Apple Caramels

Wow, it's been a long time since my last blog post!  Things have been very busy and maybe my family's protests about having their meals photographed before they could start eating might have somewhat caused the delay.  But, here I am again.  

I go into these cycles where I troll the food blogs, Facebook pages and many other places looking for new recipes.  Then, it seems to be a bit much for me and I kind of take a break for a bit.  Not that I haven't been cooking, but just falling back on the old favorites.  Then I happen to come across a recipe that gets me a little excited.  As simple as this one is, it did just that.

I guess it's the combination of the Fall season, new apple varieties appearing in the grocery store, my friend PJ's search for caramel apples at the store and my need to use that last bit of boiled cider before it expires that got me inspired.  

Once I got a few ingredients from the store that I didn't already have, I was ready to go.  It's not a hard recipe at all, but there are a few items that you really should have before starting.  First thing, a nonstick saucepan.  When dealing with really sticky items which we all know caramel to be, a nonstick pan is a headache preventer.  I love my Pampered Chef Executive 3 quart saucepan for this type of work.  Not only does it have nonstick on the inside, the outside has a nonstick coating!  So easy to wash!  It also has flared rims that make pouring very easy so you don't have to worry about getting some of that scorching hot caramel on you.  Secondly, a candy thermometer.  You can be right at the point you think you need to be and within seconds it can turn ugly!  With the candy thermometer, you can be precise on when you need to remove it from heat.  I ordered mine at King Arthur Flour, but I'm sure you can find one at most cooking stores.  Lastly, a nonstick mat.  You don't have to have one for this, but it sure makes it easy to handle the caramels.  If you do use one, use a silicone knife so you don't cut your mat into shreds.  So let's get on to the recipe!

Challenge Dairy's Apple Caramels

  

Ingredients:

 ·       1/2 cup (1 stick) Danish Creamery Butter

·       1 3/4 cups sugar

·       1/4 cup light corn syrup

·       1/4 tsp. salt

·       1 1/3 cup (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed milk 

·       3/4 cup (6 fl. oz.) frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

Directions:

    Prepare a 9" square pan by lining it with parchment and spraying with nonstick spray.

    In a heavy nonstick 2-3 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.      Stir in remaining ingredients. 

    Cook over medium heat stirring frequently to prevent scorching. 

    When mixture reaches 248º (firm ball stage), remove from heat.  Pour mixture into prepared pan.  Allow to completely cool.

    Run a thin knife around edges.  Turn candy onto a cutting board sprayed with nonstick spray.

    Cut into 1" pieces.  You can wrap each piece with plastic wrap, waxed paper or cellophane.  Store in airtight container. 

Servings:  130+ pieces

The recipe calls for Challenge Dairy's Danish Creamery Butter.  I couldn't find any at the store, so I used their European Style Butter. Typically, European Style Butter means it is slightly higher in fat than the butter here in the U.S. giving a richer, creamier texture.  Perfect for caramels I thought.  

The other item I changed out was the frozen apple juice concentrate.  I used Wood's Cider Mill Boiled Cider that I get from King Arthur Flour.  They boil down the cider until it becomes a thick, pourable syrup that has a rich, tart apple flavor.  I have been hoarding it for my apple pies, but had just enough left for this recipe!  When I see a recipe on KAF's site that calls for the boiled cider, they usually note that you can used apple juice concentrate in place of the boiled cider using the same amount, so I used 3/4 cup of the boiled cider here.  

While you are cooking up the ingredients, stay close.  The ingredients really start to boil and you'll want to keep stirring to prevent scorching.  Watch that candy thermometer closely so when it gets to 248 degrees, turn off the flame right away.  In preparing my pan, I sprayed it with nonstick spray, put a parchment square on the bottom of the pan and then sprayed that lightly with nonstick spray.  I did not want to have to scrape that puppy out of that pan!  

The recipe calls for you to cut the pieces into 3/4" pieces, which is about 144 pieces.  To me that's too small and too many to wrap so I would recommend 1-1 1/4" pieces.  It also said to wrap them in aluminum foil or waxed paper.  That's a lot of foil and the waxed paper didn't seem like it would stay closed over the candy very well, so I used plastic wrap.  I developed a system, but I think you would all fall asleep reading about it so I'm just going to trust that you all are smart enough to figure out your own system.  

I have to say, they have a nice apple flavor, but not overwhelming.  Thinking of the salted caramel craze that's going on, I did sprinkle a few with Maldon sea salt.  Where it would normally enhance food's flavor, I found that it greatly diminished the apple flavor of the caramels.  Maybe with a regular recipe it would be a good idea, but I don't recommend it for this one.  I am definitely going to add this recipe to my Christmas Gift Basket rotation!  Enjoy!

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with Hawaiian Plate-Lunch-Style Macaroni Salad

Everyone has their favorite Hawaiian BBQ place.  When I lived in Southern California, Aloha Chicken was the place.  Their chicken was so juicy, the macaroni salad great and they had this amazing dressing on the little green salad that came with it.  I still miss that place.  Here in Vegas, we love L & L.  But these days eating out is getting quite expensive.  So when you can replicate one of your favorite eateries dishes, that is huge!  And here is one of those.  I found this recipe on Pinterest which is a treasure trove of great recipes.  It comes from the blog A Dash of Thyme at http://www.adashofthyme.com/. 

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

  

Ingredients:

·       3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

·       2 cups low sodium soy sauce

·       2 cups water

·       1 1/2 cups brown sugar

·       1 bunch of green onions, chopped (save some for the top)

·       1/4 cup white onion, chopped

·       1/2-1 tsp. minced garlic

·       1 tsp. of sesame oil

·       13.5oz can of coconut milk

Directions:

    Remove visible fat from chicken thighs. 

    Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Drain marinade from chicken and shake off excess onions and garlic.   

    Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done.

    Serve with rice or macaroni salad, top with green onion and additional soy sauce.

Servings:  6-8

It's pretty simple to make.  The most work you'll do is chopping the onion and the garlic.  Only use chicken thighs as chicken breasts will not be as tender and juicy.  The recipe calls for a low-sodium soy sauce.  I didn't have any on hand so I used the regular stuff.  I would say if you're trying to cut down on salt, use the low-sodium version.  But if you don't want to pay more for it, you'll be ok with the regular version.    

The recipe calls for you to grill at a low heat.  Don't dismiss this.  The brown sugar in the marinade will burn quickly.  

I am not including Weight Watchers plus points for this recipe because the majority of the ingredients are in the marinade and since the marinade is discarded I don't think the points the WW recipe calculator would give me would be accurate.  

Hawaiian Plate-Lunch-Style Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

·       1 1b. elbow macaroni

·       1/4 cup finely grated onion

·       2 1/2 cups mayonnaise

·       1 tbsp. vinegar

·       finely grated carrot, to taste

·       pickle relish, to taste

·       salt and pepper, to taste

·       1/4-1/2 tsp. ground allspice

·       paprika, optional

Directions:

Cook macaroni to package directions.  You'll want a soft texture, past al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Allow to drain completely.  Combine all ingredients.  Stir well and then refrigerate.  You can dress up for serving with a light sprinkling of paprika on top.

Servings:  8

I did a quick search for Hawaiian style macaroni salad and found this one from Hawaiimagazine.com.  They gave two recipes and I added a smidge of two items that were in the second recipe, ground allspice and white vinegar.  

I cooked the macaroni to al dente.  I would recommend going 3-4 minutes past this stage.  It just needs that soft texture.  But be careful.  If you overcook pasta, it just seems to have no flavor at all. Enjoy!

King Arthur Flour's Chocolate Stout Cake

I made this last year for St. Patrick's Day but for some reason I cannot find the picture.  So, here is the pic from King Arthur Flour's web site.  I hope they don't mind me borrowing it!  


Even though they always tout this recipe for St. Patrick's Day (because of the recommended stout beer, Guiness), it is excellent any time of the year.  Another great thing about it?  It tastes better the 2nd and 3rd day.  So if you want to make it the day before, that's even better!  


Since it has been a year that I have made this, I would like KAF's Baker's Banter blog post to give you the details which includes step by step pictures.  Here is the link:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/02/26/chocolate-stout-cake/


One thing I do recommend, use the ingredients as they have listed, no substitutions.  If you do, it will probably be to disastrous results.  

Here is the recipe:

CAKE

• 2 cups stout or dark beer, such as Guinness
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
• 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream

FROSTING

• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8" or two 9" cake pans, and line them with parchment paper circles. Be sure your 9" pans are at least 2" deep.

2. For the cake: Place the stout and butter in a large, heavy saucepan, and heat until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the cocoa powder.

3. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sour cream.

6. Add the stout-cocoa mixture, mixing to combine.

7. Add the flour mixture and mix together at slow speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix again for 1 minute.

8. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans. (See tips section for hints on weighing out the batter if you have a kitchen scale.)

9. Bake the layers for 35 minutes for 8" pans, or 45 to 50 minutes for 9" pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans and returning to the rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

10. For the frosting: Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan.

11. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

12. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate until the icing is spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

13. To assemble: Trim one cake layer to have a flat top, if necessary (otherwise the layer will crack when you place it upside down on your cake plate).

14. Line the edges of a serving plate with parchment or waxed paper to keep it clean, and then place the layer upside down on top. Spread 2/3 cup of the icing over just the top of the layer.

15. Top with another cake layer, top side down, and repeat the process. If you baked three layers, add that one also.

16. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Remove the parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle with shamrock sugar decorations, if you have them. Yield:  1 large cake, 16 servings

Enjoy!

Strawberry-Stuffed Hawaiian Bread French Toast

I apologize for not getting a better picture of this delicious French toast.  As you know, you can only cook up so many slices at a time and as I set each batch on the table I only have a few seconds before my family dives in for their slices.  So this pic was definitely done on the fly.

In this post, you will be getting two recipes.  One for making your own homemade Hawaiian bread and the other for strawberry-stuffed French toast.  Do I have to make my own Hawaiian bread, you're asking?  No, but if you do want to you will love this recipe.  If you have been reading my posts, I'm sure you are aware of how much of a fan I am of King Arthur Flour.  I found this recipe on the Baking Circle part of the web site and one of the rock stars of that forum goes by the screen name Moomie (but I believe she might have changed it).  I have her recipe for white bread which can be used for hamburger & hot dog buns, cinnamon swirl bread, rolls and just a simple loaf of white bread.  It is amazing and so is her recipe for Hawaiian bread. I also make this recipe into rolls every time I serve ham.  They are the perfect complement to ham and make wonderful mini-ham sandwiches the next day.  So on to the first recipe:

Moomie’s Hawaiian Bread

Ingredients:

·       1/2 cup water     

·       1/2 cup pineapple juice

·       1 egg

·       1 tsp. vanilla      

·       2 tbsp. butter

·       3 cups flour       

·       1/3 cup brown sugar   

·       1 tbsp. instant potato flakes or potato flour

·       1 tsp. salt  

·       pinch of ginger  

·       3 tsp. yeast (preferably SAF gold yeast)

Directions:

    Place all ingredients in the bucket of your bread machine. Select dough cycle and allow to run full cycle. 

You can also mix and knead by hand or mixer (using a dough hook).  Cover the dough and allow to rise 1-2 hours or until nearly doubled in bulk.  Gently deflate dough and continue with desired shape(s).

    For the traditional round free form:  Preheat oven to 350º Form dough into a boulé shape and place in a greased 9" round cake pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

    Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.  If getting too brown, cover with foil for remaining 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately remove from pan onto a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

    For Sandwich Loaf:  Preheat oven to 350º.  Gently deflate dough and press into a rectangle.  Fold over top third if dough and press seam with heel of palms.  Fold over another third, press and repeat again. 

    Place dough in loaf pan sprayed with nonstick spray.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. 

    Bake for 20 minutes uncovered.  If getting too brown, cover with foil for remaining 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately remove from pan onto a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

For dinner rolls:   Preheat oven to 375º.  Divide into 12 to 24 pieces, depending on the size you like. Shape into balls and spray pan with nonstick spray. 

For 12 rolls, place in a 8" x 8" square pan; for 16 rolls either 2 8" round cake pans or a 9" x 13" pan; and for 24 rolls in a 9" x 13" pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap let rise until doubled, from 30 to 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375º.

    Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.  

You can either form the dough into the traditional round loaf like you see in the store or make into a regular loaf.  If you use a regular loaf pan, it will rise pretty high so you might not want to have a rack above the pan.  I use a pullman or pain de mie pan.  It's longer and narrower.  

This recipe calls for pineapple juice.  I buy the little 6-pack of Dole's pineapple juice.  Each can is 6 oz. so you're only wasting 2 oz. versus a whole bottle of juice.  The potato flour or flakes gives it a nice, soft texture.  Either one works fine.  

It also calls for a dash of ginger.  Ever have those recipes that call for a dash, pinch or smidgen?  Did you know there are actual measuring spoons for these?  I got mine at Williams-Sonoma and there were not too expensive.  

And lastly, the yeast.  I use two different yeasts, both are SAF-instant.  For normal use, I use SAF red yeast.  You can find this at most stores.  I buy mine at Smart and Final.  This can be used whether you are using a bread machine, mixer or your hands.  SAF is amazing yeast.  But, you must keep all yeasts in an airtight container in the freezer.  Believe it or not, KAF sells containers for yeast!  They will keep for much longer and you will not have to worry about whether it will perform properly.  For sweeter bread recipes, I use SAF gold yeast. I have not been able to find this one locally, so I order it from KAF.  But it will last a long time.  Here is how KAF describes it:

TEST KITCHEN TIP: Sweet breads can be agonizingly slow risers. Why? Because sugar attracts water, and when it's in bread dough, it pulls water away from yeast - leaving the yeast thirsty and unable to grow. The special strain of yeast in SAF Gold is "osmotolerant" – it requires less water. So it's able to grow happily despite sugar's attempts to leave it "high and dry." 

I make mine in the bread machine, but only to the "dough" stage.  Why you ask?  Where I live, Las Vegas, it is very dry year round. By making it in the bread machine, the dough is mixed, kneaded, and the first rise in a warm, moist environment.  Also, I use a Zojirushi (aka a Zo) bread machine which is proven to have better results than by hand or mixer. The regular size model has two mixing paddles so it can handle anything, including brioche. This is considered the Cadillac of bread machines.  And while tests have proven that the mixing and kneading action by the Zo produces superior breads, I do not like to actually bake in the machine. I always form my breads by hand, allow to rise and then bake in the oven. Even the Zo does not bake evenly the way a oven will.  If you decide to use a bread machine, my recipes always list in order how you should put the ingredients into the bucket.  I always put the salt at each end of the bucket. I then do an indent into the center of the ingredients and place my yeast there. This keeps the yeast away from the salt (which can retard or kill the yeast) as long as possible.  

If you do make your own bread, make this the night before. You always want your bread at least a day old and slightly dry when making French toast.    Now on to the next part.

King’s Hawaiian Strawberry French Toast

Ingredients:

·      1 loaf of homemade Hawaiian bread or 4 (1 1/2”) thick slices King's Hawaiian Bread         

·       2 cups sliced strawberries

·       4 large eggs        

·       1/2 cup milk      

·       1/2 tsp. vanilla

·       1/8 tsp. nutmeg  

·       1/4 tsp. cinnamon       

·       1/4 cup sugar, optional

·       1 tbsp. orange zest, optional         

·       butter or vegetable oil for frying

·       powdered sugar, for garnish         

·       maple syrup, for garnish

Directions:

    Cut each slice into approximately 2-3" wide pieces.  If using the round loaf, cut the slices in half.  Using a serrated knife, cut a pocket in edge of each slice and gently fill with strawberries. 

    Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and if desired, sugar and orange zest. 

    Heat griddle over medium heat. Grease with butter or oil. 

    Quickly dip (do not soak) slices in egg mixture.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.  Keep egg mixture well blended. 

    Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with additional strawberry slices.  Serve immediately with warm syrup.

Servings:  4-6

I found this on King's Hawaiian Bread site at kingshawaiian.com.  They have many recipes using their products.  You may not use all the strawberries it calls for, it just depends on how much you wish to stuff in the pockets.  I usually use half of what the recipe calls before, but only because my husband and son aren't as excited about strawberries as my daughter and I.  So, I only stuff half the loaf with strawberries.  

It calls for an optional 1/4 cup sugar.  I have tried it with different amounts of sugar and without.  I like to use 2 tablespoons of sugar which is half of the 1/4 cup.  It seems just right to us.  The orange zest is optional also, but do not leave it out!  When strawberries are baked, it does dull their flavor.  The orange zest gives it a little extra zip.  You will barely taste it, but it will enhance all the flavors.  

I always keep a whisk nearby, because the cinnamon always wants to separate and clump in the batter.  So I always give it a quick whisk between batches.  When dipping the slices in the batter, do it quickly.  This is a very soft bread and it will get soggy easily.  I use a non-stick spray instead of oil.  I've tried both and butter and the non-stick spray gives it the texture I like.  But, everyone is different so use what works for you.  I would say cook them on medium high.  They are large slices so you don't want to cook them too fast, but you do need them to get warm in middle.  Watch them carefully.  My favorite way to serve them? I spread a little bit of butter on top, sprinkle some powdered sugar and enjoy.  But I'm a strange one. I just don't get that excited about syrup.  Enjoy!