Créme Brûlée

Créme Brûlée is a fancy, restaurant-style dessert that can easily be prepared at home with a little practice and a few special tools. Is is basically a rich baked custard which is chilled, then covered with a layer of sugar. The sugar is then lit on fire - which causes it to caramelize. A mini kitchen blow torch is the right tool for this job, they are easy and safe to use, and relatively inexpensive - definitely a worthwhile investment! (See my post from December 2nd) Of course, you may just place the créme brûlées on the top shelf in your oven and broil them on high for a few minutes, but that is not nearly as fun. This also has the disadvantage of the entire dish becoming warm, when really the highlight of créme brûlée is the warm, crisp top over the cool, creamy bottom. 

You can make créme brûlée pretty much any flavor you want; chocolate, orange, caramel, vanilla, cappuccino, etc. I have done chocolate before, which is really good. This time I decided to do vanilla. Some chefs will insist you must use a real vanilla bean to achieve a good vanilla flavor, but I got very good results using vanilla extract. Just don't go for the artificial stuff, or you will definitely be disappointed. This is a basic recipe for vanilla créme brûlée. It can be altered to suit your tastes and the amount you need. Many cookbooks publish this same basic recipe, with a few slight changes such as oven temperatures and ingredient amounts. Some say to heat the milk and cream first, but I didn't find that necessary. Some also say to use a water bath while others don't. In my experience, I have found that a water bath helps the custards to cook more evenly.

Créme Brûlée
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk, evaporated milk, or half-and-half cream
1 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Grease six to eight ovenproof ramekins, and place them in a baking pan large enough to accommodate all of them. Prepare a kettle of water to boil. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick. Sugar should be dissolved and mixture will be frothy.

If using a vanilla bean, steep the contents in a saucepan with the milk and the cream for about 20 minutes. Strain, then temper the egg yolks with a bit of this mixture. Whisk the rest into the egg yolks until smooth. If using vanilla extract, skip the steeping process and simply add the milk, cream, and vanilla to the egg yolks. Whisk until smooth.

Divide mixture among ramekins. Pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to spill any water into the ramekins. Carefully place in preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes until almost set. Filling may still jiggle a little in the center, but will set upon cooling. Remove ramekins from hot water bath, cool completely. Chill for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

Sprinkle each ramekin with more granulated sugar. Ignite using a kitchen blow torch, or place under a preheated broiler on top rack in oven. Heat until sugar is browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.

I accompanied my créme brûlées with some homemade meringue cookies. A light garnish to balance out with the rich texture of the custards.

Chocolate Meringue Torte

Here is the finished dessert using the meringue bases from yesterday. It is rich and chocolatey, but incredibly nice and light at the same time. It is composed of a decadent whipped cream chocolate cream cheese filling sandwiched between three eight inch layers of meringue circles, and finished off on the outside with more filling and some fresh cherries. This creates a beautiful contrast between the base and the filling, both in taste and texture. The meringue is light and delicate, and the filling is deep and rich. The meringue is made with brown sugar, which as I had previously discovered, lends it a more sweet and caramel-like flavor that complements the chocolate cream cheese filling perfectly. Although this dessert looks very impressive and earns the name of a torte, it is relatively simple and quick to put together. It also must be made in advance, so it can chill overnight and set and blend flavors. You may just need to add on a few last minute decorations, slice, and serve!

FILLING
1 package cream cheese (eight ounces, or 250 grams), softened
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup whipping cream

FILLING: Beat the cream cheese, milk, and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the other mixture. Spread between the layers of meringue, and frost the top and sides of the torte. Chill for eight hours or overnight.

I found this filling recipe made too much filling for the three meringue circles - it would have overpowered the delicate flavor of the meringues and weighed them down. So I didn't end up using all of the filling. Next time, I would cut down on the filling recipe by at least a third, maybe even halve it. Actually, the meringues are so good they could almost star on there own, you hardly even need a filling!

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Meringue Torte." Recipe. Desserts, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 94.

Meringue Circles

Tonight, I had some extra egg whites so I decided to whip up some meringues. I am planning to make a Chocolate Meringue Torte tomorrow using these circles by sandwiching a rich chocolate cream cheese filling between these three eight-inch round layers of meringue, but they must cool completely before assembly. The meringue shells should hold the filling beautifully. I was a little leery to make these meringues today, as the weather is a bit wet, but they turned out very well regardless!

MERINGUE
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 275◦F. On a piece of parchment paper or lightly greased foil, outline three circles, each eight inches in diameter. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until very stiff. Spread the meringue evenly over the outlined circles, smoothing the tops. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until meringues are dry and fairly firm. Allow to cool before removing foil.

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Meringue Torte." Recipe. Desserts, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 94.

Pancake Supper

Pancakes for supper are a regular occurrence for my family. In fact, we rarely eat them for breakfast. We commonly enjoy waffles for supper too. Often these are served with pan-fried ham and scrambled eggs. Having breakfast-style meals for supper is quick, easy, and tasty. It also makes a very well-balanced meal that doesn't require a lot of preparation work and uses ingredients on hand. These are the pancakes that my mother has been making for as long as I can remember. Mom likes to make small pancakes, about four inches in diameter, instead of large plate-sized pancakes. That way we can eat a lot more, and they fit on the plate and in your mouth better. Everyone enjoys different toppings on their pancakes, common toppings in our house include butter, syrup, jam, peanut butter, and applesauce. Cooking pancakes on a griddle makes the work go a lot faster - we can fit up to ten pancakes on our griddle at the same time. That means a lot less batches, and a lot less cooking time. Griddles are also very easy to use and clean. Here are some pancakes that were cooked up for supper tonight!

Hearty Beef Stew

There is nothing like a hearty bowl of beef stew to warm you up on a chilly winter day, especially when it's your mother's homemade stew. This stew starts with a thick, homemade broth that is simmered on the stove for several hours, filling the house with delicious smells. Then cubed stewing beef, sliced onion, sliced carrots, diced potatoes, and canned peas are all added. This is simmered until just tender. The stew is excellent served with a crusty piece of bread, and makes a very filling meal that warms you right up! The recipe can also be adjusted to make more servings, and it reheats very well the next day. A nice change from the common chicken noodle soup or bowl of chili. 

Creaming Butter

Creaming butter, often with sugar, is an extremely common, crucial step in many recipes for baked goods such as cookies and cakes, but it is also a step that is often done improperly. Creaming butter and sugar together at the start of a recipe incorporates a large number of air bubbles, which causes the baked product to rise well in the oven and turn out light and fluffy in texture.

TO START: Butter should be softened. To soften butter, it should be placed out at room temperature (on the counter) for at least thirty minutes, but no more than seventy five minutes, or until butter reaches a temperature of sixty-five to seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Butter that is warmer will become too soft to cream properly. Although butter packages say to keep the butter refrigerated, fresh butter can safely be stored at room temperature for up to a day or two, and older butter can stand at room temperature for a maximum of two hours, without posing any risk of spoilage or food poisoning. Although quicker and much more convenient, try to refrain from softening butter in the microwave. Often butter softened in the microwave either does not get soft enough or gets too soft and melts in places. It is rare to get butter at just the right temperature by microwaving it, as microwave ovens heat foods unevenly. If you are in a hurry, cut cold butter into smaller pieces to warm at room temperature, or put the pieces in a small bowl placed in a larger bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

TO CREAM: The butter should be placed, with the sugar if called for, in a bowl that is able to accommodate the butter with plenty of extra room for mixing. Butter can be creamed by hand with a wooden spoon, by using a handheld electric mixer, or by using a stand mixer. Obviously creaming by hand will take the longest, but it is also the most fun! Now, simply beat the butter! Begin at low speed, increasing speed if necessary. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula often to ensure all of the butter creams fully with the sugar. Most recipes recommend beating until light and fluffy. When it is light and fluffy, you will know, if you don’t know, it is not light and fluffy yet, so keep on beating! Thoroughly creaming butter really takes about eight to ten minutes, but if a recipe indicates a shorter length of time, follow the recipe. Many bakers don’t cream butter for nearly as long as they should, so don’t be afraid to beat! The risk of over beating butter is quite low, so just keep going.

ADDITIONAL TIPS: Use a bowl that is at room temperature, so the butter does not melt or solidify. Creamed butter should be used immediately. If butter melts or becomes too soft to cream, do not try to re-solidify it and use it again, save it for another purpose. If you are using hard margarine in place of butter, the same rules and methods apply.

There, now that you have your perfectly creamed butter, you are probably ready to add the eggs to your recipe. Before you do, I recommend you take a spoonful of the creamed butter and sugar mixture and taste it. It is absolutely delicious, especially if the sugar is brown! You will also notice the incredibly desirable light and creamy texture in your mouth. That is the result of properly creamed butter.

Making Candy

Most candies have the reputation of being difficult and time-consuming to make, but some are quite quick and fun to make. Fudge, caramels, toffees, pralines, nougats, and marshmallows are all rewarding to make. They just require a little practice and patience. If you are planning to make candy, the best thing you can do is invest in a simple candy thermometer. These thermometers are quite small, and can cost as little as $5. They are definitely a worthwhile investment. If you don't happen to have a candy thermometer, you will still be able to make most candy recipes, it will just require a little closer attention and extra testing. However, if you want to be absolutely sure you have the correct temperature, and to avoid disappointment or poor results, I highly recommend you invest in a candy thermometer. For example, I once made a fudge recipe that required boiling the mixture to an exact temperature, removing it from the heat, then cooling it to an exact temperature before pouring. Had I missed either of these stages, the fudge would not have turned out. Candy thermometers are also useful for checking the temperature of hot oil when deep-frying. Here is a little guide to candy thermometer temperatures, what they mean, and how to recognize them without a candy thermometer.

• Thread (223-234˚F or 106-112˚C)
• Forms loose, thin thread. Easily drips from a spoon.
• Uses: sugar syrups, candied fruit, glacé.
• Soft Ball (234-240˚F or 112-115˚C)
• Forms soft, sticky ball in cold water, but flattens easily once removed.
• Uses: caramel, fudge, praline, fondant, buttercream.
• Firm Ball (242-248˚F or 116-120˚C)
• Forms pliable, sticky ball that holds shape briefly.
• Uses: caramel, nougat, marshmallow, gummies, toffee, meringue.
• Hard Ball (250-266˚F or 122-130˚C)
• Forms hard, sticky ball that retains shape.
• Uses: caramel, nougat, toffee, divinity.
• Soft Crack (270-290˚F or 132-143˚C)
• Forms firm, but pliable strands.
• Uses: butterscotch, nougat, taffy.
• Hard Crack (295-310˚F or 146-155˚C)
• Forms stiff, brittle strands that break easily.
• Uses: brittle, toffee, hard candy, lollipops, spun sugar.
• Caramel (320-360˚F or 160-182˚C)
• Forms strands that become golden to dark amber.
• Uses: praline, brittle, caramel coatings, nougatine.

“Stages of Cooked Sugar.”  http://www.joyofbaking.com/StagesOfCookedSugar.html . Joy of Baking, n.d. Monday, January 9, 2012.

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

The ultimate combination again: chocolate and peanut butter! This is what is referred to as "cheaters' fudge" because it is not boiled to a certain pouring stage as indicated on a candy thermometer. The recipe comes from my Hershey's Recipe Collection recipe binder. Although this fudge is boiled and not made in the microwave, it is a very quick boil, that need not be completely accurate in time. Also, after the boiling process, marshmallows are melted into the fudge to give it the characteristic fudge texture. It is a fairly easy recipe that makes very good fudge. This fudge has a perfect texture, not too soft and not crumbly, with a smooth, rich taste. I cut some of my fudge into fun shapes. Because this fudge is fairly high, I cut it in half horizontally before using cookie cutters to cut out the shapes. This way, the fudge is not too thick and is easier to cut. These shapes make the fudge more visually appealing. The only problem with this is there will be more scraps of fudge leftover. Not good for serving, but excellent for nibbling! This fudge is very tasty, and the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter marry together perfectly.

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8-inch square baking with foil, butter foil.
In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, then boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients until melted and smooth. Transfer to prepared pan. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm. Cut into pieces. Store in a cool, dry place, tightly covered. Makes about 1 3/4 pounds. 

West Side Publishing. "Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 246.

Peanut Butter Cup Crumble Cake

Finally some fresh baked goods to post about! Today I made a Peanut Butter Cup Crumble Cake. It begins with a basic moist chocolate cake layer baked in a 9x13 inch pan. Then it gets frosted with chocolate buttercream, scattered with chocolate peanut butter cup pieces, and drizzled with chocolate ganache. The final product is an indulgent combination of chocolate and peanut buttery goodness. 

Overall, the recipe is fairly simple and straightforward to make. The chocolate cake is from scratch of course, but it is an easy, one-bowl recipe where the dry ingredients are measured into a bowl and mixed, then the wet ingredients are added and the entire mixture is beaten together. The buttercream frosting is also one-bowl. The method for making the ganache is interesting; some buttercream is reserved then heated and thinned out to form a ganche. It leaves out an extra step of having to make a separate ganache, but it really adds to the overall taste and appearance of the cake. The peanut butter crumble is simply chocolate peanut butter cups that have been cut-up and scattered over the cake.

Fondue

Fondue is a very fun dish to prepare and eat! I myself own two separate fondue sets, each complete with a fondue pot, candle, and dipping forks; and one even came with mini ladles, dipping bowls, and a turn-table for the dippers. Fondue originated in Switzerland, and literally means "to melt". It was a peasant dish, and was created to use up old foods.

There are many different types of fondue, and fondue can be an appetizer, a meal in itself, or a dessert. Types of fondue include: chocolate, butterscotch, eggnog, cheese, cream, and broth fondues. Each type has the same basic idea: prepare a sauce, put it in the fondue pot over heat to keep warm, prepare some foods for dipping, dip the foods in the sauce, and enjoy! I have an entire cookbook devoted to different fondue recipes.

Fondues are very fun, but some safety precautions need to be taken, as heat and open flames are involved. Traditional fondue meals also follow a certain etiquette. 

1. No double dipping
2. Don't use your fingers to dip
3. Each guest should have two forks: one for dipping, and the other for taking the food off of that fork and eating with
4. The fondue pot should be safely placed on a sturdy surface, within easy reach of all guests, and away from any materials that may catch fire
5. It is said that if you drop a piece of food in the fondue pot, you must kiss someone at the table

Here is a chocolate fondue I prepared for Easter. I used a bunny-shaped cookie cutter to make a dipping pool of chocolate fondue on everyone's plate, with little candies for the eyes and noses. The dippers here include: apple, banana, strawberries, cereal treats, and cookies.

Lingering Treats From Christmas

As you may have noticed, I have not been doing much baking lately. That's because of all of the Christmas goodies that are still around here. We still have a freezer stocked with Christmas cookies, we've got fruitcake, panettone, boxes of chocolates, and candy canes. It will take us a little while to finish eating all of these goodies and finally give us some free space in our freezer, and then I can make some more treats. I thought it would be appropriate if I put together a mini-guide with suggestions to how long these items will be good. Then you can determine what to eat first and what to save for later.

Baked Goods

• Plain Cookies and Bars - Will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a year, but start to lose quality after 3 months. Store different types of cookies in separate containers.
• Iced or Decorated Cookies and Bars - Don't hold up as well in the freezer, but well-wrapped can keep for several weeks or a couple months.
• Fruitcake - Most fruitcakes well-soaked and well-wrapped will keep at room temperature for several months, even after a few months of aging. They also hold up very well in the freezer for longer storage. Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.
• Panettone or Fruit Bread - Keep in a cool, dry place, well-wrapped, for a month or two. May be frozen for longer storage.  Store-bought varieties will keep for six months to a year.

Candy and Chocolate

• Boxed Chocolates - Check the best before date, most last six months to a year. Once opened, they may not last as long, unless all of the chocolates are individually wrapped. Chocolate is generally good until it begins to take on a white color, called bloom, and even then, sometimes this does not effect the quality of the chocolate.
• Candy Canes and other hard candies - Since these are composed primarily of sugar, they will stay good for a year or so.

Dinner Leftovers

Leftovers from Christmas dinner will keep in the freezer, well-wrapped.

• Turkey, Chicken, Ham - 2 to 3 months.
• Vegetables - 3 to 6 months.
• Bread/Rolls - 6 to 12 months.
• Desserts - Cakes, pies, and cheesecakes freeze well whole or in slices, for a few weeks to a few months.

Ribs

Ribs are one of our favorite dishes to make in our slow cooker. A slow cooker is a very convenient kitchen gadget to have, it is incredibly easy to use and clean, and it prepares meals for you effortlessly while you are away. To make these ribs, they are first marinated in a dry spice rub overnight. In the morning, they are placed in the slow cooker to cook, and are eventually covered in sauce as well. The sauce may also be prepared in advance and refrigerated overnight. 

My father has done quite a bit of experimentation with slow-cooked ribs, testing whether they should be pre-browned and how, when the sauce should be added, how much sauce should be used, and how long the ribs should cook for. He has also tried different sauces, including barbecue and bourbon whiskey sauce. I believe he has finally came up with the perfect ribs! Here are the steps to follow:

1. Place the ribs in a plastic zip-top bag and coat with a dry spice rub. Shake to coat. Marinate for several hours or overnight.
2. Nine hours before mealtime, place the ribs in the slow-cooker on low.
3. After four hours of cooking, drain off any fat from the ribs, add the sauce, and continue to cook.

That's all there is to it! This makes a great batch of tender ribs that fall off the bone, but stay on enough to eat with your fingers. They are excellent served over a bed of rice to soak up any extra sauce. Although some sources recommend to precook the ribs, it doesn't seem to add anything to the flavor, makes the ribs cook too quickly or too tender, adds an extra step, and adds extra cleanup to a dish that should be a simple slow-cooked meal. The sauce is added later to prevent it from becoming greasy due to the rendering of fat from the ribs, and to prevent it from becoming overcooked and separating. However, the lack of sauce at the beginning of cooking does not cause the ribs to be dry.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins make a classic choice for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. They are just so delicious on their own! 

You can find recipes for blueberry streusel, blueberry nut, blueberry banana, and blueberry oat muffins, but this is a recipe for just plain old blueberry muffins. 

This is the recipe my mother always uses. I love coming home to the enticing aroma of a batch of fresh blueberry muffins.

Blueberry Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (may need a bit more)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.  In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg until smooth. Mix in milk and vanilla. Pour into well. Stir just to moisten, batter will be lumpy. 

Stir blueberries with flour lightly (to prevent them from sinking in the batter). Fold into batter. Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake in 400◦F oven for 25 minutes until nicely browned.

From Company's Coming "Muffins & More".

Paré, Jean. "Blueberry Muffins." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 13.

Cookies

Here is one of those just for fun posts to help start off the new year. I am going to name as many different types of cookies as I possibly can. To prevent this list from becoming ridiculously long, I am not going to list brand names or flavors of different types of cookies (for example, oatmeal cookies are just oatmeal cookies, I am not going to list oatmeal raisin, oatmeal chocolate chip, etc.) I will also keep the entries strictly from my head - I'm not going to go looking in cookbooks or anything for ideas.

• Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chuck, Chocolate Chocolate Chip
• Double Chocolate, Chocolate, Vanilla, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter
• Butter, Shortbread, Sugar, Gingerbread, Spritz, Thumbprints 
• Gingersnaps, Sandwich Cookies, Whoopie Pies, Bar Cookies
• Drop Cookies, Rolled Cookies, Haystacks, No-Bake Cookies
• Stovetop Cookies, Fudge Cookies, Surprise Cookies, Filled Cookies
• Iced Cookies, Meringues, Coal Cookies, Lace Cookies, Nut Cookies
• Dipped Cookies, Icebox Cookies, Trail Mix Cookies, Fruit Cookies
• Ribbon Cookies, Fortune Cookies, Jam Cookies, Biscotti
• Crescent Cookies, Shaped Cookies, Pinwheels, Checkerboards
• Cloverleafs, Crackles, Macaroons, Wafers, Madeleines
• Molasses Cookies, Speculaas, Ladyfingers

I'm sure there are many, many more I missed, but these are the ones I thought of first.

PHOTO CREDIT:"cookies2a"  http://newyorkwestbakery.com/everydaygoodies.html .Everyday Goodies, n.d. Monday, January 2, 2012.

Happy New Year!

Well it's 2012 already!!! It is hard to believe 2011 has come and gone! I guess you could say 2011 was quite a successful year for me with respect to my culinary career. In July, I began this blog, and have posted something every day since. This will be my 163rd post. Of those 163 posts, 101 of them have been recipes I have prepared, photographed, and commented on. The majority of these items I had never made before. The remainder of the posts are cooking articles, tips and tricks, master recipes, or "just for fun" posts. So I suppose I did quite a bit of cooking and baking in 2011, as I also made a lot of items before I began my blog, and I do not post every single thing I make. Looking back at the list on the sidebar, I would say the creations I am most proud of are: 40th Anniversary Cake (August 28th), Baked Alaska (September 4th), Spooky Shepherd's Pie (November 1st) and Figgy Pudding (December 22nd).

I like to think of the start of a New Year as a time to dwell on the happy occasions in the past, and hope for many more in the year to come. There is no point in worrying about the mishaps that occurred in the past, as they are only little bumps in the road meant to help you improve. With that being said, I will not get upset about the time my chocolate cake overflowed onto the oven floor, or when I completely forgot about a batch of muffins baking in the oven. These little mishaps happen to the best of us and teach important lessons: don't overfill cake pans, and use a timer!

At this time, many people make New Year's Resolutions. A great resolution to make is to eat healthier and be more active. Enjoy a healthy, balanced diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. And remember to indulge in your favorite treats once in a while. I know I plan to continue, and even improve upon, my culinary career in the new year. Best wishes for health and happiness in 2012!

PHOTO CREDIT:"Happy.New.Year.jpg"   http://www.duy.im/2011/10/happy-new-year-2012.html.Daily Pics, n.d. Sunday, January 1, 2012.

Ollie-Bollen

Ollie-Bollen are deep-fried Dutch fritters traditionally made on New Year's Eve. There are several different spelling variations of the name, including Olie Bollen, Oliebollen and Oliebol, but they all refer to these delicious Dutch doughnuts. The literal translation of Ollie-Bollen is "oil balls" as they are deep fried. This doesn't make them sound very appealing, but they really are good, and don't turn out very greasy at all. Although they are referred to as doughnuts, Ollie-Bollen are closer in taste and texture to little fritters. They are made from a yeast dough enriched with flour, eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla. They are usually flavored with something too, commonly apples, raisins, citrus zest, or combinations of these; although we have also successfully made plain ones, a bit bland, but nothing a pile of icing sugar can't fix!  Ollie-Bollen  are dropped by teaspoons into hot oil and fried just until crispy and golden. Then they are drained and dunked in as much icing sugar as possible. It isn't considered Ollie-Bollen unless you can inhale icing sugar while biting into a fritter.

My father's family used to always make Ollie-Bollen on New Year's Eve, and we recently began continuing the tradition. The leftovers are commonly eaten for breakfast the next morning with a cup of coffee. Ollie-Bollen are said to have originally been in eaten in the Netherlands by Germanic tribes during the Yule period.

Ollie-Bollen are not particularly difficult to make, but they do take some practice, and you must be familiar with a deep fryer to make them. Although they can be fried in a pot of hot oil on the stove, this can be dangerous and is not recommended. Ollie-Bollen dough also requires some rising time, so plan ahead. You may find some fritters close to Ollie-Bollen in coffee shops, especially in Europe, but homemade are much better. Ollie-Bollen are nice and crisp on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside. They also have a nice flavor and a sweet coating. There is nothing like a fresh Ollie-Bollen on New Year's Eve!

Lasagna

Lasagna is a special, favourite dish in our house. We don’t make it too often, as then it would lose its special appeal. We often make it for company, as it is a perfected, delicious, crowd-pleaser every time. My mother usually does most of the cooking at our house, but my father is always the one who made the lasagna. Ever since I can remember, I would assist my father in preparing his special lasagna. We always made two 9x13 inch pans of lasagna, that way there would be enough for company and for leftovers for us. One was always meatless, as my brother used to not care for ground beef. I started out by chopping the onion and mixing up the cottage cheese mixture for my father. However as I got older, I would put together the entire meatless lasagna while he made the meat, as well as do a lot of the prep work. Now my father and I work in perfect harmony while preparing lasagna, a tradition perfected over the years. Although we never race, we take our time to put pride into the meal we are creating, I sometimes finish first, and joke to my father that I am beating him. I tell him he better watch out, that I’ll be taking over his kitchen soon, and tell him he is getting slow in his old age. I always treasure the times I spend with my father preparing lasagna together, and I am looking forward to the next time.

Stir-Fry

Stir-fries are great fast meal ideas. We often make stir-fries if we have a variety of vegetables around. They make great side dishes or main courses. We usually serve ours as a side, but sometimes we add meat to make a main course. Our stir-fries are most often served with any type of pasta or rice. You can throw pretty much any vegetable or piece of meat into a stir-fry, as long as it is cut to an appropriate size. So many different stir-fries can be made using so many different ingredients. We usually just end up seasoning our stir-fries to taste, but you can also make any kind of sauce you want for your stir-fry. There are so many stir-fry ideas out there, you will never tire of them. Stir-fries are a fast, easy, and healthy idea for supper. Here is one of our stir-fries, it contains broccoli, carrots, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus. Other popular ingredients in our stir-fries include zucchini, cauliflower, and even peas. 

Stir-fries are just as the name states; they are cooked in a frying pan and stirred often to prevent burning and promote even cooking, as typically little fat is used. Although they do require stirring often, stir-fries certainly are not labour-intensive, time-consuming, or difficult to make. They are also a great way to use up leftovers! Stir-frying originated as a Chinese method of cooking, in a special pan called a wok, but now stir-fries are popular in many different cuisines. You can also buy frozen stir-fry meals, but why would you want to?  Stir-fries are so quick, easy, and tasty to whip up!

Christmas Goodies

Well Christmas Day may have come and gone, but that certainly does not mean the entire holiday season is over. We are still entertaining and visiting guests, and of course that means food. There is still quite the stockpile of Christmas cookies, cakes, and goodies stored carefully in the freezer, which are easy and convenient to pop out for guests. This way, there is no need to worry about whipping something up last minute, and your guests can enjoy a wide variety of treats without you having to worry about a ton of leftovers. Here we have a nice display of Christmas goodies, most of which have already been displayed and talked about on my blog.  On the top plate, there are Hershey's Kiss chocolate chip cookies, and my mother's decadent chocolate fruitcake. The bottom level contains crispy chocolate smartie cookies made by my mom and button shortbread cookies my mother and I made together. The front plate contains iced gingerbread cookies I made and shortbread cookies my mom prepared and I helped decorate. This all makes for a very colorful and tasty array of Christmas goodies to enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Christmas Leftovers

It is entirely possible that some of you are still finding yourselves knee-deep in a pile of leftovers from Christmas dinner. Meat, vegetables, breads, desserts; you name it, there's probably some left. Christmas leftovers appear to be inevitable. So, what can you do with them all? You can certainly freeze many aspects of Christmas dinner, especially turkey and sweets. They will keep in the freezer, well-wrapped, for a few months or so. Vegetables may be a bit more difficult, as they don't tend to freeze as well. Here are some ideas for leftovers.

TURKEY/CHICKEN: Chop or shred and use now or freeze for later use. Good for soups, stews, stir-fries, casseroles, sandwiches, salads, meat pies.

HAM: Chopped cooked ham keeps a bit longer than turkey or chicken in the fridge, but it may also be frozen. It can be added to soups, stews, stir-fries, casseroles, pot pies, sandwiches, and omelettes. It is also great with cheese and crackers.

POTATOES: Use for Shepherd's pie, potato bread/rolls, and potato fudge. Mashed sweet potatoes can be baked into sweet potato pie, loaf or biscuits.

VEGETABLES: Most precooked vegetables will do well in quick soups, stews, stir-fries, pot pies, and casseroles. They are also good for making ragus or ratatouille. You can also puree vegetables and freeze in small portions to sneak into baked goods to make them healthier. There are several cookbooks around devoted to this process.

BREAD/ROLLS: These can easily be frozen, or be used fresh in the following dishes. French toast, bread pudding, and stuffing (if you don't already have enough). They can also be pulsed into breadcrumbs, which are used in a variety of dishes such as meatballs, hamburgers, coatings for chicken and fish, macaroni and cheese, etc. It is best to dry out the bread either on the counter or in the oven beforehand for these ideas.

GRAVY: Great for hot turkey sandwiches, Shepherd's pie, beef stroganoff, and meat pies. Adds some flavor to any dish, and will keep for a while in the fridge. It is also easy to reheat.

CRANBERRY SAUCE: This can easily be frozen or used in another way. It can be used as is, sweetened up a little, or flavored with something else. It makes a good sauce for desserts, and can be used as a filling for cranberry oat squares. It is also excellent on turkey and even ham sandwiches, and makes an alternative spread for toast and bagels in the morning. 

EVERYTHING: You can throw all (or at least most) of your leftovers together into one big dish. You can make a soup, stew, meat pie or pot pie, casserole, or stir-fry. Add in some new ingredients and flavors, and you won't have to eat a plain old turkey dinner for days in a row. Bring some variety to the table!

Christmas Dinner

Here is a picture of one of the plates of the amazing Christmas dinner my family and I had the great privilege of enjoying yesterday. My grandmother prepared most of this delicious food. She did have some help, as it would be nearly impossible to prepare such an excellent meal alone, but she did a lot of the work herself, and always made sure everyone's plate was full and everyone was satisfied. Our Christmas dinner included: peas, carrots, coleslaw, sweet potato, mashed potato, pickles, cranberry sauce, rolls, stuffing, gravy, and of course, turkey. This dinner was prepared for nearly twenty people. That's no small feat! The coleslaw, the gravy, and the cranberry sauce were all homemade from scratch by my grandmother. The vegetables were freshly prepared, cooked, and seasoned. And the turkey was freshly roasted.  We certainly indulged in a divine Christmas dinner, and I haven't even said a word about the delicious desserts...

Merry Christmas!

Well, today is Christmas day, and I would just like to take this time to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. Enjoy this day and spend it with your family, friends, and loved ones. Christmas is a time of joy and peace, kindness and happiness. Relax and enjoy the true meaning of the season. And most importantly, remember that Christmas comes only once a year, and it serves as a time to indulge! So enjoy all of those goodies that you get to enjoy only once a year, and go ahead and taste one of everything at the buffet table. Enjoy the special treats and goodies that go along with the holiday season. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!

PHOTO CREDIT:"merry_christmas.jpg"  http://www.allthingschristmas.com/traditions/merry-christmas.php . All Things Christmas, n.d. Saturday, December 24, 2011

Yummy Christmas Decorations

As I was admiring our Christmas tree the other day, I noticed that we have quite a few food-related decorations on it. Here are all of the ones I could find:

• Real Candy Canes
• Beaded Candy Canes
• Ice Cream Cone
• Real Gingerbread Cookies
• Plastic Gingerbread
• Apples
• Pickle
• Peppermints
• Candy
• Rootbeer
• Pasta (an angel made by my brother out of different pasta shapes)
• Egg
• Cookies

We have also got other food decorations besides those on the tree. We have got a train and a sled made entirely from candy (and hot glue) by my father, with peppermint wheels, lifesaver engine, and chocolate kiss decorations. As previously displayed, we have a gingerbread house. We also have several shellaced gingerbread cookies around. And there are always freshly baked Christmas cookies around, that are pretty enough to serve as decorations.

Rum Butter Sauce

Yesterday I showed you the figgy pudding I made for Christmas. Today I am going to share with you the rum butter sauce I served with it. It turns out figgy pudding, much like fruit cake, does get a bit better with age, but it gets even better with a sauce. This is a simple, quick sauce that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes. It will keep well in the refrigerator for a number of days, but it isn't likely there will be any leftovers. The sauce is best served warm, so it is a good idea to whip up a batch every time you serve figgy pudding. This recipe makes a small batch, but it could easily be doubled or tripled to serve more. Here is the recipe.

Rum Butter Sauce
3 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1-2 Tablespoons rum (light and dark both work well)
1 Tablespoon milk or cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the rum and milk, heat until bubbly, cook for 3-5 minutes until bubbling subsides and sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.

Here is a recipe for an alternate hard sauce for figgy pudding. It does not require cooking, and it makes a lot more, so it will feed a crowd. It also contains a lot more liquor that has not been boiled off, so it is a lot stronger.

Creamy Rum Sauce
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
2 cups dark rum or brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, mixing at low speed. Add the rum and vanilla.

Figgy Pudding

Figgy Pudding is not just a made up food sung about in a popular Christmas carol, it is actually a real traditional Christmas dessert. Every year at Christmastime, my grandfather asks for figgy pudding, so this year I decided to make it for him. I had never had figgy pudding before, so I didn't really know what to expect, or have any ideas of what figgy pudding 'should' be like. There are many many recipes for figgy pudding to be found online, but for my first attempt, I decided to stick with a fairly basic and easy recipe. Normally figgy pudding is baked in a large bundt or tube pan, but I decided to make mini figgy puddings. I used a special mini cake pan to give the figgy puddings an attractive appearance. I made six of them, and I poured the leftover batter into six muffin cups to make small figgy pudding muffins. This worked out quite well, they baked very nicely and in half of the time as one large figgy pudding would. The muffins took slightly less time to bake than the mini cakes.

Most figgy pudding recipes begin with figs, of course, and also contain molasses, spices, eggs, butter, flour, and milk. Some recipes contain other fruit additions, such as raisins, dates, and even chopped cherries. Some contain nuts or chocolate. Some use dry breadcrumbs instead of flour. I even came across one recipe that was made with pumpkin puree. The recipe I used was fairly basic, and used figs and raisins. Figgy pudding is also commonly served with a pouring sauce, usually a custard sauce or a hard sauce, often flavored with dark rum. Although figgy pudding is very good on its own, sauce takes it to another dimension.  

Figgy Pudding
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup molasses
2 cups total chopped figs and raisins
(I used about 1 1/4 cups figs and 3/4 cup raisins)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Grease a 9-inch tube pan or miniature cake pans or muffin cups.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft. Add the eggs and molasses and beat until fluffy. Add figs, raisins, lemon rind, and buttermilk.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan(s). 

Bake large cake for about an hour or small cakes for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out pretty clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling. 

Eggnog Muffins

We always seem to end up with more eggnog than we can drink. I myself am not a fan of eggnog, but if it is baked up into some yummy muffins, I will gladly eat it. My mother made these eggnog muffins. They are made with spices, raisins, and 1 3/4 cups of eggnog. The eggnog adds a nice new flavor dimension and moistness to the muffins, but the muffins don't actually taste "eggnog-y". These muffins rose nice and high, and had a light and fluffy texture. The recipe came from the world wide web.

Eggnog Muffins
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups eggnog
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat 350◦F. Line 16 muffins cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the first five dry ingredients.
In a seperate medium bowl, combine the egg, eggnog, and oil.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stir until just moistened.
Fold in raisins and pecans.
Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool.

We didn't have any nutmeg, so my mom used some cinnamon and cloves. She also left out the pecans, although they probably would have made a nice addition. She even made a few plain muffins - no raisins or pecans.

Panettone

Panettone is an Italian Christmas fruit bread. It is very popular around Christmas time, and many grocery stores sell commercial varieties of it starting in November. It isn't hard to find. Every brand of panettone is slightly different, but usually panettone is flavored with citrus fruits and anise. Anise, commonly found in the form of star anise or anise extract, is an herb with a flavor very similar to licorice. It adds the characteristic flavor to panettone. Panettone also contains a plentiful amount of dried fruit; usually raisins, cherries, and mixed peel. Some varieties of panettone also contain pine nuts. 
Traditionally panettone is baked in a special pan to give it a unique shape. For home cooks though, panettone is normally just shaped into a round by hand and baked free-form on a baking sheet. The dough is very soft and smooth and easy to work with. This bread is quite rich, as it contains butter, eggs, and milk. Some types also contain a little liquor for added flavor. The recipe I used yields two large loaves, but this year I decided to make them into four smaller loaves to give as gifts. You can also buy large loaves, or small individual-sized loaves, more like panettone muffins.  
Panettone is one of those foods that gets better with age. When well wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place, homemade panettone can keep for at least a month, and really should not even be tasted before two weeks of aging. It can also be frozen for prolonged storage. Store-bought panettone contains many more preservatives, and some will last for up to a year. Panettone is great eaten for breakfast with a little butter or honey, or even nothing at all. It goes great with tea and coffee. It is also delicious toasted. I highly recommend that you try some panettone this year. I don't say this often, but the store bought varieties are perfectly acceptable if you are still a little leery about making some yourself.

Chicken & Rice Dinner

I found this recipe in a little booklet designed to promote a brand of soup, since every recipe in it uses soup. They all seemed quick, easy, and tasty, so I decided to try one for supper tonight. This one was a 20 minute chicken, rice and vegetable skillet. However, I changed the recipe around a bit. I used regular rice instead of instant, so I cooked it separately on top of the stove, and then mixed it in with the chicken and vegetables when they were both cooked. I baked the casserole in the oven instead of simmering it in a skillet. I also precooked the chicken in the oven too. I used a frozen vegetable blend of broccoli, mushrooms, beans, carrots, and onion. So this dish didn't end up being a 20 minute one pan meal, but it was still easy and convenient. And most importantly, yummy! The entire family enjoyed it, and it will make good leftovers for tomorrow.

Chicken & Rice Dinner
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 can (10 ounces/284 mL) cream of chicken soup (regular or reduced fat)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
2 cups frozen vegetable mixture 

HEAT oil at medium-high in large skillet. Add chicken, cook until browned - about 10 minutes; set chicken aside. Reduce heat to medium.

COMBINE soup, water, paprika and pepper in skillet. Heat to a boil, stirring often.

STIR in rice and vegetables. Top with chicken. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through - about 5 minutes.