Recipe Update

I have updated the amounts and pictures for the Kluski and Kapusta recipe.

Candy I Will Never Make Again, Part II

I am pleased to present Act II of Candy I Will Never Make Again. This candy was not planned. We really wanted to make Butterscotch Haystacks. For those of you who have been under a rock, haystacks are made with crunchy chow mein noodles and melted butterscotch chips. After mixing in all up, you drop them into...wait for it, little "haystacks". No, I haven't been drinking but that might help. So, I guess we waited late about getting the chow mein noodles. A week ago we began our search. On Monday my husband visited the 11th grocery store. Sold out again. I had no idea that these little treats were that popular. Maybe it's just the ease of making them, who knows. All I knew was that I had butterscotch chips and nothing to do with them. This afternoon I turned to my husband and said what about popcorn. "For what?" "For the haystacks silly." "Hmm, yeah I guess. You could call them 'popstacks'." After graciously, OK not so graciously, popping my popcorn (I have microwavable popcorn issues) off he goes to his brother's house. Good thing. I had, let's just say a fit, over these stupid little "popstacks".

First of all, my butterscotch would not melt properly. No worries, a little shortening will fix that. No dice. That's weird. Oh well, onward. I should have seen this as a sign to abandon ship immediately and make more fudge. I dumped the glop of hot butterscotch into a big bowl, mixed it up. Everything looked fine so far. Then, I tried to drop it into little balls. OMG!!! It would not stick together. Ok, what am I'm going to do? The captain goes down with the ship right? After several minutes of pleading the popcorn to hold together with my hand and a spoon, I got out my ice cream scooper. I packed the mixture using the back of a spoon and carefully plopped the little domes out. Seemed OK, for about 3 min. Oh well, I got probably a dozen, very fragile, clementine sized mounds.

They are very tasty, buttery and sweet. Not worth it to me though. It probably took 2 years off my life and if you factor in college and working with teenagers everyday I don't have that many more years to waste.

Makes ~1 dozen mounds

11oz butterscotch chips, melted
2 (3.3oz) bags popcorn, popped and cooled.

1. Mix the ingredients together and somehow, magically form little mounds on wax paper. (I used the packed ice cream scoop/pleading method)

Candy I Will Never Make Again, Part I

Let me start off by saying that today is just not my day, at least culinarily speaking. Take this post for instance. I've been meaning to update for days now and finally worked up the motivation to actually do it today. I began by looking for my laptop. I looked everywhere. Where could it be? Oh, my husband must have taken it to my brother-in-law's. OK, no problem, I'll use my internet tablet. My little case is not on its hook. Grrr, I must have left it in the car when we went out for lunch. Blood pressure starting to rise. OK, who am I kidding. My blood pressure is through the roof over the stupid popcorn (Part 2) but we'll get to that.

So, I proceed to drag the kerosene heater into our office. Oh, yeah, we heat primarily with kerosene which is still over $4/gal here. Needless to say, we don't heat the entire house, hence my initial search for a portable typing device. Finally, after lugging the heater over to my desk and lighting the thing I plop down in my chair. WTF! Where is my keyboard....on the media center in the living room? Yep, freaking men. Determined now, I move the heater, lit (don't ever do this), over to the far side of the divided room and my husband's desk. I hate using his computer by the way. I'm sure it is just full of nasties. He never even updates it or anything and the fan grinds like it's trying to break out of the case. Software engineers, bah.

On to the main story. Candy I Will Never Make Again, Act I. I make a fair bit of candy, albeit my reluctance with the candy thermometer. I make a s%@#t load of cookies. You would think I'd be used to trying kitchen situations. Nope. Anyone who has ever cooked with me, and the count is very few, will tell you that I have a short fuse. This gingerbread incited me to shove my General Tso's chicken box, complete with fork, 2 jars of sauerkraut, 3 boxes of gnocchi, and a 4 cup measuring cup all the way down the counter into the microwave, prompting my dogs to exit the room stage left. Despite all that I am not a violent person, I swear. It's just when you so badly want something to go right, need it to, and it doesn't no matter how you coax it, well...I'm sure you've had those days.

Lebkuchen is a traditional gingerbread of Germany. I needed this for Christmas, emphasis on the NEED. I substituted zest for citron which I find rather bitter and omitted the almonds because my nephew is allergic. Other than that it was by the book, almost...This gingerbread, this $#%#@ gingerbread. My husband has forbade me to ever make it again. It didn't seem that difficult, chill overnight, roll it out and place into a prepared pan. No biggie, I've made gingerbread men many times. Wait, I forgot to tell you, as my recipe also neglected to inform me, with about 1 tablespoon more honey you could market the batter as an industrial strength bonding agent. Roll it out, yeah right. I added probably a cup more flour than it called for and it was still too sticky to roll out. I probably ruined my antique rolling pin that has seen 3 generations of biscuits, not really but it felt like it at the time. I will most likely never get it off of a silver platter near the sink, which should not be near the sink getting wet and piled with dirty dishes in the first place. To Hell with the instructions of not to press it into the pan because it will become tough and dense.

It seemed fine to me and the baking bread smelled like Christmas. I was completely surprised that it almost doubled in volume in the oven with such few leaveners. After cooling, it was chewy and dense but not in a bad way. The flavors of ginger and cinnamon really came through. Good, but I'll stick to traditional gingerbread cookies and preserve what little sanity I have left.

Makes 24 bars

Bars

¾ c. honey
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp each chopped lemon and orange zest
2¼ c. flour
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
3 tbsp diced crystallized ginger

1. In a 2 cup measuring cup, bring the honey and brown sugar to a boil in microwave. Stir well and cool until barely warm.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Cover and chill overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Lightly grease a 13x9" baking dish.
6. Press the batter into the baking dish evenly.
7. Bake ~ 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the glaze. Allow the glaze to soak in between coats.
9. Cool completely, and then cut into bars.

Glaze

6 tbsp apple juice
1 c. powdered sugar

1. Combine the juice and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Holiday Ribbon Fudge

With every mishap comes a brilliant ray of hope and renewal. Look for my adventures with popstacks and Lebkuchen to be posted soon. That aside, I have found my new favorite thing to make: Fudge. This is not your grandmother's recipe and no, it's not the best you've ever tasted, at least I hope not, but it will make you appear a much better kitchen master than you really are. I recently suggested this to one of my friends that has more kids than time. I swear it only takes about 10 min, not including cooling time.

I was in some grocery store or another a few weeks ago. I never seem to shop at the same one. Anyway, I passed by a center aisle display of holiday baking supplies. I did a double take and walked a few steps backward. One of the condensed milk cans was facing the wrong way and I had glimpsed a recipe on the back. Chocolate and Eagle Brand for fudge? I had never heard of that combination but it started me thinking. It made sense, I mean after all you make ganache with cream and chocolate, hell, even truffles in the right proportions. I had to try it.

I really have no idea what the recipe on the can actually was. Nowadays I usually only glance at the ingredients to decide whether I can make/would like something like that or not. The only thing stuck in my mind was chocolate and sweetened condensed milk. Making cream pies has its benefits. I had 14oz of sweetened condensed milk in my freezer at home. All I needed was the chocolate. I choose milk chocolate thinking that semi-sweet would be too strong. Looking back, semi-sweet would have been fine, especially for fudge lovers.

The day I made my first batch I was in a particularly strong holiday mode. Instead of using all of the milk chocolate that I had purchased for this occasion I opted to festively color some white baking chocolate or almond bark. It's super easy. Just melt down the blocks or chips, drip in some coloring and layer into a wax paper lined baking dish. I have since made some chocolate/peanut butter fudge using this same method. It was a hit. Both batches came out silky and dense with a hint of milky flavor. Below is the recipe for holiday ribbon fudge but feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations.

Makes ~2 lbs of fudge

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 (11oz) bag of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (11oz) bag of white chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
red food coloring
green food coloring
wax paper

1. Line an 8x8" baking dish with wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine half of the condensed milk and the milk chocolate chips. Don't worry about stirring at this point.
3. Heat for 30 sec intervals in the microwave on HIGH until melted. Stir well after each interval. If the mixture becomes clumpy, add solid vegetable shortening in 1/2 tsp increments until the mixture becomes fluid and glossy.
4. In a separate bowl, repeat for melting the white chocolate.
5. Stir 1/2 tsp vanilla into each bowl.
6. To the white chocolate add 3-4 drops of each food coloring. Stir very slightly (1 or 2 circles of the bowl) with a knife. The colors will ribbon as you pour it into the prepared pan.
7. Begin layering the chocolate mixtures into the prepared dish. Do not stir. Just pour one on top of the other. Keep in mind that the bottom of the dish will be the top of the fudge.
8. Once all chocolate as been poured in, rap the dish on the counter several times to settle the fudge.
9. Cover the surface of the fudge with wax paper.
10. Let cool completely at room temperature, 2-3 hours.
11. Once cooled and set, turn the dish upside down and slowly pull the fudge out using the wax paper to grip.
12. Remove all paper and place the fudge bottom side up on a cutting surface.
13. Cut into small squares.
14. Store covered at room temperature.

Potato Skins

Very nearly every time we eat out our appetizer is one of three choices: mozzarella sticks, some sort of cheese dip or potato skins. Potato skins always get my vote, granted I'd most prefer spinach dip or salsa but those are simply NOT on the menu as far as my husband is concerned. I love how the crisp potato skin complements the ooey, gooey cheese and bacon filling. And, of course, anything served with sour cream is excellent. You can buy frozen potato skins at the grocery store now days but they are, well, kind of expensive for what you get. I've found an easy, quick way for making them at home.

I used to try baking the potatoes first, which always left me with an hour and a half wait coupled with either burnt skins or powdery, over-cooked potato. My wanting to start the potato skins this way always kind of baffled me because I always make our "baked" potatoes in the microwave. With that in mind, I tried something different this weekend. I cooked the potatoes almost done in the microwave then finished them in the oven. Perfect and in under a half hour. You can up the cheese to ½ lb if you like them overflowing with cheesy goodness.

Serves 3 - 5, as an appetizer

5 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean with a towel or brush. They must not be wet.
1/3 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
sour cream (opt.)

1. Preheat oven 450°F.
2. Place the potatoes evenly around the microwave. Try to place them so they don't touch each other. Do not prick them. I promise they won't explode.
3. Cook on HIGH for 6-8 min or until almost done.
4. Meanwhile, toss the bacon and cheese together in a small bowl.
5. Remove potatoes from microwave and slice each in half, length-wise.
6. Place each half, cut side up, on a baking sheet.
7. With a small spoon, scoop out the middle of each half, leaving about ¼" edge. Be careful not to go all the way through the skin. Reserve potato innards for another use.
8. Fill each cavity with the bacon/cheese mixture.
9. Bake for 15 - 20 min or until cheese is melted and skins are crisp.
10. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

An Easy Sugar Fix

Usually for Christmas we give out homemade cookies and candy to our loved ones in lieu of store bought gifts. I hate shopping and I hate it even more when I give someone something and a year later I see it sitting, unused, on one of their shelves, near the back is the worst. Case in point, my mother just re-gifted a sampler tea set that I gave my sister last year. How did she come by it? Apparently, neither one of them was using it. Oh yes, we love tea but just never seem to have time to use the cute, little infuser mug. Right. So now I have 6 black tea tins in my cabinet. To be clear, I'm not much of a black tea drinker. I lean much more towards the green variety. Grrr.

This year we've been so busy I began looking for an easier way out early on. Very shortly after Halloween I decided on flavored sugars instead of our traditional cookie boxes. It's a super easy, relatively inexpensive gift and looks elegant to boot. You can go with any flavor and color. Zest, flowers, rose water, cocoa, on and on. I chose vanilla and lavender. Vanilla because it's pretty universally accepted and lavender because, well, I had a lot of lavender and nothing to do with it. Don't get me wrong; I love the heady floral taste of those little flowers but everyone doesn't agree. My husband feels like lavender is better left to soap but who said his opinion ever mattered for very much when it comes to my kitchen.

So I ground the lavender in my mortar, split some vanilla beans and dumped everything in an old spaghetti jar, sterilized of course, with as much sugar as would fit. Shake, shake, shake. Every 3 or 4 days, or whenever I thought about, shake, shake, shake. After about a month, I colored it. A few drops of desired food coloring is all you need. Don't freak out if it doesn't change right away. Just keep shaking. At some point I added some pearl powder to make it sparkle but it's not really necessary. The longer the sugar stands, the stronger the flavor will be. Three months gave me a nice, wafting aroma when the lid was taken off. We filled 14 jars with about 8 lbs of sugar and spent about $30 total. I think the sugar will be great in coffee or tea, especially the vanilla. My friends could also pop the lid and use it as room freshener if they decide not to actually eat it. I'm hoping at least that these little jars don't get relegated to that dusty, old shelf but, hey, we're really not out a whole lot either way.

Vanilla Sugar
1 super clean (sterilized is best) Large Jar or other air tight container (plastics aren't great here because they can sometimes leach flavors, plasticy and otherwise, into the food)
Granulated sugar
2 Vanilla Beans, split and halved
Food Coloring (opt.)
~ ½ tsp Pearl Powder or Edible Glitter (opt.)

Lavender Sugar
1 super clean (sterilized is best) Large Jar or other air tight container (plastics aren't great here because they can sometimes leach flavors, plasticy and otherwise, into the food)
Granulated Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean, split and halved
½ tsp Lavender Flowers, ground; more or less to taste
Food Coloring (opt.)
~ ½ tsp Pearl Powder or Edible Glitter (opt.)

1. Fill the jar ½ full with sugar.
2. Add the vanilla beans and/or lavender.
3. Fill the jar the rest of the way, leaving ~1" head space. This will make shaking easier.
4. Add the coloring, 3-4 drops is enough for pastel colors, depending on how much sugar you're using.
5. Seal tightly.
6. Shake, shake, shake. Continue shaking every 3 or 4 days or whenever the mood strikes you.
7. At least a week before you divide it up add the pearl powder, if desired.
8. Pour the sugar into clean, dry, decorative jars, removing any large bits as you go. You can find the little jars at most any craft store.
9. Label and gift.

Update

Rotel Dip recipe updated with picture and exact amounts.

Tuscan Bean Soup

I don't think I ever had bean soup until I met my husband. Come to think of it, we didn't really eat soup very much in my family unless someone was sick. My husband's family on the other hand had lived for years in Michigan before coming to Alabama so they were big bean and cabbage soup people. Being his high school sweetheart, I would sup with his family pretty often during my formidable years, therefore, my first navy bean soup was his Mom's. To tell the truth, I didn't much care for it. There was a strong, bland, bean flavor and, well, that was pretty much it; no other seasoning, not even a nice hunk of fat back. Even after we got married my husband would beg for me to make bean soup. Nah, let's have something else.

Finally, I gave in. I was determined that if I was going to eat it then the recipe would have to change. Honestly, it wouldn't have to change very much to be better. I poured over my books and the Internet searching for something more appealing to me. Eventually, I found it. An Italian twist, a lighter, more flavorful soup. Over the years I've tweaked and adjusted it to our tastes. I actually couldn't tell you where I first came by this recipe or, probably more accurately, which originals I combined. Nevertheless, I am pleased to tell you that I actually enjoy bean soup now.

The bacon and thyme lend a smoky, savory flavor and aroma that I just love. In the past, I have forgotten to brown the bacon and instead just tossed it in with the veggies. This gives it a more...soft quality, more like meltingly delicious and opposed to finite tasty bits. Both ways are good. By pureeing half of the beans, the soup takes on a silky texture and feels heartier without the addition of thickeners, which is good because who needs those extra carbs anyway? Soups are great because they are perfect make ahead meals. There is really nothing more satisfying than to come home after a long, cold day and have a warm bowl of home-made soup in the time that it takes to warm it in the microwave. Additionally, the longer the flavors marry the better the soup will be. I've made this 3 or 4 days in advance and it was great. Not to say that I wouldn't devour it when freshly made, especially in the company of some fresh from the oven Italian bread. You could probably make this in a slow cooker but I usually just make it on the stove because it only takes about 30 min, give or take.

Serves 4-6

½ lb bacon, chopped
2 cans cannellini or other white bean, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 can Roma tomatoes, smashed and drained
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp fresh thyme (½ tsp dried leaves)
3½ c. chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil (opt.)

1. Brown bacon in soup pot or dutch oven until crispy.
2. Add the onion, celery and carrot.
3. Cook 5 min over med-high heat.
4. Add tomatoes, garlic and thyme.
5. Continue cooking until tender. Do not burn garlic.
6. Add broth and bay leaf.
7. Reduce heat to med-low and begin simmering.
8. Meanwhile, process 1 can of beans in food processor until smooth. You can add ½ c. chicken broth to make it easier.
   
9. Pour beans and bean puree into soup carefully.
10. Season to taste.
11. Continue simmering, covered, ~20 min or until the flavors are blended.
12. Remove and discard bay leaf.
13. Just before serving, drizzle olive oil over soup in serving bowls, if desired.
14. Serve warm.

My Top 10 Cookbooks

I was sitting here daydreaming about my Christmas list when it occurred to me that quite a few items were cookbooks. This doesn't really surprise me though. I have something like 50 cookbooks. I haven't counted lately so it may very well be more than that. So, I was sitting here thinking what my favorites were. Then I thought...maybe you guys had someone that needed/wanted/would like a new cookbook for Christmas but didn't know which to get. The following books, in no particular order, may not be on the top of Google's or Amazon's bestseller list but these are my definite, all-time favorites.

The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook by Susan D. Curtis
Written by the owner of the Santa Fe School of Cooking, a recreational culinary school specializing in foods of the southwest. Has recipes for all the favorites and really explains the cuisine. Has a full reference for southwestern spices and ingredients as well as where to find them.

New Baking Book by Better Homes & Gardens
Full of consistently great baking recipes.

In Nirmala's Kitchen: Everyday World Cuisine by Nirmala Narine
Written by a cook and world traveler. Includes her adaptation of recipes from around the world along with breathtaking photos. I kept this on my night stand for weeks and still carry it around the house.

The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Thorough, in-depth, reliable pie making techniques and recipes for everything from fillings to crusts. Better than the Cake Bible in my opinion.

The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook
American and International recipes for everything cookie; lots of tips and techniques and easy-to-follow instructions.

Calling All Cooks by Telephone Pioneers of America Alabama Chapter
Member submitted Southern home cooking recipes, untested but comprehensive. One of my "go to" books when I need to know something now.

The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly
A very knowledgeable, comprehensive book with 4 sections: beef, pork, lamb, and veal. A manly kind of cookbook with straightforward comments, historical tidbits and explanations of what to do as far as shopping, preparing, and cooking meat, and most importantly, why.

Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook 1998
Every recipe printed for 1998 in Southern Living Magazine. I like this edition better than other years for the recipes, easy to reference indices, and unmessed-with instructions and layout.

Barbecue! Bible: Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes by Steven Raichlen
Everything you need to dress up, flavor and season all things grilled straight from a grill master. Contains how-to on regional as well as international flavors.

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up by Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson
Written by an author and an educator. Contains complete step-by-step instructions firstly in color drawn pictures for the little kids and then in simple, easy-to-follow words for adults or older kids. There are twenty fun and nutritious recipes perfect for children old enough to stand at the kitchen counter and help. My 4 year old nephew absolutely loves this book. I think it's great because it helps introduce kids to science in a very practical way.

Just in case you were wondering which cookbooks I want this year. (hint, hint)

Spain...A Culinary Road Trip by Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee

The Hungry Scientist Handbook: Electric Birthday Cakes, Edible Origami, and Other DIY Projects for Techies, Tinkerers, and Foodies by Patrick Buckley and Lily Binns

Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking by Julia Child

Pork and Sons by Stéphane Reynaud

Syrup Packed Pears

I love it when people give me food. Almost everyone knows that I like to cook, so many of my friends and family bring me harvested goodies from their gardens and orchards. Just this year I've received pecans, apples, squash, peppers, blackberries, peanuts, peaches and most recently pears. These pears arrived on Thanksgiving along with my Daddy. They were, let's just say, ripe. My Mama picked up an overflowing bag from the porch and set them immediately back down. "Are you sure these are still good?" she asks. "They may be a little too far gone," Daddy says. Nah. I salvaged 3 ½ quarts of luscious perfectly ripe pears from 2 bulging Wal-Mart bags.

My first thought was to make pear honey but, alas, I only had 2 pint jars. It being Black Friday I was not about to set foot in a store so I opted to freeze them for a later use. I've been throwing around the idea of a mincemeat pear cobbler. That aside, here's how to syrup pack pears. If you are interested in preparing other foods check out The National Center for Home Food Preservation. It's pretty comprehensive and I've always had good results.

First, you'll need to make a 40% syrup, which is also called heavy syrup.
You'll need 2 ¾ c. sugar for every 4 c. water. This yields roughly 5 1/3 c. syrup. It's recommended that you use ½ - 2/3 c. syrup for every pint fruit but you'll also need some for boiling. (I made 4 batches, ~21 c., for 3 ½ qt pears, which was WAY more than I needed. 2 batches would have been plenty.)

1. Wash, peel and core fruit. Slice medium pears into twelfths, large ones into sixteenths.
2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium to large pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Heat pears in boiling syrup for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on size of pieces.
   
4. Drain and cool.
5. Pack pears and cover with cold syrup. Leave head space.
6. Seal and freeze.

Almost Gianduia Biscotti

Sitting here at work with my eyes blurry from lack of sleep I was thinking intently about biscotti. Actually, more to the point, I was thinking about dunking biscotti into a nice, large mug of steaming, hot hazelnut latte. If I were Italian then my fantasy would probably include a nice glass of wine instead of coffee. But, alas, I'm not and I'm tired so my mind refuses to even admit the substitution.

I'll just have to wait until I get home this afternoon because I'm not, repeat am not, going to go to Starbucks and throw away $8. I could probably make at least 20 biscotti for that price. Matter of fact, I have some sitting on my counter right now from several weeks ago. They quite literally will keep forever especially in a cool house like mine. Back during Roman times these hard little cookies were the staples of soldiers and adventurers. "Hard" just about sums it up too.

After baking my first batch I had to check for poison. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone else dying because I neglected to check a batch of cookies. I just picked up a small piece, the scraggly ones are always sacrificed for the greater good, and proceeded to break out my front teeth. OK, I didn't actually chip any teeth but it sure felt like it for a second. Pressing on, I proceeded to bite chunks off with my jaw teeth and crunch the rock like biscuit to bits. Don't ask why I didn't make coffee or dip it in some milk or tea. I'm just weird like that and I honestly have no idea. Needless to say, my mouth was kind of abused that day but I was satisfied that, yes, I had avoided the poison and the batch was safe.

The next day, I made some hot tea and the biscotti was only better when dunked. The hot liquid infused the bread with flavor while slightly melting the chocolate. Somehow you could taste the flavor of the almonds more strongly even though the bread was now saturated with Lady Grey. It was really good.

I'm thinking seriously of making some biscotti with dried cherries, dark chocolate and pecans for Christmas. My previous batch with almonds and dark chocolate reminded me of Gianduia, that quintessential chocolate/hazelnut combination. You can pretty much use biscotti as a tabula rasa just like shortbread. Just keep in mind that with Italian biscotti 2 c. is about the limit with add-ins, especially nuts. Otherwise, the dough becomes too crumbly and will likely fall apart on you. If you find yourself too adventurous, try adding 2 tbsp water or oil and work it in until the dough holds up.

The recipe for this biscotti base comes from The King Arthur Cookie Companion. There is an entire chapter on biscotti; 22 pages, yeah that's right, 22 pages of biscotti. This is a great book full of tips, techniques, and both American and International treats. If you're into baking you should definitely check it out.

Makes 14 - 16 biscotti

2 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. dark chocolate chips (opt.)
1 c. whole natural almonds, roughly broken (opt.)

1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, all ingredients except add-ins and flour until creamy and thin as pancake batter. Add water if necessary.
4. Slowly add flour until totally incorporated.
5. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
6. Transfer dough to prepared pan and shape it into a wide log roughly 14" long, 2 ½" wide and ¾" thick.
7. Smooth the top and sides with a wet scraper or spatula.
8. Bake 25 min.
9. Let cool on pan ~20 min. Then remove to cutting board.
10. Lightly sprinkle or spritz water over log to soften crust and make cutting easier. Wait 5 min.
11. Reduce oven to 325°F.
12. Cut biscotti into ½ - ¾" slices.
13. Set the biscotti upright on prepared pan ~½" apart.
14. Bake 25 min.
15. Remove from oven and cool completely on rack.
16. Store in an airtight container.

The Catch Phrase

I read quite a few blogs and I've noticed a common thread with all of the good ones, a short name. Not very many have a name longer than 3 or 4 words. Why? Because it's easier for people to remember. When I established this blog, my husband and I were sitting in our office throwing around name ideas. Nothing sounded appealing to me. Catchy. That's what I wanted. Something light-hearted, witty and most of all, easy to remember. I suggested the name of Calvin's cereal in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. These little pictures are my husband's very nearly favorite possessions. Over the years we've collected almost every book printed. We've braved quite a few road bumps of life with Calvin and his lovable tiger. I just got my husband the Complete edition for our 11th anniversary; it is that significant.

Back to the cereal. Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs; too long we decided. He threw out Brownie Points. Hmm, yeah I do like that. OK, let's register it. No dice. Already taken. I have to admit that I was very disappointed because this left us right back where I was, without a name. So, I searched for Brownie Points on Blogger just to see what I was up against. Not to bash anyone, I too have had previous blogs die before, but I wanted that domain. They only had 3 posts and the blog was 4 years old. I was majorly disgruntled. So, I decided to have the domain anyway with 365 added, hence my current address.

Having already searched around the blogosphere, I knew that Brownie Points was the name of a cooking blog already in use. So, to avoid any confusion in the future, I set aside my wishes and went back to the drawing board. A few unhappy days later I still had no name that really satisfied me. My husband asked, "What's to say you can't use that name too?" in an effort to cheer me up. Yeah, I guess so. I starting thinking and asked him what he thought about merging our two best ideas. Sounds good. So, I became Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs and other Brownie Points. For 5 months I've been looking at that almost every day. Yes, every day. Even when I don't post I snoop around for visitors. It's just too long. Maybe it's the stormy weather or maybe it's my hormones but I simply don't care anymore. I'm going to have Brownie Points, simply Brownie Points.

Long story short, I've shortened the name of my blog to Brownie Points. I'll probably never get the readership that the other one has so no worries. I'm going to keep my header for now because I like the reference to Calvin even if no one else gets it. This is still the same bat channel at the same bat time just with a different mask.

Mulled Apple Cider

I've been making this during the holidays for several years now. It's super easy and seems to be crowd pleasing. You can make it in a crockpot, which is my preferred method, or on the stovetop. This year I made way more than we needed for Thanksgiving and so I have almost a gallon in my fridge. I developed this really bad cough with everyone over spreading around their nasty foreign germs. Sucking down cough drops to get to sleep has irritated both my throat and my tongue. This cider seems to be one of the only things that soothes the irritation and I can't help but feel like the goodness of the apples helps crutch up my immune system. Aside from being witch-doctorish medicinal it is really tasty and refreshing both steaming hot and cold straight out of the fridge. I'm going to freeze maybe a half gallon to take along with us when we go to my brother-in-law's at Christmas. I have no don't that it will freeze well once strained but I'll get back with you on that.

Makes ~1 gallon, can be doubled

1 gal apple cider
1/3 -½ c. maple syrup, depending on taste
3 or 4 - 4" cinnamon sticks, broken
1 tsp whole allspice berries
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 vanilla bean, split
1 orange, unpeeled, sliced

Place all ingredients in crockpot or large non-reactive pot. Any leftover cider can be added in later or saved for another use.
Heat in crockpot on HIGH ~2 hrs.
If using stovetop method; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer ~10 min. Remove pot from heat and let stand ~15 min before serving.
Keep warm not more than 8 hrs. Cider will become bitter if heated too long.

My Marshmallow Curiosity

My curiosity got the better of me yesterday. For weeks I had been wondering , "Are home-made marshmallows really THAT good?" An old friend passed along a recipe, a version of the Thomas Keller original, that was tempting but in a back burner kind of way. A few things were against the seemingly inevitable trial: 1. I don't really even like marshmallows. 2. Hot sugar and butter fingers just don't mix. 3. What will I do with 1 ½ lbs of marshmallows once made? Well, if curiosity had killed a cat before, it could definitely wreak my kitchen.

Last night, I spent the better part of 2 hours making, of all things, marshmallows. I'm talking powdered sugar everywhere. Earlier when I had mentioned my plan to my husband he goes, without missing a beat, "You know they sell those for cheap at the store, right?" Yes...but...I don't know; just humor me.

I guess I expected the heavens to open and bliss to rain from the sky. Turns out they were...eh. They tasted exactly like any other marshmallow that I had ever eaten, only ever so slightly softer. It's not the recipe. It was a good recipe and worked beautifully. In my opinion, it was just not worth the trouble. I heeded my friend's advice and cut back the original amount of 1 tbsp vanilla to 2 tsp but it still seemed strong to me. Perhaps go with 1 tsp if you make them and if you really like marshmallows go for it. Come on, you know you're curious.

Makes ~1 ½ lbs, 2-3 dozen depending on size

3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
½ c. + ¼ c. cold water
2 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. corn syrup
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or other flavoring
Powdered sugar for dredging

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over ½ c. cold water. Let stand 10 min.
2. Line a 13x9" baking or sheet pan with plastic wrap or foil. Grease thoroughly with vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and remaining ¼ c. water. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1 min. Do not stir at all once the sugar dissolves.
4. Pour boiling syrup onto gelatin and mix at Low speed for a few seconds then gradually speed up to High. If your mixer is flinging syrup, stay just below that speed until it stops and then turn it up. Do not let mixture cool too much before speeding up to High.
5. Once at High speed, add the salt and beat for 5-12 minutes. It's done when it looks like marshmallow cream and stops increasing in volume.
6. Add vanilla and incorporate into mixture.
7. Scrape into prepared 13x9" pan.
8. Take another piece of greased plastic wrap and press mixture into the pan, smoothing top and spreading evenly. Remove plastic wrap.
9. Let cool in pan for a few hours.
10. Carefully lift out marshmallow slab to work surface.
11. Sift powdered sugar evenly over slab to cover.
12. Cut into equal pieces with scissors, greased pizza cutter, knife, or simple cookie cutters.
13. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in powdered sugar.
14. Store in air tight container.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

I'm excited to share this recipe. I like sharing all my recipes but this one in particular makes me happy. Always for the holidays I ask my husband what he wants for dessert. Pumpkin pie, always. I continually feel compelled to ask even though I know what he wants. I think secretly I want him to request some kind of cake or fruit pie or even candy. Nope, always pumpkin pie. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm not really a huge fan of that festively orange concoction. The spice is too strong for me or something. I much prefer it's sweeter cousin, the sweet potato pie but that's another story.

This year I made a compromise. Yes, it is still pumpkin pie flavor but it's lighter and richer and in my opinion, and his surprisingly, yummier. I took my cream pie base and dressed it up so that it could go to the holiday party. Try it and let me know what you think.

Makes 1 - 9" pie, Serves ~ 8

4oz brown sugar-cinnamon cream cheese, softened
7oz sweetened condensed milk
1 c. milk
1 (5oz) box instant cheesecake pudding mix (I could only find sugar-free but I didn't taste any difference. Use 2 small boxes.)
7 oz canned pumpkin puree (~½ regular sized (15oz) can)
¼ tsp pure orange extract
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
** 1 pre-baked 9" deep dish pie shell

1 c. (½ pint) heavy whipping cream
~1 tbsp powdered sugar (more or less to taste)
* 2 tbsp white decorators gel (optional)

1. Cream together the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
2. Slowly add the milk. Stir well.
3. Add pudding mix, pumpkin, spices and flavorings.
4. Beat until the mixture becomes thickened. (~5 min)
5. Pour into pre-baked pie shell.
6. Chill at least 4 hours.

~2 hours before serving

1. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add powdered sugar and whip until medium peaks form. Do not over beat.
3. Spread whipped cream evenly over filling.
4. Chill at least 1 hour.

** You can either purchase a pre-baked pie shell or blind bake one yourself. To blind bake means simply to bake without anything in it. You usually do this for pies, such as cream pies, in which the filling remains uncooked.

Thanksgiving Pictures

I just uploaded pictures for most of the holiday recipes, including Sweet Potato Puff, Green Beans Amandine, Cornbread Dressing, Kluski and Kapusta, and Ruskie Pierogi. Some will just have to wait until Christmas. Enjoy!