I am going to an “event” today, and I am bringing one of the sweet treats that will end the meal. I decided to make 2 different kinds of chocolates. I’ll blog each one separately, each a unique recipe. This is a simple recipe, and affordable to make for larger groups. The price of sunflower seeds is considerably lower than the price of nuts, and raisins are delicious in chocolate, and also affordable. That said, it isn’t always about saving [...]
Lately I have been experimenting with superfoods…. of course that means I am experimenting with superfood chocolate as well. When I eat my chocolate now, I am convinced that I am eating heath food. I am still working my way through that 10 pound box of chocolate that I wrote about earlier. (I love that entry…. the story about the chocolate guy who came for the California gold rush, and he found out that people were more than glad to [...]
OH dear… It is Father’s Day again. What to get Dad….. always the question. There is nothing in the world he needs. He has a lovely wife who makes sure of that~! But, I know a secret. Dad has an unquenchable sweet tooth. He doesn’t require the finest chocolate. He’ll eat anything. But there are a few ingredients that would be special to him… peanuts, heath crunch, dried cherries… sounds good to me, too. I used the chocolate melts, instead [...]
We are going to our neighbors’ tonight for dinner. They said not to bring anything, but how can I do that? I haven’t been to the grocery store in about a week, so a fruit salad isn’t an option…. Oh what to do? Then I remember, I have a HUGE box of Guittard Chocolate. I can make a chocolate something. But, I don’t feel like tempering chocolate today. OH OH OH…. I can make a chocolates spread. No, what would [...]
Maybe not the greatest photo, but it sure was the greatest chocolate. Brook was asking me what kind of cake or pie I would like for my birthday. As I thought about it, I decided that if it really was my day to have my favorite things, I was going to have to make my own chocolate… I just like my own recipes the best. (Of course if it had really been all about me, one of the recipes would [...]
This is a fun experiment! I saw a recipe for white fudge (AKA: Opera Fudge). It seemed like it would be a wonderfully adaptable base recipe. I could mix in flavorings, fruit and nuts, even peanut butter, and it could be a different fudge each time. This was my very first time making fudge. I didn’t like the “beating with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes” part. But, I survived. I put Jasmine tea and raw vanilla bean into the [...]
Three cheers for my 1st attempt at making truffles! Oh Joy! This was not as hard as I thought it would be. Bring cream to simmer. Drop in chopped chocolate. Let sit… stir gently… form into balls… roll in cocoa, or dip in covering chocolate. Done. I was going to make a black & white truffle, using both the white chocolate and the dark chocolate in the same balls. I changed my mind and made them each into separate types. [...]
I’ve been making these for years. I think they are such a cute candy. A mix of sweet and sour. I cut strawberry marshmallows in half. I dip them in white chocolate. I have found that enrobing chocolate makes for a prettier dipped piece. (Smaller foot, smoother shape.) Then I sprinkle lemon-aide mix onto the top of the chocolate while it is still liquid. The lemon-aide mix is sour, the marshmallow and white chocolate is sweet. Fun, cute, sweet! I’ll [...]
This is the best mistake I ever made! I had been shooting for a chewy caramel. I was making the caramel while I was cooking dinner. Next thing I knew, my temperature was too high. I was afraid I would have to throw the whole thing out. In a moment of lucid thought, I looked at my thermometer cover and learned that 275 degree goop would be good for a brittle. So I grabbed a bag of pecans and stirred [...]
When I was in Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa, there was not a lot of candy to be had. As grace would have it, I had a handy dandy Peace Corps cook book. It was made especially for people living in sparse conditions… like me! I noticed that candied orange peels might satisfy my sweet tooth. Plus it only require 2 ingredients: orange peels and sugar. Nice! I can’t find my Peace Corps cook book! No! So Sad! But I looked [...]