From: NASHVILLE CHOCOLATE KITCHEN
HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE:
(Serves 10-12)
1quart cold whole milk (set aside 1 Cup)
½ t potato starch
1 quart half & half
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped.
8 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped.
1 t vanilla
¼ t sea salt
1. In a small bowl, mix 1 C of cold milk with the potato starch. Whisk until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, add remaining milk and ingredients. Stir until chocolate is melted. Serve very warm with homemade marshmallows.
Variations: Adjust chocolate profile according to your taste. For example, if you are a lover of dark chocolate then use all dark chocolate. Also, if you enjoy a thicker “drinking chocolate,” add a slight bit more potato starch in the beginning, as this acts as a thickening agent. If the above recipe seems too thick for you, skip the potato starch. Word to the wise…you must mix the potato starch in the beginning with cold milk. If the potato starch goes into a warm liquid, the result will be potato dumplings.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Frozen Corn
Another recipe from Grandma. This is my all time favorite corn recipe. I still remember removing corn from the cob on those hot August days.
15 cups cooked corn
3/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp. salt
5 cups ice water
Let stand in refrigerator to good and cold and put in freezer bags.
15 cups cooked corn
3/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp. salt
5 cups ice water
Let stand in refrigerator to good and cold and put in freezer bags.
Strawberry Pop Cake
This is the recipe my Mom chose for her birthday when she was little. I will be making it this week for my Mom's birthday.
Cream 3/4 cup shortening with 2 cups sugar
Add in separate bowl:
1-7 oz. bottle strawberry pop
alternate with:
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat everything together. Fold in 5 stiffly beaten egg whites
Bake 2 layers at 350 degrees. Time unknown - use toothpick test.
Grandma S
Cream 3/4 cup shortening with 2 cups sugar
Add in separate bowl:
1-7 oz. bottle strawberry pop
alternate with:
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat everything together. Fold in 5 stiffly beaten egg whites
Bake 2 layers at 350 degrees. Time unknown - use toothpick test.
Grandma S
Marshmallow Frosting
Recipe from Grandma Sturtz
Put marshmallows in double boiler
add 1 tbsp hot water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt
Boil until still peaks and pour over 2 egg whites and beat and add vanilla.
Variation:
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tbsp. water
6 large marshmallows, quartered
1 tsp. pure vanilla (or other flavorings - see below)
1/4 tsp. cream or tartar or Bakewell Cream
In the top of a double boiler, over boiling water, combine 2 egg whites, unbeaten, sugar, water, and quartered marshmallows. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating for about 10 minutes or until mixture stands in peaks. (Use a portable electric mixer).
Remove the top of the double boiler from heat and stir in vanilla extract and cream of tartar. Beat for another 5 minutes, or until thick and of good spreading consistency.
Put marshmallows in double boiler
add 1 tbsp hot water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt
Boil until still peaks and pour over 2 egg whites and beat and add vanilla.
Variation:
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tbsp. water
6 large marshmallows, quartered
1 tsp. pure vanilla (or other flavorings - see below)
1/4 tsp. cream or tartar or Bakewell Cream
In the top of a double boiler, over boiling water, combine 2 egg whites, unbeaten, sugar, water, and quartered marshmallows. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating for about 10 minutes or until mixture stands in peaks. (Use a portable electric mixer).
Remove the top of the double boiler from heat and stir in vanilla extract and cream of tartar. Beat for another 5 minutes, or until thick and of good spreading consistency.
Marshmallow Fondant
16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)
Directions:
NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.
Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler. To microwave, place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total.
Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.
Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)
Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, “What are you doing?”
Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.
It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.
Prepare the fondant icing for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
MM Fondant icing will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant icing can be prepared well in advance.
Now it’s time to start. Your cake should be baked, and completely cooled. If you have a shaped cake, you can trim it now and then place the cake on a prepared cake board. In other words, you are assembling the cake puzzle on the board. You can also place the cake on the board first and then trim (you must be extra careful not to damage the covered board). I personally find that shaping first is the easiest and then transferring the cake.
Give the top and sides of the cake a nice thick 1/4-inch coating of Buttercream Icing.
Pre-shape your icing into approximately the shape of your cake. For a round cake, make a disk shape. For a rectangular make a log shape.
Some instructors tell you to only sprinkle cornstarch on your counter before you put the fondant icing down, sprinkle with more corn starch, and then roll fondant icing out to desired shape. Some teachers advise that you grease the counter, put the fondant icing down, and lightly grease the top of the fondant icing as need to prevent sticking.
I prefer the cornstarch myself, but during very dry atmospheric conditions, I have been known to use the shortening method. The grease will help to hold in the moisture and keeps the fondant icing pliable. If necessary, add drops of water and knead it in thoroughly before proceeding. You will need to try out both ways in the future and decide what you like the most. A third alternative is a large-sized Roulpat Mat (31 x 23 inches). It really does work well and it can also help you with moving a large piece of rolled out fondant. I’ve never done it, but I was told that you just gently bend the mat edges downward with the icing still on it. Place the edge of mat and the icing next to the edge of the butter-creamed cake and flip the fondant icing over the cake. What was the top of the fondant icing that you rolled out, is now touching the buttercream and what was the bottom side is now the topside that you see.
Roll the icing at least 1/8-inch thick. It’s thick enough for ease of handling and strength integrity. I wouldn’t go any thinner than 1/8-inch for the cake covering. When I’m making decorations with the fondant icing, I will sometimes roll it thinner. The MM Fondant icing is very forgiving and rarely tears but everything has it limits.
Quickly place the fondant icing at one bottom edge of the cake and unroll the rolling pin, holding it about 2 inches over the cake. Your fondant icing will then “fall” into place. You should also have a bit of overhang over the edges.
You might need a little cornstarch at this stage, but only use it very sparingly if you have a dark colored icing. I very lightly sprinkle the cornstarch over the surface and use a buffing motion with my hand to move it around and to level the surface. This motion seals the fondant icing to the buttercream, works out the bumps in the icing below the surface, and removes flaws from the joined areas in the cakes surface below. Please use a VERY gentle pressure to rub the surface of the icing. I often have a little pile of the cornstarch on the counter and dip my hands in it as needed. Here is an important tip: Watch out for your fingernails as long nails can mark up your surface quickly and it is very difficult to smooth them back out.
If you notice a bubble in the surface, take a thin sharp needle and poke a tiny hole, at an angle, in the bubble. If you poke straight down, you can almost always see the hole even after the most careful smoothing. The angled hole lets the air out of the bubble, and with a tiny bit of rubbing you can reseal the hole.
I keep a clean, soft pastry brush close by, to move the cornstarch around.
Do this lightly or you can leave brush marks on the surface that are almost impossible to remove. A number of companies make fondant smoothers for around $10. I have one, but I’ve used it only once and I’ve used my hands ever since. For me, it is easier and quicker. If you don’t handle the smoother correctly, you can damage the fondant’s finish.
Gently, with the side of your hand, push the fondant into the sides of the cake against the cake board.
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)
Directions:
NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.
Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler. To microwave, place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total.
Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.
Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I’m done, they are baby soft.)
Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. If you have children in the room they will either laugh at you or look at you with a questioning expression. You might even hear a muttered, “What are you doing?”
Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.
It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.
Prepare the fondant icing for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
MM Fondant icing will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant icing can be prepared well in advance.
Now it’s time to start. Your cake should be baked, and completely cooled. If you have a shaped cake, you can trim it now and then place the cake on a prepared cake board. In other words, you are assembling the cake puzzle on the board. You can also place the cake on the board first and then trim (you must be extra careful not to damage the covered board). I personally find that shaping first is the easiest and then transferring the cake.
Give the top and sides of the cake a nice thick 1/4-inch coating of Buttercream Icing.
Pre-shape your icing into approximately the shape of your cake. For a round cake, make a disk shape. For a rectangular make a log shape.
Some instructors tell you to only sprinkle cornstarch on your counter before you put the fondant icing down, sprinkle with more corn starch, and then roll fondant icing out to desired shape. Some teachers advise that you grease the counter, put the fondant icing down, and lightly grease the top of the fondant icing as need to prevent sticking.
I prefer the cornstarch myself, but during very dry atmospheric conditions, I have been known to use the shortening method. The grease will help to hold in the moisture and keeps the fondant icing pliable. If necessary, add drops of water and knead it in thoroughly before proceeding. You will need to try out both ways in the future and decide what you like the most. A third alternative is a large-sized Roulpat Mat (31 x 23 inches). It really does work well and it can also help you with moving a large piece of rolled out fondant. I’ve never done it, but I was told that you just gently bend the mat edges downward with the icing still on it. Place the edge of mat and the icing next to the edge of the butter-creamed cake and flip the fondant icing over the cake. What was the top of the fondant icing that you rolled out, is now touching the buttercream and what was the bottom side is now the topside that you see.
Roll the icing at least 1/8-inch thick. It’s thick enough for ease of handling and strength integrity. I wouldn’t go any thinner than 1/8-inch for the cake covering. When I’m making decorations with the fondant icing, I will sometimes roll it thinner. The MM Fondant icing is very forgiving and rarely tears but everything has it limits.
Quickly place the fondant icing at one bottom edge of the cake and unroll the rolling pin, holding it about 2 inches over the cake. Your fondant icing will then “fall” into place. You should also have a bit of overhang over the edges.
You might need a little cornstarch at this stage, but only use it very sparingly if you have a dark colored icing. I very lightly sprinkle the cornstarch over the surface and use a buffing motion with my hand to move it around and to level the surface. This motion seals the fondant icing to the buttercream, works out the bumps in the icing below the surface, and removes flaws from the joined areas in the cakes surface below. Please use a VERY gentle pressure to rub the surface of the icing. I often have a little pile of the cornstarch on the counter and dip my hands in it as needed. Here is an important tip: Watch out for your fingernails as long nails can mark up your surface quickly and it is very difficult to smooth them back out.
If you notice a bubble in the surface, take a thin sharp needle and poke a tiny hole, at an angle, in the bubble. If you poke straight down, you can almost always see the hole even after the most careful smoothing. The angled hole lets the air out of the bubble, and with a tiny bit of rubbing you can reseal the hole.
I keep a clean, soft pastry brush close by, to move the cornstarch around.
Do this lightly or you can leave brush marks on the surface that are almost impossible to remove. A number of companies make fondant smoothers for around $10. I have one, but I’ve used it only once and I’ve used my hands ever since. For me, it is easier and quicker. If you don’t handle the smoother correctly, you can damage the fondant’s finish.
Gently, with the side of your hand, push the fondant into the sides of the cake against the cake board.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Paula Deen's Beef Stroganoff
I've only tried the Betty Crocker's recipe for beef stroganoff. I'm excited to see how Paula's will taste.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
House Seasoning to taste
all purpose flour
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
cooked egg noodles
Directions
Season the steak strips with House Seasoning, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb cubed round steak, cut into thin strips
House Seasoning to taste
all purpose flour
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
cooked egg noodles
Directions
Season the steak strips with House Seasoning, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Mexican Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza dough
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. chicken broth, veggie broth or water
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
3 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese
(I used cheddar jack instead of buying both kinds of cheese)
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup tomato, seeded and diced
1/3 cup corn (fresh or frozen-I prefer less than 1/3 cup)
3-4 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
To make the pizza, preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.
Combine the black beans, cumin, paprika and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until ground into a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the chicken broth through the feed tube until a smooth mixture is formed. Spread the bean puree onto the shaped pizza crust in an even layer (I used about ¾ of the puree). Layer evenly with the cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. Sprinkle the jalapeño, red onion, tomato, corn and cilantro over the cheese layer. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Basic Pizza Dough
Yield: enough dough for 2 medium pizzas or 4 calzones
Ingredients:
½ cup warm water
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1½ tsp. salt
1¼ cup water, at room temperature
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the top. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend. Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil. Mix until a cohesive dough is formed. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.
Press down the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball. (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.) Cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.
To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes. Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Shape the dough with lightly floured hands. Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil. Top as desired. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes.
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