1 c. whipping cream
11 oz. bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped (Diane likes to use Baker's)
2 Tbsp. butter, chopped into cubes
a pinch of salt
1 c. unblanched almonds (roast at a 400 degree oven for several minutes until golden brown, checking often and stirring as necessary for even browning. Once browned, cool slightly and then finely, finely chop)
In a heavy 1 1/2 - 2 qt. saucepan, scald cream. Stir often and slowly, trying not to add extra air. Make sure to scrape the side of the pan often while stirring.
Once cream has been scalded, remove from heat and immediately pour finely chopped chocolate into the pan. Allow to rest for 5 minutes without stirring. The chocolate will start to melt just by sitting in the warm cream. After 5 minutes, add almonds, salt, and butter. Stir slowly, trying to keep out any extra air but mix thoroughly to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
Pour into a shallow baking dish (like a brownie pan), cover with saran wrap, poke 5 small holes at the top, and let rest on the counter overnight.
After resting overnight you can just eat it with a spoon and it is super yummy
OR
Cover with hole-less saran wrap and place in the fridge for 6-12 hours.
Once you are ready to make the truffles, pull out of the fridge and allow to warm a little bit - about 30 minutes. Scoop a small amount (half the size of a cookie ball) and roll into balls with the tips of your fingers. Dipping the spoon in powdered sugar will help keep the truffle mixture from sticking to the spoon.
Roll each ball into topping of your choice. Can stay stored well-sealed in the fridge for up to one week. Can store in the freezer for up to one month.
Allow chilled truffles to rest 5-10 minutes at room temperature before serving.
** Can garnish truffles with sweetened or unsweetened cocoa, roasted finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut (my favorite), crushed oreos, graham cracker crumbs, nut flours, crushed toffee, powdered sugar, sprinkles, sugar crystals, or anything else you can imagine.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Chex Party Mix
1 1/2 c. Rice Chex cereal
1 1/2 c. Corn Chex cereal
1 1/2 c. Wheat Chex cereal
1 c. pretzels
1/2 c. oyster crackers
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
In large microwave bowl, mix cereals, pretzels, and oyster crackers. Set aside. In small microwave bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high for about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
Microwave uncovered on high for 4 minutes, thoroughly stirring every minute. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container.
1 1/2 c. Corn Chex cereal
1 1/2 c. Wheat Chex cereal
1 c. pretzels
1/2 c. oyster crackers
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
In large microwave bowl, mix cereals, pretzels, and oyster crackers. Set aside. In small microwave bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high for about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
Microwave uncovered on high for 4 minutes, thoroughly stirring every minute. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Blueberry Pie
3 1/2 - 4 c. blueberries - frozen ones are the best to use; thaw first
2/3 - 1 1/2 c. sugar - to taste
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
Place fruit, sugar (start with less), cornstarch in saucepan and mix until smooth. Cook over medium heatm stirring occasionally (whisk) until mixture is thick and clear - about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add butter and let butter melt on top of mixture before incorporating. Stir well and taste. Add more sugar if necessary but make sure to incorporate well. Pour into a baked pie shell and chill until firm. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
2/3 - 1 1/2 c. sugar - to taste
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
Place fruit, sugar (start with less), cornstarch in saucepan and mix until smooth. Cook over medium heatm stirring occasionally (whisk) until mixture is thick and clear - about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add butter and let butter melt on top of mixture before incorporating. Stir well and taste. Add more sugar if necessary but make sure to incorporate well. Pour into a baked pie shell and chill until firm. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Pie Dough
** dough for two-single crust pies or one-double crust pie **
1 c. (8 oz.) unsalted butter
10.5 oz. flour (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 c. milk, buttermilk, cream, or water (Mitzi likes buttermilk)
Place butter in a mixing bowl and let it rest. You want the butter to warm a little bit so that it is easier to handle. I let mine sit for about 30 min. Measure in flour and salt. Using your fingers, snap butter pieces in half. The motion is just like snapping your finger and thumb normally but now you are using all 4 fingers. Continue snapping butter pieces in half coating your fingers with the flour in the bowl as necessary. It almost should look like you are just playing in the flour. Once the butter is in small pieces and mixture is crumbly, add wet ingredient (milk, cream, etc.). Stir wet ingredient into flour mixture by stirring with one finger. Let mixture rest for about 5 minutes while it soaks up the moisture like a sponge.
At this point the mixture should have pockets of wetter dough and pockets of dry dough. Dump dough (all of it) onto the counter and push together like building a sand castle. Flip over and push together again. You may need to separate wetter pieces to try to get dry pieces to stick.
Be careful not to over-mix through this entire process.
Once you have a mound, place in saran wrap. Wrap tightly and put in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to make your crust, take out of fridge. If the dough is hard and cold (which is should be) don't try to roll. Take your rolling pin and beat it flatter. As it warms you can transfer over to rolling it out. Make sure to use lots of flour as you roll out the pie crust.
Once the dough is in the pan, place in fridge for about 20 minutes before baking. This will reduce the amount the pie crusts will shrink in the cooking process.
1 c. (8 oz.) unsalted butter
10.5 oz. flour (roughly 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 c. milk, buttermilk, cream, or water (Mitzi likes buttermilk)
Place butter in a mixing bowl and let it rest. You want the butter to warm a little bit so that it is easier to handle. I let mine sit for about 30 min. Measure in flour and salt. Using your fingers, snap butter pieces in half. The motion is just like snapping your finger and thumb normally but now you are using all 4 fingers. Continue snapping butter pieces in half coating your fingers with the flour in the bowl as necessary. It almost should look like you are just playing in the flour. Once the butter is in small pieces and mixture is crumbly, add wet ingredient (milk, cream, etc.). Stir wet ingredient into flour mixture by stirring with one finger. Let mixture rest for about 5 minutes while it soaks up the moisture like a sponge.
At this point the mixture should have pockets of wetter dough and pockets of dry dough. Dump dough (all of it) onto the counter and push together like building a sand castle. Flip over and push together again. You may need to separate wetter pieces to try to get dry pieces to stick.
Be careful not to over-mix through this entire process.
Once you have a mound, place in saran wrap. Wrap tightly and put in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to make your crust, take out of fridge. If the dough is hard and cold (which is should be) don't try to roll. Take your rolling pin and beat it flatter. As it warms you can transfer over to rolling it out. Make sure to use lots of flour as you roll out the pie crust.
Once the dough is in the pan, place in fridge for about 20 minutes before baking. This will reduce the amount the pie crusts will shrink in the cooking process.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Gingerbread Recipe - 2013
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
directions
1. In a saucepan set over low heat, or in the microwave, melt butter, then stir in the brown sugar, molasses, salt, and spices.
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, let it cool to lukewarm, and beat in the egg.
3. Whisk the baking powder and soda into the flour, and then stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture.
4. Divide the dough in half, and wrap well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
5. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Get out several baking sheets; there's no need to grease them, though lining with parchment saves effort on cleanup.
6. Once the dough has chilled, take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator, and flour a clean work surface, and the dough. Roll it out as thin or thick as you like; for slightly less crisp cookies, roll it out more thickly.
7. Use flour under and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the table or rolling pin. Alternatively, place the dough on parchment, and put a sheet of plastic wrap over it as you roll, pulling the plastic to eliminate wrinkles as necessary when rolling; this will keep dough from sticking without the need for additional flour. For soft dough, or dough to be rolled extra-thin, you may choose to roll right onto the ungreased back of a baking sheet.
8. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter, cutting them as close to one another as possible to minimize waste.
9. Transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets (or, if you've rolled right onto the parchment, remove the dough scraps between the cookies). Bake the cookies just until they're slightly brown around the edges 8 to 12 minutes, or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for several minutes, or until they're set. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
10. Decorate the cookies with Royal Icing or Simple Cookie Glaze and food safe markers.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Homemade Laundry Soap
- 1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle
- 1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle
- 1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle
- 2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (You can also use Fels Naptha)
- 1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)
- 4 Bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs- found online or through a Scentsy Representative (you can also use 2 Bottles of Purex Crystals Fabric Enhancer- Found in the detergent aisle)
Instructions
- Grate zote soap with cheese grater or food processor.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bucket.
- Use 2 -4 Tablespoons per laundry load.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Mom's granola
4 c. oatmeal
2 c. coconut
2 c. sliced almonds
2 tsp. cinnamon
Stir together
Add:
½ c. oil
⅓ c. honey (put in microwave for 30 seconds before adding)
Mix together. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. While it is baking cut 1 ½ c. dried cherries or any other dried fruit. Stir it in and then bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely before putting in an airtight container.
2 c. coconut
2 c. sliced almonds
2 tsp. cinnamon
Stir together
Add:
½ c. oil
⅓ c. honey (put in microwave for 30 seconds before adding)
Mix together. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. While it is baking cut 1 ½ c. dried cherries or any other dried fruit. Stir it in and then bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely before putting in an airtight container.
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