Eating, recipes

Sugar high

I finally got to make Martha Stewart’s recipe for Homemade Marshmallows. A word of advice: When Martha orders “an electric mixer with whisk attachment,” you ought to use the whisk attachment. I didn’t, and it was a nightmare of “Ghostbusters” proportions. The marshmallow goo was relentless in climbing the poor little mixer’s beaters. It was supposed to triple its volume. Ha. I have to let them air-dry overnight, so I won’t have a final prognosis until morning.

While I was being attacked by the marshmallows, Phoebe was preparing a batch of sweet, gentle truffles from her Vegetarian Times magazine.

Homemade Marshmallows
Makes about 40


Smore!
Originally uploaded by nichole_e.

2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar; wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Turn out onto a board; cut marshmallows with a dry hot knife into 1 1/2-inch squares, and dust with more confectioners’ sugar.

Update: Marshmallows! So good! Especially with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate sprinkles!

Decadent Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffles
6 ounces high quality dark chocolate (60% cocoa), finely chopped
1/4 cup walnut, almond or canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup coconut

Place chocolate, oil and 1/3 cup water in microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave 1 minute. Stir; heat 1 minute more, or until chocolate has melted. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 6 hours or overnight.

Place cocoa and coconut on separate plates. Shape truffle mixture by heaping teaspoonsful into small, 3/4-inch balls. Roll in cocoa or coconut. Chill until ready to serve.

Bandwagons

The Books I Would Write

When I was in college, I once found a book about romance novels in my adviser’s office. The book listed every major romance publisher and included, in great detail, what they looked for in a book. They all had very specific formulas:

Plucky/strong-willed/self-sufficient heroine meets wealthy/heart-broken/arrogant stranger, conflict ensues, conflict is resolved, couple is married. The listings even spelled out how much lovin’ each publishing company looked for — and they ran the gamut from chaste smooching to make-a-girl-blush action.

So I sat there and flipped through this book and thought, “I could do this.” And I thought I actually might give it try. It wouldn’t take all that much effort, what with the formula spelled out right there in black and white, and it would be a nice source of extra income if I could get it published. I even had my pen name picked out.

I’m not sure why I never gave it a go. It still seems like not a half-bad idea. Except that I laugh at the titles and the book covers next to the check-out line every time I go to the grocery store. I don’t know if I’d be able to take my own story seriously, which I’m guessing would make it difficult to write a solid, convincing romance novel.

Maybe the better title for this post would’ve been “The Books I Didn’t Write.” Or “The Books I Haven’t Yet Written.” Doesn’t that make your heart skip a beat?

baking, Eating, recipes

Dinner and a show

Phoebe, Genia and I spent most of the evening making dinner: Veggie stir-fry with sesame noodles and baked crab rangoon followed by carrot cake. It was well worth the effort.

Baked Crab Rangoon
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
6 ounces krab meat, minced
1 green onion, including top, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 package (48 count) won ton skins
vegetable spray coating 
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except won ton skins and spray coating; mix until well blended. (To prevent won ton skins from drying out, prepare one or two rangoon at a time.) Place 1 teaspoon filling in center of each won ton skin. Pull bottom corners down and overlap slightly; moisten one corner and press to seal.

Lightly spray baking sheet with vegetable coating. Arrange rangoon on sheet and lightly spray to coat. Bake in 425-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with sweet-sour sauce or mustard sauce.

Makes 48 appetizers.

Tom’s birthday was this week, so we tried to find a birthday candle for the cake. We didn’t have one, though, so we took a cue from the sign language interpreter at Rockford’s graduation (fab.u.lous interpretive dance-esque version of “The Star-Spangled Banner, lady. We salute you.) and made like candles as Tom was led to the cake. Trust me, it was a hoot.

The Ultimate Veggie Times Carrot Cake
(with Phoebe’s alterations)


2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/4 cups apple sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 ounce carrot baby food
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups coarsely grated carrots (about 6 carrots)
20-ounce can crushed pineapple, well-drained
Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Butter paper and dust with flour.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Beat oil, both sugars, baby food, ginger and vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add flour mixture in two additions. Add carrots, pineapple and nuts; beat just until blended. Divide batter between cake pans and bake 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan on racks 10 minutes. Cut around the edges to loosen with a small knife. Invert cakes onto rack, remove paper and cool completely.

Frost, and enjoy.

Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat cream until soft peaks form; set aside. Combine cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream in three additions. Refrigerate.

As was the follow-up to dinner: A spin through our iTunes collection. Complete with vocalization, hand-holding and, yes, interpretive dance. It was just like the pioneer days. Except we were gathered around the laptop listening to Glen Campbell and the Talking Heads. (Not together, of course. Although that would be awesome.)