Aw Nuts! It's My Sister's Birthday Again

     Peanut Butter is the quintessential family food, except for the cutie pie above. She is deathly allergic to peanut butter. This is my younger sister's daughter, Brooke and thankfully they found out she was allergic by a kiss from her Mom (my sister Amanda).

     The cowboy is Peter, what a great guy. Amanda deserved a good person, to see the same things that her family saw. Amanda is the best sister that I could have ever hoped for or even deserved at times. It is tough when you are the oldest sibling, you pave the way. Making mistakes and learning from only yourself. I hope that I was a good example of what not to do.

     This was my sister's wedding day, November 3, 2001. I was pregnant with Kerry who was awaiting his debut on Valentine's Day 2002. This moment will forever be engraved on my heart. The wedding was very moving, and the happiness that swelled from my heart, I surely thought I would explode. My parents who I sat next to (btw, you both were stunning) were as emotional as I was. This was "the wedding". Remember I got married by a justice of peace, so there were no effigies of that day. This was the day, to outdo all days. Anyway, I digress...again.

     Peanut butter Fudge! Peanut butter sometimes mirrors the consistency of chocolate and really is richer in my opinion. When I boil the mixture for peanut butter fudge, I have to sit right on it. Otherwise I will have a burned mess on my hands. The 6 minutes boiling time is also up for debate. Peanut butter and boiling causes it to release its moisture faster, for some reason. So as I have toyed and experimented with the recipe, I found a lower temperature achieves a good result.



         Just look at how thick it is, from a camera's point of view. You can tell the mixture is thick by the bubbles, they are very concentrated and look heavy.  Very different if you were making maple walnut fudge. Temperature control is paramount to this fudge.

     When mixing in the powdered sugar you can see the consistency, it is thick. Peanut butter makes it thick. I have learned by making LOTS of mistakes. If I had a nickel for the mistakes that I have made throughout my career, I could retire, never to work again

Peanut Butter Fudge

3 ozs of butter
5 ozs creamy peanut butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
healthy squirt of pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
4 cups(plus a little more) powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Chop peanuts and set aside. In a heavy bottomed pan combine sugars, salt, butter, peanut butter, milk and extract. On medium heat bring the mixture to a boil. You want to boil ideally for 6 minutes, but you might need to monitor the temperature, from medium high to medium low. When done, add to a standing mixer and add the powdered sugar, judge how thick it is by lifting the paddle, if it solidifies rather quickly it is done. If it doesn't add more powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, to get the desired effect. Add the peanuts, pour into a prepared pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Turn out of the pan cut and serve.  

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.~ Author Unknown

Oh Fudge, Are We Out Of Black Tea Again?

 Sometimes, I just want to stab myself in the eye, with closest pointiest thing on hand, which nine times out of ten, is a baguette. Do you ever have those days when no matter, how many times you smile there is always someone that manages to wipe it right off your face? In the past I only worked in the kitchen, with the knuckleheads like myself, that were crazy enough to work in a kitchen.

          But now, I get to enjoy the real reason why every waitress I ever interacted with, I wanted to drown in a vat of ranch dressing. I get it now!!! Today, perfect example. "Don't you have any black tea, around here"?, was the first command she uttered. No smile, no please, or a screw you, attached to that sour face. I was alone, I looked around for my safety net, and she was chatting and doing dishes, I was on my own!!

     So my solution was to go look for Barb, and conveniently she was on the phone. The whole time the customer is eyeballing me, like the last cupcake at a baby shower. "What kinda place is this, tea everywhere, but you don't have no plain old black tea"? I think I heard her utter " Icccchhhhkkk". With disgust on her face, she told me emphatically that she could not drink no fruity, jibbed up tea. "Do you have any cocoa"? "Hmm, why yes we do, but we make our own cocoa, it is one size: large". One syllable "Fine". "Would you like whipped cream or marshmallow cream"?  "Just give me the cocoa".

     I was already gnawing on my arm to escape, my solution, early this morning was to pass it off to Jasmine the consummate Pollyanna. She is good with Grumpies, because the peeps have no idea she is even mad at all. So the whole point of this post, was to teach you the fine art of fudge making. But fudge, do you have to be that irritated, about tea?" I thought tea was a soothing beverage? Oh, I get it...after you drink the tea, you are able to act human.

    The first photo is all the ingredients that you need to make some rocking fudge, that you eat on a particularly taxing customer day. This photo represents the two points that bring the fudge to fruition. I have made a lot of different types of fudge and this one tastes the least, pleacchhh.

     The above photo is the actual technical part of the whole process. I have been schooled by the maiden sugar, a time or two. Just peruse prior escapes. Making penuche, I should have stabbed my eye with a baguette in the morning. Oh my Lanta, I must have read the procedure like 20 times and the whipping part, with the wooden spoon sounded alot easier on paper. But each time I attempted Penuche, I wanted to throw it out the back door, say "@#$%^%#" get in my Equinox and drive my sorry ____(fill in blank) home.

     But because sugar results in copious amounts of clean up, I decided to stick it out and make fudge. Here is the the recipe, that thankfully I was able to perfect.

Rich Chocolate Fudge (with none of the ick factor)

8 ozs butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3 ozs semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk

1 pinch of salt

1 healthy squirt of vanilla extract

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup sifted good quality cocoa powder

pan spray

1 9x9 disposable pan

Spray the 9x9 pan with pan spray set aside. In a bowl sift the powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and whisk to mix. In a heavy bottomed saucepan mix all remaining ingredients and heat to boiling, boil for 6 minutes and pour into a standing mixer. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar mix, until all powdered sugar is dissolved. Pour into the prepared 9x9 pan and cool for 20 minutes under refrigeration. Turn out, and portion.

Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. ~Truman Capote

Wizard of Oz~ Dr. Oz. Am I the only one connecting here?



      So we all know that I am a novice (at best), when it comes to tweaking a blog. There is a nifty little button called Edit HTML, that for some reason, draws me in. So, I go and next thing I know, I am swearing in my head at the screen, because I flubbed it up beyond recognition. We all know what happens next?, I press DELETE.

     It killed me last night to hit delete, I was so mad, because I caused my own hari~Kari. I stabbed my virtual blog with a katana. That is rough, when you ( in your own mind) feel that this was the "post", to outdo all other posts. Ya, who am I kidding..and the Oscar goes to.......

     Well to further highlight on the marshmallow world. I make a Almond Joy marshmallow. This mallow is the fastest selling marshmallow, and I have a hard time keeping it in stock. I will give you the gist, and let you be the judge.

     But before that, I want to share with you what I heard on the "Dr.Oz Show" yesterday. Just a side note, I adore Dr. Oz!!  Anyway his show is super informative in the "health" aspect of one's life. He never disappoints me. In fact yesterday, I found out that all the grumpy women in my town~just needed to get some sleep. I do fall into that "grumpy women" category when Giggle, my cat has insomnia.

     Any who, enough about the Grumps. He was talking about coconut oil, and how it for one, helps in weight loss! The weight loss means, switching the olive oil out, and replacing it with the coconut oil. I have no response here. I might have a hard time, cooking with that, when it represents, warm nights, tans, and anything remotely connected with Hawaii. Oh well, there are two other Benny's. The second one, you can rub it on your skin and it helps dry skin, it is an emollient.

     I understand that one, only because I am like two stair steps from the Snow Miser's house. Although, my friends in the Midwest are one step away. (sorry Tricia) Anyway, the third and most disturbing benefit, it can stomp out the nasty bacteria H. pylori, the bacteria that can cause the peptic ulcer infection. If you have kids and bills, and your stress or the level of stomach acid (which I like to call stress) is through the roof~ you might be infected with H. pylori. For some reason, I want to get some fungal foot spray. The culprit, does not sound like the result.

     Again, I am easily distracted. I like to watch the health shows, I am a sucker for all things, that enhance my ability to self-diagnosis my self. In a single day, I can have Lupus, MS, and Fibromyalgia. But really all I need to do is get some sleep.  Stupid cat, I think I spoil him.

     Wow, I am distracted again. So I went to Hannaford's, the cleanest of the only two supermarkets in town. To peruse the selections of "coconut oils". Last night, I was under the impression that it was all over the place. I spent a good 20 minutes at the "oil" section, right next to the stuffing and shake and bake section. I still can't explain that connection. Guess what not there!!! I went to the hoity-toity section, you know the area where you find, Silk, Tofutti, Amy's (yada, yada) the area where everything cost about 5 dollars more. Just because it says, "All Natural", "Organic", "Gluten Free", and my personal favorite.."Devoid of everything, it started out to be".

     The coconut oil was there, and guess what!!!?? One jar $12.99 (the smaller jar). The second jar (unrefined) not sure what that means. $11.99. But curiously there was no jars. The third and last choice was the refined jar, slightly bigger than its $13 dollar cousin for $8.99. However, it was in its solidified state. I was not sure that I could swallow a tablespoon of this everyday. It looked very white and solid.  I walked away and went to the ice cream section, hopefully there is some coconut oil in that.

Almond Joy Marshmallows

4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cold water

6 level tablespoons gelatin

4 egg whites

3 tsps pure vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp coconut extract

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes

pan spray

heavy duty tinfoil

1 13x9 pan

powdered sugar for dusting

Prepare a 13x9 pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, liberally spray with pan spray and sprinkle all sides with powdered sugar. In a saucepan combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and warm water and set on stove. In a standing mixer, add 1 cup cold water and sprinkle 6 tablespoons of gelatin over the cup of water, set aside. In another mixing bowl, whip the 4 egg whites with 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract till it forms still peaks, set aside. Heat the sugars and water, until the temperature with a candy thermometer reaches 240. In that standing mixer containing the bloomed gelatin and water, add the hot sugar and combine with a wooden spoon. Turn mixer on and graduate to high slowly. Mix on high till sugar becomes white, fluffy and double in volume. Add the whipped egg whites until combined, mix at high speed for a minute. Add toasted coconut, almond and coconut extracts and mix until well blended. Pour into a prepared 13x9 pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar and let set overnight. Turn out next day, cut and enjoy.

Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick. Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso. ~Spanish Proverb

HTML, parse errors, white spaces , err I mean marshmallows. I NEED A NAP!!!!

     Ever thought about making marshmallows? I did. I saw it on Food Network and I was immediately hooked. I needed to know the process, and thus needed to~overdo it. I must confess this whole blogger template thing, for the most part is rather easy, with no major snags, UNTIL TODAY!!! For some reason, the Lentil soup post did have a uber annoying problem, that would not, and I repeat would not go away!!! I saw the problem in the HTML, deleted and it triggered a form error. I deleted the entire paragraph, thinking that would fix the $%^&*(#@& problem, but nope. It just further _____(fill in the blank) things up.

     So, as you might have guessed, the Lentil soup post went buh~bye. I was so beyond frustrated, it was easier to just hit delete, than save an already fractured post. From this point, I still am not sure what the jingle bells went on.

     Anyway back to the marshmallows, at the bakery, I try to make them when the temperature changes. If you did not know this by now, I live in the Northeast. New England during this time of the year, is worse than cold.  In fact just Monday, the kids had a 2 hour delay, due to the -31F temperature. I am not kidding you on that. At 7am, when my oldest goes to school (he is 9th grade) the temperature was -20 degrees. I can understand, not forcing my child to stand at the bus stop for 10 minutes at -20 degrees.

     I don't know about you folks, and judging by the feedjit thingy, you are all over the world. But I am still, in the middle of what I thought was Vermont, and now I am thinking it is Antarctica. Some people adore cold weather, and I love it to a point, but when it starts to move into my livelihood, I get a little antsy. I have not had a full 40 hour week since New Year's Eve~ due to the bakery being closed for cleaning and regrouping and the @#$%&^&#% snow storms.

     HTML is a learning curve I am trying, but it is taxing nonetheless. I have the information, right here in my brain and my camera, but....at some point the wires get crossed. Anyway, looking back at the last 5 pictures, they are the beginnings of peppermint marshmallows. The first photo is the extract and the red food coloring, which gives the marshmallow the candy cane effect. The second photo is the gelatin that has been bloomed after being sprinkled over cold water. The 3rd photo is the sugars and water in the heavy-bottomed saucepan. The 4th photo is the egg whites and vanilla whipped (like a red-headed step-child) to stiff peaks.

     The 5th photo is what your pan should look like, when the marshmallows land. By that I mean, wrapped with foil, sprayed with pan spray, beyond the normal expectancy of what one would spray + 2, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

     Sugar, she is a wild banshee! You have to know what you are looking for. Believe me you!!, I mean business with this one. Sugar, can turn into a nasty dry mess within minutes, if you don't treat her right, and I speak from experience. I have come from, a caramel state, into a what the #$%&^*& heck result. The heat, plays a huge part in the finished product. Consistent heat is the key.

Candy Cane Marshmallows

4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cold water

6 level tablespoons gelatin

4 egg whites

3 tsps pure vanilla extract

1 tsp pure peppermint extract

2 to 3 drops of red food coloring

pan spray

heavy duty tinfoil

1 13x9 pan
powdered sugar to dust

Prepare a 13x9 pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, liberally spray with pan spray and sprinkle all sides with powdered sugar. In a saucepan combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and warm water and set on stove. In a standing mixer, add 1 cup cold water and sprinkle 6 tablespoons of gelatin over the cup of water, set aside. In another mixing bowl, whip the 4 egg whites with 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract till it forms still peaks, set aside. Heat the sugars and water, until the temperature with a candy thermometer reaches 240. In that standing mixer containing the bloomed gelatin and water, add the hot sugar and combine with a wooden spoon. Turn mixer on and graduate to high slowly. Mix on high till sugar becomes white, fluffy and double in volume. Add the whipped egg whites until combined, mix at high speed for a minute. Add peppermint extract and red food coloring and mix on low for a few turns.(like the above picture) Pour into the prepared 13x9 pan, sprinkle with powdered sugar and let set overnight to set.  Next day, turn out peel off aluminum foil, cut and enjoy.

The Internet is the world's largest library. It's just that all the books are on the floor.~ John Allen Paulos

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Can of Pan Spray

        Of course, you know that, I could not stop at just making divinity. I had to take candy making to the nth degree, and it bit me in the keyster today, and at all times, when we were trying to close. I have incited a fever where I work, and it is the Christmas fever. There is a buzz down there, and it is the Holiday buzz. Normally in the morning, I am as regular as the rain, drop the youngest son off to school, take Williams Street to Flat Street, bypassing all buses, and or students hurrying to school. It is a relatively uneventful drive. However, last night trying to sleep with the candy fever on the brain was tough. Every time I was lucid during the night, my mind immediately focused on Jolly Ranchers and the fact that I could melt them, combine them and make them into all kinds of twisted treats. Occasionally, I had an intermission where my brain would focus on getting red and green Jello, and holiday M&M's. I awoke this morning with three thoughts, tell someone about the Jolly Ranchers dream, find the candy recipe that includes red and green jello, and last but not least stop at Walmart for holiday M&M's.

     On the way to work, it was like I was on autopilot. Walmart check, red and green Jello check, oops, bump in the road, should I get strawberry or cherry Jello?, that little mistake cost me five minutes. I can hear my husband now saying "who cares Paige, it is red Jello, you came here for red Jello right?" but it is about the taste, so strawberry it is. Satisfied with my choice, I headed for the check out that passed the holiday candy. Realizing I was perusing on borrowed time, I quickly scanned the Christmas candy aisle with one mission, find the holiday M&M's. In the first thirty seconds, BINGO. I am off. Get to the check out and all of sudden the nearly empty store has the longest line, where did all these people come from?, and why on the earth are there lots of employees wandering around and only one check out line open, and...wait for it...wait.. I am in express line? There are no words to explain that, because we ALL have been there.

     I fly into work, and the first words out of my boss's mouth, as I hold up my coveted treasure is, "Where did you find the holiday M&M's, I was just there, and I really looked?", I am not sure how to answer that, because we all know how my boss shops, with a hockey stick and a blindfold. With her there is no relaxed observation skills, a "I am browsing", or "look at me, I am browsing" could never be associated with her. 

     Let's fast forward about 6 hours, we are just about on top of the lunch hour, and the phone is ringing off the freaking hook, all asking the same question, "What are your soups of the day?", or my favorite, "Can, I place an order?", I am up to my eyeballs in sugar, dishes, and "what table has the hot chai?",when it dawns on me, it is FRIDAY. Never, never, never start anything with any technique involved whether it is "never-fail" recipe or not. Fridays where I work,  can turn ugly rather quickly. To us it seems like, all the customers get together in the parking lot and decide to walk in together. We are ambushed every time. With a "D'oh" look on our faces.  Ha ha, some things never change.

     Fast forwarding almost four hours, the gum drops are done!, we pull them out of the fridge, and followed the recipe. That was a mistake. When a recipe is vague and the instructions are too general, steer clear. Just getting them out of the pan, was a chore. Finally they are loosened and on to the "waxed paper" they go. What we should have done, was opened the window, flopped them out into the parking lot and started over.  Well, now they are BEYOND stuck to the waxed paper, both Jasmine and I resorted to dipping our fingers in hot water and pulling on the waxed paper at the same time. Let me tell you, it is the closest thing to a Brazilian wax than you can get.  As I type this my fingers are still dyed red from the strawberry Jello.
     Here are a few pointers to making homemade gumdrops. First spray everything with pan spray,except the floor, because today I almost broke my neck. Second, spray everything with pan spray. Third, throw out the waxed paper, use parchment, and spray everything with pan spray. Never think that you are Martha Stewart, and can make cute little gumdrop snowflakes. Ditch that pipe dream, boil some water and get a pizza cutter.  Last but not least, get some pan spray. It truly is a gumdrop's best friend.

Gumdrops

5 cups sugar
3 cups applesauce
4 (3oz) packages of red or green gelatin
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
3 tsps lemon juice

PAN SPRAY

In a saucepan combine 4 cups of sugar and the rest of ingredients and mix well. Set aside without touching for one minute. While that is sitting. Get a 13x9 pan and spray the HELL out of the pan, when you might think it is enough, spray it more. Heat the jello mixture to a boil over medium high heat, when it comes to a rolling boil, boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat and pour into prepared pan. Chill for three hours. When done, release from pan and flip out onto parchment sprayed with pan spray and cut into squares using a pizza cutter dipped in very hot water. Allow to sit out for at least eight hours. Dredge in remaining sugar, until well coated. Store in airtight container and enjoy.

Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire , the very next morning you will have a flat tire. ~Author Unknown

Thy Divin-ity Intervention

     Recipes are only guides, and at times I need to remember that. Lately, I have been very interested in making candy and have barreled right into it, like a bull in a china shop. The whole thing started when a customer issued a challenge. "Hey, Paige can you make penuche? My mom used to make penuche, when I was a kid, boy, I miss that." That was all it took, I was off and running.

     If you know me, I can get hyper diaper about a challenge someone has given me, and worry about the logistics later, Just ask my boss, she'll mention Cider Donuts, Pirogies, Marshmallows, etc, etc. My ideas aren't always well thought out, but eventually with a little tweaking they will generate money.

     Yesterday, with much whining, complaining and failure to wrap my brain around the recipe, I attempted a penuche fudge, out of one of my favorite cookbooks Southern Living.  Now, I have made caramel numerous times in the past, and I am not sure why this time would be any different. But let me tell you!!! somewhere someone pushed the "Epic Fail" button. First attempt, I made sugar rocks that I needed to cool down before I threw them in the trash, so not to melt the liner. Second attempt, my co-worker Jasmine and I, (FYI, Jas is a baking and pastry arts graduate) wracked our brains about the whole caramel issue, do we start dry?, or do we start with a wet sand consistency?  Well, wet sand consistency prevailed, only I don't think I knew what I was doing, I had the flame to high, went from liquid sugar to crystallizing it, added more water, got impatient, blamed the sugar, the pot, the flame, the wooden spoon and the air. Finally by a stroke of divine intervention the sugar caramelized. But, guess what??? When adding it to the evaporated milk mixture and cooking it the REST of the way, I misread the thermometer and the whole method of preparation and decided to do it my way. This way consisted of throwing it in a pan, after I waited the allotted 20 minutes, doing a Hoodoo dance backwards, while blindfolded, and last but not least putting it on the speed rack for 40 seconds and then in the refrigerator for 40 seconds. The whole time, kicking myself for not researching the process. Stupid recipe anyway.

     I went home, and researched the recipe, and the process and today, I made a perfect penuche fudge. But of course, I was not satisfied with my newly acquired candy making skills. I had to master the mechanics of all candy. There was a woman last year, that came in the bakery for the flavored marshmallows that we make. She said; "Hey, Paige can you make Divinity?, boy my mother used to make me divinity when I was kid, I miss that", stumped I replied "No", darn it another challenge.
     Here are some pointers to making divinity. First, clear your calendar for the entire day. Second, use a candy thermometer that works, and have a backup one in case you throw the first one against the wall. Third, cross reference all recipes for divinity and avoid ones that have any technique involved. Trust me on this one, I have experience.  Lastly, when all else fails, refer only to the "Never-fail Divinity recipes". This last pointer saves you tons of time and clean up. Otherwise you will end up like me, boiling lots of water to melt all the sugar and egg whites stuck to the mixing bowl, the whip, the spatula, your fingers, the wall, and anything else you have touched along the way. Making candy is a messy job!

     When I stumbled upon the never-fail divinity it was like the Angel Gabriel came down and handed me the the candy sceptre. His message was "Hey, over achiever, stick only to never-fail recipes", and alas here I am, a candy semi-almost expert.  A few more days, I might be able to teach a class with the "never -fail" method securely under my belt. All I need is a ruler, aviation sunglasses and a huge "I don't care attitude". Maybe a blackberry to play with, will reinforce the "I am too busy" persona.

     What follows is the recipe that I found to be my saving grace, however true to my form...I need to spice it up just a little.

Never-fail Maple Divinity

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

7 ozs marshmallow cream

1 tsp maple extract

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan mix the sugar, water, maple syrup, salt, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil without stirring until the temperature reaches hard ball stage 250F. Place the marshmallow cream and maple extract in a mixing bowl and slowly add the hot syrup while beating. Beat the mixture until it is stiff and stands in peaks, Fold in the vanilla and nuts, and working very quickly drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper. Allow to sit, and then enjoy.

Chocolate is an antidepressant, which is especially useful as you star to gain weight.~Jason Love