Show Me The Sugar

“C” is for Cookie!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:18:00 +0000

by Chewy

My Sesame Street days are over. I’ve paid my dues with years of endless sing-a-longs, counting with the Count, and celebrating the letter of the day (Wasn’t that a great sponsor? All those days “brought to us by the letter ___” meant no commercials!). Oscar was one of my favorites as I connected with him on so many levels, grouchy being the least of them. Wouldn’t it be nice to be as blissfully clueless as Elmo, wandering through lift in wonderment and joy? I was always jealous of Cookie Monster. He could eat as MANY cookies as he wanted, no limit. And yet he kept his svelte figure, no cavities, no detrimental consequences whatsoever. Now there is someone worthy of jealousy.

Speaking of Cookie, can you think of him without humming his theme song? “C is for cookie. That’s good enough for me!”! Now that I have put that tune in your head for the rest of the day (Bwahahaha) let’s consider a few other comments from the big CM: “Me want cookie!”, “Me eat cookie!” and the finale to it all, “Om nom nom nom!”. But, here’s a trivia question for you: What is Cookie Monster’s favorite cookie? If you said chocolate chip, you are wrong. His preference runs to good old fashioned sugar cookie. You need proof, don’t you?

Apparently Cookie doesn’t just EAT cookies, he bakes them as well and he has his very own original cookie recipe that has recently resurfaced (kind of like the Rosetta Stone). It debuted first in the 1970’s publication, “Big Bird’s Busy Book”. Here, in his own words, is his friendly introduction to this recipe:

“Dear Reader, Hello, There! Me Cookie Monster and my favorite thing is eating cookies. In this wonderful set of books me going to show you how make all kinds of cookies! But first…..me tell you secret recipe for Cookie Dough ( It been in my family for years.)”

For those who don’t have, can’t find, or won’t pay for the above best seller, I’m sure that as long as we keep this secret between just us, Cookie Monster won’t mind if I share his recipe with you. The instructions are as follows:

Cookie Monsters Original Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Equipment
Medium sized mixing bowl
Measuring cup and spoon
A fork

Instruction
1. Put ¾ cup of butter or margarine (that’s a stick and a half) into your mixing bowl.
2. Measure 1 cup of sugar.
3. Pour sugar over butter.
4. With fork, squash butter and sugar together until they are blended.
5. Crack open two eggs and pour eggs over mixture.
6. Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla and pour over mixture.
7. With fork, blend everything in the bowl together.
8. Measure 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and pour over mixture in bowl.
9. Measure 1 teaspoon baking powder and sprinkle over flour.
10. Measure 1 teaspoon salt and sprinkle over flour and baking powder.
11. Mix everything together, either with a fork or with your hands. (Is there any doubt which one I will use? Ten finger squeeze for me!)
12. Put dough in icebox to chill for at least one hour.

photo by schleicher

Cookie Monster says you can make lots of dough at once, and save it in a plastic bag in your freezer for future baking.

But “Wait!” you say. “Do we bake these or just eat the dough out of the bag?”. Not a bad option, and CM doesn’t really say, so here are some approximates to pull off the cookie baking caper. Chewy recommends that you roll out the cookie dough about ¼ inch thick, cut into shapes (the Sesame Street gang would be appropriate), sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden at edges.

If You Say It’s Healthy, They Will Eat It! (and a lot of it)

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:53:00 +0000

by Chewy

Marketing is a very interesting field. It’s sole purpose is to get you to buy something, regardless of whether you need it, want it or can use it. Statements don’t have to be entirely true as long as there are partial facts in evidence, no matter how minute or skewed. This is especially true when it comes to manufactured sweets.

Take for example the “fat free” craze. When at it’s height, candy, cookies, ice creams, were all touting the fact that they removed this villain ingredient from the product. What they didn’t disclose was the fact that many of the items were already naturally fat free. Nor was it advertised about the extra sugar they had to use in order to make it palatable. This is when I started reading labels.

This was followed by the “sugar free” mania. In some instances, instead of cane sugar, chemical sugar substitutes were employed. Subsequent studies showed that some of these were the same caloric amount as the “real” thing resulting in your stomach digesting a laboratory experiment with no positive advantages. The zero calorie versions were no better. Shown to have no effect on weight loss, they may, in actuality, contribute to obesity.

My favorite are the low calorie (as in 100 calorie snacks and cookies) which come pre-portioned for convenience. What a great idea! Now when I eat five of them I know exactly how many calories I’ve eaten. Wasn’t there a lot less guilt when you didn’t know precisely how damaging that binge was?

What’s our latest food fetish? Organic, of course. Organic MUST be healthier, right? The USDA defines organic as ”produced without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers with synthetic ingredients, bioengineering or ionizing radiation”. Beyond the concern about the use of the word “most” aside, we see from this definition that organic refers only to how the food is farmed. It has nothing to do with what happens to it afterwards. In fact, organic foods can be highly processed (meaning it has been changed in some way from it’s natural form).

Take for example the beloved chocolate chip cookie. Let’s take that cookie and make it organic. Must be healthy = must be able to eat more! You have your organic flour and organic sugar, both of which can still be white and refined. Yikes! You know what this means? The nutritional value is no different than the regular cookies that cost you significantly less.

Then there is the evil evaporated cane juice. Surely organic brown rice syrup is better! Guess what, it’s still sugar. Put it in a candy bar, carbonated beverage or any other product with no nutritional value and you have the quintessential “organic” junk food.

The lesson learned from this is that we will NEVER be able to eat sweets at the same promotion as fruits and vegetables. And that is the way it is suppose to be. If we were forced to eat dessert at the same level, how enjoyable would it remain (not cookies and cake for dinner AGAIN!)? Enjoy, without guilt, that “icing on the cake” of a meal , dessert, and ignore those who are trying to make it healthy.

Zaba Zaba Doo

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:41:00 +0000

by Chewy

The other day I ran across a word I didn’t know. Zabaglione. I’m going to give you a chance to prove you are smarter than I am.

A zabaglione is:

A. One of those machines that smoothes the ice during hockey games.
B. A cyst composed of joint fluid.
C. Fred Flintstone’s famous tagline.
D. An Italian dessert.
E. None of the above.

If you answered “D”, an Italian dessert, you get to go to the head of the class. Yes, today’s blog is brought to us by the letter “Z”, as in zabaglione.

The origins of this classic dessert are, as usual, a bit uncertain, although it’s Italian roots are undisputed. With a possible date of the ninth century, the area of Turin or Venice are cited as the inception of this dessert.

It is a very light custard, composed of four simple ingredients, egg yolks, sugar, whipping cream and a sweet wine (usually Marsala). Whipped into a frenzy (or is it whipped with frenzy?), large amounts of air is incorporated which gives it the “light” moniker (not to be confused with “lite” as in low calories. Did you read the ingredients?). Traditionally served with fresh figs, newer versions have been updated to include strawberries, blueberries and peaches.

by J-Stuart

It is served after preparation, once it has attained room temperature. However, if you wish to prepare ahead of an event, it can be served chilled, especially with berries. If children are present, the wine can be omitted (to avoid a covert call to children’s services. Note, this is not a problem in Europe.) and sometimes replaced with small amounts of espresso. In my mind, removing the wine removes an essential flavor and it now becomes a totally different dessert.

United States restaurants serve zabaglione in a champagne glass, Argentina in an ice cream bowl (very popular ice cream flavor!) and Venezuela in a glass suitable for drinking (as in eggnog). For this Zabaglione Recipe. I recommend serving in any fancy wide mouth stemmed glass you have available.

S’More is Better

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:15:00 +0000

by Chewy

August 10th is National S’Mores Day and I couldn’t be s’more excited! Do you remember the first time you experienced this ooey gooey sugar coma inducing treat? I must have been very young, because I don’t have a clue. Coming from a long line of Girl Scouts (on my mother’s side) it was just naturally a part of my culture and DNA. Must-have- s’mores! I believe the three necessary ingredients were packed in all of our emergency kits. Kind of like the keg of brandy on the Saint Bernard dogs (I’m thinking I may have some of that in my DNA too.)

Like so many of our classic desserts, culinary transitionists are attempting to add a twist to our traditional s’more line up. Nothing wrong with that as long as it doesn’t get too crazy (I don’t want to see any anchovies added for the salty/sweet principle). Offered for your amusement are my top ten entries for the “Twisted S’More” category.

The Turtle: Adored in candy and ice cream, what could possibly go wrong with adding pecans and caramel to chocolate and marshmallow? In this case, more is merrier!

The Oreo: A nod to another iconic confection and working with the dark-creamy-dark theme, this is created by using chocolate graham crackers, marshmallows, white chocolate and crumbled Oreos.

Banana Split: I’m not sure how you’re suppose to stuff all of this between two crackers, so I am advocating a bowl for your safety. There are just some things you have to adjust for amateurs. Take your basic s’more and add strawberries, bananas and nuts. Also counts as a fruit serving.

The Caribbean: Nothing like bringing a bit of the tropics to your campfire setting. Starting with the classic s’more, add a ring of pineapple and sprinkle with coconut. Stick an umbrella on it and you’ve created a fiesta!

The PB&J: Two classics go toe to toe with graham crackers, marshmallow, peanut butter and jelly. Variations on this theme could involve the Reeses, skip the jelly and add the chocolate back in.

The Grasshopper: For that minty fresh feeling, replace the chocolate bar with Andes mints. I’m pondering real grasshoppers to add protein and an international flair. Remember the cicada ice cream?

Mexican: The traditional line up with a smattering of cinnamon and nutmeg. Reminds me a little of horchata.

Fruit Pizzazz: Simply add your favorite fruit to the original. What fruit doesn’t taste better with melted chocolate on it?

Peep-O-Rama: Instead of your run of the mill marshmallow, use a sugared marshmallow peep. Grab several colors and add a rainbow to the festivities.

The Elvis: Saving the best for last, this list would not be complete without a nod to pork progression. You know I mean BACON! Made famous by the King, this concoction entails graham crackers, marshmallow, peanut butter cup and a banana slice. Where’s the pork, you ask? The chef left it out, but I am strongly advocating it’s re-addition. All in favor say “aye“. The “ayes” have it and the motion passes, bacon there is!

Now that your imagination has hopefully been stimulated, feel free to make your own list of campfire cuisine dessert combos slapped between two graham crackers. If you create any winners, be sure and share!

S’More to it Than That!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:56:00 +0000

by Chewy

Why anyone would want to camp in this weather is beyond me. But, hopefully, cooler weather will finally reach us and once again our nature lovers will want to pack up the tent, and all the gear that goes with it, and hit the trails. Unless you plan on eating off the yield of the land ( a true Man, Woman, Wild adventure), food will require a great deal of forethought. Not to be overlooked are your campfire desserts.

Growing up, we did a lot of camping. Compared to other campers, we had pretty deluxe accommodations. A three compartment tent consisted of the children’s wing, parent’s boudoir and a spacious “no man’s land” in-between. My dad created quite the traveling kitchen and dish washing system. It was almost like home. No it wasn’t. No electricity, no indoor plumbing, no refrigeration. It is why I don’t camp today!

It was, however, a great family bonding experience and I did learn a few culinary lessons germane to the outdoors. First, baked potatoes are better if you don’t leave them in the fire too long. This results in oblong charcoal briquettes. Great for starting another fire but not so much for dinner. Second, those little white round things in the fish flesh are worms. THROW THEM AWAY! Preferably bury them a great deal of distance from the camp site. Bears don’t mind the worms and, along with the disgusting fish, will grab a to-go snack from your food reserves. Third, s’mores can pass as a complete meal if all the prior events occur. Once again, never underestimate the power of the dessert!
As delicious as they are, s’mores can become a bit mundane if your dessert selection is limited to these as a nightly ritual. After a while, the time it takes to roast the perfect golden marshmallow becomes a bit tedious leading to sloppy cooking procedures. These fall into two categories. Under cooking, a gratuitous waving of the marshmallow over the flame and the flash roast, a deliberate flaming followed by the extinguishing, either by blowing it out or wildly waving around of stick. Here’s an alternative to the procedure. Grab a flour tortilla, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows on it and wrap like a burrito. Seal in some aluminum foil and place on coals until melted. Check frequently, a lesson learned from the potato debacle. Open carefully and let cool a bit.

When you think éclair, you think campfire right? Although taking some forethought, a campfire éclair provides an alternative dessert on a stick (the traditional campfire cooking utensil). You’re going to need some refrigerated bread stick dough (such as Pillsbury), vanilla pudding (grab a 4-pack of the already made snack packs) and a container of chocolate cake frosting. Wrap your dough around the end of your stick in a coil and roast over fire until golden brown (golden brown is the ultimate goal of all fire roasted items). Gently slide your bread coil off the stick. You now have a ready made center receptacle for the pudding. Spoon it in or get all fancy and pipe it in through a plastic baggie with tip cut from corner. Spread with the chocolate frosting.

Our final entry is shortcake-on-a-stick. You can make the dough ahead of time and bring it with you if you have sufficient refrigeration. If not, save this for the patio campfire. For the dough you will need 2 cups of Bisquick, 4 tablespoons of melted butter and ¼ cup of heavy cream. Mix and roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Flatten balls to ¼ inch and wrap around the end of your prerequisite stick. Then roast over your fire until when? Yup, golden brown. Crumble into a bowl and cover with those fresh berries you foraged from the woods. Remember, not ALL blue berries are blueberries!

After a hard day of pitching the tent, swatting the bugs, inflating the air mattresses, swatting the bugs, hanging the food (remember the bears, raccoons and other critters like people food too), finding a water source, swatting the bugs and FINALLY getting that fire started, you can bask in the warm glow and relish your golden brown dessert!

Uprising at the Leavening Corral

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:17:00 +0000

by Chewy

Have you ever made the mistake of using baking powder instead of baking soda (or vice versa)? I have. Did it make a difference? I’m not sure. Can it make a difference? Apparently so, or why would they differentiate between the two. Want to know the details? Too bad, I’m going to tell you anyway.

Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents. When they are added to baked goodies before cooking, it produces carbon dioxide which causes them to rise. To muddy the waters a little, baking powder contains baking soda. To go all chemistry on you, (an Alton Brown-Good Eats moment) let’s take a look at their individual makeup, what the differences mean to your baking, and under what circumstances you use each.

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. Dipping into pure baking soda, you will find it has a bitter taste. When combined with an acidic ingredient (yogurt, chocolate, honey, buttermilk, etc) it neutralizes. This results in a chemical reaction that produces bubbles of CO2 (carbon dioxide). Since this reaction starts immediately upon combining the ingredients, these recipes need to baked at once or fluffy will turn to flat. Baking soda also tends to become unstable at higher temperatures, so typical recipes would be those that don’t require long baking times, such as cookies or pancakes (ah, now you’re seeing the bubbles, right?).

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), cream of tartar (an acidifying agent) and starch ( a drying agent). These ingredients change both the taste and the results. There are a couple of purposes for the cream of tartar. Since it is an acid it gives an overall neutral effect and recipes don’t require an acidic ingredient. It also acts as a second leavening agent and kicks in when the sodium bicarbonate becomes inactive after long exposure to heat. The starch absorbs extra moisture and prevents the sodium bicarbonate from acting too quickly. Coming in two types, single acting powders are activated by moisture and must be baked immediately, and double acting powders reacts in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. Examples would be, cakes, muffins, biscuits and non-yeast bread (banana, zucchini, etc).

By now you have figured out that these two items are NOT interchangeable. But here’s where all this knowledge comes in. In a pinch, you can exchange baking POWDER for baking SODA but you’ll need more of it and this may (will) affect the taste (bleak!). It’s a four to one strength exchange, so 1 teaspoon of soda would require 4 teaspoons of powder. If only it were that simple. You then have to figure in acidic ingredients, neutralizing, blah, blah, blah. Just go buy a box! You cannot substitute baking soda for baking powder. That being said, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda, cream of tartar and corn starch. To make 1 teaspoon of baking powder, combine ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar and ¼ teaspoon corn starch.

Here’s a trivia question for you; Which one lasts longer, baking powder or baking soda?
Baking soda can be passed down as an inheritance (aka, forever). Baking powder has a shelf life of about one year. If it gets wet or is stored in a humid environment it will lose potency. If you are unsure of it’s age or efficacy, simply put some in a glass of water. If you get bubbles, get baking. No fizz means a trip to the store and if I have to do that, I’m heading to the bakery.

I Want My Just Dessert!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:36:00 +0000

by Chewy

I think we can all agree that it is HOT! Not the kind of hot where you bask in the sun and sip margaritas. More like the sidewalk egg frying, banned alcohol (because it dehydrates), bathtub temperature pool water, I don’t even want to go outside for the mail hot. You don’t even need charcoal for the BBQ pit. Food just sizzles when you place it on the grill. Who feels like eating let alone cooking? Where does this leave our desserts if we ‘re barely eating a meal? I’ll tell you where….first. Not merely first but possibly “only”. Yes, dear readers, I am advocating getting your “just desserts” for dinner!

Instead of that patio soiree with heavy brats and pork steaks, why not offer your guests an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream, a dessert laden buffet as the main course. A true Charlie and the chocolate factory moment come true. Themes are definitely encouraged and forget the homemade baked goods. No need to heat up the house. Show Me the Sugar offers suggestions, descriptions and locations for all your “to go” sweet needs.

There is a reason that half the dessert holidays in July revolve around ice cream. Apparently that’s all we want to eat. Cool, refreshing, no cooking required, what’s not to celebrate? Gathering an assortment of ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets makes for one rejuvenating gathering. While good frozen treats can stand on their own, it would not be inappropriate to offer a smattering of toppings in order to customize your bowl. Of course, if you own a Cuisinart ice cream maker (which some of you may know I do), you may present your guests with unique flavors limited only by your imagination.

This time of year also means summer fruits and berries. A plethora of fresh fruit makes for not only a visual treat but also one for the taste buds. Who doesn’t salivate over a fresh fruit torte or a bowl of sugared strawberries with fresh whipped cream? How about some peaches swimming in a smooth brandied sauce? Can you picture a watermelon sorbet served in it’s carved out shell (scallop the rim and do a little shallow carving and it‘s also a center piece)? Fruit also makes a great delivery system for chocolate fondue, marshmallow fluff, clotted cream and caramel sauce. Create your own dipping station with plenty of small plates, long picks and lots of napkins (neat this is not).

Not to be overlooked is your local patisserie. Nothing like a little French flair to add some exotic ambiance. If you haven’t tried the macarons yet (not the coconut macaroons), now is your chance to become acquainted with this little delicacy. Order a few Napoleons, éclairs, crème brulee, petit fours and mousse and arrange on tiered platters for optimum visual delight. This scenario also doubles as a European vacation and, may I add, it’s significantly cooler there, so crank down the air conditioning a bit.

While I am not advocating this option as a permanent lifestyle, just dessert meals seems like a fair trade off for surviving our record breaking atmospheric conditions. I, for one, intend on staying cool and sweet!

It Use To Be So Simple

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:35:00 +0000

by Chewy

Remember the days when your go to flavors of ice cream revolved around strawberry or chocolate ripple? Then Baskin Robbins came along with their 31 flavors and the villagers went insane over the idea. Not satisfied with the original 31, some were retired or replaced with ever surprising infusions of flavor. Even with all this diversity, flavors still followed a traditional trail. Sweet things go with sweet things, savory with savory and never the twain shall meet. Even Ben and Jerry usually followed this scenario.

That whole idea has been kicked to the curb and it’s no longer cool to use the mundane in your frozen treats. While bacon didn’t start it, it certainly has helped to perpetuate and inspire ever more challenging combination, although, even this ingredient is bordering on the blasé at this point. Yet, I’m positively piggish about pork still!

There’s no doubt that around the world there are some pretty scary traditional ice cream flavors that fall along cultural divides (this will be dealt with in a future blog), but today I will keep this relatively indigenous.

Ruth and Phils, lauding from Chicago, take advantage of fresh summer fruits and vegetables to concoct Summer Sweet Corn ice cream, Cantaloupe Avocado Jalapeno sorbet (you know how I feel about avocados!) and Cucumber Blueberry Lime sorbet. Presently only available in limited locales, it may soon be coming to your local Whole Foods store.

New York is no new comer to food fads and il laboratorio del gelato is no exception. For the adventurous palate they provide Fresh Brown Turkey, Sweet Potato and Tarragon Pink Pepper. They are proud to hand make all the flavors in small batches and I think I grasp the reasoning behind limited production. I don’t imagine a huge rush for Turkey, even seasonally. Sweet Potato is igniting my curiosity.

Another New York establishment, Max and Mina’s Ice Cream has heated things up with sweet and spicy combos. Sugar tempers the fire in their Spicy Peanut Butter which culminates in a warm glow due to the added red peppers and chilies. Following in the same genre are Black Pepper and Corn Horseradish. Traditional Italian flavors in an egg yolk base make up their Pizza ice cream and what goes best with that? A cup of their Beer ice cream!

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Columbus, OH, follows the “It’s cold! It’s hot!” theme with Queen City Cheyenne and Bangkok Peanut (secret ingredient, Cheyenne pepper, of course). Apparently, pepper has become the new “salt” in savory/sweet pairings. While I have often seen people salt fruits to bring out the sweet, my roommate in college was the only person I knew who peppered hers. She was obviously decades ahead of her time!

One last nod to the porcine premise goes to Humphry Slocombe of San Francisco and their Boccalone Prosciutto. And not sure which way to go, they covered all the bases by adding both salt and pepper.

The following flavors are honorable mentions, only because they come from Europe and can not be obtained locally. Cigar Smoked Caramel, combining two after dinner pastimes and perhaps an age limit and required ID, has increased sales by 60% for one establishment. Others have followed a theme with grass, strawberry and hay for Wimbledon. Another nod of creativity goes to parsnip and wasabi, and smoked olive oil and black pepper.

These examples have definitely had their effect on my creative senses and with my little Cuisinart ice cream maker ever ready to serve, the sky’s the limit on ingredients. If I ever come up with anything palatable, you can be assured you’ll read about it here first!

Fruit of the Vine

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:21:00 +0000

by Chewy

You planted the garden, composted responsibly and spread that fertile gold around the sprouting plants. Now that they have pushed above ground they are open season for squirrels, chipmunks and slugs. Trapping slugs is fun. All you have to do is finish off most of a can of beer and place in the garden. Trapping the rodentia is pointless. If you don’t take them far enough they find their way home (why they didn‘t use them during the war instead of homing pigeons, I‘ll never know). If you do manage to get visas for them and send them to Canada, their relatives take advantage of the abandoned quarters. I suggest standing guard with a pea sling shot. It doesn’t kill them, it just reinforces the negative consequences of crossing the line. Kind of like a dog and a rolled up newspaper.

Pest problem solved, you devoutly water and weed, and soon little blossoms and produce appear. Then one day, as you proudly peruse plot, you realize things have gotten out of hand and you are facing massive amounts of ripened yield. Torpedo zucchinis, vines of cucumbers, bushes of tomatoes, sweet peppers, jalapenos and eggplants. What is a gardener to do? Make dessert of course!

What, you say? These are vegetables! Oh, contraire mi amour, these are FRIUTS. Being the helpful person that I am, I am sharing the "fruits" of my research to lighten your garden burden.

The first comes from my own kitchen, Zucchini Crisp. This is particularly appropriate for those zucchinis that “get away from you” and attain lethal weapon status. I have never served this dessert and had anyone correctly guess it’s main ingredient. You and your guests will swear you are eating an apple crisp.

The next on the list are cucumbers. When I think of summer cucumbers, my mind wanders to that delicious and refreshing cold cucumber and yogurt soup. So it comes as no surprise that they make a delicious and refreshing sorbet as well (see Cucumber Sorbet). Yet another opportunity to use my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker (Tired of me fawning over this appliance yet?).

Tomato crops seem to fall into two groups. Those partially eaten by vermin resulting in compost fodder, and those that reproduce like rabbits resulting in bags of them being left anonymously on neighbors doorsteps ( along with that zuke with a glandular problem). What’s needed is a recipe for Sweet Baked Tomatoes. Dried fruits, nuts, spices and honey are used to enhance this red berry (botanically speaking).

When ever I have cultivated jalapenos, they all seem to arrive at once and reproduce immediately after harvesting. The interesting thing about hot peppers is that adding sugar tempers the heat and you end up with an interesting flavor combination with just a little warmth at the end. I managed to find a recipe that combines a couple of traditional favorites. Dubbed Jalapeno Happiness Dessert, it’s a jalapeno pepper, stuffed with peanut butter and covered in chocolate. I can not wait to try this!

Not to be left out are the sweet peppers. Sweet Pepper Upside Down Cake uses the attributes of butter, spices, sugars and cornmeal to make a dense dessert. No heat here, it’s sweet all the way.

Finally, we come to eggplant. It’s purple, my favorite color, so it had to get a mention. A far cry from the parmesan rendition, the Spicy Eggplant Cake delights with nuts, honey, sugar, spices, white and whole wheat flours. Topping it all off is a light cream cheese frosting.

All these recipes can be found on the website under recipes. My hope it that some of these will make it to your table and be enjoyed. I would love to hear any of your experiences and opinions and I promise to get back to you on that Jalapeno Happiness Dessert!

Only the Best

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:25:00 +0000

by Chewy

You’ve gone to the grocery store, stuck religiously to your list, brought the coupons you meticulously cut out and avoided all the stores padded for profit items. Much to your surprise, there is a little left over for a treat. Now comes the hard part, what to spend it on. None of us want to buy that item with the exceptionally yummy photo on the packaging, only to get it home, open it up and discover you bought a mutant facsimile that leaves you disappointed and under-satisfied. Thankfully, we have Consumer Reports to aid us in obtaining our “just desserts” .

In July’s issue, they have rated the best frozen treats, and it’s none too early as some of us have been scouting out frozen treats since March! They broke the article down into three sections, taste, nutrition and bottom line. There were a few surprises and some “of course, what else” responses.

Take, for example, the strawberry fruit bars. Whole foods 365 Everyday Value placed an Excellent, the only one to do so. It has a few more calories then the others on the list, but isn’t that where the great flavor is? Actually contains large chunks of fruit! Runners up in the Very Good column included Dryer’s/Edy’s, Whole Fruit and Blue Bell. Coming in third under Good was Weight Watchers and Dole.

When it comes to Ice Cream Bars (dark chocolate over vanilla ice cream) there were no real shockers here. Haagen-Dazs’ and Dove’s strong dairy/vanilla taste and rich chocolate coating, raises them to Excellent status. Although the coating was painted slightly chalky, Julie’s Organic ranked Very Good. Klondike, Magnum and Good Humor ( flavor described as waxy, artificial vanilla, and hint of wooden stick….still if this is your fancy, who am I to judge) arrived at Good.

Ice Cream Sandwiches (vanilla ice cream inside chocolate wafers) was a tough category, no one ranked Excellent. The top of this class, Very Good, goes to Walgreens Old Fashioned (still supporting my jaw over this one). I would have never sought out this brand, but with this knowledge I will definitely put it on the “list”. Trailing behind under Good, we find Klondike, Great Value (Walmart), Blue Bunny, Weight Watchers, Klondike 100 calorie and Skinny Cow.

When it comes to nutrition, no real stunners to consider. Fruit is lower in fat and calories, the dairy items have comparable calories to each other and the “diet” entries didn’t necessarily have fewer calories.

There is a small blurb for non-dairy (think soy, artificial flavoring, corn syrup). Delicious Dairy free Vanilla minis and Tofutti dairy Free Cuties Vanilla sandwiches were summed up tersely as, artificial vanilla flavor, soft and sticky wafers, stale and NOT delicious. This is why I prefer to make my own non-dairy ice cream.

The bottom line seemed a bit simplistic but sensible: choose the ones with an excellent rating.

With this information in hand, I hope it helps to make your summer a little sweeter!

OOPS!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:48:00 +0000

by Chewy

There is no doubt that some accidents have lead to great discoveries and inventions. Everything from Isaac Newton’s apple knocking, to glue that wouldn’t stick post it notes, to burr covered dogs leading to Velcro. Things are the same in the culinary world as well and those “oops!” have lead to some masterpieces. One example, if you are to believe the story, is salt water taffy (Taffy, A Sticky Situation) where the Atlantic Ocean recreated the whole taffy industry.

I also picture a scenario where prior to a dinner party, the hostess places the dessert in the middle of the table as a center piece. Just as she is lighting the candles, her adroit husband, open wine bottle in hand, trips over the dog and splashes some on her dessert. Startled and upset she drops the match and whoosh……flambé is invented. It could have happened.

There are some more reliable mishaps that have ended up being quite the sensation. Take for example the chocolate chip cookie. Did you grow up thinking this came from the Nestle labs, slapping the recipe on every package of their chocolate morsels? The last part is accurate but the recipe comes from a failed baking experiment. Credited to Ruth Graves Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn (has a nice ring to it) in Whitman Mass, the now famous Toll House cookie recipe was really a work of substitution. Legend has it that in 1930, Ruth ran short of baking chocolate and decided to use smashed up pieces from a bar of semi-sweet chocolate. Adding these to her dough, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the chocolate did not melt into the batter as planned. Nestle later acquired the rights to the recipe and became a global giant.

Another misstep occurred in 1905 in San Francisco. Eleven year old Frank Epperson wanted to make soda pop and mixed soda powder with water. Using a stick to stir the concoction, he accidentally left it on the porch overnight. The next day, Frank discovered it had frozen solid with the stick still in it. Fast forward 18 years, Frank decided to market his childhood invention. Meeting with instant success, he patented the idea. Originally dubbed the “Eppsicle”, his children implored and convinced him to rename it “Popsicle”. The original 7 flavors have now grown to 30; the most popular flavor being classic orange.

St. Louis has long taken great pride in our next entry, the ice cream cone. During the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair an ice cream seller ran out of dishes. A nearby Syrian pastry vendor, Ernest Hamwi, rolled his pastry into a cone so the ice cream could be scooped inside. An instant hit, it has competition on originality. Appears and Italian immigrant, Italo Marchiony, had also paired these two items and acquired a patent for it earlier in the year.

photo by becco

Our final entry comes from down under. One hundred years ago, Lord Lamington (governor of Queensland at the time), accidentally dropped a cake in some melted chocolate. It was then decided to cover it with coconut so it wouldn’t look so messy. Thus the Australian Lamington was born, and enjoyed ever since.

The lesson we can take away from these legends is always to keep an open mind. Never fear to cook outside the lines, improvise, substitute and experiment. If mishaps occur, and they will (Kitchen Klutzes Unite), trust your eyes, nose, ears and mouth and smear it, dust it or slather it with an interesting ingredient. Perhaps your gaffe will make the “famous desserts created by mistake” list.

Kitchen Klutzes Unite

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:24:00 +0000

by Chewy

June 15th, which lands on a Friday this year, just happens to be one of the more colorful and whimsical culinary celebrations. It’s Kitchen Klutzes of America Day. If you’ve ever even been in a kitchen, you must have a story that is worthy of noting on this day. Even those of us who think we’ve mastered our way around small appliances, a myriad of ingredients and several cooking techniques, have found ourselves slapping the forehead over a “duh” moment.

My latest entry in this department happened only weeks ago. Making my famous brownies (the recipe is in a sealed envelope only to be opened upon my death) for the umpteenth time, I gathered, arranged and started blending ingredients. I was taught to crack eggs into a bowl and then add them to the batter. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is to make sure there is nothing wrong with the egg. The second is for exactly what happened. Using my trusty Oster stand mixer on full power, I cracked the egg and proceeded to drop egg and shell into the batter. The savvy person would have pushed the “stop” button on the machine and picked out the shell. The “klutz” that was actually present tried to fish them out with her fingers while trying to avoid the whirring beaters. This inane maneuver only hastened the shell’s journey into the beaters resulting in shell fragments becoming completely incorporated into the batter. Brings new meaning to the term “shell shocked”.

photo by ravasolix

Happily, I have plenty of company. Perhaps you know someone who manages to set off the fire alarm during frequent forays into the kitchen (Raise you hand if you’ve done this and notice that mine is up.). Ever set fire to the oven? Does the family know the fire department on a first name basis? Ever confuse sugar with salt, baking powder for baking soda or cinnamon for chili powder? Ever misread the recipe and mentally transpose ingredient amounts ( 1 teaspoon mysteriously becomes 1 cup)? Ever gotten creative with kitchen utensils and discovered those warning labels are there for a reason? Ever forgotten to turn on the oven and “roasted” a raw turkey for 4 hours? Then hold your head high, this day’s for you.

Here are some delightful real life experiences, either amusing anecdotes or life lessons, to ponder.

This day is for the mom who cut herself in a knife-skills class she was given as a gift so that she’d learn to stop cutting herself in the kitchen.

This day is for the hopeful pumpkin pie maker who tossed a pumpkin down the stairs as a last resort after unsuccessfully trying to slice it with a knife. This falls under “creative utensils” .

This day is for the culinary artiste who made cornbread and couldn’t figure out why it was white instead of yellow. She’d forgotten to put in the cornmeal.

This day is for the person who had a “shattering” experience when she placed the cold casserole dish in the preheated oven. Appears she missed the step where she was to bring it to room temperature first.

My favorite comes from an individual who decided to reheat tortilla chips with his left over Mexican meal. A little soggy, he deemed the toaster oven as a perfect way to dry them out and restore crunch. Placing the chips in the toaster oven and hitting the toaster button, success was imminent. A minute later, the chips caught fire and flames were pouring out of the oven and up the cabinet. Grabbing the fire extinguisher and pulling the trigger resulted in the discovery that it was empty. Flames are growing, fire alarms are blaring, dogs barking and security people are trying to talk to him through the alarm speaker system. Now what? He couldn’t use water on a plugged in appliance and he couldn’t reach the plug for the flames. Grabbing a bag of flour and dumping finally put the fire out. All evidence was covered up with a brand new toaster oven, a thorough scrub down of kitchen and repainting of cabinet. I counted 17 lessons we can learn from this account.
So what is the best way to celebrate this day? Select your favorite restaurant, make a reservation and stay OUT of the kitchen!

Avocado in My Kitchen. Ole!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 03:04:00 +0000

by chewy

Returning once again to the kitchen as promised, La Confectionista (LC) and I were enthused to start our new venture. Our mission: Avocado Ice Cream. I can see by the look on your face that you are not completely sold on the whole avocado idea. Not to worry, our compelling reasons for using this item will win you over. One thing to consider is that the avocado is actually a fruit. Additionally, the fat content adds a great deal of creaminess and that delightful “whole” feeling in the mouth. That is why this recipe requires NO dairy products and is perfect for the lactose intolerant or those with allergies to milk. Finally, a green dessert just looks refreshing.

A relatively simple recipe, I still can’t help but put my fingerprint on it and change a few things. I will provide my version based on the outcome. First, we gathered all the ingredients. Well, we gathered my assigned ingredients. LC was in charge of RIPE avocados and wouldn’t you know it, when she went shopping the day before, they had one ripe and 3 rocks with pebbly jackets on doing a good imitation of an avocado. Bringing them home, she tried all the tricks to ripen overnight. I think she should have brought in children to scare them. As a parent I can attest to the fact that nothing ages you faster than when your children do something that scares you (usually death defying). The bag of limes she purchased mysteriously remained at her house. But I don’t like to point fingers!

The day before, I placed the bowl for the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker ( Have I mentioned how much I love this machine?) in the freezer. I then placed water and sugar in a pan and boiled for 10 minutes, making a simple syrup. After removing from the heat I added the lime juice, let cool, then covered and placed in the refrigerator.

The next day, LC arrived with the avocados (sans limes) .We proceeded to peel and de-pit them and place them in a food processor to cream. Ripe one was perfect, three hard rocks, not so much. We used 4 different methods to try and pulverize these puppies but all we ended up with was avocado gravel. LC, responsible person that she is, headed off for the grocery store in search of a soft avocado. And a lime. Mission accomplished, the creaming of the avocados proceeded flawlessly. The avocado and previously made syrup were combined and the secret ingredient added…..Tequila! (The fact that our first documented recipe also contained alcohol does not constitute a running theme. But it could.) Having compiled all ingredients, that looked eerily like green slime, the concoction was then placed in the refrigerator for one hour.

The time had now arrived and the frozen bowl and green goop went from fridge to machine. Anticipation was high as we watched the swirling green mixture start taking on a frostier look. Approximately 30 minutes later, we determined it was time. LC got to lick the paddle and as she leaned over the sink, I began hearing "yummy" sounds of pure pleasure. Placing a spoonful in my mouth, I resorted to the same “mmmmmmmm” noises. There are not enough superlatives to describe how delicious this is!!! A quote from The Counte, “I can’t stop eating this, it’s so goooooood!”.

The consistency from the bowl was comparable to a soft serve custard. After placing in the freezer for awhile, it became a little firmer but still remained quite pliable. I attribute this to the alcohol and fat content of the avocados. All in all, an acceptable and pleasing texture that has a nice glossy finish. Since it contains no dairy, it is technically a sorbet, but don’t let that fool you as it has all the creaminess of the dairy-ized version.

Avocado Ice Cream Recipe

It should be noted that all photographs that accompany this are to be credited to La Confectionista and her “fancy” phone. Constant reminders from The Counte ensured thorough documentation!

No Sweat Desserts

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:14:00 +0000

by Chewy

photo by Tombre

Why do we like to bake in the fall and winter? Because heating up the kitchen is a plus during these seasons. Not so much in the summer when the mercury is hovering at 90 and above. Those of us who love the heat (La Confectionista) are too busy with outdoor activities to be bothered with creating confections. Those of us who don’t (Chewy) are too busy trying to figure out whether to hibernate in a meat locker or just have blocks of ice delivered to the house to recline upon. In the basement. With a TV and a remote control. Neither of these activities mean forgoing dessert. In fact, while most of the world packs on the pounds during winter, I tend to do it in the summer. In the basement. With a TV and a remote control.

I started thinking about the sweets that can be made without turning on the oven and was surprised at all the options. The first, and most obvious, is ice cream. I am a big fan of Cuisinart’s ice cream maker (not a paid spokesperson) and have had much success with simple recipes. After placing all the ingredients in the frozen “pot”, you can be eating ice cream in as little as twenty minutes. This does take a little forethought as you need to freeze the container for 24 hours. What this fuels is anticipation and makes it all that much sweeter when you finally get to delve in.

There is a wonderful website (yes, I will share) that is partially devoted to the non-baked dessert. With recipes like Popcorn Cake, Raspberry Cheese Cake, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte Cake, there is no shortage of the yum factor and no straining of the air conditioner. You can find these and others at Recipes 4 Cakes.

Plenty of choices to last you all summer.

Why this has never occurred to me before makes me question my whole IQ level. Where do we go to cook in the summer so we don’t heat up the kitchen? Out on the patio sits our ersatz oven, the BBQ grill. Many of us have tried grilled fruit, either skewered on a kabob or sliced and directly placed on the grill. The heat really brings out the sweet and caramelizes the natural sugar. Fancier fare is available in the form of Baked Alaska and Cherry Chocolate and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cherry Pie. While I am sure I could find BBQ dessert recipes from women, I found it interesting that the majority of recipes I found came from men. Apparently an outdoor grill brings out a man’s inner dessert meister as well.

Cherry Chocolate and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cherry Pie

Not to be overlooked is the Directory of Delish on this website. Feel free to roam around, select you genre and enjoy at your selected establishment. While you’re there, would you ask if they deliver to basements?

Taffy, A Sticky Situation

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:53:00 +0000

by Chewy

I like my sweets chewy. Aha, you say. That explains the moniker, Chewy, that’s slapped on these musings. Wrong. That’s another story. But back to my preferences. Caramel, fruit gels, taffy, gum drops, spearmint leaves, jelly beans, I’ll take them over chocolate every time. There’s something about the need to masticate these gems for a longer period of time that extends the enjoyment in my mind and mouth. They can also yank a filling if you’re not careful, but putting a little danger factor into it simply improves the experience. Kind of like flambé. So, when I saw that May 23rd was National Taffy Day, I couldn’t let it pass without recognition and celebration.

Taffy is a relatively new creation in the world of sweets. Only dating back to the early 1800s, it’s really a youngster. Originally called treacle, it was sugar or molasses thickened by boiling and made into hard cakes. Later, we see the process evolving to what we are familiar with today. Cooked in copper kettles over open coals and cooled on marble slabs, it was then pulled on a large hook on the wall. Draping 10-25 pounds (this was not for sissies) over the hook, it was then pulled away up to a length of 5-6 feet. It was then looped back on itself over the hook trapping air between the lengths. Repeating the process resulted in aerating the taffy and keeping it soft. Stretching the lengths also allows the taffy to take on that satiny shine. Rolling the stretched and prepared candy on a hard surface resulted in a taffy “snake” that could be cut into bite size pieces with scissors.

Probably the most well known taffy is Atlantic City’s salt water taffy. A sucker for legends, I can’t pass up sharing this one with you. This popular and unconfirmed story involves a great storm in 1883. David Bradley’s candy store was flooded by the Atlantic Ocean and his entire stock of taffy was soaked in the salty water. Offering the “salt water taffy” as a joke it became a big hit and so a new sweet was born. Not literally made from sea water, as implied, it does contain water and salt (there’s our sweet-salty experience again). Popularized by Joseph Fralinger in Atlantic City, it was later refined by Enoch James, who mechanized the pulling process. Both opened confectioneries in the late 1800s and both shops still operate on the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Taffy pulling was a household enterprise and social event on Saturday nights. While not a weekly adventure in my home (contrary to popular belief, I’m not quite that old), we did put on an occasional pot of taffy ingredients, greased up, and pulled till our arms ached. No matter how much cleaning that was done post pull, everything in the kitchen still seemed sticky for a week afterwards. I have to say, that homemade, home pulled taffy was the best.

I think we should bring back the tradition of the taffy pull. Consisting of relatively inexpensive ingredients, it literally provides hours of family activity on a limited budget. And you know the old saying, the family that pulls taffy together, sticks together.

Taffy Pull Taffy Recipe

Spoonerism Leads to Dessert Sensation

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:29:00 +0000

by Chewy

Growing up in northern Minnesota (unintelligible) years ago, we were not privileged to have the same growing season that the southern climes enjoyed . Add to that fact, the grocery stores, at the time, were confined to seasonal fruits within a limited geographic area. While we could procure fruits that held up well under travel (apples, oranges, bananas), more perishable varieties (berries, melons, plums, etc) arrived only in the summer. And, of course, our summers were much shorter as well. We use to joke that when summer arrived we hoped it landed on a weekend.

One item that we could grow in spades was rhubarb. And I am proud to say that my grandfather introduced a strawberry variety that could withstand the colder weather. He was a city farmer, meaning he lived in the city but had acreage, that he had personally built a log cabin on, and cultivated with raspberries, plums, strawberries, rhubarb, tomatoes and potatoes. As a child, roaming through those strawberry fields was intoxicating. Many a contest occurred to find the biggest most perfect berry. Winner got to eat the other’s offerings. This determination could be subjective and many an older child took advantage of a younger’s naiveté and literally enjoyed the fruits of another’s labor!

With the available ingredients aplenty, it became obvious that a classic combination was possible; strawberry rhubarb pie. I wish I could say that my family invented strawberry rhubarb pie, but if I did, you could probably pull out an old family recipe to prove me a liar. Not the first to create it, we did rename it. One family gathering, my Aunt Eulalie produced her rendition of this confection. Quite the baker, she was always in charge of desserts and proffered them up with much aplomb and fanfare. Parading her latest creation to the table she proudly announced her “Strawbarb Rhuberry Pie”. Now, I’m not sure if this was an innocent spoonerism or Grandpa’s homemade plum wine had an influence. All I know is that from that day forward any previous nomenclature had been replaced and I could never call it anything else.

photo by enrika79

I wish I could say that the following recipe is my aunt’s original but, sadly, it’s nowhere to be found and Aunt Eulalie is no longer around to advise. Lesson: ALWAYS document family recipes and make sure they include ALL the ingredients. So in memory of my aunt, I offer you the Strawbarb Rhuberry Pie.

Sugar Me Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:32:00 +0000

photo by JadeGordon

by Chewy

When you hear the word “sugar”, what comes to mind? Perhaps, for most of us, it is the white flowing crystals in the 5 pound bag, suitable for strength training. I soon discovered how limited a view this was and really quite modern. When I started doing research for this article, I did not realize the volume of information that I would be delving through that has widened my perspective.

Let’s break this down into two groups. First, we have the sugars that come from nature that man has “discovered” feeds his natural desire (from birth!) for a little sweet. Second, we have sweeteners that are created in the lab for the sole purpose of “fooling” that natural inclination into thinking it has ingested something luscious without the subsequent feelings of guilt. For the purposes of this post, we will be considering only the first.

Honey

Perhaps the earliest and one of the most natural forms of sweetener, due to its lack of processing, is honey. While noted quite often in the Bible, my favorite example is that of John the Baptizer, who, while in the wilderness, dined on locust and wild honey. Now, it doesn’t say if he ate these items as a combined product, but in my mind, this would make the locusts go down easier. Makes that whole cicada ice cream thing seem more natural now, doesn’t it? The only problem with honey is that you have to compete with the bees and they can be a formidable obstacle. Coming in literally endless flavors and varieties, it has antibiotic and antioxidant properties that may appeal to the consumer who desires more than a quick sugar fix.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is derived from the sap of various maple trees. These trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter. Come spring, this starch is converted to sugar that rises in the sap and it is at this time that the trees are bored and the sap collected. It then goes through a refining process by heating and causing most of the water to evaporate. This leaves a heavy syrup that took gallons of sap to create one pound of sugar. First produced by the aboriginal people of North America, they valued this sap as a source of energy and nutrition. Culinary experts have praised its unique flavor, although the chemistry responsible is not fully understood. Similar syrups can be made from birch and palm trees (one of my favorites and will discussed in further detail at a later date) .

Sugarcane appears to have first been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent and one of the earliest historical references comes from 8th century BC Chinese manuscripts that refer knowledge of sugarcane to be derived from India. Extraction of sweetness, at this time, was limited to chewing on the raw sugarcane. But circa 500BC, there was a sucrose epiphany and India began making sugar syrup from sugarcane, cooling it in large flat bowls and thus creating crystals that were easy to store and transport. These crystals were called khanda and is the origin for our word candy. Unlike honey and maple syrup, sugarcane’s sole purpose appears to be to delight the palate and appease the sweet tooth.

The sugar beet is a tuberous root, cultivated in temperate regions and requires adequate rainfall and fertile soil. The root is harvested, washed, sliced and the sugar extracted by diffusion (going from higher concentration to lower concentration). The raw juice is purified in a number of stages, water is evaporated by boiling under a vacuum and the resulting syrup cooled and seeded with sugar crystals.

Brown sugar, which comes in light and dark varieties, gets it’s deeper taste and color from adding molasses syrup to fully refined sugar. This also adds more moisture resulting in the clumped texture. The less common free-flowing brown sugar goes through a unique crystallization process that loses the moisture but retains the color and taste. Turbinado is a type of raw brown sugar. Muscovado is an unrefined, darker natural brown sugar that is produced without spinning in a centrifuge.

photo by JadeGordon

Undeniably, the least expensive and most widely used sugar in this country is the traditional free flowing white crystals. Hopefully, this information will encourage you to think beyond the norm and experiment with the wide variety of sweeteners available.

The Ice Cream Cometh

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:33:00 +0000

photo by pietrgiord

by Chewy

Well, my thoughts of ice cream arrived in March and then quickly retracted in April to all things warm and comfy. Drat this mercurial weather pattern! It has my dessert lineups completely disheveled. However, just today I heard reported that we will have above average temps in May and June, so NOW is the time to contemplate our frozen confections.

I know there are people who enjoy ice cream all year round, but I just can’t wrap myself around a cold dessert while I’m wearing a coat, earmuffs and mittens. This may have to do with my northern Minnesota up-bringing. During the winter, the Dairy Queen closed until the “great thaw“. Every year we looked forward with anticipation to once again seeing the lawn, temps above freezing, the return of the birds, longer sunny days and a crème de menthe sundae at the reopening of DQ. Opening day at DQ was not unlike that of the Cardinals with traffic jams, crowded parking, and joyous faces standing in LONG lines (walk up out door windows only in those days). I’m not sure if parades and fireworks accompanied this event, but they could have.

Today, we have many more options to choose from when it comes to ice cream. Besides the frozen dessert aisle in the grocery store, specialty establishments have sprung up all over town. From Oberweis to the renowned Ted Drewes, from gelato to shaved ice, our choices break down into two groups, those that have a dairy base and those that don’t. So that you are prepared to make an informed decision, we’ll discuss a short synopsis of each variety. While this is not a comprehensive listing, it does cover the basics.

Starting with the dairy based we have the following:

Ice cream: (Properly ice-cream, derived from iced cream or cream ice) . This is a dairy based product, usually made from milk or cream and often combined with fruits, nuts and additional flavors (artificial and natural). The mixture of desired ingredients is stirred slowly while cooling, in order to incorporate air and to prevent large ice crystals from forming. The result is a smoothly textured, semi solid, foam that can be scooped. Interestingly, the higher the fat content, the harder the product and of course, bigger yum factor.

Ice Milk: Similar in production and ingredients to ice cream, it differs in that it contains less than 10 percent milk fat. This results in typically lower pricing. In 1994, the U.S. FDA rules allowed ice milk to be labeled as low-fat ice cream.

Frozen Yogurt: A frozen dessert containing yogurt, it is slightly tarter than ice cream, not to mention, lower in fat. It differs from ice milk in that it includes yogurt as an ingredient. Consists of milk solids, some kind of sweetener, milk fat, yogurt culture, coloring and flavoring.

Frozen Custard: Similar to ice cream, it is made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. U.S. FDA standards require frozen custard to contain at least 10 percent milk fat and 1.4 percent egg yolk solids (any less and it is considered ice cream) True frozen custard is very dense. The soft serve variety is composed of 50 percent air allowing for easy mixture of additional ingredients (custom fruits, nuts and syrups) and facile dispensing.

photo by raatcc36

Gelato: Italian for ice cream, it differs in the butterfat content (4-8% , gelato vs. 14%, ice cream) and sugar content (16-24%, gelato vs. 12-16%, ice cream). On a personal note, I have never found a gelato here in the states that equals what I experienced in Italy. It has totally ruined me for any other frozen dessert. With airfare the way it, awfully expensive to obtain.

Sherbet: A fruity flavored frozen dessert product with a butter fat content between 1-2 percent. In the United States it must contain dairy, either milk or cream.

Now on to our non-dairy based items:

Sorbet: A frozen dessert made from sweetened water with fruit, wine or liqueur flavoring. Sometimes served between meal courses as a way to cleanse the palate before the main course. The addition of alcohol lowers the freezing temperature resulting in a softer texture. The lack of dairy and no whipped in air makes for a dense and extremely flavorful product.

Italian Ice: Also known as water ice, it is often confused with sorbet. Sweetened and made with fruit, it is not shaved ice, but rather processed in the same way that ice cream is without dairy or egg ingredients.

Snow Cone: Shaved ice dessert, served in a paper cone or Styrofoam container, then topped with a flavored sugar syrup. May also be referred to as a snowball.

I Made Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:06:00 +0000

by Chewy

     I have to tell you about my new acquisition in the kitchen. After much deliberation and lengthy perusal of customer ratings and professional recommendations ( I WAY over think things sometimes), I am now the proud owner of a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. My original purpose for purchasing this item was to have the ability to make a dairy free, sugar free , gluten free frozen dessert for my daughter (because the Beanie Brownies were beginning to be passé). Since then, I have discovered the various uses this machine offers.

     Some of you may remember the ice cream makers, from years back, that required vigorous strength training prior to production. Consisting of a wooden barrel, inner canister and a crank, this machine demanded copious amounts of ice and salt just to get the show rolling. Offering ice cream as the carrot, parents broke child labor laws and enticed their offspring into cranking this torture machine for what seemed like days. As the ice cream started to set, it became harder to crank and many a child was left exhausted and spent never having accomplished the goal of their labor. This is when a milk shake became an acceptable substitute for ice cream. Years later a cord was added, electricity did the work, but it was still necessary to provide ice and rock salt. Move ahead a couple of decades more and we now have the slimmed down version that I have fallen in love with. Effortless to use, you simply place the “special” bowl in the freezer overnight, pull it out the next day, add ingredients and 20 minutes later you have ice cream. Admittedly, it is a bit soft at this point (think DQ consistency) but still edible and delicious. Stick in the freezer for a bit and it hardens up nicely.

     One of the things I appreciate about this gem is that I am no longer confined to the flavors ice cream producers limit me to. La Confectionista described me perfectly in my bio when she stated that I like “down right weird stuff”. Always game to try anything, making my own ice cream enables me to put together flavors and ingredients you don’t normally find in the frozen food section. No longer limited to the mundane, my palate is all a tingle with the prospects that await me.

     Recognizing that not everyone is so adventurous, I will supply you with a simple, refreshing and versatile Lemon Sorbet Recipe. The back story on this is that my daughter and I were making homemade Limón cello which required the zest only of 20 lemons. I was now burdened with 20 naked lemons and no desire to make lemonade. Having thought ahead enough to freeze my ice cream bowl, we juiced the lemons, added a simple syrup and voile, lemon sorbet. Sweet, tart and totally pucker worthy, enjoying in a bowl was refreshing beyond words. Adding vodka to it made for an intoxicating experience. You can’t beat either on a hot day.

Zucchini Nut Bread

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

DirectionsIn a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon; stir into sugar mixture just until moistened. Stir in the zucchini, nuts and lemon peel.

Transfer to two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Someone's in the Kitchen with Fruit!

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:53:00 +0000

by Chewy

We are quickly approaching my favorite fruit time of the year. The colors, textures, aromas and flavors are intoxicating and my refrigerator often takes on a tropical island feel. My thoughts often turn to Carmen Miranda, the woman who embraced all things tropical with those fabulous hats, an homage to the the fruit aisle. She put every fruit she could on them and that's how I feel about my desserts in the summer.....put as many different fruits on it as possible. We've all seen the magnificent fruit tart in the refrigerated area of the bakery. What a presentation! And part of it's beauty is that it tastes as good as it looks. Not that difficult to replicate, the fun part is selecting the variety of fruits you will use. Think COLOR, blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, peaches, mango, blackberries, raspberries, papaya, the choice is yours. I am also convinced that this recipe can double as breakfast, on the patio, with a cup of tea (or better yet, a Mimosa!).

FRESH FRUIT TART WITH SHORTBREAD COOKIE PASTRY

TART SHELL

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp. shortening
5 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
1 c. flour
Dash salt
1 egg yolk

TART FILLING

1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Dash nutmeg
Fresh fruit
1 oz. brandy (optional)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream together butter, shortening, confectioners' sugar. Add egg yolk. Beat in flour and salt - a stiff dough will result. Pat dough into 10 inch springform pan - bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes in the meantime. Soften cream cheese and then beat in 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar. Set aside. Bring granulated sugar, lemon juice and nutmeg to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add brandy - add fresh fruit - poach for 5 minutes.Drain fruit and reserve sugar sauce. Allow tart shell to cool completely. Spread cream cheese mixture in tart shell - arrange fruit - brush with reserve sugar sauce - MMM!!!

Laura's Lima Bean Pie

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups pureed cooked lima beans ( you can used canned but be sure to rinse thoroughly. I like to puree frozen that have been cooked)
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pureed lima beans and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Vanilla Bean, the Next Black-market Item

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:31:00 +0000

by Chewy

     It’s just one continual nightmare when it comes to dessert ingredient shortages. I think we’re coping fairly well with the chocolate shortage and my cacao tree is being nurtured and fed and sung to daily (for optimum production). I’ve stock piled my Twinkies in an underground vault and they should stay fresh for decades. I’ve turned to alternative sugars (more about this later) to offset the possible diminished production of cane sugar. But this one may put me over the edge as I have no idea how to cope. There is a significant vanilla bean shortage! The HORROR!

     If you’ve read my blog on vanilla, you are aware that there are 4 major producers of the vanilla bean. Two of these, Mexico (the origin of the vanilla bean) and India are not pulling their weight. Due to a poor harvest, production of the beans fell 90 percent in Mexico and Indonesia last year. That means the responsibility to provide fell to Madagascar and the monopoly begins. In fact 40 percent of the world’s supply was shipped out of Madagascar due to deferred orders from these other areas. As with all monopolies, this means cashing in and wholesale prices have soared from $25 per kilogram to $35-$40 in two months. Cha-ching!

     There are a couple of reasons for this failure of production. According to Nick Peksa (Mintec business development director), “The stocks in the world are being run down and we are getting to a point now where we are likely to see the price suddenly shoot upwards”. Point taken, as you get older you just don’t reproduce like you use to. Additionally, cultivation process from planting to storefront can take up to six years. Throw in the labor intensive fertilization process and harvesting and you create the second most expensive spice next to saffron ($2270.00/lb).

     So how will this affect John Q Public? First, vanilla is the most expensive ingredient in ice cream and according to Peska, “It could push the price of ice cream up by around 10 percent”. So as summer approaches and we experience our annual gas hike, so will go our vanilla ice cream. Additionally, you can expect other food production, medicines and perfumes to experience an increase in cost as well.

     I am at a loss as to where to turn for relief. Having fallen in love with the vanilla bean and incorporated its use in the kitchen and else where, I am loathe to give it up. The only substitute I have come across is Castoreum, the exudate from the castor sacs of mature beavers see (vanilla extract recipe) and I am giving serious consideration to adopting a fertile pair and cornering that market. Until then, I have placed my order for vanilla beans, which should be arriving in an armored truck any day.

Date Pie with Animal Cracker Crust

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:19:00 +0000

photo by meelin

Ingredients
    1/2 cup coarse animal cracker crumbs
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 cup chopped dates
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla
    2 egg whites
    1/2 cup sugar

How to make it
    Mix together first six ingredients until well blended.
    Beat egg whites until foamy; add sugar a tablespoon or two at a time, beating well after each addition.
    Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
    Fold first mixture into the whites, blending well.
    Pour into an 8-inch greased pie plate.
    Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.
    *Delicious with ice cream, whipped topping, or whipped cream.

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (La Confectionista) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:14:00 +0000

I love the idea that everyone gets their very own individual dessert. Makes you feel so special!

Peach Cobbler Cupcakes
1 package (15 oz.) refrigerated pie crust (2 per package)
All-purpose flour for dusting work surface
1 package (16 oz.) frozen sliced peaches, thawed, or 2 heaping cups sliced fresh peaches, well drained
2 tbsp. water, if using frozen peaches
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. cold butter, cut in pieces
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Unfold the pie crusts onto lightly floured surface. Cut four 41/2 -inch circles from each crust, using a plastic lid or a piece of cardboard as a stencil and a sharp paring knife to cut. Cut the scraps into strips or small uneven shapes.

Place 1 pastry round in the center of a cupcake tin and gently press the round down to fit the pan -- it's fine if the dough sticks up around the edges. Repeat the process with the remaining 7 rounds and set the pan aside.

Coarsely chop peaches and place them in a medium-size saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water if they're frozen, or on their own if they're fresh. Stirring, bring to a boil over medium heat then simmer on low for about 5 to 7 minutes, until they're soft. Drain.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar with the flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Remove peaches from heat and stir in sugar mixture until well-combined. Spoon 1/4 cup peaches into each pastry-lined cup, place 3 or 4 strips of dough over the top of each, and use your fingers to press the edges of the dough inward toward the fruit. Distribute the cold bits of butter evenly on top of the pastry strips and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp. sugar.

Place pan in the oven until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cobblers, lift them up from the bottoms of the cups with your knife, then gently remove them with your fingertips. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.