Peanut Brittle September 25, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Peanut Brittle 2014-09-25 09:45:33 Look no further for a Peanut Brittle recipe. Sharon has perfected the technique over 30 years and offers her tips for success. Print Ingredients 2 cups granulated sugar (not extra fine) 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup water 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts ½ t. salt 1 t. baking soda 1 T. butter 1 t. vanilla Instructions Liberally butter 3 or 4 cookie sheets and set them on towels on your countertop. Use towels even if your countertop is heat proof. They will prevent the hot candy from cooling too quickly. In a heavy three-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear. Add peanuts and salt. Cook to hard-crack stage (300 degrees F), stirring frequently. Use a good quality candy thermometer. This takes about 30 minutes. Don't rush it or it could burn. Stir more often and watch the temperature closely in the last 10 degrees of heating. Add soda, butter and vanilla; mix well. Pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheets in narrow (4 inch) lines. With a clean fork, push down any piles of peanuts. Fill the pan with clear water (no soap) and soak your utensils. When the outermost 1/8 inch of the candy is slightly firm, begin pulling the edges of the candy with a fork to make the candy thinner. (The candy will become a little thinner as it cools. Avoid pulling it too far or it will be fragile when cooled.) When each sheet of candy has become less liquid, pick it up by the edges and turn it over on the buttered cookie sheet to finish cooling. When the candy has completely cooled, break it into the desired size and store it in an airtight container. Notes Source for raw Spanish peanuts: Bulk Fresh Pantry in Westmont By Sharon Wussow Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Chocolate Cake with Rum Butter Sauce September 24, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Chocolate Cake with Rum Butter Sauce 2014-09-24 13:24:27 Print For the cake 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 8 T. butter 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 t. vanilla extract 1/4 t. salt 1/2 cup flour For the sauce 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup light brown sugar 8 T. butter 3 T. dark rum 1/2 t. vanilla extract For the cake Preheat oven to 325. Butter a nine inch springform pan. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over hot, not boiling water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs at high speed for three to four minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat until very thick, about five minutes. Beat in the vanilla, salt and cooled chocolate mixture. On low speed, blend in the flour. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. For the sauce Combine the cream, brown sugar and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until mixture boils. Boil for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum and vanilla extract. Spoon a moderate amount of the warm sauce on a dessert plate. Top with a wedge of cake. By Amy Patterson Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
A Batter Bowl & A Wooden Spoon by Dana Williams September 22, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment I’m a bit of an equipment junkie. Having spent the better part of the last twenty years working in kitchen stores, I’ve developed an extreme affection for cooking/baking tools and small electrics! Customers who ask me questions like “Do I really need this avocado slicer?” will be answered with a resounding “Absolutely!” I’d be lost without my stand mixer, my food processor, my VitaMix and my juicer. So, that being said, my new mini obsession is baking without plugging in a single thing. My current two favorite pieces of “equipment” are my heavy beech French mixing spoon and my Simon Pearce batter bowl. Recently, I’ve turned out each of the following recipes more than a few times. Any recipe that calls for melted butter is usually pretty simple to mix up without a stand or hand mixer. My “Mom’s Best Granola” (self proclaimed!) starts with melted coconut oil mixed with cinnamon, honey and vanilla. Your kitchen will smell heavenly! These little Praline cookies come together in a flash and are buttery, crunchy and totally delicious. Try them both and let me know how you like them! Mom’s Best Granola Preheat oven to 325.1 1/2 c rolled oats1 c chopped walnuts1 c sliced almonds1 c unsweetened coconut flakes1/4 c coconut oil1/4 c honey1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp vanilla1/2 t sea saltCombine oats, walnuts, almonds, salt and coconut in bowl.Combine coconut oil, cinnamon, honey and vanilla in small sauce pan. Pour over combined oat mixture and mix well. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 20 – 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes. Let cool on parchment paper and store at room temp. Praline CookiesPreheat oven to 3751/2 c butter – melted1/2 c brown sugar1/2 c sugar1 egg – lightly beaten1 1/2 c flour1 1/2 t vanilla1 1/2 c chopped pecansPowdered sugarMix first six ingredients together and then stir in pecans. Using a small cookie scoop, roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until they just start to brown on edges. Remove from oven, let cool 2 minutes and dust liberally with powdered sugar. Makes 30 cookies.
Sweet Corn Fritters with Sriracha-Lime Greek Yogurt September 18, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Sweet Corn Fritters with Sriracha-Lime Greek Yogurt 2014-09-18 13:51:35 Print Fritters 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 lime, zest and juice 2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears, depending on size) 1/2 cup scallions, minced 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, grated Sriracha-Lime Greek Yogurt 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/2 lime, zest and juice Sriracha, to taste For the Fritters Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and coriander. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and lime juice and zest. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, then fold the corn, scallions, cilantro, garlic, and cheddar cheese in until just combined. Heat a large heavy skillet (cast iron, preferably) and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. (Use an oil with a high smoke point, such as peanut, safflower, canola, or grapeseed.) Once the oil is hot, spoon large mounds of batter into the pan, flattening them slightly. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until fritters are nicely browned on the underside, then flip. When they are browned on the second side, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate or sheet lined with paper towel. Repeat until all the batter has been used up, adding more oil to the pan if needed. For the Sriracha-Lime Greek Yogurt Mix together Greek yogurt and lime juice and zest. Add Sriracha a little bit at a time, until you have the heat level where you’d like it. Notes Makes about 1 dozen fritters. By Eric Ringquist Adapted from Food 52 Adapted from Food 52 Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Summer Corn Chowder September 18, 2014 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Summer Corn Chowder 2014-09-18 13:38:53 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 6 medium ears of corn 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 small onion 1 medium poblano, finely chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 small celery rib, finely chopped 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped 2 medium boiling potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice Pinch of sugar 1 small bay leaf 2 cups light cream, at room temperature 1 cup milk Freshly ground black pepper Chopped parsley, for garnish Instructions Working over a bowl, cut the corn kernels from the cobs at about half their depth. Then, using the back of the knife, scrape the cobs over the bowl to release all the "milk"; set aside. In a large saucepan, fry the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble and reserve. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the poblano pepper, jalapeño and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, salt, allspice, sugar, bay leaf and the reserved corn kernels and their "milk" and stir well. Cook over moderate heat until mixture begins to sizzle. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the cream and milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and season with black pepper to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with the crumbled bacon and parsley. By Eric Ringquist Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/