A Box of Chocolates

Whether you love it, or love to hate it, Valentine's Day is upon us.  Chalky-sweet conversation hearts.  Homemade paper valentines passed between nervous grade schoolers. Red and pink decorations.  Chubby cherub babies flying around shooting their love arrows at the sad and loveless.  Despite all of it's artificial sweetness, Valentine's Day does have one perk:  Big boxes of chocolates.  This year instead of buying the name brand, flavor mapped variety, I decided to make my own.  As previously mentioned (here and here) I really love salted caramel.  Maybe a little too much.  These caramel lovelies are made with lots of sea salt and dunked into the darkest dark chocolate to coat.  A generous sprinkling of sea salt tops them off.  They are decadent, richly sweet and hold just the right amount of lovely saltiness.  Kind of like Valentine's Day itself.

Chocolate Covered Salted Love Caramels
Makes a lot (but that's a good thing)

ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp sea salt + more for sprinkling on finished candies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 oz dark chocolate (preferably 72% cocoa), chopped

special tools
candy thermometer

Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan (glass or metal) with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper (see photo below).  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Set pans aside.

For the salted caramel:

In a small sauce pot, combine the cream, butter and salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat until the butter is melted and the salt is dissolved into the cream.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a large sauce pot, combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Turn off heat and carefully pour in the scalded cream mixture.  The mixture will bubble violently.  Carefully stir with a heat-safe silicone spatula and turn the heat back on to medium.  Reheat the mixture to 248 degrees (firm ball stage).  Once up to temperature, turn off the heat and carefully pour the caramel into the prepared loaf pan.  Allow the caramel to set up at room temperature for around 20 minutes and then place in the refrigerator and cool until set, approximately one hour.

Once the caramel has chilled, transfer the caramel from the loaf pan onto a cutting board.  Trim the edges of the caramel and carefully slice into strips, widthwise.  Continue to cut these strips into cubes.  Return cubes to the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate.

For the chocolate coating:

Create a double boiler by placing a medium sized, heatproof glass bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.  Be sure that the glass bowl fits snugly into the sauce pan and that the bowl doesn't touch the water.  Add half of the chopped chocolate and melt, stirring occasionally until completely smooth.  Remove the bowl from the pot and little by little, add in the rest of the chopped chocolate, stirring until each portion is melted into the warm chocolate.  When all of the chocolate is added and melted, continue to stir for another few minutes. Your chocolate should now be tempered.  To test, smear a thin layer on a butter knife and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 minutes.  If the chocolate on the knife is hard and shiny, you've successfully tempered your chocolate.

One by one, place a caramel on a fork and gently dip into the bowl of warm chocolate.  You  may have to use a spoon to help coax the chocolate over the caramel.  Wipe the bottom of the fork on the side of the bowl and gently transfer covered caramels onto the parchment lined baking sheet to set up. (See my candy bar post for more information on this technique).  While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the tops with sea salt.  Repeat until all of the caramels are dipped.  Once finished, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until set, about 10 minutes.  Allow to come to room temperature, box up and enjoy.

Using a loaf pan makes the caramel the perfect thickness for cutting into candies.

Trim the edges, cut into strips and then cut into cubes.

Deep, dark chocolate pairs so well with the sweet caramel.

Package up these homemade chocolates for your Valentine. . .

Or keep them for yourself!

Sunday Blues

Not much gets me as excited as a tall stack of steaming hot blueberry pancakes on a cold Sunday morning. A generous pat of creamy butter and a long pour of real maple syrup.  This Sunday, after rolling out of my warm bed, I decided to indulge in one of my favorite breakfasts.  Sweet blueberries sprinkled into a tangy, buttermilk batter.  A bit of melted butter in the batter gives added richness.  I've found that a good-old electric griddle works the best for cooking your cakes perfectly.  Golden-brown, crisp around the edges and tender in the middle.  Warm, filling and sweet. So good, they almost made me forget that Monday was around the corner.

Blueberry Pancakes
(adapted from this recipe by Martha Stewart)
makes approximately 12 pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
4 tablespoons melted butter + 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing the griddle
1 cup fresh blueberries (optional)

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees.  Place an oven-proof platter in the oven.  Preheat an electric griddle to 375 degrees.  (Alternatively, heat a non-stick pan on the stove over low-medium heat).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  In a small bowl or large, liquid measuring cup, measure 3 cups of buttermilk and add the eggs.  Carefully whisk the buttermilk and eggs just until the eggs are gently beaten up.  Add the wet mixture into the flour mixture.  Add the 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the mix.  Gently whisk together, being sure not to over-mix.  You want your batter to have lumps.

Once your cooking surface is preheated, brush your cooking surface with some of the reserved 1 tablespoon of melted butter.  Using a small ladle or measuring cup, carefully pour your batter onto the cooking surface.  After pouring the batter, sprinkle fresh blueberries onto the pancake batter. Once the top of your pancakes begin to bubble and a peek under the edges shows that the cakes are golden, carefully flip the pancakes. Once done on the other side, remove pancakes to the preheated platter in the oven.  Continue cooking your pancakes until the batter is gone.

Serve warm with butter and real maple syrup.

A few simple ingredients and you can make one of the all-time best breakfasts.  

Be sure not to over-mix your batter, the lumps make these pancakes fluffy.

Tart, sweet blueberries pair incredibly well with this tangy, buttermilk batter.

Brush your griddle with melted butter to ensure that your pancakes cook to a lovely golden brown.

The secret to good pancakes is cooking them low and slow.  

Golden brown and fluffy.

A stack of these and my day is off to a great start.  

Spaghetti Amore

Why is it that some of the simplest recipes are some of the most delicious?  Pureed tomatoes, dried pasta, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan and olive oil. Done.  It is so incredibly good, I could eat this pasta every day.  Don't let the bland appearance fool you.  It is addictive.  Any season, any day, any mood, anytime, this pasta can, does and will make me very happy.  Try it, you'll see.

Tomato Basil Spaghetti
(adapted from Scott Conant's tomato-basil spaghetti at Scarpetta restaurant)
Serves 2

1 1/2 cups pureed plum or pear tomatoes (I use Alessi brand Prima Passata strained tomatoes)
kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, whole
3 sprigs fresh basil plus 4-5 leaves cut in chiffonade
pinch of red pepper flakes
3/4 lb dried spaghetti
1/2 cup grated parmesan (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)

Fill a large pot with water, add a handful of kosher salt and bring to a boil.

Next, pour the olive oil into a small sauce pot and add in the garlic cloves, basil sprigs and pinch of red pepper flakes.  Bring to a slow simmer over very low heat, making sure not to burn the garlic.

Meanwhile, pour the tomato puree into a large saute pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.   Allow the puree to reduce as the oil cooks and the water comes to a boil.

Add the pasta to the water once it comes to a rapid boil.  Cook until al dente, or one minute less than the instructions on the package suggests.

Once the pasta is cooking, add two or three tablespoons of the basil oil to the tomato puree and whisk in until incorporated.  When the pasta is done cooking, using a slotted pasta spoon (or something similar) remove the pasta from the pot and transport it directly into the saute pan with the tomato sauce. It is alright if a bit of pasta water gets into the tomato puree.  Stir the pasta and sauce together until the pasta has absorbed the sauce.  Add most of the grated parmesan and chiffonade of basil to the pasta, reserving a little of each for garnish.  Toss the pasta until evenly mixed.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining cheese and basil.

Note:  Keep the leftover basil oil in the refrigerator for your next batch of spaghetti, to drizzle over grilled fish or to use in vinaigrettes.

This jar of pureed tomatoes is a time-saver.  Feel free to buy canned whole plum tomatoes and puree them yourself.

Olive oil infused with fresh garlic, basil and a bit of pepper flake gives this pasta richness and a fresh, herby flavor.

The key is to stir the pasta until the sauce is almost entirely absorbed.

Heaven in a pasta bowl.

Doughnut Muffins

Could anything really be better than a doughnut muffin?  It just sounds perfect.  I recently made these delicious treats and it was hard to stop eating them.  You can create your own doughnut-y version of these by either rolling the baked muffins in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar or dipping them in a sweet, buttery glaze. They are mixed with a hint of nutmeg which gives them an amazing warmth.  Soft, buttery and ever so slightly spiced.  They're certainly not just for breakfast, although they are delicious first thing in the morning with coffee and some good jam.  They are also acceptable as a mid-afternoon snack, a dessert or even a midnight snack.  Really, you are allowed to eat them at all hours of the day.  At least that's what I tell myself.

Doughnut Muffins

(adapted from this recipe by Kathleen Stewart)

makes 12 large muffins

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg, preferably freshly grated

1/8 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

For cinnamon sugar topping:

3-4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

For butter glaze:

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 12 cup muffin tin, or line with cupcake wrappers.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Set aside. In a small bowl mix together the buttermilk and whole milk.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down the mixture with a rubber spatula to ensure that it is all incorporated.

With the mixer on low, add in half of the flour mixture.  Next, add in all of the milk mixture. Continue to add the rest of the flour mixture and turn the mixer off just before the flour is fully incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and continue to gently blend the batter together with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter between the 12 cups.  Bake the muffins until set or 30-35 minutes.  

Once the muffins have cooled enough to handle, either brush the tops with butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture or dip them in glaze made by whisking the glaze ingredients (listed above) until smooth.

My Grandma Wolbrink taught me to always freshly grate my nutmeg for the best flavor.  A microplane makes easy work of this.

Fluffy, unadorned muffins fresh from the oven.

Brush the tops with melted butter.

Then roll in cinnamon sugar.

Or dip in a buttery glaze.  Anyway you make them, they are delicious.

Kitchen Loves

With all of this cold weather outside, I've found myself pottering about the kitchen even more than usual.  Cooking, baking and organizing all, generally, while thinking of what to make myself as a snack.  As my healthy new year resolutions fade, I find myself drawn to more decadent and filling comfort food recipes, tools, and ingredients.  Here are a few I'm particularly loving at this moment:

Cold fig preserve and cheddar sandwich.

A simple snack that has become one of my current favorites:  tear off a piece of crusty baguette, split it in half, slather with fig preserves and top with slices of the sharpest white cheddar.  So good.  If you have the time, throw it in the panini press for an amazing grilled version. But I usually can't wait that long.  

Homemade vanilla bean sugar.

Simply fill a jar with sugar and add to it split vanilla bean pods that you've used in recipes. Just keep adding pods and refilling the sugar as you use it.  Sweet, fragrant and so versatile.  Add this sparkling mix to a bowl of warm oatmeal, boil it with equal parts water to make a vanilla bean simple syrup to sweeten iced tea or cocktails, whisk it into your pancake batter, add a little to your morning latte or, my personal favorite, generously sprinkle it on buttered bread before toasting it under the broiler.  Heaven.    

Rimmed baking sheets.

I can't get enough of these.  Nothing is better for roasting chopped vegetables.  Line them with parchment and they become ace cookie sheets.  Roast a chicken effortlessly, the rim catches any drips. Perfect for brownies.  The list goes on.  I love these things.

White truffle butter.

Anyone who knows me knows about my affinity for truffles.  Especially Italian white truffles. Unfortunately, at around $1000 a pound I'm not exactly shaving them over my risotto every night. But I wish I were.  As luck would have it, there is a much more affordable option - truffle butter. Creamy butter dotted with chunks of real truffle. Perfection.  Lightly brown a healthy scoop of it in a large skillet and toss with freshly boiled pappardelle pasta, shaved parmigiano reggiano, black pepper and fresh parsley for an amazing and quick meal.  Rub it under the skin of a chicken before your roast it.  Spread it on sliced, crusty bread, top with gruyere cheese and make yourself a delectable grilled cheese.  Pure bliss.  

Cheese and herb refrigerator crackers.

Refrigerator crackers.  So rich, delicious and a great make-ahead appetizer.  Mix up this easy dough, roll into a log wrapped in parchment paper, refrigerate, slice and bake.  Make a few batches and freeze.  Keep a few batches on hand and quickly slice and bake off when unexpected guests arrive. They are herby, cheesy and so tasty. Like small savory cookies. Use any cheese and any herb, you really can't go wrong.  

Winter Blues

We have had an unusually cold and snowy winter. Normally, I am one to embrace the picturesque snow and seasonally cold weather, but this year the sub-zero temperatures have forced me into wishing for an early spring.  Well, nothing warms me up or helps me to appreciate winter like a hot bowl of soup.  I came upon the recipe for this blended lentil soup and was surprised by how easy it is to make.  More importantly, it is healthy and quite delicious.  Smokey from cumin with a subtle kick from cayenne pepper.  Lentils give it a hearty texture and an earthy flavor.  It is perfect right out of the pot or reheat it for a perfect take-to-work lunch or quick, weeknight dinner.  Best of all, it will make this chilly winter a bit more bearable.

Lentil Soup
serves 4-6
(adapted from the recipe by Matthew Stupey in the January 2011 issue of Food and Wine Magazine)

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cups lentils
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock (or broth)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
juice from half a lemon
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

In a soup pot or large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Once the oil has heated, add the onions and saute until soft, stirring frequently.  Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.  Add the celery and carrots and cook for five minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the potato, lentils and stock or broth and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down, cover and simmer the soup for 40 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is completely pureed.  Stir in the cumin, cayenne and lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dry lentils become hearty, soft and earthy when simmered in broth.

Sauteed vegetables give flavor and body to this soup.

Perfect for a cold winters afternoon.

Healthy Resolutions

My holiday season was filled with that dreaded combination of laziness and overeating.  But, remember, that was last year.  New year, clean slate.  I decided to start the year off right with a batch of my whole wheat muffins.  These muffins are made with whole wheat flour, have very little refined sugar, are full of fiber and most importantly, are supremely delicious.  Moist, sweet, spicy and hearty.  Perfect as part of a guilt free breakfast or mid-afternoon snack.  I prefer mine filled with pecans but feel free to add raisins, coconut, walnuts or whatever gets you going.  My diet-related new year resolutions tend to get broken in the first week, but these muffins are an easy way to actually enjoy eating right.  Happy New Year!

Whole Wheat Muffins
makes 12-14 muffins

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons oat bran
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg (at room temperature)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray or line with paper liners. 

Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl, including pecans.  Add agave, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and mix to blend with a rubber spatula.  Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter evenly between the prepared tin(s).

Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out cleanly.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.   

Note:  Keep your wheat bran and flax seed meal in the freezer for a longer shelflife. 


Quick cooking oats gives these muffins great flavor, texture and adds heart healthy fiber.

Agave nectar is a delicious alternative to sugar because it is all natural and has a low glycemic index which staves off the dreaded sugar crash.

This batter is quick to mix, scoop and bake.

Hearty, spicy and sweet.

The perfect morning pick-me-up.

Happy Holidays

I've always enjoyed the holiday season.  As a child I remember the anticipation of waking up on Christmas morning, opening gifts, eating pancakes with my brother and wearing pajamas all day long.  Snow, cold air, food, family and friends.  Now, the season gets a bit less innocent each year, but it's important to me that some holiday traditions are kept alive.  One such tradition, for me, is the baking and icing of Christmas cookies.  Traditional, buttery sugar cookie dough rolled out and cut into festive shapes and baked until golden.  Be sure to add a bit of pure almond extract to your dough for richer flavored cookies.  Decorated with royal icing, they are always a sweet addition to the season.  I prefer to enjoy my cookies with a large glass of cold milk.   Just how we used to leave them next to the fireplace on Christmas Eve. 

Happy Holidays.

Use meringue powder in your royal icing to give it a smooth and firm texture.  Gel food coloring gives your icing deep, rich color.

  Pipe your icing for a neat and tidy presentation. 

Ornaments, trees, stars and snowflakes.  Colorful holiday treats.

All that is needed is a glass of milk.