candy

Daring Bakers: Almond Nougat, a Candy Castastrophe

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The March 2014 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Rebecca of BakeNQuilt. She challenged us to learn to make classic nougat and to make it our own with our choice of flavors and add-ins.

Every Daring Bakers challenge is revealed at the beginning of the month.  I saw that the challenge was nougat back at the beginning of March, yet I let March 27th sneak up on me and the 25th was the day I remembered that I needed to complete the challenge!  Thankfully I had everything I needed for this delectable almond nougat and was able to get it done in time.  Whew!

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I used a recipe from Martha Stewart for French Almond Nougat.  The recipe included with the challenge called for cocoa butter, which I did not have, and Martha’s called for butter, which I always have in abundance.

This is something I probably would never have made without the push from Daring Bakers.  I know I’ve said the same thing before.  Candy can be hard, messy and often not worth the time and effort.  But sometimes it can be amazing!  Unfortunately I bombed this candy challenge and ended up with some sweet and delicious puddles of nougat instead of the lovely bars I was hoping for.

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My problem could’ve been one of two things.  Either I didn’t cook the sugar to the correct stage (although the thermometer said the temp was right, maybe my thermometer is off), or I didn’t let it harden enough before taking it out of the pan.  After taking it out and as I began to cut the nougat into strips I could tell it was going to start oozing.  I tried to form the long strips back into bars, occasionally going into the kitchen and pressing them back together from their puddling state, but after a while I admitted failure and let them ooze.  They never actually hardened anymore which leads me to believe that my temperatures must have been off when cooking the sugar.  Anyone have a great recommendation for a candy thermometer?  The one I have I bought at the grocery store and cost be $2…

This is another view of what my cubes of nougat turned into as time passed.  It’s really pretty humorous.  They did taste good, but the texture was way off.

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I refuse to count this challenge as a total loss since I did try something new, and am already planning to try it again and redeem myself.  Thanks for getting me to try my hand at nougat, Rebecca!

 

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Chocolate Mint Marshmallows

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There is something truly special about real, fresh, homemade marshmallows in your hot chocolate.  Or hot cocoa.  Did you know there is a difference beyond personal word choice?  Me neither!  But these marshmallows really do melt differently than the store bought kind.  And the best part is, they’re not impossible to make at home!

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I’ve only made marshmallows once before, and I didn’t remember them being too terribly difficult, just time consuming.  Not a lot of active time, but a good 6-18 hours of wait time between putting the marshmallow goo in the pan and then cutting and enjoying them.  This time around was no different.  These are really not difficult to make in your own kitchen.  The only special equipment you need is a candy thermometer.

It’s kind of fun (especially if you’re a food nerd likes me who still finds beating egg whites to stiff peaks amazing) to watch such simple ingredients go from nothing impressive to a fluffy, sticky mound of marshmallow in just a few minutes.  And again, marshmallows aren’t difficult at all to make!  But you do need to plan ahead.  And you do need a candy thermometer.  You will be sad and lost without your candy thermometer!

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I found this tutorial from The Kitchn to be extremely helpful in making marshmallows and used their recipe as my base.  I’ve seen yummy variations including pretty pink peppermint marshmallows, toasted coconut marshmallows and even salted caramel marshmallows.  All of which I thought about making.  But I decided to try something a little different.  My undying love of York peppermint patties led me to make these.  They’re delicious on their own, but something really wonderful happens when the peppermint patties start to melt into your hot chocolate.  It’s heavenly.

One of the little bits of advice I’d give is to be patient in waiting for the sugar syrup to get to temperature.  It heats quickly to 200°F, but took a while to get to 250°F.  Keep a close eye on it after it gets to 230 or so, because it seemed to speed up then.  Also remember, no stirring.  It all comes out fine in the end.  Resist the urge.

These are another great gift idea for Christmas!  Wrap up a few in a glassine or poly bag and pair with some fancy hot chocolate mix and a cute mug.  Done.

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Chocolate Mint Marshmallows

Marshmallow recipe from The Kitchn

Ingredients

  • 1 batch marshmallow base (ingredients and recipe below)
  • 1 bag mini York peppermint patties (about 27) unwrapped and roughly chopped

Marshmallow Base

For the gelatin bloom:

  • 3 tablespoons (typically 3 packets) unflavored gelatin powder (See Recipe Notes)
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the marshmallows:

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar cane syrup or corn syrup
  • Pinch kosher salt

For the marshmallow coating:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

Directions

  1. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray or shortening, making sure to cover every nook and cranny.
  2. Spread/sprinkle/place the peppermint patty pieces onto the bottom of the pan, covering as evenly as possible.  This will be hard since the candy will want to stick to everything but the pan.

For the Marshmallows

  1. Put the gelatin into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add 1/2 cup cold water and the vanilla to the gelatin and whisk with a fork. Continue stirring until the gelatin reaches the consistency of apple sauce and there are no lumps.
  2. Pour 3/4 cup water into a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan.  Pour the sugar, corn syrup, and salt on top and leave it.  Do not stir.
  3. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pot and place over medium-high heat.  Bring it to a full boil.  Do not stir.  As the mixture comes to a boil, dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides of the pot to keep the sugar from crystallizing on the sides of the pot.
  4. Continue boiling until the sugar mixture reaches 247°F to 250°F, brushing down the sides of the pot occasionally. Take the pan off the heat and remove the thermometer once it reached temperature.
  5. Turn on your mixer to low speed.  Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the gelatin, being very careful not to let the syrup spill on anyone, it is extremely hot.
  6. After all the syrup has been added, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel (to keep you and your kitchen clean!) and increase the speed to high.  The towel can be removed once the mixture begins to thicken.
  7. Whip for about 10 minutes.  No excuses.  Set a timer and don’t turn the mixer off until the timer says so.  You will have a beautiful bowl of white fluffy goodness.
  8. Remove the whisk and scrape off as much of the marshmallow as you can.  Use a spatula to scoop the marshmallow, which will be incredibly sticky, into the 9×13 pan lined with your peppermint patties.  Try to spread it as smoothly as possible without moving the patties too much.  Spray your hands with cooking oil and flatten and smooth the top of the marshmallow as much as possible.
  9. Leave it alone now for 6-24 hours, uncovered.  Away from toddler hands.
  10. Whisk the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
  11. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallows with some of the powdered sugar mixture. Turn the pan over onto your work surface or large cutting board.  This may require some coaxing from an offset spatula.  The patties will stick somewhat, so be careful not to lose a chunk by being too rough in removing the marshmallow block.  Once it is removed, sprinkle more powdered sugar onto the other side of the marshmallows, the peppermint patty side.
  12. Use a pizza wheel, knife or cookie cutters to cut the marshmallows.  Wet your utensil of choice between cuts to keep the marshmallow from sticking.  (If you use cookie cutters, make sure they’re large and not too intricate.  I tried a small frilly snowflake cutter with less than stellar results.  The heart cutter was easier.  Squares are easiest!
  13. After cutting, toss the marshmallows in the powdered sugar and place on a platter, cookie sheet or in the container you plan to keep them.  Repeat with the remaining marshmallows.
  14. Keep marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

 

 

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Caramel Pecan Turtles with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt

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Pecan-Caramel-Turtles

There is a story behind these tasty treats.  This was my second batch.  Not because the first was so delicious that it was eaten up before I could take any photos, though.  The first batch was an “Eat at your own risk” kind of candy thanks to an overcooked caramel that could probably have taken a tooth out.  I pride myself in being pretty good in the kitchen.  I’m not afraid of recipes that require some skill because I think that I have pretty good kitchen skills.  I know fancy cooking words and know the science behind some baking do’s and don’ts.  My first time making this caramel was a humbling experience, to say the least.  And we all need those experiences from time to time to keep us from thinking that we’re real good at something.

Some things to know before making these candies.

Lesson 1: Do not overcook your caramel!  Be patient and attentive, watch it like a hawk!  Candy is not forgiving.

Lesson 2: Go buy yourself a decent candy thermometer if you have any intention of ever making candy.  It is a necessity.

Lesson 2: Use a heat proof spoon to avoid losing half of the plastic part of your spatula in the hot caramel.

Lesson 3: Use parchment on your pans to make removing the finished caramels a breeze.

Lesson 4: Have everything you need ready to go so that making the caramel and assembling the candies is quick and easy.

I found this recipe on a blog called Alaska from Scratch.  It was my first time stumbling upon the site and it’s one I’ve now added to my blog reader.  The only thing I did differently was to use a different chocolate.  I was fortunate enough to come across Ghirardelli melting wafers at Target.  I think I might have audibly gasped as I saw them on the shelf.  It was a Christmas miracle!  It is way better than candy bark.  It hardens nicely, is easy to work with and actually tastes like chocolate.  They have white chocolate too!  Stock up.  I know I’m going to.

Giving handmade gifts at Christmas is something I really love doing.  Sometimes you know someone well enough to know they need a particular item, but other times you’re not sure what to get for someone and you don’t want to get them something they’re not going to use or that they’re going to throw out.  Food is almost never a bad gift idea.  It only takes up space for a short time, and the recipient is guaranteed to enjoy it.  These candies are a great gift to give.  Pack them into normal sized mason jars or cute baby ones if you’re giving them with something else or in a basket of other goodies.  You could easily use walnuts or almonds instead of pecans.  You could also make some with white chocolate and pack a few of each together.

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The caramel recipe is fairly simple, but be sure to keep a watchful eye on it and stir is constantly.  Make sure to have your pecans toasted and set up for topping before you even start the caramel.  Getting the chocolate melted before you start the caramel is also a great way to make the process fast and smooth once the caramel is done.  If you have another set of hands, set up a little assembly line.  The caramel does begin to thicken up and harden after you remove it from the heat so it’s important to work quickly.  If it does get too thick to drizzle onto the pecans, you can warm it (stirring constantly) over low heat until it thins a bit.  I had extra caramel that I spread onto some parchment, let cool and cut into little pieces.  The consistency was much different than the caramel on the candies since I’d warmed it again a couple times.  Another example of how finicky candy can be even with just a little more cooking.  It still tasted great, but wasn’t gooey like it should be.

The pecans are crunchy and delicious, the caramel is sweet, rich and gooey, the chocolate is nice and smooth and the little bit of salt on top is perfection.  These are wonderful little treats.  Enjoy!

Caramel Pecan Turtles with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt

From Alaska from Scratch

Ingredients

For the Caramel:

  • 1/2  cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

You also need:

  • 2-3 cups whole pecan halves, toasted
  • Dark chocolate candy coating
  • Flaked sea salt

Directions

  1.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or nonstick silicone mats.
  2. Arrange pecans in clusters of 3, 2 next to each other and one on top, on the parchment.  They shouldn’t be too close so that the caramel does not run together.
  3. In a heavy saucepan over medium low heat, melt the butter, sugar, honey, salt and condensed milk together, stirring occasionally.
  4. You can begin to melt the chocolate in the microwave according to the package instructions while the caramel starts to cook.
  5. Once everything has melted together increase the heat to medium high and attach your candy thermometer to the pan.  Do not let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan, you will not get a correct temperature reading.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat proof spoon.
  6. The moment the temperature reaches 234°F, remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla.
  7. Spoon the caramel onto each pecan cluster, just enough to coat, a little more than a teaspoon.  If at first the caramel seems too runny, just stir and let it cool and thicken slightly.  Resit the urge to cook it any longer!
  8. Finish melting the chocolate (or maybe someone was doing this for you while you did the caramel!) then spoon the melted chocolate on top of the caramel.  Sprinkle each with a little sea salt and allow to set completely before eating or packaging up to give as gifts.

 

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Holiday Baking: Oreo and Nutter Butter Truffles

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If you’ve been part of a cookie exchange or received some gifts from the kitchen this Christmas, then there is a good chance you have seen these.  A super simple, three ingredient treat that looks way more impressive than it actually is.  These cute little goodies are so sweet and so yummy.

When you shape these, make sure to make them small.  They really are rich.  If they are too big you may not be able to eat the whole thing, or you’ll feel too guilty taking a second one, and then you won’t get to try both kinds!

The recipe for the Oreo truffles came from the Kraft website.  I used candy coating instead of chocolate squares.  Melting chocolate just never seems to harden well enough.  Does anyone have any tips for coating with real chocolate?

After I made these I thought I should have used the white candy coating for a nice contrast from outer white coating to inner dark chocolate.  Then I thought about all the possibilities there are with these truffles.  You could use any sandwich cookie.  So I did the same thing with a package of Nutter Butters.  The white coating gave me some issues, so these were not as evenly coated as the chocolate.  The peanut butter truffles would have been delicious with the chocolate coating.  Who doesn’t like that peanut butter and chocolate combination?

I love the sprinkles of cookie crumbs on top of these truffles.  It gives them more of a true chocolate truffle appearance (and it helps to hide any uneven coating).  If you really wanted to dress these up even more and make them appealing to foodies, sprinkle with some flaked sea salt.  Some people might be averse to this sweet and salty combo, but it really is wonderful.  You can find flaked sea salt at many grocery stores.  It isn’t cheap, but you don’t use very much and it goes a long way.  This one by Maldon is the one I see most often.

If you don’t have a food processor, get to work with a large ziploc bag and a rolling pin to break the cookies into crumbs.  Make sure when you start coating the balls that you have 2 cookie sheets prepped with parchment paper, wax paper or Silpats.  This makes clean up a breeze, and removing the truffles much easier.

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

  • 1 package Oreo cookies
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 package chocolate candy coating

Directions

  1. Process Oreos in a food processor to fine crumbs.
  2. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the crumbs in a small bowl.
  3. Combine the remaining crumbs and the cream cheese and mix until evenly combined.
  4. Form dough into ping pong sized balls, between 45 and 55 depending on size.
  5. Melt chocolate coating according to package instructions.  Coat each ball and place on parchment or wax paper.  Sprinkle with reserved crumbs while chocolate is still wet.
  6. Chill truffles for at least an hour, then store in sealed containers in the fridge until serving.

Nutter Butter Truffles

Ingredients

  • 1 package Nutter Butters cookies
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 package chocolate or white candy coating

Directions

  1. Process cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs.
  2. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the crumbs in a small bowl.
  3. Combine the remaining crumbs and the cream cheese and mix until evenly combined.
  4. Form dough into ping pong sized balls, between 45 and 55 depending on size.
  5. Melt chocolate coating according to package instructions.  Coat each ball and place on parchment or wax paper.  Sprinkle with reserved crumbs while chocolate is still wet.
  6. Chill truffles for at least an hour, then store in sealed containers in the fridge until serving.
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Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

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Candy corn is one of those things that you either love or hate.  I love it.  Ben hates it.

I know they’re supposed to taste like honey, and I guess they kinda do.  But they really just taste like sweet, sugary deliciousness to me.  If you’ve never tried candy corn mixed in with salted peanuts I highly recommend it; a great combination of salty and sweet.  They’re also good covered in chocolate.  You can find the chocolate covered ones at Central Market.  When I was visiting family in Austin I bought some in the bulk section.  They are evil…in a really good way.

Anyway, we have no Halloween plans.  Since we don’t have kids to take trick-or-treating and we’re not the kind of people who dress up our dog our plan is to stay home and pass out candy if we have any kids come to our house.  We haven’t spent Halloween here yet, so we don’t know how busy our neighborhood is.  I kinda hope no one comes…more Kit Kats for me!

Anyway, I get daily cookie recipes from Martha Stewart, and this is what came today.  The recipe is a small batch and I had all the ingredients so I figured I’d go ahead and make them.  They are adorable little cookies, and they taste pretty good.  So, this is how I celebrated Halloween this year.  Enjoy!

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Makes about 36

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • About 36 candy corns

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.
  2. Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 9-10 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.
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Hot Chocolate Layer Cake

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A while back I lost my Canon camera in a horrific flood.  A water bottle mysteriously opened in my purse, drowning and destroying my camera.  Anyway, for a while I took pictures with my iPhone.  Not spectacular, but sufficient photos.  Then, Ben bought me a Sony camera that has served me well for the last 4 months.  Two days ago the screen went bright white resulting in a visit to Best Buy where they told me there was nothing they could do, and that I would have to send it in for repair.

I can still take pictures, but just can’t see what the pictures looks like until I load them onto my computer.  The photo below is the result of such a photo session.  Two usable photos out of about 25 total taken.  Not a great ratio.  I could not tell what was in the shot, how the lighting was, if I needed flash, if the zoom was too much, or how the focus turned out.  This is just not a way to take pictures!

Despite my camera woes, this cake was fun to make, not too terribly complicated, a great presentation cake, and quite delicious.  The marshmallows dusted with cocoa make the cake look like an actual mug of hot chocolate.

I absolutely love Fine Cooking magazine.  I have yet to make something from it that I haven’t liked.  This cake is on the cover of the current issue, and I could not resist its rich chocolate-y layers and fluffy white marshmallows.  I made it for Christmas dinner.  Here is the link to the recipe.

The cake is moist, the frosting is rich and creamy, and the marshmallows are heavenly, ooey-gooey goodness.  This is a rich and decadent cake.

The marshmallows are the most time consuming aspect of this dessert, but well worth the time and effort.  I considered buying pre-packaged mallows, but my wise mother-in-law convinced me to make the real thing.  It does make a difference, and the marshmallows are a lovely contrast to the rich chocolate cake and frosting.

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake

(courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine and Rebecca Rather)

For the cake

  • 6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
  • 13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the frosting

  • 2-1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
  • 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
  • 1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For the marshmallows

  • Three 1/4-oz. envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar; more as needed

Make the cake

  1. Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9×2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.
  2. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
  4. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
  5. Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans’ positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Make the frosting

  1. In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted.
  2. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted.
  3. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely.
  4. Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Make the marshmallows

  1. Pour 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment.
  2. Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don’t let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. In the saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 234°F to 235°F, about 10 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.
  3. Add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Sift 1 Tbs. of the confectioners’ sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar on top. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.

Assemble the cake

  1. Remove the frosting from the freezer or refrigerator. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften. Change to a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2. Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing. Top the layer with 1-1/2 cups of the frosting, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula to the cake’s edge. Repeat with another cake layer and 1-1/2 cups frosting. Top with the last cake layer.
  3. Put 1-1/2 cups of the frosting in a small bowl. With an offset spatula, spread this frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting firms enough to seal in the crumbs, 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. Spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake. If necessary, you can rewhip the remaining frosting to loosen and lighten it. Remove the waxed paper strips.
  5. Use the foil overhang to lift the marshmallow from the pan. Using a knife that has been dipped in cold water, cut along the edge of the marshmallow to release it from the foil. Transfer to a cutting board and remove the foil.
  6. Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.
  7. Cut the marshmallow into cubes of different sizes, from 1/4 to 3/4 inch (you will need to continue to dip the knife in cold water as you cut the marshmallows). The marshmallows will be very sticky—dip the cut edges in the confectioners’ sugar to make them easier to handle. As you work, toss a few cubes at a time in the sugar to coat, then shake in a strainer to remove the excess.
  8. Mound the marshmallows on top of the cake (you’ll need only a third to half of them). Sift some cocoa powder over the marshmallows.
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Daring Bakers: Gingerbread House

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For years before my sisters starting getting married, having babies and spending Christmas with their in-laws, we made gingerbread houses together.  We did all of it: made the gingerbread dough, baked all the pieces, assembled the house, and decorated the house using nothing but edible candies, chocolate, etc.  We would spend the days before Christmas, and sometimes a day or two afterward, perfecting the house and adding more detail.  It was so much fun.

So, I was pretty excited about this challenge.  When I really started to think about it, I got a little sad.  I had no one to help me!  No one to stay up til 2 am with, piping icing on gingerbread cars to put in the gingerbread carport.  No one to spend hours with, piping icicles on the eaves. To make things even more difficult, we’re going out of town for the holidays so no one is really going to see it.  My great excitement for my gingerbread house was dwindling.

Despite my negativity toward this challenge, I was determined to complete it.  I am glad I did, because I ended up having a fun time despite the fact that my house looks like a bunch of 3-year olds decorated it for me.  Merry Christmas!

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

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Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bites

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These little, unassuming bite-size goodies made quite an impression last weekend.  I brought them to a Christmas party where they were completely devoured and raved about.  I saw one of the party guests 2 days later and she asked me for the recipe.  I hadn’t had such a great response to a dessert in, well…ever!  I wish I could say they were my own creation, but alas, they were not.  I got the recipe in my 12 Days of Cookies email from the Food Network.  This was Day 10: Sunny’s Crunchy Peanut Butter S’more Bites.

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If you go to the Food Network site and read the review on these cookies, you will wonder why I made them.  Bad reviews on taste and preparation.  What was I thinking?  Well, I wasn’t.  However, with a few modifications to the recipe, they taste yummy (still very sweet of course) but still make quite a mess of your kitchen.  Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good!

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Peanut Butter Fudge: Re-Do

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I was so embarrassed after I tasted the final fudge disaster.  It was hard, crumbly and pretty much inedible.  How can someone with some tiny bit of culinary sense, a relatively competent mind, and a candy thermometer screw up fudge?  Well, I did it!

So, you may want to discontinue reading this blog, unless you want to feel better about yourself and laugh at the woman who couldn’t make something yummy using peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.  I am ashamed!

I felt the need to redeem myself.

My original inspiration was marshmallow fluff.  But now it’s getting serious and I just need a spectacular Peanut Butter Fudge.  So, I tried this recipe from Alton Brown.  It uses the microwave and doesn’t require a candy thermometer.  I was a little skeptical, but the recipe was highly rated, and his recipes have always turned out pretty great when I’ve tried them in the past.

The final product was creamy, sweet, rich and while not seeping with peanut butter flavor, was very good.  It was also incredibly easy.  If you’re planning to make treats for people this Christmas, or need something to add to a cookie tray, this is an easy and yummy fudge.

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Peanut Butter Fudge

(courtesy of Alton Brown)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pound (about 3 and 3/4 cups) powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high.
  2. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes.
  3. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
  4. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper.
  5. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool.
  6. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
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Peanut Butter Fluff Fudge

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fluffMarshmallow Fluff is one of those things that should probably never have been invented.  It wouldn’t have been invented by anyone but Americans.  I love the stuff.  A friend of mine in high school grew up in Boston and began bringing “Fluffernutters” for lunch and I was amazed!  Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiched in between two slices of white bread.  Perfection…in a weird way.

I had a jar of Fluff in the pantry.  Do not ask me why.  Someone must have snuck it into my shopping cart.  So I found this recipe for peanut butter fudge that uses a jar of the sticky and almost sickeningly sweet white goop.

This wasn’t the best fudge I’ve ever made.  A few years ago I used this recipe from Rachel Ray with terrific results.  I made a few batches; chocolate with peanuts and raisins, and white chocolate with cranberries and pistachios.  Both were delicious and simple.  The recipe can be easily adapted.  Change the chips to white, or peanut butter, and then add in the same amount of any nut, chopped candies or dried fruit.  Endless options!

I might try to create a peanut butter fudge using the Rachel Ray recipe.  This recipe produced good tasting fudge, but it was very dry and crumbly.  I am pretty confident that I did something wrong.  It tastes OK, but maybe not good enough to waste a whole lot of calories.  It may end up in the trash.  I don’t do that often, but when I have a choice between delicious cookie swap cookies and dry sugary fudge…it’s not exactly a tough decision.  If you want to try this and tell me what I did to make such a rock hard pan of sugar, please do!

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Peanut Butter Fudge (cooks.com)

  • 2 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 of 7 1/2 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 12 oz. jar peanut butter
  1. Cook sugar, butter, marshmallow and milk on stove top over medium-high heat until it boils.
  2. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Remove from the heat, add peanut butter and mix until creamy.
  4. Spread in an 8×8 pan and let cool.
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