YumSugar

Pumpkin Bread Is Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:46 -0700

I've had Autumn on the brain for weeks now, but it wasn't until I received an inquiry about a faithful pumpkin bread recipe that the aromatic, spiced bread crossed my mind. Yet as soon as it did, I found myself craving a loaf of it. There was only one thing to do.

This tried-and-true recipe couldn't be any simpler. It doesn't require an electric beater, and you don't need to spend hours roasting your own pumpkin. The übermoist, not-to-sweet, spiced bread is the perfect breakfast, snack, or edible gift for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or anywhere in between. Want the recipe? Keep reading.

7 New Candy Favorites For Halloween

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:50:42 -0700

As much as I love celebrating Halloween, some parts of it - like haunted houses, trick-or-treating, and even certain kinds of candy - remind me I'm not a kid anymore. That's why I've decided to introduce some alternative, homemade confections that are refined enough for even an adult gourmand such as myself. Curious to know what my new candy favorites are? Keep reading to find out.

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Have More Fun With Blondies

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:15:27 -0700

Not too long ago, I organized a trip to Hog Island Oyster Farm, where I enjoyed an idyllic picnic with seven dear friends. I had a good idea of what dishes to bring, but I was hung up on dessert, until a co-worker suggested blondies. "They're so much better than brownies!" she exclaimed.

I heeded her advice and found a crowd-pleasing blondie recipe that has something for everyone: a sweet, chewy center, chunks of chocolate chips, and crunchy almond slivers scattered on top. They were so comforting that I couldn't stop eating them - so I had to give the rest away! Read on for the perfect portable dessert.

Did You Receive a Kitchen Gift This Holiday?

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:15:23 -0800

This Christmas, did you find the KitchenAid attachment that you've been wanting under the tree? Or perhaps receive the edible gift of your dreams?

Before the holidays, my friend Daisy presented me with some scrumptious peppermint bark, and I was elated!

If you did get the gourmet gift of your dreams, I'd love to hear what you received in the comments below!

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Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:15:47 -0800

Although the breakfast dish pictured below was not a part of our edible gift series, it would make a fabulous present on Christmas morning. Do you know what it's called?

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Stout Spice Bread

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:00:22 -0800

I've been longing to make my friends baked goods in some form other than Christmas cookies, and decided this stout spiced bread was different yet delicious.

I love the idea of individually sized breads, as well as the eco-friendly concept of reusing something disposable. To prevent sticking, remember to butter the canisters and let them cool slightly but not entirely before removing them from their cans. Your home will be filled with the aroma of sugar and spice - and your friends will all be indebted to you! To see the recipe, read more.

Stout Spice Bread
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1 1/4 cups stout, such as Guinness, poured and settled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Equipment: 4 clean 19-ounce soup cans (cannot be enamel-lined), free of sharp edges

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using a pastry brush, generously butter the insides of four 19-ounce soup cans.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; set aside. Put oil, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, yolk, zest, and stout in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture.
Divide batter among cans, filling them no more than two-thirds full. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean and breads are pulling away from sides. Cool in cans on wire rack 20 minutes; then unmold and let cool completely.
To package, return breads to clean cans. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Makes 4 individual breads.

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Homemade Kahlua

partysugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:20:43 -0800

While it might be too late for you to make Kahlua and gift it next week on Christmas - it takes three weeks for the coffee beans to infuse the vodka and rum mixture - I highly recommend you make this and give it to someone as a hostess gift in early January.

People are always surprised that liquors can be homemade, so it makes for an unexpected gift. What most don't realize is that the best bartenders are busy mixing up everything from homemade Baileys to fresh grenadine. The techniques they use to make these superior mixers are easily adaptable for the home.

A few weeks ago when I decided to make this, I spoke with friend and master mixologist Scott Baird of 15 Romolo in San Francisco. Although most recipes call for simply a clear spirit like vodka or light rum, Baird insists on a mixture of vodka and dark rum for a rich flavor and thick syrup-like liquid. To look at his recipe, read more.

Homemade Kahlua
From Scott Baird of 15 Romolo

Ingredients

1 750 ml bottle vodka or white rum (I used Stoli)
1 1/4 cups dark rum (Scott recommended Pampero, but I couldn't find it)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 pound whole coffee beans
1 tablespoon cocoa nib (optional)
1 vanilla bean
cinnamon stick, slice of orange peel (optional)

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a sealable container. Shake hard to combine.
Label with the date and let sit in a cool, dark place for three weeks. Shake or stir the mixture several times of week.
Strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean vessel. Use like you would Kahlua or any other coffee liquor.

Makes 1 bottle of Kahlua.

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Are You Making an Edible Gift This Holiday Season?

partysugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:45:42 -0800

For the past 10 days, YumSugar and I have been going all-out with the edible gifts. We've made everything from classic treats like peppermint bark and peanut brittle to savory delights like spicy cashews and chicken liver pate. We've got two more days left in the series, and I want to know, have we inspired you? Will you be making and giving edible gifts this year?

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Candied Citrus Peel

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:00:50 -0800

This holiday, I wanted to make homemade candy as one of my edible gifts for friends, and I concluded that candied citrus fruit would be the perfect choice. The recipe only calls for fruit, which I always have on hand, and sugar. Candy making doesn't get more basic than that!

I used oranges, but any combination of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit would be wonderful. I can't wait to give this handmade, preservative-free candy to my friends and family - to do the same, check out the recipe and read more.

Candied Citrus Peel
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

8 oranges, 10 lemons, or 6 grapefruits*
6 cups sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

Cut ends off fruit, and halve fruit lengthwise.
Insert the tip of a small paring knife carefully between fruit and pith about 1/2 inch deep and cut, following the shape of the fruit and keeping skin in one piece. Turn fruit on other end and repeat.
Using fingers, gently pull the peel away. Reserve fruit for another use.
Place citrus peel in a 6-quart pot; fill with enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts). Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Drain. Soak peel in cold water until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Using a melon baller, scrape the soft white pith from the peel, being careful not to tear or cut the skin.
Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into thin strips 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
Stir together sugar and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes.
Add strips and reduce heat to medium-low. Using a pastry brush dipped in cold water, wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. Simmer until strips are translucent and syrup thickens, about 40 minutes. Let the strips cool completely in syrup for 3 hours (or overnight). Strips can be refrigerated in syrup in an airtight container up to 3 weeks.
For sugared peel, remove strips with a slotted spoon. Using fingers, wipe off as much excess syrup as possible, and roll strips in sugar. Let dry.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

*If using grapefruit, adapt the recipe since the fruit has more pith, which is bitter and must be completely removed. If making candied grapefruit, after scraping the pith from the peel (in Step 4), simmer peel for 20 minutes more, and repeat to remove remaining pith.

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix

YumSugar — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:30:00 -0800

During Winter, nothing epitomizes warmth more than a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. This holiday, why not package that feeling for your loved ones by making inexpensive and thoughtful homemade hot cocoa?

Unlike store-bought mix, which often tastes chalky and watered-down, this edible gift is velvety in texture and pure chocolate in flavor. This year, I'm making a large batch and distributing individually decorated packages of mix to members of my extended family. To make your own version of this luscious-tasting gift, read more.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix
From Epicurious

Ingredients

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

Directions

Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
To gift, carefully transfer mix to decorative jars or bags. Add instruction labels for recipents: "For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows. Mix keeps airtight at room temperature for up to six months."

Makes 10 cups of mix (24 to 36 servings).

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