Posted: December 13th, 2009 | Filed under: Candy | Tags: holiday desserts, holiday drinks, homemade hot chocolate, homemade marshmallow, Hot chocolate, marshmallows, peppermint marshmallow, vanilla marshmallow, winter drinks | 6 Comments »
I can’t begin to tell you how much I dislike the cold. However, I love scarves, coats, winter wear of all sorts, and I truly love cold weather drinks. A little wassail, hot chocolate or apple cider certainly never hurt anybody. (I keep trying to tell my doctor and my waistline that one.) In fact, some of my fondest Christmas memories involve hot chocolate. Now, I am admittedly a chocolate snob (since my husband has decided to point it out publicly on several occasions) and this includes hot chocolate. In my barista days I learned how to really make some terrific hot cocoa (instead of it just tasting like warm kind chocolate-y milk). I don’t mess with instant hot chocolate mixes, and I certainly never use water. This of course makes my hot chocolate decidedly unhealthy, but frankly, I don’t care. (Seriously, if I did care would I fry things in shortening, bake pound cakes with loads of butter, and make homemade lemon curd that I’ll finish all by myself in a week?)
And last year I just added to the joy of hot chocolate… homemade marshmallows. Now, I grew up and am very accustomed to the Jet Puffed big marshmallows. I have memories of my parents saying with exasperation, “You each got 10 mini marshmallows in your cup, please don’t tell me your sister has more, because she doesn’t.”
But I had seen “gourmet marshmallows,” and had even come across a recipe or two when I just decided that it was time. I found a recipe and after looking over it several times thought to myself, ‘Well, that really doesn’t seem so bad at all!’ So on it went, marshmallow making with smooth and creamy hot chocolate. So this year for a Christmas party when I was asked to make a dessert, the hostess looked at me and quickly requested my hot chocolate. What a perfect reason to make my marshmallows! And this time I wouldn’t be eating them all myself.
Now these do contain gelatin, so if you have problems with Kraft gelatin for various reasons, cellulose, agar-agar, and xanthan are all vegan friendly substitues. I have not experimented with these, and don’t plan on it… so good luck and let me know what happens.
Hot Chocolate
(for 10)
1/2 gallon of whole milk
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c sugar
12 oz semisweet chocolate (I used 72% cocoa)
1 c cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s or Ghiradelli)
3 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
Put all ingredients into a large pot. Stir constantly at medium heat until liquid is hot and everything is combined and smooth.
Vanilla Marshmallows
3 pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 1/2c granulated sugar
1c light corn syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Confectioners sugar for dusting
Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachments and allow to sit while making the syrup. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepn and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the syrup into to dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last few seconds. Pour into an 8×8in baking pan coated with confectioners sugar. Top with confectioners sugar. (Or a crushed candy topping.) Allow to dry overnight uncovered. (If you are freaked out by the thought of ants like I am, put them in the oven and make sure not to turn the oven on.) Remove from the pan to cut into squares. Store at room temperature.
(For a peppermint variation, use 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp peppermint extract. I also like to know which is which so I color my marshmallows with three drops of red food coloring for a nice pink color. I also use crushed peppermints to top my marshmallows.)
Posted: December 5th, 2009 | Filed under: Cake | Tags: Apple cider gingerbread, apple gingerbread, Denton tree lighting, Denton Wassail Fest, gingerbread, holiday desserts, holiday gingerbread, spiced whipped cream, Whipped cream, winter festivals | 3 Comments »
Christmas is getting closer and closer and the season is definitely busy busy! We put up the Christmas décor over the week – our tiny Christmas tree, out little nativity, and our precious Christmas plates… and really that is about all that will fit in our little apartment! And over the week Denton had Wassil Fest and the annual tree lighting on the square just a few steps away from where we live. So you can say we are definitely getting into the Christmas spirit. But today was for prepping and baking in my little kitchen. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to bake… something just Christmas-y enough… without being a cookie or a yule log… when I remembered something I had wanted to try for while… an Apple Cider Gingerbread Cake. It encompasses the perfect fall and Christmas flavors and smells… amazing.
When it came out of the oven I just kept smelling it and smelling it… it smells so good… candles wish they smelled like this cake smells.
Its not difficult, the ingredients are things I had on hand, and it will be a perfect dessert for lunch with friends tomorrow.
You will want to serve these in small portions because the flavors really pack a punch and it is perfect with a little spiced whipped cream to cool the ginger.
Apple Cider Gingerbread
1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/3 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 c molasses
1 lg egg
2 c all-purpose flour
4 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1c hot apple cider
Beat butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Beat in molasses, and add egg until blended. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually alternating with apple cider until smooth. Pour into a greased 13×9in pan at 350 for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and cut into 3” portions. Serve with Spiced Whipped Cream.
Spiced Whipped Cream
2 c heavy whipping cream
1/4 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a chilled bowl and with an electric mixer or the whisk attachments on a stand mixer whip at a high speed until soft peaks form.
Posted: December 2nd, 2009 | Filed under: Tarts | Tags: Cranberry pear, cranberry tart, gingersnap crust, gingersnap tart, holiday desserts, pear tart, Thanksgiving desserts | No Comments »
This morning Ryan and I were getting ready like we normally do… brushing teeth, getting dressed, me struggling to make myself get out from beneath the covers… When Ryan decides to alert me to what lies outside… I had no idea (my fault for watching Conan but not the weather) that we were getting snow. And snow it did! Pretty little white blankets of snow on everything outside.. and without the ice! Hello winter. Glad you are here… please keep the morning traffic to a minimum.
So, over Thanksgiving a fun little dessert was concocted in the kitchen, and it seems more Christmas-y to me than Thanksgiving-y… so in the spirit of snow I share with you, the Gingersnap Cranberry Pear Tart.
It’s simple, doesn’t really require too much time and really packs a big bang for how little effort it actually takes! I will also share… this was my first time poaching pears… something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and just haven’t really had any good reason to… but success was mine!
Alyssa’s Gingersnap Cranberry Pear Tart
For the Crust:
1 box gingersnaps
1 stick melted butter
Butter a 9” tart pan and set aside. In a food processor pulse the gingersnaps until small crumbs form. Slowly pour in the melted butter. Mix the butter and “snap” crumbs and press into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Tightly wrap the crust and freeze while making the filling and topping.
For the Cranberry filling:
1/2 lb fresh cranberries
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/4 c cornstarch
In a small sauce pan bring sugar and water to a boil, add the cranberries and adjust heat to low. Add the cornstarch and stir until cranberries have burst and the sauce is thick. (About 15 minutes.) When thick, remove from heat and let cool for ten minutes. Pour into the center of the crust and spread evenly.
For the Pears:
4 c water
1 c sugar
3 ripe pears peeled and whole
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan and place pears into the pot. Low heat to medium low and let cook until soft (about 20 minutes). Remove the pears when soft and let cool in the water. Once pears are cooled to room temperature cut in half, core and remove the seeds with a melon-baller. Thinly slice the pears and arrange in concentric circles around the tart.
Cover and chill for up to two days. Serve slightly warmed with either vanilla ice cream or spiced fresh whipped cream.
