A Lesson in Chocolate

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This past Saturday, we were invited to a friend’s house for a chocolate-making lesson, which might be the best kind of lesson ever.   Chefs Mark Gray and David Vagasky have started Cacao’s Artisan Chocolate in Charleston (www.cacaoscharleston.com), and their chocolate is really, really amazing.  They sell their chocolates in Southern Season in both Charleston and Chapel Hill, as well as online.

We had the best time learning all about chocolate (you should never refrigerate it) and tasting many different flavors of truffles, chocolate caramels, chocolate strawberries, etc.  The sugar high was pretty epic. Walker was at the other end of the counter, right by the chefs, and much to his delight and my half-hearted dismay, he ate his weight in samples.  At one point, Chef Gray gave him a piece and said, “It will melt in your mouth.”  Walker ate the piece, and with delighted surprise, he exclaimed, “It melted in my mouth, it really melted in my mouth- right then!”

So, if you are looking for a super special and delicious gift, look no further than Cacao Chocolate- just divine.

Peppermint Kiss Cookies

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My sister-in-law is an excellent baker.  She makes the best chocolate chip cookies, brownies, etc, and she is incredibly generous with her baking.  I am not sure where she finds the time as she is also a lawyer.  We went to an oyster roast this past weekend with her and my brother, and she brought for the hosts a mason jar filled with peppermint brownies on the bottom and ginger snaps on top all tied with a pretty ribbon and hand made note card.  I brought nothing (except Michelob Ultra Light in my purse because I knew that they would only have dark fancy beer to drink- pretty classy of me).  Anyway- they were giving us a ride home before they were headed to another party where she had another mason jar filled with treats, and fortunately, they were both tired, so at the last minute decided not to go to the other party, and we got the mason jar!  So, one I should be better about hostess gifts and two, I looked up some ideas for baked gifts, and these peppermint kiss cookies (from www.raininghotcoupons.com) looked like they would be great.

Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 cup softened Butter
1 tsp Peppermint Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
3 cup Flour
3 Candy Canes
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped Candy Cane Hershey Kisses
Sugar (to roll cookies in)
36 unwrapped Candy Cane Hershey Kisses

Directions:

Place candy canes in food processor and pulse until they are completely crushed.
Make sure you have room in your refrigerator or freezer for your cookie sheet.
Combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg in large bowl.
Beat until fluffy at medium speed.
Combine flour, crushed candy canes, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture and beat until well blended (mixture will be kind of dry).
Stir in chopped kisses.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in granulated sugar.
Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in 350 oven until firm up and set.
Remove from oven and immediately press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Place cookie sheet into the freezer or refrigerator to keep kisses from melting.

Nutella Mug Cake

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I did not grow up with Nutella, and  I actually only tried it about two years ago.  It was ok, but I didn’t love it.  I have never bought Nutella nor made anything with Nutella and to be honest, I don’t really get it.  Is it healthy chocolate because friends I know who are real health nuts feed their children Nutella sandwiches- which is just a chocolate sandwich right?  However, I think I will change my tune because this Nutella Mug Cake looks so easy, so yummy and you can just make one when you need a chocolate fix and top it with ice cream, whip cream or whatever you desire- so perfect.

Nutella Mug Cake

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

1/4 cup self rising flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egghttps://thesouthwillrise.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp Nutella

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Stir self-rising flour, sugar, egg, vegetable oil, milk, cocoa powder, chocolate-hazelnut spread, salt, and vanilla extract together in a large mug until batter is smooth.
Cook in microwave oven on full power until the cake has risen in the mug and is set in the center, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

Turkey Cupcakes

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I can’t believe it is Thanksgiving week already!!  We are headed up to the mountains tomorrow, and thanks to Mother Nature, it looks like it will be absolutely freezing up there with hopefully some snow.  My sister and her family are driving down from New York, and Walker can’t wait to see his cousins.  He is especially excited because we bought my two nieces Rainbow Looms as an early Christmas present and as a good way to take up a lot of time in the house when it is too cold to go outside.  Walker, as a ten year old boy, does not want a Rainbow Loom for himself, but he is super excited to play with his cousin’s new loom.  If you have not heard of a Rainbow Loom- it is the new fad way to make bracelets out of little rubber bands.  I am amazed at the huge amount of add ons that you can buy for your Rainbow Loom- loom cases, extra bands, carry cases to carry you loom case- it goes on and on.  In addition to the Rainbow Looms, I was digging around to find fun kitchen projects for the kids, and these Turkey cupcakes looked perfect. (Picture from FamilyFun Magazine and recipe from www.spoonful.com)

Turkey Cupcakes:

First, make cupcakes according to the directions of your favorite box brand and frost with chocolate icing.

Ingredients for Decorations:

3 oval shortbread cookies
6 to 10 candy corn pieces
White icing
Black decorators’ gel
Red fruit leather (fruit roll ups work well)

Directions:

Frost the cupcake, then press in a cookie head and 2 cookie wings.  Press in a row or two of candy corn tail feathers.  To make an eye, add a small dot of white icing to the head, then add a dot of black decorators’ gel for a pupil.  For a beak, cut the white tip from a piece of candy corn and press it in place.  To make the wattle, cut a 1-inch square of fruit leather. Roll it into a tube and stick it in place over the beak.

Red Wine Caramel Apples

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This just might be heaven.  This recipe popped up on my Yahoo.com home page, and this might be the perfect adult Halloween treat.  I would definitely be in an apple bobbing contest for these- so fun.

Red Wine Caramel Apples

Ingredients:
8 small McIntosh apples, stemmed, washed well, and dried
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Equipment: 8 wooden ice-pop sticks; a candy thermometer

Directions:

Insert a wooden stick halfway into each apple at stem end. Line a tray with wax paper and lightly grease paper. Boil wine in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 2 1/2-to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber. Add reduced wine (mixture will bubble up and steam) and swirl pan. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until incorporated, then continue to simmer until thermometer registers 238°F. Remove from heat and cool to 200°F. Holding apples by the sticks, dip them in caramel and swirl to coat, letting excess drip off, then hold apples up (stick end down) for about 15 seconds to allow more caramel to set on apples. Put caramel apples, stick side up, on greased wax paper and let stand until caramel firms up, about 30 minutes.

Pecan Shortbread with Chocolate Drizzle

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We just spent a wonderful long weekend up in Western North Carolina with friends, and the leaves could not have been better.  We sat by the fire, we hiked, and we ate a ton.  I hated for it to end. Here is a picture from on of our hikes from the top of Hawksbill.  The weekend definitely got me in the mood for fall recipes, and while searching for some today, I came across this tasty number on www.delish.com for pecan shortbread with chocolate drizzle.  What a great combo- I can’t wait to try it.

Pecan Shortbread with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:

3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup(s) pecan flour , or 1/2 cup whole pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup(s) sugar
1/8 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
Large pinch of salt
1 stick(s) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 large egg yolk
8 pecan halves
2 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a large rimmed baking sheet. In a medium bowl, stir the all-purpose and pecan flours with the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Add the egg yolk and blend it in with a fork. Lightly knead the shortbread dough until it is smooth.
Transfer the shortbread dough to the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a 6-inch round. Refrigerate the dough until it is well chilled, about 20 minutes.
Using the blunt side of a knife, score the dough into 8 wedges. Lightly press a pecan into the wide end of each wedge. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the shortbread is browned around the edge. While the shortbread is still warm, cut it into wedges with a serrated knife. Let the shortbread cool to room temperature, then drizzle with the chocolate and serve.

 

Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions

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I am so, so, so excited for Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions cookbook to come out on October 15th.  Callie’s is a staple at parties in Charleston, from her amazing biscuits to the delicious pimento cheese- everything she makes is fantastic, and I am thrilled that she is putting out a cookbook!  I am also thrilled that there is a Biscuits and Bourbon after party at Billy Reid, which is just super fun.  Make sure to pre-order yours today!

Mississippi Mud Pie

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Walker spent four days out at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island with his grade- 75 10 year olds.  I don’t think you could have paid me to be a chaperone for that field trip.  They had a ball playing in the mud pit and learning more about the lowcountry natural life.  They had to keep a journal and when they got back, they had to right a paragraph on all of the senses- what they heard, saw, tasted, smelled, felt.  I think if Walker could have written about the Mississippi Mud Pie they had for dessert one night for all of the senses he would have- instead he just used it for taste.  Here is my favorite Mississippi Mud Pie recipe- enjoy!

Mississippi Mud Pie

(from www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients
For the crust: 9 chocolate graham crackers (1 sleeve)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling: 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
Chocolate sauce, for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pulse the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and process until moistened. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chocolate crumb mixture for topping, then press the rest into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until set, about 10 minutes; transfer to a rack and let cool.Meanwhile, make the filling: Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat, then stir in the flour and salt until smooth. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, coffee liqueur and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until smooth. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake until set and cracked on top (like a brownie), about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly, about 2 hours (the pie should still be slightly warm).

Make the whipped cream: Beat the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla with a mixer until soft peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream, pecans and reserved chocolate crumb mixture. Drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Leave the Cannoli

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I feel like we had our last real summer weekend this past weekend.  My brother and his wife invited us out to a beach house they had rented on Folly Beach for Friday night.  We went to Taco Boy for dinner and then sat around talking and listening to the ocean.  Saturday morning I got up early and took Nemo for a walk.  As we watched the surfers and the ocean, I thought back on our summer and how wonderful it was, and for some reason, I remembered the cannoli ice cream that we had up in the Catskills.  It is one of those flavors of ice cream that you don’t find very often, and the memory of it comes back at random times and just makes you happy that you were lucky enough to have tried it when you had the chance.  It is also one of those things that I will leave to the professionals.  Cannoli, however, I can do.  Here is a great recipe that I love.

Cannoli

Ingredients:

Shells:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 egg white
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
Filling:
1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup chopped candied citron
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
(optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than peas. Make a well in the center, and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix with a fork until the dough becomes stiff, then finish it by hand, kneading on a clean surface. Add a bit more water if needed to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Divide the cannoli dough into thirds, and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. Dust lightly with flour if necessary. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or large glass or bowl, cut out 4 to 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll dough around cannoli tubes, sealing the edge with a bit of egg white.
Heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or deep heavy skillet. Fry shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove using the tongs, and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes, then carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a tea towel may help you get a better grip. Wash or wipe off the tubes, and use them for more shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hours before serving.
To make the filling, stir together the ricotta cheese and confectioners’ sugar using a spoon. Fold in the chopped citron and chocolate. Use a pastry bag to pipe into shells, filling from the center to one end, then doing the same from the other side. Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar and grated chocolate for garnish when serving.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

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We have survived the first week back to school- it actually was relatively easy.  Walker came home the first day saying that he had the best group of teachers which is always good, and more importantly, he has not had too much trouble waking up in the morning.  The main change in school this year according to Walker is that they redid the lunch room and got a new lunch service company.  He is very impressed.  Gone are the days of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day which is what I had for lunch long long ago in my school days.  I really do love a good peanut butter sandwich, but of course better than that is a peanut butter cookie.  I saw these very fun cookies on Martha Stewart.com and thought they were a perfect “back to school” treat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough, and form into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake until cookies are puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and make indentations in centers by pressing with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Return to oven, and bake until edges are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely.

Heat jam in a small saucepan, stirring, until loosened, about 30 seconds. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation. Cookies can be stored in a single layer for up to 1 week.