yields 8 cups)

      • 12 oz. Ghiradelli white chocolate, coarsely chopped
      • 6 cups whole milk
      • 2 cups heavy cream
      • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
      • Peppermint sticks, for garnish
      • Peppermint schnapps; one splash per glass (optional)
      • Whipped cream, for garnish

      Directions

      Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan, about 4 minutes. Immediately pour mixture over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, stir to combine. Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until a light foam forms.

      Serve hot garnished with whipped cream and a candy cane. My son likes to drop his candy cane down in the hot chocolate; it imparts a wonderful peppermint flavor; a good alternative for a non alcoholic version.

      {Printable Recipe}:

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DSjg84X4RREuFwHMq6O8_8Q_8psukcl33etnq2FCFwo/edit

    • Tangerine Popovers

      My Seth is not a breakfast eater. I have come to terms with this a long time ago. I doesn’t stop me from trying though. It is my quest to get something in that little tummy if it kills me. He never was one for 3 square meals- he is a grazer. He will nibble and eat little bits all day long. There are about 4 things on my breakfast roster that he will go for; one of them is waffles. You kind of have to be in the mood to make waffles and quite often I am not in the mood, and he does not fancy the ones out of the box. Mind you, he is not a picky eater; he just does not like to eat breakfast. Popovers to the rescue! You can add many things to a standard popover recipe to change it up. I like to add tangerine zest to make these tasty breakfast treats. I have made many versions of popovers in my day. If you have a window on your oven it is fun for your kids to watch as they start to pop and rise. First I have to get Seth out of bed, but that’s another story…

      (He’s gonna hate me for this, but I could not resist this cute sweet face!)

      Tangerine Popovers

      (yield: 6 popovers)

      1 Cup All purpose flour

      pinch of salt

      3 large eggs

      1 Cup whole milk

      2 tangerines; zested

      1 Tablespoon sugar

      1 Tablespoon butter, melted

      2 Tablespoons butter;divided into 6 equal pieces; kept cold

      1. Preheat the oven to 425° degrees. Spray a popover pan with non stick spray.

      2.  Blend flour, salt, eggs, milk, tangerine zest, sugar and melted butter. Whisk to combine; about 1 minute. Pour batter into a 2 Cup glass measuring cup. Set aside.

      3. Place the popover pan in the oven and heat the pan for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes open the oven and drop a cold piece of butter into each well of the popover pan. Close the oven door and let the butter melt for about 1 minute.

      4. Open the oven door and carefully pour batter into each well to 1/2 full. Bake the popovers at 425° for 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!

      5. After 20 minutes, reduced the of the oven to 350° and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes check the popovers; insert a bamboo skewer and the popovers are done when the skewer comes out clean; if not done continue baking for a few additional minutes. Once they are done; insert a skewer into each popover to release the steam (this will ensure they keep their shape) and let the popovers cool in the pan on a wire rack until cool enough to touch.

      6. Serve warm plain, with butter or a drizzle of honey.

      {Printable Recipe}

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sipcUl045A38Y94EYfbWSEydEPZdIoQCqNdq72BG2tw/edit