The Candy We Love To Hate

Candy Corn. Does anybody really like it? I do, for the most part, although I would never go out and buy a bag full just for myself. But this recipe gives a whole new perspective on the tricolor sweet. Have fun!

Homemade Candy Corn

- makes about one pound of candy corn -

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup salted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
red and yellow food coloring

Procedure

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar and powdered milk. Set to the side.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and butter. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce heat to medium and continue stirring for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla extract and remove from heat.

3. Add the confectioners' sugar and powdered milk mixture to the wet ingredients; stir well until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated and smooth.

4. Let the dough cool until it is firm enough to handle, about 30 minutes to an hour (I just let it cool in the saucepan).

5. Divide the dough into three equal parts and set each third into a separate bowl. Add 2 to 3 drops of yellow food coloring to one dish, one drop of red and two drops of yellow to another dish, and leave the remaining dish uncolored. Knead the dough to which you have added food coloring until the color is even (you may want to use gloves to ensure that you don't stain yourself). If the dough is feeling very soft or sticky, you may want to chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator before proceeding with the next steps.

6. On top of a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper, use your hands to roll each color of dough into a long, slender rope. You can roll it out to your desired thickness: for larger candies, make each rope thicker; for smaller candies, make each rope thinner.

7. Line the three ropes of dough together: white, orange, and yellow. To ensure that they will stick together, lay a piece of waxed paper on top and give them a very gentle rolling with a rolling pin. You just want to adhere them, not to flatten them.

8. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough into triangles. Keep a damp cloth nearby so that you can wipe off the knife if it begins to get a candy residue. This method will result in half a batch of traditionally colored candy corn and half a batch with yellow tips (it's OK—they taste the same). Let the finished kernels sit for an hour or two (do not stack them on top of one another as they will stick together!) to become firm.

From Cakespy

Apple-tastic!

                        

Well, it's that time of the year again. APPLE TIME! Fall is one of my favorite seasons, by far. I love the sights, smells and feelings associated with fall. One of my favorite parts: the apples. They're crisp, bitter, sweet, crunchy, smooth. There are so many types, and flavors and colors, it's sometimes overwhelming.

Lately when I head into the store, or go to an outdoor market, I'm inclined to buy a bag of apples. And that's precisely how I ended up with a massive brown paper bag full of the delicious orbs. With so many apples, and too few hours in the day to eat them all, I decided to embark on some much needed apple-related cooking. The kitchen was an apple infested mess. However, I made a fantastic apple crumble, and some apple muffins.

In the flurry of the whole experience, I obviously forgot to take any pictures whatsoever. However, here are the recipes I used for the crumble and the muffins. Enjoy!

Hello March!

Well, thus far, we have made it through two months of 2009, but this next one is really the determining factor. Is it really possible to write a thesis paper and do a 6 week english project plus everything else for school plus orchestra, and still make it out alive? We shall definitely be putting this to the test in the coming weeks. So, to start March off on a happy note, I will leave you with a recipe for cocoa nutella chip cookies. They're delicious and amazing and are guaranteed to brighten even the worst of March days.

Cocoa Nutella Chip Cookies:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

** one and a half teaspoon fulls of cocoa powder ** two large dollops of nutella Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. 2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. 3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended (including cocoa powder). Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Add nutella. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. 4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.