Conversation Hearts
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Do you ever wonder what those little conversation hearts you eat around Valentine’s Day would say if they were written by someone deep in the trenches of online dating? TEXT ME! would be CALL ME! I HATE TEXTING! and KISS would become HE GOT CHEEK/CHIN/LIP, WAS THAT A KISS? You get the idea. So when I saw a recipe for homemade conversation hearts, I knew I had to make them and write more practical and current sayings on them.
And I wanted to like them. I really tried. But they taste nothing like the store bought conversation hearts, and while the outside is hard, the inside is kind of soft. In fact, they kind of reminded me of fondant, both in taste and texture. Disappointing.
However, a few months ago I bought markers made specifically to write on food, and figured I’d find sometime to use them. I’m so glad I bought them, because the hearts were loads of fun to decorate. I just wish my handwriting was neater. While the marker has a fine point, the part just above the tip is really round which made it difficult. It was still fun though!
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
1 packet (1/4 oz, or 2 tsp) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
2 tsp light corn syrup
2 lbs powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting
Assorted flavoring extracts of your choice
Assorted food colors of your choice
Heart-shaped cutters
Food coloring markers
Preparation
- Place the corn syrup, gelatin, and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the gelatin is well-distributed. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds, so the gelatin dissolves, and stir well.
- Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternately, if you are using a hand mixer, pour the gelatin mixture into a large bowl. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and turn the mixer to low, mixing until the sugar is incorporated.
- Once the sugar is mixed in, add another cup of sugar, again mixing on low until it liquefies. Continue to add the remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, pausing in between additions to allow the sugar to mix in, until the full two pounds of powdered sugar is added. Periodically, stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. The candy will progress from a thin, watery liquid to a very stiff dough.
- Once all of the sugar is incorporated, dust a work surface (counter or large cutting board) with powdered sugar and scrape the candy out onto the work surface. The candy will be very sticky and stiff. Generously dust the top of the ball of candy with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the candy like bread dough: fold the ball of dough over onto itself, then use the heel of your hand to push it down. Give the candy a quarter-turn, and repeat the process, dusting it with more powdered sugar as often as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the board or your hands. Knead until the candy is satiny and not sticky.
- Decide how many colors/flavors of conversation hearts you want to make, and divide the candy dough into that many portions. To flavor and color the candy, take one of the balls and flatten it into a palm-sized disc. Add a few drops of food coloring and flavoring extract to the center of the disc, and fold it over on itself. (It is a good idea to wear disposable plastic gloves during this step to keep your hands free of colors and odors.) Knead the dough ball, just as you did before, until the color is evenly dispersed throughout the candy, and all streaks have disappeared. Repeat this process with remaining candy balls and colors/flavors, until all of your candy is colored and flavored. (My dough was starting to dry out as it was sitting on the counter so I wrapped each ball in plastic wrap.)
- Dust your work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out one of the candy balls to your desired thickness. Small store-bought conversation hearts tend to be fairly thick, generally over 1/4” thick. I find that this thickness works well for small hearts (under 1”), but it makes larger heart sizes very substantial and a little overwhelming. However, the thickness is entirely a matter of personal preference and does not affect the taste of the final candy.
- Use heart-shaped cutters to cut hearts out of the rolled candy, and transfer the hearts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smaller hearts are more realistic, but larger hearts are easier to write messages on. Once you have cut out your hearts, you can re-roll the scraps to get more shapes out of the candy. Repeat with remaining candy balls.
- Allow your hearts to air-dry for at least 24 hours before you write on them. This step is VERY important, because the extra moisture in the hearts will cause the ink to run if you do not let them dry properly.
- After the hearts have dried for a day, use the food writing markers to write messages or draw designs on the hearts. Store your conversation hearts in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe from About.com: Candy.
Salted Butter Caramels
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As we’ve discussed before, salt and caramel are one of the best combinations ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. EVER. And these caramels may just be the best ever. You should go make them now. Seriously.
I know what you’re saying, “I don’t want to use corn syrup, blah blah blah.” Well, David has some alternatives to corn syrup in his post so go read it, make the caramels, then tell David and myself how much you love us. Ignore what your thighs say, they’re not allowed to have an opinion about this.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, bean paste, or powder
rounded 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel
1/2 cup (160 g) light corn syrup, golden syrup (such as Lyle’s) or rice syrup*
1 cup (200 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 g), total, salted butter, cubed, at room temperature
Preparation
- Line a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan with foil and spray the inside with cooking spray. (I used non-stick foil–that stuff is incredible!)
- Heat cream, two tablespoons butter, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a small saucepan until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm while you cook the syrup.
- In a medium, heavy duty saucepan (4 quarts, 4l), fitted with a candy thermometer, heat the corn syrup with the sugar and cook, stirring gently, to make sure the sugar melts smoothly. Once the mixture is melted together and the sugar is evenly moistened, only stir as necessary to keep it from getting any hot spots.
- Cook until the syrup reaches 310ºF (155ºC). To get an accurate reading while the syrup is cooking, tilt the saucepan to make sure the bulb of the thermometer is fully submerged in the syrup. (I had never done this before, and that could easily explain why I’ve burned sugar in the past. Good tip from David!)
- Turn off the heat and stir in the warm cream mixture until smooth.
- Turn the heat back on and cook the mixture to 260F (127C).
- Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the thermometer, and stir in the cubes of butter until they’re melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and wait ten minutes, then sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt over the top. Set on a cooling rack and let cool completely. Once cool, lift out the foil with the caramel, peel away the foil, and slice the bar of caramel with a long, sharp knife into squares or rectangles.
Storage: These caramels can be individually-wrapped in cellophane or waxed paper. Once cut, they may stick together if not wrapped. Store in an air-tight container, and they’ll keep for about one month.
Recipe from David Lebovitz.
Penuche
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I originally saw this recipe over at Baking With Dynamite and immediately knew I wanted to make it. I love brown sugar, I love fudge, what’s not to like, right? RIGHT. This stuff is good.
And apparently I’m the only person who has never heard of penuche. I brought the reject pieces into the office and one of my coworkers declared, “Dude you just took me to Mexico right now,” and said his grandmother used to make penuche for him when he was younger. Then a coworker from England told me about a little market near where her mother lives, and each time she went there she would buy penuche.
As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in Michigan and would go to Mackinac Island every summer. Mackinac is known for all of their fudge shops, so I’m pretty sure I must have seen penuche there when I was a kid. Or not, because I’m fairly certain I would have remembered this caramel-y, melt in your mouth sweet. And sweet it is! A tiny little piece goes a long, long way.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
1 lb brown sugar (about 2 1/4 cups, firmly packed)
3/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Preparation
Grease 9×5x2-inch loaf pan; set aside.*
Combine sugar, milk and salt in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Wipe sugar crystals from side of pan as necessary. Cook without stirring until candy reaches 238°F or soft ball stage. Remove from heat; add butter. Without stirring, cool to 110°F or lukewarm.
Add vanilla and nuts. Stir continuously until thick and creamy. Spread into prepared pan at once. When firm, cut into squares. Store in airtight container.
Makes 24 pieces or (1 1/4 lbs).
*I would probably use an 8×8-inch pan and line it with parchment paper next time. I had a hard time cutting the fudge in the loaf pan, and parchment would make it easy (or easier) to pull out in one piece and cut on a cutting board.
Recipe from Domino Sugar via Baking With Dynamite.
Chocolate Crackles
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The last time my friend Jess came to visit me from Australia, I introduced her to Rice Krispies Treats. She in turn couldn’t wait to introduce me to Chocolate Crackles (like Rice Krispies Treats, the Chocolate Crackles recipe is on the back of the Rice Bubbles (what Kellogg’s calls Rice Krispies there) box. However, she said they could only be made with Copha, a refrigerated coconut shortening, or something equivalent. We did a bit of research and found that Crisco wouldn’t work, and Copha was nowhere to be found in the United States. I offered up this solid coconut oil I saw at my local grocery store, but Jess had her doubts, and Carly (another Aussie), suggested Palmin, the German equivalent to Copha. After more research, we located a place in LA that sold Palmin.
So earlier this week, Carly and I trekked down to Torrance (a good 30 minutes from Hollywood) to go to the market at Alpine Village (a German village/tourist attraction) to purchase the Palmin. Side note: we also stopped at King’s Hawaiian restaurant. HOT and FRESH King’s Hawaiian bread–YUM! Anyway, since we had to stop at the grocery to purchase Rice Krispies on the way home, I suggested we buy a container of the coconut oil and do a quarter test recipe with that as well.
What did we learn? Chocolate Crackles can now become an American sensation, because the coconut oil worked just as well, perhaps even better, than the Palmin. As for the crackles, they are super easy to make and absolutely delicious and remind me of Star Crunch or the 100 Grand candy bar, just without the caramel. I highly recommend making them NOW. Thank you Jess and Carly!
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
4 cups Rice Krispies
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup shredded coconut, optional (I omitted this)
250 grams solid coconut oil (I used LouAna brand)
Preparation
- In a large bowl, mix the Rice Krispies, powdered sugar, cocoa, and coconut (if using).
- Over low heat, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and allow to cool slightly.
- Add to Rice Krispies mixture and stir until well combined.
- Spoon mixture into cupcake liners and refrigerate until firm.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. I’m not sure how many it’s supposed to make, but I used 12 regular cupcake liners. You could easily make them smaller and get 24, or use mini liners.
Recipe from my friend, but it’s all over the Internet as well.
Salted Chocolate Caramels
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I was slightly terrified when I first started this recipe, for two reasons: 1. Hot sugar and I have gotten into fights many times in the past, and I usually end up burned (literally); and 2. The reviews were all over the place. Yet I still made them; I guess I was feeling brave.
And fortunately for me, the caramels were a success. I heeded the advice of some of the reviewers and boiled the mixture to soft ball stage rather than 255 °F like the recipe states, as people were ending up with a glass-like texture by heating that high. (Mine were a little soft after they cooled, but seemed to firm up a bit overnight.) The caramels are chewy but not sticky, and have a nice bite as they don’t stick to your teeth. Flavorwise, the chocolate is not overpowering, and the salt makes these a perfect salty/sweet treat!
(Yes, a thermometer is required to make these. There’s no need for an expensive one, I’ve been using this model for years.)
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt such as Maldon (I used coarse sea salt because that’s all I had)
Vegetable oil for greasing
Preparation
- Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.
- Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.
- Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers soft ball stage (235-240°F) on thermometer, about 15 minutes. Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan). Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.
- Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.
Notes:
- If desired, additional sea salt can be pressed onto caramels after cutting.
- Caramels keep, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.
- Caramels can be wrapped in 4-inch squares of wax paper; twist ends to close.
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.
Peppermint Patties
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I came across this this recipe and immediately got it in my head that I would make peppermint patties for my dad, nevermind the fact that I had no dipping chocolate in the house. So, off I went to Surfas, where I also bought THREE POUNDS OF SKOR BITS (why? I don’t know) and returned home ready to make candies, only to discover I was out of corn syrup. Not about to go to the market now, I searched the web and came across a corn syrup-less recipe and decided to give it a go.
These are minty, chewy, and delicious and taste just like a York peppermint patty. Would I make them again? Hell no. While I love to eat chocolate, I am horrible at dipping things in it. In fact, I ended up using a pastry brush to brush the chocolate on because I had trouble digging the first patty out of the chocolate after it fell in. So you see, I have absolutely no chance of ever having a career as a chocolatier. Unless ugly dipping styles become popular, then I’d be highly successful.
Ugly photos of the messy process here.
Ingredients
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips or dipping chocolate
2 teaspoons shortening (I used dipping chocolate so I omitted this)
Preparation
In a large mixing bowl, combine condensed milk and peppermint extract. Beat in enough confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, to form a stiff dough that is no longer sticky. Form into 1 inch balls, then place on waxed paper and flatten with fingers to form patties. Let patties dry at room temperature two hours, turning once.
In double boiler over low heat, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring often. Dip patties, one at a time, into chocolate by laying them on the tines of a fork and lowering the fork into the liquid. (Or say screw that and use a brush to coat them, like I did.) Let cool on waxed paper until set.
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.
Thin Mint Fudge
Remember the Cookies and Cream Fudge? Same idea, different cookies.
Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
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Every now and then I try a recipe and the result is so good that I need to immediately wrap it up in four layers and stick it in the back of the freezer, all in an attempt to not eat the entire pan while standing at my counter. Not that I would ever think of doing such a thing. Never. These bars are that good. They have a candied crisped rice base (think Rice Krispie treats but flatter and denser) with a peanut butter/chocolate center, and are finished with a dark chocolate top layer. Yes, they are drool worthy.
However, I did run into a few problems: The base ended up really hard in some places and really soft in others which I suspect was a result of me not working fast enough getting it into the pan, although I thought I was doing it rather quickly. This made cutting them difficult because it was difficult to get the knife through those parts. Any advice? The other issue I ran into was the chocolate began to melt a little as I cut them, which made for a really ugly cut. I think the next time I will use tempered chocolate for the top layer.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients for the crispy crust
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients for the milk chocolate peanut butter layer
5 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Ingredients for the chocolate icing
3 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cocoa), coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Preparation
Make the crispy crust
Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan.
Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees F.
Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.
Make the milk chocolate peanut butter layer
In a large nonreactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.
Make the chocolate icing
In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the topping hardens.
Cut into 9 (Nine? They are nuts! You can easily get 18 from this) squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.
Recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.
Cookies and Cream Fudge
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I started 2009 off with a cold that unfortunately turned into bronchitis. And I’ve been at home coughing, trying to relax and shake this thing for entirely too long. Consequently, I got bored and decided to make something. I am a horrible when it comes to just relaxing–I get antsy way too easily.
Now, I realize I probably shouldn’t be baking, but I’m bored and my coworkers are desperate. The holidays are over so that means no more parties and no more packages from vendors, which in turn means no junk food at the office and serious withdrawals. One of my coworkers even said he’d risk getting sick if it meant he’d get his fix of sweets. Seriously.
My big weekend highlight thus far has been my trip to Trader Joe’s today. I noticed the Candy Cane Joe Joe’s, and after hearing people rave about them every winter, finally decided to pick up a box. And maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand the love these things get. Call me a purist, but I don’t need candy canes in my filling. Anyway, knowing I wouldn’t eat the cookies, I decided to make something with them. After going through my pantry, I figured I should probably use the condensed milk that would expire soon, so I went to the Eagle website and found this recipe.
The fudge, although I hesitate to call it that, because the texture is nowhere close to smooth and creamy, is good. Unfortunately, I think the mint flavor of the cookies is overwhelming, so if I were to make these again, I’d probably use just regular Oreos. Then again, we’ll see what my daring coworkers have to say about these treats on Monday.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
3 (6-ounce) packages white chocolate baking squares (I used white chocolate chips)
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups (about 20 cookies) coarsely crushed chocolate creme-filled sandwich cookies
Preparation
- In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate squares, EAGLE BRAND® and salt. Remove from heat; stir in crushed cookies.
- Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
- Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
Recipe from Eagle Brand.
Peanut Butter Fudge
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Four ingredients (plus some chocolate chips thrown on top). And a microwave. Quite possibly the easiest recipe ever.
However.
I brought the fudge into the office yesterday and at least half of it is still uneaten. Definitely not a good sign. It’s not bad tasting, it’s just not wow! either. After reading all of the rave reviews, I was expecting this to be some amazing fudge, and I have to say I’m a little disappointed. I think I’ll be sticking with the other recipe (with marshmallow fluff) I tried a few months ago. Oh well!
Ingredients
1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
Preparation
Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Recipe from Food Network.
Marshmallows (Dorie Greenspan’s Recipe)
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The minute I began making these I had a feeling it was going to be a disaster. As I reviewed the ingredients I was a little surprised by the egg whites the recipe called for. I’ve made marshmallows twice, both times sans eggs (recipes here and here) and they were super easy and delicious. This time however, no such luck.
Here’s a quick rundown of my problems. First, I measured out all of my ingredients ahead of time as I always do yet I somehow ended up with an extra tablespoon of sugar and read the recipe about 10 times trying to figure out when and to what I should have added it. I eventually just threw it in with the egg whites. Next, because of the Hot Sugar Blister Incident of 2008, there was no way in hell I going to pour 265 degree boiling sugar into a mixer on medium speed. Adventurous when it comes to recipes, maybe; crazy, I am not.
So instead, I put the mixer on low and poured the boiling sugar into the egg white and then–I smelled scrambled eggs. I kid you not. By now, I was 99% sure this was going to be a failure but I continued on, committed as always, and followed the rest of the steps. I let the mixture (which somehow looked correct) sit out on the counter overnight but the next morning, it was bad. Gooey and globby and slimey and not what marshmallows should look like. I suppose I should also note that I live in southern California and being as we had record high temps this past weekend (95 degrees in Hollywood, insane!), I didn’t really have a “cool, dry place” to let the marshmallows set. Perhaps that contributed to the disaster?
And so, it is safe to say that the next time I feel the need to use the whisk attachment of my KitchenAid, you better believe I will be using an eggless marshmallow recipe.
Ingredients
About 1 cup potato starch (found in the kosher foods section of supermarkets) or cornstarch
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/4-ounce packets unflavored gelatin
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar*
Preparation
GETTING READY: Line a rimmed baking sheet — choose one with a rim that is 1 inch high — with parchment paper and dust the paper generously with potato starch or cornstarch. Have a candy thermometer at hand.
Put 1/3 cup of the water, 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, continue to cook the syrup — without stirring — until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water (a scant 7 tablespoons) and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it is spongy, then heat the gelatin in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds to liquefy it. (Alternatively, you can dissolve the gelatin in a saucepan over low heat.)
Working in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in another large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until firm but still glossy — don’t overbeat them and have them go dull.
As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and, with the mixer on medium speed, add the syrup, pouring it between the spinning beater(s) and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes, so that the syrup and the gelatin are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.
Using a large rubber spatula, scrape the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet, laying it down close to a short end of the sheet. Then spread it into the corners and continue to spread it out, taking care to keep the height of the batter at 1 inch; you won’t fill the pan. Lift the excess parchment paper up to meet the edge of the batter, then rest something against the paper so that it stays in place (I use custard cups).
Dust the top of the marshmallows with potato starch or cornstarch and let the marshmallows set in a cool, dry place. They’ll need about 3 hours, but they can rest for 12 hours or more.
Once they are cool and set, cut the marshmallows with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife. Whatever you use, you’ll have to rinse and dry it frequently. Have a big bowl with the remaining potato starch or cornstarch at hand and cut the marshmallows as you’d like — into squares, rectangles or even strips (as they’re cut in France). As each piece is cut, drop it into the bowl. When you’ve got 4 or 5 marshmallows in the bowl, reach in with your fingers and turn the marshmallows to coat them with starch, then, one by one, toss the marshmallows from one hand to the other to shake off the excess starch; transfer them to a serving bowl. Cut and coat the rest of the batch.
*Where does this extra tablespoon go?!
SERVING: Put the marshmallows out and let everyone nibble as they wish. Sometimes I fill a tall glass vase with the marshmallows and put it in the center of the table — it never fails to make friends smile. You can also top hot chocolate or cold sundaes with the marshmallows.
STORING: Keep the marshmallows in a cool, dry place; don’t cover them closely. Stored in this way, they will keep for about 1 week — they might develop a little crust on the outside or they might get a little firmer on the inside, but they’ll still be very good.
Playing Around
RASPBERRY MARSHMALLOWS: Fruit purees are excellent for flavoring these candies. For raspberry marshmallows, you’ll need a generous 1/3 cup of puree; reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon. After the batter is mixed, gently fold in the puree with a rubber spatula. You can use the same measurements and technique for other purees, such as strawberry, mango and passion fruit.
CAPPUCCINO MARSHMALLOWS: Sift 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon together into a small bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water and mix until smooth. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon, and add it to the espresso mix. After you add the sugar syrup and gelatin to the meringue, beat in the espresso mixture and continue.
LIGHT CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOWS: Melt 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/4 teaspoon, and after the marshmallow batter is mixed, fold in the chocolate mixture with a large rubber spatula.
PUMPKIN SPICE MARSHMALLOWS: Whisk together 1/2 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground allspice. After the marshmallow batter is mixed, fold in the spiced pumpkin with a large rubber spatula.
Makes about 1 pound marshmallows.
Recipe from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge
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When I think of fudge, memories of summers up north in Michigan immediately come to mind. Every year, my family and our friends would rent a place in Harbor Springs where we would play whiffle ball, relax, eat, and inevitably, find our way to Mackinac Island.
And Mackinac Island meant one thing–fudge. Even though we left Michigan in 1985, I still have very vivid memories of the multiple fudge shops, with their marble slabs and long spatula/scraper tools. And every time I go back to Detroit for a visit, I hunt down Mackinac fudge to put in my suitcase and bring back to LA. It’s just that good.
(Photos of the process here.)
Until yesterday, I had never made fudge before. I suppose because really, I know nothing will ever come close to Mackinac fudge. But as I was browsing food blogs, a photo caught my eye and I knew I had to give this recipe a go. What could possibly be bad about chocolate and peanut butter?
In this case, absolutely nothing! The fudge is good. Not Mackinac good, but good. The recipe was easy, and the only problem I ran into was the chocolate and peanut butter layers separating, making it difficult to cut. But this also gave us the chance to taste the flavors individually, and I have to say, I think the peanut butter part is my favorite.
Ingredients
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz package semi sweet chocolate pieces
7 oz. jar Marshmallow Creme
1/2 cup peanut butter
Preparation
- Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 6 tablespoons margarine and 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a medium pot.
- Bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for 4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate pieces until melted.
- Add 1 cup (1/2 jar) marshmallow creme and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until well blended.
- Pour into greased 13 X 9 pan.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients substituting peanut butter and spread over chocolate.
- Cool at room temperature and cut into squares.
Recipe from Bakerella.
Candy Corn
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I saw this recipe over on The Urban Housewife and immediately decided this recipe was a must-try. I have to admit this was my second attempt at making these. The first time, I followed the directions perfectly and ended up with a super stiff ball of dough and was extremely disappointed. After doing some research, I noticed other candy corn recipes said to boil the mixture for five minutes over low heat. This recipe calls for medium-high heat. So, the second time around I boiled the mixture over low heat, and it was a success!
These are good. A slightly different flavor from store-bought candy corn and a completely different texture. I had hoped these would firm up a bit more to get that more solid shell around the outside but that didn’t happen. I’m thinking maybe a medium rather than low boil would do the trick.
Note from Epicurious
When you’re at the grocery store, pick up some plastic gloves. They’ll make it easy to knead the dough without ending up with food-coloring-stained hands.
Photos of the process here.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup non fat milk powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Red and yellow food coloring
Preparation
Bring first 4 ingredients to boil over high heat in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-high (I reduced to low) and boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sift powdered sugar, milk powder, and salt into medium bowl. Add powdered sugar mixture to pan; stir to combine. Let mixture stand until slightly warm to touch, about 20 minutes.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; place each piece in small bowl. Add several drops of yellow food coloring to one piece of dough. Using plastic gloves to protect hands, knead food coloring into dough until smooth and color is even, about 15 minutes. Repeat using red and yellow food coloring (to make orange) with second piece. Leave last piece white; knead dough until smooth. Roll each piece into a thin rope (don’t roll too thin or dough will break). Push three ropes together to form long rectangle. Using sharp knife, cut ropes into triangles. Using fingers, shape candy corn as desired. Store at room temperature in airtight container, separating layers with pieces of waxed paper to prevent sticking.
Yields about five million pieces. OK not really, but a lot.
My notes:
- I boiled at low rather than medium-high like the recipe calls for.
- I separated each of the colors into four ropes rather than one long rope.
- Make sure you have a lot of free time, because these things take forever to cut.
- I got tired of cutting after about the twelve millionth piece, so by the time I got to the third rope, I cut them larger.
- I didn’t have gloves, so I put sandwich size Ziplocs over my hands until the color was somewhat kneaded in.
Recipe from BA Blog on Epicurious via The Urban Housewife.
Caramels
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These are good. But…I had to try the recipe twice. The first time, I followed the directions exactly and I couldn’t get the mixture to heat past 200 degrees. Frustrated (but determined), I tried it again. This time, instead of heating it on low like the directions stated, I heated it on medium-high. I know, I’m such a rebel. But it worked.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus some for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a small saucepan and turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves, then cook, stirring only occassionally, until the mixture measures 245 degrees.
- Stir in the vanilla and pour into the prepared pan. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, remove the block of caramel from the pan and use a sharp knife to cut it into small squares. Wrap each square in waxed paper or plastic wrap. These keep for weeks, but are best eaten fresh.
Note: I used a pizza cutter instead of a knife to cut the squares.
Recipe from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.
English Toffee
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When I’m stressed or nervous, I like to bake. And finding out I’m probably going to have to get my tonsils removed has made me both stressed and nervous. And so, what better time than now to try a new recipe, especially a sweet one!
Ingredients
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
6 oz. (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 1/2 cup (60 g) chopped almonds
Preparation
Select a small saucepan. Make sure the saucepan is large enough to contain about double the volume of the butter and sugar. As the mixture cooks, it will bubble and increase in volume – using too small of a pan may result in overflows.
Melt the butter in the saucepan with the sugar and salt plus a little (about 2 teaspoons, 10 mL) water over gentle heat. The extra water will make it easier for the sugar to heat evenly and melt together.
Stir the mixture constantly while heating over medium-high heat. The butter and sugar will bubble and foam as the water boils off. This can take several minutes because butter contains a decent amount of water. The volume of the mixture will increase dramatically at this point. At this point the temperature should be relatively constant at a few degrees above the boiling point of water.
Once the water has boiled off, the mixture will collapse and thicken. The temperature will also start to rise again. The goal is to remove the pan from the heat once the mixture passes 300°F (150°C) and before it reaches 320°F (160°C). Use an instant read thermometer or candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature as you heat and stir because the temperature can change pretty rapidly once the water boils off.
When the mixture reaches 300°F (150°C), remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture onto either a silicone baking mat or a large sheet of parchment paper set on top of a sheet pan. The silicone baking mat is probably easiest to work with since it won’t slide around on the sheet pan. If you’re using parchment paper, one way to keep it in place is to dab the underside of the four corners with a little bit of butter. That will help the paper stay put while the toffee is poured on.
Right after pouring, use a spatula (again silicone works best for working with toffee) to spread the toffee into a rough rectangular shape.
While the toffee is still hot, sprinkle the surface with the chocolate chips. Wait until the bottoms of the chips start to turn shiny and dark brown as they melt from the heat of the toffee, about two minutes. Use your spatula to spread the chocolate. If the chocolate is still mostly solid, wait another minute before attempting to spread again.
Spread the chocolate so that it covers the toffee.
Sprinkle the chocolate surface with chopped almonds. If not using finely chopped almonds, such as the slivered almonds shown in the photos, visually inspect the the surface of the toffee to make sure the almonds are making good contact with the chocolate. Lightly press down on those pieces that are barely touching the surface of the chocolate.
Let the toffee cool for about twenty minutes until the sheet pan returns to room temperature. Slip the pan into the refrigerator to cool down and set for at least thirty minutes.
Remove from the refrigerator and peel the toffee from the baking mat or parchment paper. Working quickly so the chocolate doesn’t melt too much, break the toffee into chunks of the desired size and place into an airtight container. During the breaking of the toffee, you’ll lose quite a few almond pieces, but don’t worry, this is normal.
Because the chocolate isn’t tempered, this English toffee should be stored in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate from melting if the room gets warm.
Notes:
- I omitted the nuts.
- I used milk chocolate chips.
- It took quite a while for the water to boil off and the temperature to then get to 300.
Recipe from Cooking For Engineers.
Homemade Marshmallows
The original title of this post was My First Love Is Getting Married In Four Months So I Made Marshmallows, but I decided it was too long. Those of you who read my other blog know I recently learned my college boyfriend is getting married shortly and I had a mild oh my god I can’t believe he’s getting married even though I don’t want to marry him moment. And what better time than that to try a new recipe. Right?
The marshmallows are so good. And if I have time tomorrow, I’m going to dip them in chocolate and/or caramel and take them to a much needed girls’ night dinner. Mmmm.
Ingredients
2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preparation
- Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.
- Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
- Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244° (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.
- Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar; wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Turn out onto a board; cut marshmallows with a dry hot knife into 1 1/2-inch squares, and dust with more confectioners’ sugar.
Makes about 40.
Note: They’re not joking when they say generously dust baking pan. These things are sticky!
Recipe from Martha Stewart.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
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I make these for parties all the time. They’re not only simple to make, but look really cute and are a good dessert for mingling guests to eat without making a mess. I’ve never used an actual recipe for these, so this is what I have come up with.
Ingredients
12 oz chocolate
20 pretzel rods
Sprinkles, nuts, caramel (optional)
Preparation
- Line baking sheets with wax paper.
- Melt chocolate slowly using a double boiler or a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. This is important, as you don’t want to burn the chocolate.
- Dip pretzels (or use a spatula to spread).
- Place pretzels on wax paper to set.
- Refrigerate if needed.
Store in an airtight container.
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