Hand-Dipped Homemade Chocolates

This recipe is a special Christmas confection.  It was given to me by my mother-in-law, Margaret Guthrie, and is originally from the Ogdensburg Home Bureau.  Everyone seems to have their favorite flavors.  Ours are cherry, maple, orange, raspberry, strawberry and butter rum.  Allow at least 2  hours to do steps 5, 6 and 7. 


Ingredients:

4.5 - 5 cups chocolate chips/broken chocolate bars (I use combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet)

2 lb. confections sugar

1/2 lb. sweet unsalted butter

1/4 bar paraffin wax, grated -- I use a box grater. (Gulf Brand is good -- available in the canning department or in some craft stores -- check for FDA approval)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Strawberry

Directions: (My notes on time say:  3 hours for steps 1-5 and also allow 2 1/2 hours to do steps 5,6 and 7 -- leave plenty of time no matter how you do the steps, especially with  times in the refrigerator/freezer, which makes it much easier)

(1) Mix together sugar, butter and sweetened condensed milk; mix well.

(2) Divide into dishes for flavoring and coloring -- I do 5 or 6 flavors.

(3)  Flavor with extracts -- you'll need 1 tsp. or more flavoring per bowl, to taste-- flavors to use: almond extract (for cherry flavor), maple extract, orange extract, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, raspberry extract, for butter rum -- use both butter and rum extracts.)

(4) Cover dishes with plastic wrap and refrigerate dishes (an hour or more).

(5)  One-by-one, remove dishes from the refrigerator, and roll the candy mixture into about 1 inch diameter balls. Place on a cookie sheet covered with foil (I label the foil with the flavors to keep track).  Stick a toothpick into each ball; set completed cookie sheet in freezer while finishing the rest. Repeat process with the rest of the dishes, keeping the bowls refrigerated until ready to roll into balls.  Freeze balls with toothpicks for at least 10 minutes before dipping in chocolate -- makes the dipping process easier. (Note:  This is a very messy step, you will need to wash your hands and utensils after each flavor.  Refreeze balls if they are too warm to work with.)  

(6)  Melt the chocolate/chocolate chips with the paraffin wax shavings in a double boiler; stirring until the wax is melted and the chocolate mixture is very smooth.

(7)  One flavor at a time, remove candy balls from the freezer and dip the candy in the melted chocolate holding the toothpick and quickly dipping and then swirling back and forth to get rid of extra chocolate before returning to the foil covered cookie sheet. Fill hole caused by toothpick with a dab of chocolate.  Repeat process for all flavors, returning dipped chocolates to the refrigerator. 

(8)  Put the dipped chocolates into individual white candy cups.

(9)  Keep chocolates in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Shortcake

Easy summertime dessert:  Made on biscuits, pound cake, scones or shortcake, and topped with sweetened strawberries and freshly whipped cream:

Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)

These are the first Christmas cookies I make every year.  I usually make them just before I start writing Christmas cards and enjoy a few while I'm writing.  I've had this recipe for over 25 years -- as originally printed in a South Florida newspaper:

Ingredients:

1 lb. butter, softened (4 sticks)

8 Tbsp. confectioners sugar

4 c. all-purpose flour

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. blanched almonds, toasted and ground

Additional confectioners sugar 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Stir in flour, vanilla and almonds.  Dough should form a soft ball.  Shape into walnut sized balls (about an inch in diameter) and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press slightly with your thumb.  Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until slightly brown.  Let cool 5 minutes, then sift confectioners sugar over the top.  When completely cool, roll again in confectioners sugar. Makes 5- 6 dozen.

Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

Recipe from Stacy Sossner's grandmother, Rosalyn Levine, of Great Barrington, MA.  Stacy and her family are long-time friends of our family, from Kingston, NY.  This old-fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is the best!

Ingredients for Cake:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

3 1/2 oz. coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

  

Ingredients for Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 lb. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 lb. butter or margarine, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange peel

Directions:

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, generously grease 2-9" cake pans (also line with foil), sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Add oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla; mix well.  Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.  Stir well, pour into pans.  Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. While cake is baking, prepare buttermilk glaze.

Buttermilk Glaze: In small pan combine sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla,  Remove cake from oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake.  Cool in pan until the glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Turn out of pan and cool completely.

Frosting:  Prepare  by creaming butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add vanilla, confectioner's sugar, orange juice and orange peel, mix well.  Frost cake.

Lemon Macadamia & White Chocolate Cookies

This recipe is from my friend, Addy and her daughter, Caitlyn, who made them for a bake sale to benefit the local animal shelter. The recipe is adapted from a Mrs. Field's cookie recipe, with some changes. I knew when I heard the name that they would be good... Well, they were GREAT -- very lemony with lots of macadamia nuts and white chocolate bits. I had to ask for the recipe so I can make them -- here it is:

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mostly adapted from the recipe on the package of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. I started using these chips in the cookies recently after it seemed that the Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and recipe that I have always used seemed to not be as good as they used to be. Was there a change in the formulation of Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips -- I don't know. Anyway, I use a combination of the Ghirardelli chips and the Nestles chips and like that variation of chocolate flavor and texture better than either of the chips alone. The perfect chocolate chip cookie is about the technique as well as the ingredients, and another key to getting the best results in consistency is in the mixing technique: (1) creaming the butter with the sugars very well before adding the other ingredients, (2) adding in the eggs by mixing at low speed and only until incorporated (so as not to beat air into the eggs which would contribute to a higher rising cookie), and (3) mixing in the dry ingredients gently and only until incorporated (thinks this creates a more tender cookie). I also like the way they bake using convection baking at 375 degrees and baking them after refrigerating the dough (at least 1 hour NOTE: can be refrigerated for a day or two before baking -- this allows you to make the whole recipe in small batches of dough, 1 or 2 dozen a time, so you can have fresh baked cookies when you want them. Alternatively, cold cookies can be reheated gently in the toaster oven to refresh their fresh-baked crispness and melted chocolate texture).

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet, unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Nestles Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter with white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla well, until mixture is very light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed and only until incorporated after each addition. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed, mixing only until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Can be baked immediately by forming tablespoonful drops of cookie dough on the baking sheet and baking for 9 minutes (longer if not using convection baking), and reversing the sheet front to back 2-3 minutes before the 9 minutes is up. The rest of the dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated to be baked later. When ready to bake, cut off slabs of dough with a sharp knife, break into tablespoonful sizes and place on baking sheet. Bake as directed. Baking the cookie dough after refrigerating it like this also seems to improve the texture of the baked cookie.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

First Apple Pie of the Season

Made with macintosh and red delicious apples because that's what I had, besides honeycrisp and macoun -- which are both just too good to eat!

Crepes with Fresh Berries

Crepes with strawberries and raspberries

Like the crepes they made at Restaurant St. Michel....even if these were not on the menu, you could ask and they would make them for you!

To make 6-8 medium size crepes (serves 1-2/person):

Ingredients for Crepes:

 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg, extra-large
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Ingredients to assemble the Crepes:

Fresh berries -- raspberries or a mixture of raspberries and sliced strawberries, rinsed and dried

Freshly whipped cream, sweetened with sugar and vanilla extract to taste, and a dash of fresh ground nutmeg.

Powdered confectioner's sugar

Honey

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, whisk egg until light and frothy, then add milk and beat together. Add flour, sugar and salt and mix well. Add melted butter and mix well. Let set for a few minutes, but whisk again before adding to the pan. The batter should resemble a very thin pancake batter, if not add a little more milk or flour, until it is the right consistency.

Heat a small (about 8") non-stick pan to med-low and brush lightly with vegetable oil. Once the pan is heated, add a scant 1/4 cup of the crepe mixture to it, and tilt pan quickly to swirl mixture around and evenly coat the pan. It should cover most or all of the pan in a fairly thin coating. Let cook until lightly browned (edges will be more browned, but needs to cook enough so it is easier to turn over) and can lift easily from sides to flip. Loosen edges, then flip it like a pancake, only a little more gently, to brown the other side. Remove from pan when done and put on an individual serving plate (or can be gently stacked as you make more on a larger plate). Repeat process, and when all crepes have been cooked, assemble them like this:

Assembly:

On one crepe laid out flat on a plate, add a handful of berries to one side, then fold the other side of the crepe over (or can roll to hide the ends). Top with a dollop of the freshly whipped and sweetened cream, then sprinkle with a good amount of powdered confectioners sugar (use a small sieve for this). Over the powdered sugar, drizzle some honey (a small amount, but enough, and decoratively applied). It is now ready to serve -- 1 or 2 per person. Repeat until all crepes have been assembled that will be served immediately.

Note: Recipe makes 2 crepes per person/ for 4 people and can be doubled.

Bon appetit!

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
9 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl cream brown sugar and butter thoroughly until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add cocoa, egg and vanilla; mix well. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt; mix lightly. Add some of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mix well and scrape the bowl. Then add some of the milk, mix well and scrape the bowl. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk, ending with the dry ingredients. Mix well and scrape the bowl after each addition.

Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until done.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Souffle

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks (at room temp)
6 egg whites (at room temp)
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or other semi-sweet chocolate, chopped)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar (plus additional to coat souffle dish)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (plus additional to coat souffle dish)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Directions:

Butter a 1-1/2 quart large souffle dish and coat with sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks until well beaten and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, but not dry, and set aside.

In a large saucepan heat the 2 Tbsp. butter. Add the flour to make a roux. Add milk, cream and sugar. Stir to boiling with whisk. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips. Add chocolate mixture to beaten egg yolks in the large mixing bowl. Stir in some of the stiffly beaten egg whites to the chocolate/egg yolk batter. Then gently, but thoroughly, fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour into the prepared 1-1/2 quart souffle dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately in individual bowls.

(Note: makes one large souffle to serve 4)