The Recipe Exchange
Lemon Zest Candies. Be Still My Heart!
by Jennifer Ranger on 02/13/14
From start to finish, these lovely little rounds should only take you about 20 minutes to make, possibly less. There's no cooking involved, so you can be indulging your sweet tooth in a matter of mere minutes. Divine.
The only question is this: Does the vitamin C from the lemon make up for the calories of the powdered sugar? Hmmm...let me know what you think!
Orange Cocoa Candies
by Jennifer Ranger on 02/03/14
I also have some very generous friends who just hate to see all that gorgeous fruit on their own trees go to waste. "Wow, what will we do with these oranges? Oh yes, we'll bring them to Jennifer!" Is that cool, or what?
All this good fortune requires that I be a careful steward of the delicious bounty bestowed upon me, and a what pleasure it is! Several large, plump oranges and lemons were turned into marmalade last night, others were juiced and frozen this morning, and these dense chocolate & orange candies were made this afternoon. And need I mention how much fun it is to taste test each of these recipes? Ahhh....and double yum.
You can put these candies together in just a few minutes time, with no special equipment needed. Let them dry overnight, and they're ready to enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2 Cup cocoa powder (no sugar)
2 Ounces butter, softened
1 Teaspoon orange extract
2 Teaspoons orange juice
Milk (if needed)
1 Pound powdered sugar
Scant pinch of salt (1/8 teaspoon or less)
Chocolate sprinkles
Directions
1.
Use an electric mixer on the low setting to combine all ingredients.
Keep mixing until you can see it start to come together and cling to the
paddle. If needed, you can add more milk, teaspoons at a time, but be
careful not to add too much.
2. Use a rubber spatula to remove all
the candy from the bowl, place it on a clean board and pat it into a
round. Use a rolling pin to gently roll it flat, about 1/4 in thick.
3.
Use very small cookie cutters to punch out the candies, use a metal
spatula to remove them from the board. Place on a metal sheet lined
with wax paper to dry for 24-48 hours. Top with chocolate sprinkles.
Store in the fridge for several weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Jennifer Ranger www.FoodWacky.com
Orange Cream Scones. My Life Is Now Complete.
by Jennifer Ranger on 01/28/14
1. Mix all dry ingredients well in a medium sized bowl.
2. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until the dough resembles small crumbs.
3. Beat the egg, cream, orange juice and zest, then add it to the batter. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. Place the dough onto a floured board, knead lightly (about 10 times). Transfer to a greased baking sheet and pat it into a circle shape. Use a rolling pin to lightly roll over the dough just to even it out, but leave it rather thick. Use a large knife to divide it into equal sized wedges.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes. Scones should look slightly golden around the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the middles should come out clean. To glaze the scones, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and water very well and drizzle over the tops.
Live A Little. Make Your Own Hot Sauce!
by Jennifer Ranger on 01/06/14
Growing up in a multicultural neighborhood was one of the best things that could've ever happened to me. The sound of Latin salsa music, aromas of fresh baked Arabic baklava, warm Armenian boreks and Italian cookies blended perfectly with my mom's own meatloaf and apple pie. On Jefferson Drive everybody brought their own culture and cooking to the table - literally. It was sweet, fun and completely natural.
It probably comes as no surprise then, this intense love I have for people and their music, their culture...and especially their food! Oh yes, the food.
These days, family dinners at our house reflect the cuisine of a happily diverse life. "Please pass the kimchi," and "These koulourakia are yummy!" can often be heard during the same meal. Diversity, as it turns out, tastes great. ¡Olé
Homemade Hot Sauce
Ingredients:
20 Serrano chilies
4 Ancho chilies
2 Large onions, sliced
4 Teaspoons olive oil
4 Small carrots, sliced
10 Cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
4 Cups water
2 Cups white distilled vinegar
Directions:
1. Rinse the chilis, slice in half lengthwise, use your thumb to remove the veins and seeds, then rough chop them. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, saute the onion in the oil until clear, add the carrots, cook for 3 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the water and mix in the salt &
chilies. Cook on high until about 75% of the water evaporates, stirring
occasionally. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Place mixture
in food processor and puree for a few seconds until smooth. Strain
through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and pieces.
5. Pour cooled hot sauce into clean glass bottles, cap tightly and store in the refrigerator.
Caution!
The
heat from chilies is not to be taken lightly. Wear a face mask and
gloves, and carefully clean all utensils and work surfaces afterwards.
Work in a well ventilated area to avoid/minimize respiratory irritation.
Jennifer Ranger www.FoodWacky.com
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Resistance Is Futile.
by Jennifer Ranger on 12/01/13
My daughter was a bit under the weather this week. After several days of general misery and eating very little, she finally began to rally, and to wish aloud for cinnamon rolls. "No problem," I said. "I'll whip some up in a jiffy!" The good news is that within a couple of hours we had fresh, soft cinnamon rolls piping hot from the oven...ahhhhh. The bad news is that they were really, really, really good - more like fabulous.
For my daughter's part, downing a couple of deliciously sweet cinnamon rolls was a much needed indulgence, but on my part, not so much. If truth be told, I would likely be better off if I stuck to the baking part and left eating of the tasty baked goods to others. Forever. Sigh.
I'm glad I don't know where my readers are in this Battle To Resist the Scrumptious Baked Goods. So let it be that I share my Homemade Cinnamon Roll recipe with you, even while issuing this warning: Resistance is actually, truly, completely futile!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
6 - 7 Cups flour
1 Teaspoon salt
3 Cups milk
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup shortening
2 1/4 Teaspoons active dry yeast
1 Egg
1/2 Cup melted butter
3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 Cups sugar
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 Cup water
Directions:
1. Mix the flour and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the milk, sugar and shortening in a medium saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm, then sprinkle the yeast over the milk, stir and wait 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat with a fork.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Turn out onto a well floured board and knead for 10 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic and a towel and put in a warm place until it rises to double.
4. Punch the dough down, roll out into a rectangle shape. Mix the 3/4 cups sugar with the cinnamon. Spread the melted butter onto the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture, then roll up tightly. Slice the dough into 1 1/2 in pieces and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool rolls completely.
5. Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, vanilla and 1/4 cup water. Spread generously over each roll.
6. Make no attempt to resist. Grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and dig right in!
Jennifer Ranger
www.FoodWacky.com www.KattywompusPublishing.com
