Holiday baking and other food prep

[caribougrrl]

I made this today, and I have 2nd degree burns on one of my hands to prove it!

Caribou, if you ever decide to make this nougat, use Chef Bernard's recipe for a couple of reasons. The one from kitchn doesn't have the cocoa butter needed to give nougat that chocolate scent. The other thing is that Chef B heated the honey and sugar with glucose in separate sauce pots. I wondered about this, now I know why. If you heat the honey and sugar together you won't be able to get the mixture to a high enough temperature because the mixture foams up so I had to stir the mixture to let the foam  dissipate so my thermometer could detect the syrup's temp. I might have cooked my honey and sugar too long because of the false temp that the foam caused. Roasting the nuts in 180 deg C/356 deg F is about right versus roasting them in 400 deg F.

I'll post pics of the bars tomorrow. I'm letting them sit to cool at the moment. Tomorrow, guimave des fraises, et chocolat.

is that why I think my candy thermometer isn't working?  because of foaming?

I chucked it out and have been using the icewater method for testing stages.

[caribougrrl]

I think this thread is safe from the prune, but I don't want to lose my sugarplum recipe...  #bettersafethansorry

[caribougrrl]

it's sugar plum day chez caribougrrl

[wherestheportojohn]

 

[all-smiles]

Perfect timing as I've been perfecting my coffee toffee recipe with dark chocolate and toasted pecans. Next up will be a few rounds of butter toffee with white chocolate and toasted macadamia nuts

[caribougrrl]

bumping for the 2014 holiday season...

[caribougrrl]

a failed attempt at sponge toffee on the weekend (burnt, I should have taken it off the heat before the hard crack stage because it keeps cooking for a wee bit once removed) but will try again through the week

we also made a batch of martha stewart's peppermint marshmallows (we skip the food colouring marble): http://www.marthastewart.com/355781/candy-cane-marshmallows

gawd I love home made marshmallows...

[merigayle]

I have my cookie party in 2 weeks (less than!) and need to try some cookie recipes. DD requested gingerbread men. But I usually make 2-3 things.

[merigayle]

DD's other request is to make this, which i do not think she ever saw a recipe but she is addicted to mandarin oranges and i think she thought they would be best dipped in chocolate

http://www.giverecipe.com/chocolate-covered-orange.html

i was thinking of this cookie to try, lemon poppy seed

http://theprettybee.com/2014/05/vegan-gluten-free-lemon-poppy-seed-cookies.html

[caribougrrl]

DD's other request is to make this, which i do not think she ever saw a recipe but she is addicted to mandarin oranges and i think she thought they would be best dipped in chocolate

http://www.giverecipe.com/chocolate-covered-orange.html

i was thinking of this cookie to try, lemon poppy seed

http://theprettybee.com/2014/05/vegan-gluten-free-lemon-poppy-seed-cookies.html

the choc covered candied oranges look fantastic!

[ihop]

the choc covered candied oranges look fantastic!

1!

[merigayle]

I bought a bag of organic oranges to try this wtih and will hopefully do the simple syrup tomorrow and let them dry and dip them on Thursday.

I made something called "sparkling cranberries" for Thanksgiving and it was cranberries (fresh) soaked in simple syrup (2c sugar 2c water boiled and slightly cooled) for a day, drained and tossed in granulated sugar, set on a cookie sheet to dry and retossed once more. They were beautiful and delicious and easy. And do not eat a raw cranberry, BARF!

[caribougrrl]

I bought a bag of organic oranges to try this wtih and will hopefully do the simple syrup tomorrow and let them dry and dip them on Thursday.

I made something called "sparkling cranberries" for Thanksgiving and it was cranberries (fresh) soaked in simple syrup (2c sugar 2c water boiled and slightly cooled) for a day, drained and tossed in granulated sugar, set on a cookie sheet to dry and retossed once more. They were beautiful and delicious and easy. And do not eat a raw cranberry, BARF!

save the excess syrup!  it would make a good glaze to brush on chocolate chip muffins... or cooled and used in cocktails...

[merigayle]

hindsight is 20/20. I could have reused it for the oranges!!!

[JBM]

I made home made turtles yesterday. Very simple, a little messy. It's just pecans, melted caramels with 1/2 and 1/2, and melted chocolate. A little sprinkle of sea salt on top. I bought 2 giant 1lb blocks of chocolate at Trader Joe's yesterday and extra caramels. Other than needing more pecans, I have enough to make them a second time as I mixed milk and dark chocolate, so I now have a lot of chocolate left.

[caribougrrl]

I made home made turtles yesterday. Very simple, a little messy. It's just pecans, melted caramels with 1/2 and 1/2, and melted chocolate. A little sprinkle of sea salt on top. I bought 2 giant 1lb blocks of chocolate at Trader Joe's yesterday and extra caramels. Other than needing more pecans, I have enough to make them a second time as I mixed milk and dark chocolate, so I now have a lot of chocolate left.

When I get to the end of my holiday baking etc., I use any left over chocolate to coat any leftover dried fruit... I will actually purchase dried apricots for this if I don't have any around.

[teetime]

I bought a bag of organic oranges to try this wtih and will hopefully do the simple syrup tomorrow and let them dry and dip them on Thursday.

I made something called "sparkling cranberries" for Thanksgiving and it was cranberries (fresh) soaked in simple syrup (2c sugar 2c water boiled and slightly cooled) for a day, drained and tossed in granulated sugar, set on a cookie sheet to dry and retossed once more. They were beautiful and delicious and easy. And do not eat a raw cranberry, BARF!

Meri...did you do this? how did it come out? I want to try both the oranges and the cranberries and making my own candied citrus peel SOMEDAY.

[merigayle]

UGH. No I have not. YOu have to boil the oranges for 1.5 hours then let them dry. I am hoping to boil them tomorrow.

[srsly]

UGH. No I have not. YOu have to boil the oranges for 1.5 hours then let them dry. I am hoping to boil them tomorrow.

I've made candied orange peel dipped in chocolate, but not an entire slice. So I won't know the exact formula and cooking time for slices of orange. This recipe's sugar/water proportion is incorrect. There should be more sugar than water in the mixture. I would try 3 parts of sugar:1 part water. Add a spoonful of corn syrup to keep the syrup from crystallizing. Also I don't think you have to simmer the oranges for over an hour.

[ihop]

I've made candied orange peel dipped in chocolate, but not an entire slice. So I won't know the exact formula and cooking time for slices of orange. This recipe's sugar/water proportion is incorrect. There should be more sugar than water in the mixture. I would try 3 parts of sugar:1 part water. Add a spoonful of corn syrup to keep the syrup from crystallizing. Also I don't think you have to simmer the oranges for over an hour.

Good info.  I would think that simmering for that long would make them fall apart!