Sipping Chocolate

For my sister's baby shower this week I did a hot chocolate bar with some amazing hot chocolate, and all kinds of lovely junk to stir in and add flavor (like the marshmallows!)

I started out with sipping chocolate recipe collected from the same Chef who taught me about the stuffing. Serves 4 - small sizes.

Luscious Sipping Chocolate
2 ¼ cups whole milk
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar (or less if your chocolate isn’t bittersweet)

Bring to rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Add the following:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Add to liquid. Whisk in. Return to rolling boil. Reduce heat to very low. Blend one minute in a blender or 5 minutes with immersion blender until thick and foamy.

(Hint - a rolling boil is hard to manage with whole milk, and it boils over in the blink of an eye.)

After making a batch though, I knew I couldn't use something so rich for a cocoa bar. One mug and I was BUZZED! (Not even joking - a mug was way too much, I was wired and driving across town to be social at 9pm on a work night.) There would be no non-lethal way to stir in anything else… So I played around a bit with lightening things up, and ended up using the same process with the following amounts:

16 C whole milk
1 1/4 C sugar
3 C  water
20 oz semisweet chocolate 
1 1/4 C cocoa

This ended up still being plenty rich, with a nice chocolate flavor, but without the risk of a diabetic coma. I actually made two of these batches, each batch easily made enough for 16 people (I had lots left over). For a more manageable batch, serving four (larger sizes) try with the following amounts:

4 C Whole milk
5 Tbs C Sugar

3/4 C Water

5 oz Semisweet chocolate
5 Tbs Cocoa

Prepare it following the process in the original recipe, and make sure you whip it really well just before serving - it adds a great finishing touch!

Stir in options include: crushed candy canes, chopped andes, homemade marshmallows, toffee bits, caramel sauce, butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, gingersnaps, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, maple sugar candies, pirouettes, candy canes, oreo crumbles… and just about anything else that tickles your fancy.

Homemade Marshmallows

I’ve been prepping for my sister’s baby shower this next weekend, and part of that has been making homemade marshmallows. I was surprised with how easy they have been, and how much better they are than what you get at the store - I just finished my fifth batch and have had so much fun I thought I would share.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4+ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon other extract as desired

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Before you start, line your dish with foil or wax paper, spray with your preferred non-stick spray (or use butter) and then generously dust with confectioners sugar. You will want this done in advance, because doing it last minute will lead to sticky messes. Delicious messes, but your end product will not be as nice.

The size of your pan will determine the thickness of your marshmallows - my first batch I did on a cookie sheet, making them about 1/2 an inch thick. Second batch was in a 9x13 and they ended up about 3/4 of an inch. My third batch I used a 9x9, they were about 1 1/2 inches thick. 

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I actually use the paddle - easier to clean fluff out of when I finish beating) and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and boil until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Increase the speed of the mixer till you have it on high, and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 10-15 minutes depending on your mixer. Slow or stop your mixer to add the vanilla (to avoid splashing) and mix thoroughly for another minute or two. If you are wanting to add other flavorings or colorings this is the time to do it. I’ve tried 1/2 Tbs almond extract and coconut flavoring (not at the same time, though that might be good too.) Both were amazing, but the coconut was my favorite. 

I have not been beating the mix as long as is called for, and it means my fluff is a little thinner and easier to manipulate, it also makes the mallows more dense, but I have been liking it that way (I am planning to try the full time on my next batch to see what happens.)

Pour the marshmallow mixture into your pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out. The thicker you make your mallows, the longer you want them to set. I put them in the oven to keep anything (like cat hair) from getting into it.

The next day turn the marshmallows out onto a dusted board or parchment paper and cut them in squares using a pizza wheel or kitchen scissors. Dust them with more confectioners’ sugar so the edges don’t stick to everything.

Store in an airtight container - word is they should last about two weeks in the refrigerator. I am doubting they will last that long.

As an added bonus, just because I find it very helpful to see exactly what I am doing and what I am looking for at each stage, here is a video showing the process (it’s 20 min, but it does the job)

Thanksgiving Stuffing

I went to a Thanksgiving cooking demo last month taught by a Chef in our ward and learned lots of really fun things and picked up a bunch of new recipes to try out. So this year I decided to use one of those recipes and take a new kind of stuffing as one of my dishes. (As bad as it is, I have always loved the regular stouffers stuffing straight from a box, so the fact that I opted to forego my long standing favorite in favor of this new option is saying something.) This recipe is more like a savory bread pudding than a traditional stuffing, and it may seem a bit odd at first, but it is well worth the effort!

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4-5 leaves chopped sage

Zest from 1 orange

4 eggs

2 C heavy cream

Salt and pepper

3/4 loaf day old/slightly dried challah bread, cubed (you can substitute croissants, but the challah is awesome!)

Slivered raw almonds

Dried cranberries

In a medium sauce pan, sweat two ribs of celery and one onion in butter till soft, seasoned with a dash of salt to taste and help the sweating. You aren't trying to caramelize the onions, but you want them cooked through.

After the celery and onions are done, remove from heat and add chopped sage, orange zest, eggs, and cream, with a touch of salt and pepper. Mix well.

Dump in cubed challah, day old or slightly dry. Add dried cranberries and mix well. Scoop into a 9x9 baking dish (I used a deep dish pie pan to make it pretty) and top liberally with slivered almonds. Sausage can be used in lieu of almonds and cranberries, and seasonings can be changed up as desired (rosemary would have been amazing!)

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, till set, and serve. Don't expect leftovers!