Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro

I found this delicious spaghetti recipe that reminds me of my favorite dish at Olive Garden - Capellini Pomodoro. It's a Rachel Ray recipe. Very flavorful! If you use dried basil flakes and jarred crushed garlic and omit the cheese, it's a great food storage recipe too!

Spaghetti all' Elsa

Recipe courtesy Elsa Scuderi and Rachael Ray

You may think you know how to make spaghetti with sausage, peppers, and onions but my momma has a few twists that makes hers better than yours or maybe even your mama's - strong words, but just taste!

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Level: Easy Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound Italian imported dried spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine, eyeball it
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
  
• Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.

When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce. Whoa, Mama!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe off a blog and immediately made it and was not disappointed! In fact, we've made it a tradition to make on Conference Saturday. So good!

Cinnamon Rolls
Made with pudding – yummy!

1/2 cup warm water
2 packages dry yeast

Bloom the yeast with the sugar in the warm water, waiting for froth and bubbles.

1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding powder
1/2 cup melted butter
2 lightly beaten eggs
5-6 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, with a wire whip, mix the pudding powder with the water until well combined and smooth. Add the butter, eggs and salt, whisk to combine well.

Add the bloomed yeast/sugar/water mixture and combine well.

Add flour, one cup at a time, until the dough comes together, and is still soft, but not sticky. Knead until smooth. It will feel like fat baby thighs.

Let rise in a warm, covered and lightly oiled bowl until doubled in size. About 2 hours.

Punch down, and knead again.

With a rolling pin and a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 34 x 22 inch rectangle. Keep moving the dough as you roll, to keep from sticking to the board.

1 cup melted butter
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Melt the butter and pour the whole cup on your rolled out rectangle of dough. (I told you only a few times a year!) In a separate bowl, combine with your impeccably clean hands, the sugar and cinnamon, then cover the butter-drenched dough rectangle in an even and delectable layer of cinnamon sugar.

Starting at the 22 inch side, roll the entire thing into a nice, long cinnamon tube. Seal the edge with a little bit of water on a pastry brush or your fingers.

With a serrated knife, (or even better, a piece of thread or dental floss) cut the log into 2 inch segments, and carefully move your giant cinnamon treasures to a glass pan. Put no more than 8 in a large glass Pyrex casserole dish. (I actually put 6 in a pan - 8 was too crowded!) Do not crowd them- they will rise almost double. Whatever baking dish you use, deeper sides give the rolls a softer exterior = better.

Cover in a warm place and let them rise again until fat and happy- about two hours.

Bake at 350* for 15-18 minutes. Really, only that long. Do not over-bake. You want them to be soft, yet set, in the middle. The house will smell divine.

Icing:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp cream

Whip all ingredients together and smear on top of still warm rolls.

Mini Peanut Butter Cups

I thought it would be fun to try some mini peanut butter cups. Previously I had made these Reese's Peanut Butter Bars from Our Best Bites. I was truly amazed that they tasted exactly like the peanut butter filling of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. (I'm pretty sure the graham crackers are the trick.) So it's been on my mind to try out my own mini pb cups.  There are several techniques to creating the mini cups, and I tried a few methods before finding one that worked the best for me. Here's how I made them:

First prepare the bottom chocolate layer of pb cups:

Ingredients:
melting milk chocolate wafers
squeeze bottle (like for condiments, with a narrow tip)
mini paper cups

Fill clean squeeze bottle halfway with chocolate wafers. Microwave at half power for 1 minute. Shake & squeeze, then microwave 1 minute again. Repeat until chocolate is smooth and melted. As you work with the chocolate, you'll notice it becoming thicker and harder to smooth overtime. Just re-melt as needed.



Holding several paper cups (to give more stability to the cups), squeeze chocolate around the sides of top cup and into the bottom. I started with one ring of chocolate just under the cup's top edge, so the chocolate could drip down the sides to the bottom., then another ring just below it. Then I zig-zagged chocolate along the bottom. To fill in the mini-holes, I used a toothpick to spread the chocolate, coating the paper cup. (I found if I used more chocolate to fill in the holes, there ended up being too much chocolate.) Then to smooth it all out, I shook it a little and dropped it (from about a 6 inch height).

To ensure the chocolate cups dried in a round, shape, I put the wet chocolate lined cups into a mini-muffin tin.

Second prepare the filling:

While the chocolate sides/bottoms are setting up (which happens very quickly) you can make the peanut butter filling.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 lb (3 1/2 C) powdered sugar
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted

Mix thoroughly. This makes enough to fill a 9 x 13 pan, so unless you want a lot of pb cups, you may want to half the filling recipe. (I ended up using half the filling to make the before-mentioned Peanut Butter Bars in a smaller casserole dish; then I cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters.) Anyway...

Shape small discs (mini pb cup sized) from the filling. Press into hardened chocolate shells. Don't worry about the pb filling being completely smooth--the chocolate on top will fill in any dips.

Third, cover the filling with a chocolate layer:

Remelt/smooth the chocolate. Zig-zag your final layer on top of peanut butter filling. Spread chocolate by gently shaking/tilting pb cup. To smooth, again drop pb cub onto counter. Let dry.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks Jessica for sharing this copycat recipe (made by My Baking Addiction) of the famous Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies. According to the New York Times, their cookies are "[p]ossibly the largest, most divine chocolate chip cookies in Manhattan." Now that's a pretty good recommendation! Here's the recipe:

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Parsley, Sage, Desserts & Line Drives

Ingredients:
2 sticks cold and cubed unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon table or fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
add in 1 cup of walnuts if you fancy them

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mix in vanilla and beat until well incorporated.
2. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips/chunks and nuts.
3. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
4. Weigh out the dough into 4 ounce portions and gently roll into a ball. (I got ten 4 ounce cookies out of this dough).
5. Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes depending on how gooey and rawish you like the interior, until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. I baked mine for 16 minutes, which seemed to be perfect in my oven.
6. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container.

Notes:
-These are best eaten on the day they are made (ESPECIALLY warm out of the oven – like most chocolate chip cookies).
-To freshen them after a few days (if they last that long), give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- I did not attempt to make these smaller than 4 ounces. I am sure they will be equally as amazing, you’ll just have to play with the baking time.

Olive Garden Chicken Scampi

Thank you Melissa Cass for sharing this recipe for Chicken Scampi!

Olive Garden Chicken Scampi 

Scampi sauce
3 T butter
2 T minced white onion
¼ c minced garlic
1 ½ c cooking wine
½ tsp salt
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp minced fresh parsley
1 c heavy cream

5 to 6 quarts water
16 oz angel hair pasta
4 T olive oil
12 chicken tenderloins
½ c all-purpose flour
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 chopped onion
1 tsp dried parsley

Make scampi sauce by melting butter in a preheated pan over medium/low heat. Add 2 T minced onion and sauté for 2 to 4 minutes or until the onion begins to brown. If the butter begins to burn, turn down the heat. When the onion is beginning to brown, add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Don’t let the garlic burn. After about 30 seconds add the wine, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add parsley and heavy cream and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture reach a boil.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for about 4 minutes or until pasta is al dente, or mostly tender with just a slight toughness. Drain the pasta in a colander or sieve when done, then hit it with some cold water to prevent sticking and to keep it from cooking further.

Preheat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken tenderloins, then coat each one in the flour that has been measured into a large bowl. Cook the tenderloins for 3 to 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown.

When the chicken is brown on one side, flip each of the pieces, and move them to the side of the pan, then add the peppers and red onions to the center of the skillet. Continue cooking the chicken and vegetables for 4 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the veggies are beginning to brown on the edges.

Pour the scampi sauce over the chicken and other ingredients. Add pasta, then toss everything a bit and continue to cook for a couple minutes or until the pasta is heated through.

When serving on a plate, sprinkle each plate with about ½ tsp of fresh parsley and serve it up with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Cincinnati Chili

A great recipe with super tips from Sara Richins, who makes a mean Cincinnati Chili:
 
Here is a Cincinnati Chili Recipe that has become our family's preferred variety of Cincy chili because of its hearty texture and robust flavor.  (Recipe originally posted here along with some of the history of Cincinnati style chili)  Once you have the many spices on hand, the recipe is pretty inexpensive to make.  I have never made it exactly as the recipe states.  Here are some of the alterations I make as well as a few tips:

*I only use half an onion in the recipe, and if I'm in the mood, I use the other half as a topping.
*I also add a bay leaf or two while the chili simmers.  No need to simmer so long, however.  It simmers long enough during the 15-20 minutes it takes to get a pot of water to boil and the pasta to cook.
*I put the half cup of water in when I'm browning the beef since this chili is traditionally boiled.  Seems an easy compromise.  If you prefer a finer texture, visit this recipe and view some of the comments at the bottom of the page.  This alternate recipe uses significantly less spices if you're looking for a milder flavor.
*I've never purchased allspice and just substitute pumpkin pie spice.  One of these days. . .  Some other recipes also use a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves.  I've never tried that.
*I just use regular vinegar since it's what I have.
*I usually use ground turkey instead of beef.  It makes it a bit healthier and cheaper, and we actually preferred the flavor with this recipe!
*This is a bit spicier than the restaurant chilis in my opinion.  The cayenne pepper is the main culprit and can be adjusted to your preference.  (My husband accidentally doubled the cayenne pepper once, and our noses were running throughout the meal. . .)

Cincinnati Chili

1 large onion chopped
1  pound extra-lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta
Toppings (see below)
Optional seasonings: bay leaf, cloves

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions and transfer onto individual serving plates (small oval plates are traditional).

Ladle chili over spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice. Oyster crackers are served in a separate container on the side.

Toppings:
Oyster Crackers
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Onion
Kidney Beans (16-ounce) can

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Homemade Chocolate-Thin Mint Cookies

A recipe shared by Sara Richins for Valentine's Day, but which leads nicely into our copycat meeting coming up!

Recipe found at http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/01/04/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-thin-mints/

Homemade Chocolate-Thin Mint Cookies
Cocoa Wafer Cookies
3 T. butter
1 egg white
1/4 c. brown sugar
pinch of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour (plus 1/4 c.)
2 drops pure peppermint oil
Combine all ingredients together. Add flour as needed, until dough is roll-able and not sticky at all. Roll verrrry thin. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 325 for 4-7 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and browned slightly around edges. Remove from oven and cool.
*
Peppermint Buttercream Layer
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. melted butter
2-3 drops pure peppermint oil
1/2 tsp. heavy whipping cream
Mix together until it becomes thick and easy to roll with a rolling pin. Roll until about 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shape. Place atop cooled cookies. Place cookies into melted chocolate CANDIQUIK, spoon chocolate atop until fully covered. Allow to dry on a piece of parchment paper. Makes about 30 cookies.

Granola Bars & Granola Crumbles

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing these recipes (and tasty samples) at our February meeting:

Granola Bars

2 c granola

2 c old-fashioned oatmeal

1 c raisins or chopped dried apricots

1 c sunflower or sesame seeds

½ c peanuts, broken or chopped

1 c honey

½ c peanut butter

2 eggs, beaten

4 Tbs. margarine

Butter a 9x13-baking pan.  Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine the honey and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and liquid.

Add the beaten eggs slowly (or they’ll separate), stirring continuously until the mixture begins to boil.  Remove from the heat, stir in the margarine.  Let cool to room temperature.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir to coat evenly.  Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth using the back of the spoon.

Refrigerate covered for at least two hours before cutting into squares.  Wrap these individually in waxed paper, foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Granola Crumble

 4 c oats

1 c wheat germ

1 c chopped walnuts or slivered almonds

½ c sesame seeds

¼ c brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1/3 c vegetable oil

1/3 c honey

1/3 c water

1 6oz. dried sweetened cranberries

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, wheat germ, nuts, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the oil, honey and water.  Toss until well combined.

Spread the mixture evenly on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes to keep the mixture from sticking.  Let it cool, and then stir in the cranberries.  Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 7 cups.

A Few Granola Tips

To me, granola has always been considered a "health food," so I was a little surprised when I looked at the Nutrition Facts of one granola recipe--it was very high in fat and high in calories.  I had to remind myself that nuts are naturally high in fat--but the good kind of fat. I was happy to find there was 0 Trans Fat and Saturated Fat was only about 1/4 of the total fat.

So, health-wise, a little goes a long way. A sprinkling on top of yogurt, a small bowl with milk, or a simple granola bar could be a great source of fiber and various vitamins/minerals.

As for cost-efficiency, most at our February meeting felt that it didn't really save any money to make your own. The benefit, however, is that you can add what you want to your mixture--raisins, cranberries, marshmallows, chocolate chips. You can also avoid things your family doesn't enjoy or can't tolerate. For example, we have a tree-nut allergy in our house and I can't buy store-bought granola because they all have at least one type of tree nut (that I've found so far). So making if myself makes me feel a little bit safer.

Side note: after I proudly served my home-made granola, I found out that my allergic-kid doesn't even like granola. But maybe that's because it's always led to scratchy throats before. :)

Two tips for granola making:

1. If you toast your nuts and seed before mixing everything together, you'll get a darker, rich flavor.
2. If you are baking the mixture (which most recipes call for), don't overbake. The granola will continue to crisp after you've pulled it out of the oven. Nothing say's "I love you" like non-burned granola. My kids wish they have experienced this kind of love before. I'll keep trying... :)

Whole Lotta Nuts Granola

Thanks to Denise for sharing this great recipes from Mary Rollins!

Whole Lotta Nuts Granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pine nuts
1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates
1/2 cup dried cranberries, blueberries, or combination

Preheat oven to 324 degrees.

Mix the honey, oil and spices together before pouring it over the oats, nuts, and seeds in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, for about 20 minutes. (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.) Cool the granola on top of the stove and then stir in dried fruits. Granola may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Crock Pot Yogurt

Ingredients:

8 cups (half-gallon) milk 

1/2 cup store-bought live/active culture plain yogurt

Directions:

Pour milk into crockpot and turn to low. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug crockpot. Leave cover on, and let sit for 3 hours.
 

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of milk. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt to the 2 cups, then pour all back into the crockpot. Stir to combine. If desired, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered milk, to help thicken.

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keeping it unplugged, wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.

Let it sit for 8 hours or overnight.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened. :)

Stir thoroughly until yogurt is smooth. Pour into containers and chill in refrigerator for several hours. 

After chilling, and if desired, drain extra liquid (whey) by putting yogurt into a cheese-cloth or coffee filter lined colander. Reserve whey for cooking (see link below).

Save 1/2 cup as a starter your next batch.

Serve plain or sweetened. Sweeten with honey, fruit puree, instant pudding mix, jam, etc. Use plain as a substitute for sour cream or buttermilk.

Uses for Whey

Homemade Yogurt Basics

Yogurt is easy to make, and making it yourself can save a lot of money. Essentially a gallon of milk would make a gallon of yogurt. (Think $2 for the milk plus maybe .50 cents for add-ins. That's the same as paying for only a quart of yogurt, if it's on sale).

There are several methods of making it, but they all involve the same science. In a nut-shell he's what to do, and I'll also post the recipe I used on this blog.

1. Heat milk to 185 degrees (to prepare milk proteins).
2. Let milk come down to 110 degrees (the temp that yogurt bacterias can multiply).
3. Pitch the yogurt (add a little yogurt with active cultures that will then multiply through the milk).
4. Let it set for 7-8 hours or overnight keeping the temperature at 110 (the longer you let it ferment, the thicker & tangier the yogurt will be).

That's pretty much it, but there are some other tips that will make the yogurt even better. For example, the yogurt will be pretty runny. If you'd like it thicker you can add powdered milk when you pitch. After it's fermented, you can let it sit in the fridge for several hours to thicken. You can also strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth over a colander. The liquid that drains out is whey, which can be used in other cooking or tossed. (I happened to make bread with mine -replacing the milk with the whey- and I was very happy with the result.)

You can flavor the yogurt with just about anything--honey, fruit puree, jam, sugar. To ease my family into homemade yogurt (it's definitely not go-gurt), I added a little instant vanilla pudding powder. It thickened and sweetened without losing the tang. I figure after a couple goes with that, they'll be ready for a little more authentic taste.

When you pitch your milk, be aware that different store-bought yogurts have different numbers of active cultures. Yoplait and Dannon contain two, some store-brands zero, Stoneyfield has six. The yogurt you make will only multiply the original bacterias you put in. Keep a little of your homemade yogurt each time because you can use that to pitch the next batch.

Finally, there are several methods to heat the milk (stove-top, hot chocolate maker, crock-pot) and several methods to keep the milk at 110 degrees (heating pad, oven's pilot light, thick towel around crock pot, dehydrator). There are also yogurt makers out there that will do everything for you.

I used a crock pot method, which was nice because I didn't have to move my pot around a lot, but it did add about 4 hours of time (waiting for the milk to heat & then cool to 110). There are definitely quicker methods out there, although all will need the 8 or so hours to ferment..

So those are the basics. I found a lot of information on-line, and you all had great suggestions. Thanks especially to Mimi and Rachele! I also really liked this site to understand what was happening during each step.

I'd love to know who has made yogurt & how you did it!

GreekTsatziki Sauce

Tsatziki sauce is a Greek cucumber sauce that goes well on top of spicy dishes. I thought it would also be a good dip alternative for vegetables and pita wedges. Just don't think you're dipping into ranch dressing!



1 English cucumber, peeled
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 shallots, sliced
1 cup picked sprigs dill
2 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
kosher salt & black pepper

Quarter cucumber, remove seeds and dice evenly. Put into mixing bowl.

In food processor, combine garlic, vinegar, shallots and dill. Pulse until finely chopped (not pureed). Add mixture to cucumbers. Fold yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice into mixture with spatula. Season liberally with salt and pepper (start with 1 Tablespoon salt).

Can be stored for up to 1 week in covered jar in refrigerator.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

This recipe is one of my family's favorites. It doesn't require a candy thermometer and it's so easy, I have no excuses to not make it! The only trick is catching it during it's last cooking time. I've cooked it anywhere from 1 1/2 to 4 minutes - it just depends on your bowl and your microwave. And how "done" you like it to be. Make sure to make a note of what bowl you used and how long it cooked on your recipe so you have a better idea next year. :)

Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 cup raw peanuts (sometimes called Spanish Peanuts)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together baking soda and vanilla in a small cup. Set aside.

Mix peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt in large microwavable bowl. (No need to mix this really well.) Cook on high 3 minutes. Stir with wooden spoon. Cook on high 2 minutes. Add butter and stir. Cook on high 1 1/2 - 4 minutes watching very closely. When the white bubbles just start to turn to a caramel or brown color (usually in the middle of the bowl you can see it change color), remove. Stir together soda and vanilla and then pour into bowl. Mix very quickly and quickly spread on greased foil. Cool completely. Break into pieces.

Brigadeiros

 Mimi Collett shared this great recipe for Brigadeiros.
"No Brazilian party is complete without this chocolate treat that is similar to a simple bonbon or truffle."

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbps. butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

In a medium saucepan, combine cocoa powder, butter, and condensed milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how hot your medium setting is. You will definitley be able to tell when it has thickend. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. You can even let it sit over night. Roll the mixture into small balls and cover them in chocolate jimmies. To roll, I recommend covering your hands with butter or margarine.

Variations of this recipe include rolling a nut inside the middle of the ball or rolling the chocolate ball in powered sugar, coconut flakes, etc.

There is also a coconut version called a Beijinho, which calls for 1/4 cup of coconut flakes rather than cocoa powder. They are usually rolled in regular granulated sugar.

Almond Roca

This candy looks beautiful and tastes amazing.

First, make the English Toffee:
2 cubes butter
1 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in heavy pan. Over low heat melt butter. Then, stirring constantly, cook over medium high heat to 300 degrees and caramel color.

Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla.

Pour onto buttered marble. Spread to a medium thin layer. Score with a knife, then let cool.

Break apart on score lines.

Second, dip the toffee in chocolate
Melt milk chocolate in glass bowl by microwaving in small intervals or melting over double boiler. (Either buy a huge chocolate slab and break off small parts to melt OR use candy melts--they look like really big chocolate chips). I do not recommend chocolate chips because they will taste waxy.

Drop 3-4 toffee squares at a time in chocolate. Use a fork to flip.

Third, roll in ground almonds 
Finally chop almonds (I used a food processor). Then, while chocolate is still wet, roll toffee in almonds. Place on wax paper until cool.

Caramels

Here's the recipe for caramels we made together. I've added my notes in italics.

Home-made Caramels

Butter marble and pan (if not non-stick).

2 cups sugar
1 cup dark Karo syrup
1 pint whipping cream
1 cube butter
 1 tsp. vanilla

Add sugar, Karo syrup, 1 cup of whipping cream, and butter in pan. Slowly melt ingredients together over low heat. When combined and smooth, raise heat to medium-high. (For me, this is around 300 degrees on my electric kettle.)

Stirring constantly, cook mixture to 240 degrees. (This should take about 10 minutes.)
Add 2nd cup of whipping cream. Still stirring, cook mixture again to 240 degrees. (Another 10 minutes)

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Pour onto marble slab. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. Caramel should be just barely warm to the touch.

Cut into small squares and roll into tootsie-roll shapes. Wrap in wax paper and twist the ends (like a mint would be wrapped).

Christmas Candy

Thanks to those that came to our candy making night. Hopefully you learned a few tips--especially what NOT to do! Since I only make candy once a year, sometimes it takes a few times to remember all the tricks. You were all great guinea pigs. :)

A few notes before you begin:
1. Check the calibration of your candy thermometer. I discovered mine was about 5 degrees off, and that can make a big difference. You can find a good tutorial here.
2. Follow the recipe exactly, but make adjustments for your heat source. Your "medium-high" might be hotter than mine. Take notes on things to change next time.
3. I cook my candy in an electric kettle (a pot that you'd use for deep-frying). Mine is non-stick and light, which makes pouring a lot easier. You could use a heavy saucepan instead. Just be careful when pouring or get someone to help hold the pan.
4. I pour the candy onto a marble slab to cool. It stays cold and isn't damaged by the molten lava. I can also cut right on it. You could substitute a heavy cookie sheet--I'm not sure if you'd need to make any adjustments. Try and find out!

Thanks again for coming. Feel free to ask any question, or if you want to make something together, I'd love to help!

Grandma's Minestrone Soup

Here's the recipe for minestrone I brought to our November meeting. Very easy to make, and I can usually pull all the ingredients from my pantry. The recipe from Kathy Droubay was published in a Relief Society cookbook my sister in law gave to me. Yeah for RS cookbooks! :)

Grandma's Minestrone Soup
 
4 cups water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 onion, chopped
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 large can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 cup elbow macaroni or other small pasta
1 tsp. salt
1 can kidney beans
1 can lima or butter beans
1 can green beans
1/3 tsp. oregano
dash of Italian seasoning

Bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until carrots and macaroni are tender.  Serve with grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

I did make one small change since I needed to make the soup earlier: I cooked the pasta separate and then added right before serving. I was trying to avoid the pasta soaking up too much liquid and becoming soggy.

Freezing Soup

I really like the idea of making a big batch of soup, then freezing it to save for a busy night or warm lunch. Here are some great tips from Favorite Freezer Foods on freezing soup . They include a list of ingredients that do not freeze well, recommended time limits, and detailed how-to.

I will add one of my own tips. I've begun to freeze individual sizes. These are easy to pull out the night before to thaw, then send for lunches the next day.

Does anyone have any other tips for freezing soup or other meals?