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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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Come Party With Me: Bachelorette - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:30:40 -0700

When planning a party, remember the guest of honor's culinary needs. Although Ronda's bachelorette party has a belly-dancing theme and a spread of Mediterranean-inspired appetizers, she's requested that the dessert be something bite sized and chocolaty. These delightful fudge brownie tartlets are sure to satisfy her sweet tooth. The shell is a butter pastry, the filling a gooey chocolate batter, and the frosting a chocolate buttercream. They can be prepared up to three days in advance, making them the ideal party dessert.

If you aren't hosting a bachlorette party any time soon, you'll want to add this divine recipe to your collection: do so when you read more.

Fudge Brownie Tartlets
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or walnut pieces (optional)
Chocolate Butter Frosting (recipe below)

Directions

For pastry, in a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 cup butter and the cream cheese. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Shape dough into 24 balls. Press each ball evenly onto the bottom and up the side of an ungreased 1-3/4-inch muffin cup.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
For filling, in a small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and the 2 tablespoons butter; heat and stir over low heat until melted.
Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, egg, and vanilla. If desired, place a macadamia nut, hazelnut (filbert), almond, or walnut piece and about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture into each dough-lined muffin cup.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is puffed. Cool tartlets in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to remove tartlets from pans. Transfer tartlets to wire racks and cool.
Pipe or spoon Chocolate Butter Frosting onto tartlets. If desired, top with additional nuts.

Makes 24 tartlets.

Make ahead: Place cooled, unfrosted tartlets in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Or place cooled, unfrosted tartlets in a freezer container; cover. Freeze for up to 3 months.) To serve, thaw tartlets, if frozen. Continue with final step of recipe to frost.

Chocolate Butter Frosting: In a large bowl, beat 1/4 cup butter, softened, with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Gradually add 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach piping consistency.

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Come Party With Me: Oscars Viewing - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:15:45 -0800

Pastry chef extraordinaire Sherry Yard is famous for creating the desserts served at the Governors Ball. Every year she offers the stars chocolate Oscars and buttery shortbread cookies. For my Oscar viewing, I'll take a tip from Yard and serve a bite-sized dessert. Decadent chocolate fudge with (or without) walnuts is rich and delicious. Instead of slicing the fudge into neat squares, use an Oscar cookie cutter to shape the fudge into mini statuettes.

If you don't have time to make dessert, simply fill bowls with movie-theater candy, like Junior Mints, Mike and Ikes, and Milk Duds. To look at the fudge recipe, read more.

Bittersweet Chocolate and Walnut Fudge
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 cups sugar
1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces, toasted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving overhang.
Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl.
Stir sugar and evaporated milk in heavy large deep saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan. Boil until temperature registers 234°F, stirring constantly and adjusting heat to avoid boiling over, about 10 minutes.
Immediately pour milk mixture over chocolate mixture. Whisk until chocolate and butter melt and fudge is smooth. Mix in nuts and vanilla.
Spread fudge evenly in prepared pan. Refrigerate uncovered until cold and set, about 3 hours.
Using foil as aid, lift fudge from pan. Cut crosswise into 7 strips, then lengthwise into 5 strips. Return to pan, cover, and chill. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Makes 35 pieces.

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6 Uses for Christmas Leftovers

YumSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:00:01 -0800

Christmas is over, and you're left with crumbled wrapping paper and way too much of last night's Christmas feast. Instead of eating cookies until you're blue in the face, transform your holiday leftovers into dramatically different gourmet dishes. To see some of our ideas, read on.

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Reader Recipe: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:27:46 -0700

Looking for something sweet to cook up this weekend? Then be sure to check out what TeamSugar member sue85 posted in the Kitchen Goddess group. She found a recipe for a melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter fudge, and served it up with grated white chocolate and strawberries. To find out how she did it, get the recipe, just read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member sue85

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge
RecipeZaar

This fudge is amazing and (very) sinful. It literally melts in your mouth and is really easy to make. I made one or two changes to the original, noted below. The next time I make this I would probably reduce the sugar further to 2.5 cups (it was a bit too sweet for my taste), and increase the cocoa powder and peanut butter to 3/4 cups each.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I reduced to 3 cups)
1/2 cup butter (one whole stick, solid)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnut (optional)

Directions
1) With two tablespoons of softened butter (not melted), use clean bare hands to grease a 9-x-13-inch glass cake pan. Make sure to completely and evenly coat the pan.

2) Place the following ingredients in an extra large microwavable glass mixing bowl in the order listed: powdered sugar, butter, cocoa, peanut butter, and milk. Do not toss or mix. (Note: It is important to ensure there are no clumps in the powdered sugar, as you do not want unsightly white clumps throughout your smooth fudge.).

3) Microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes.

4) Remove from microwave with oven mitts and add vanilla.

5) With a hand-held mixer, beat at medium-high speed until smooth.

6) If desired, stir in walnuts.

7) With a rubber spatula, turn out into previously greased cake pan and spread evenly.

Chill for 1 hour or until solid.

9) Cut into squares.

10) Store refrigerated for up to two weeks (that is if it makes it that long!). - ours only barely made it 2 days!

To serve, I grated some white chocolate and sprinkled it over the fudge, and served with strawberries on the side. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Fudge Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:27:31 -0800

Chocolate fudge is my mom's all-time favorite holiday sweet. She's not much of a cook, so we usually make it together. It's an excellent dessert to make with loved ones because the final result is decadently rewarding. There are a million fudge recipes out there, but I prefer one that highlights the pure chocolate flavor by omitting walnuts.

I've found two recipes, one that is simple and another that takes a little more time, equipment, and expertise. Whichever you choose, whip up a batch soon. Fudge is delicious on a holiday dessert buffet and divine wrapped in cellophane and presented as a homemade gift. For the recipes, read more

Beginner Chocolate Fudge
From Kraft Foods

1 package (8 squares) semisweet baking chocolate, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, divided
1/3 cup water
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
3 cups powdered sugar

Microwave 4 of the chocolate squares, 6 tbsp. of the butter, and water in large microwavable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted; stir.
Add dry pudding mix; stir until well blended.
Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring until well blended after each addition. Press into foil-lined, 8-inch square pan.
Microwave remaining 4 chocolate squares and 2 tbsp. butter in large microwavable bowl on high 1-1/2 minutes or until butter is melted.
Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over pudding mixture.
Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Makes 48 squares.

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Expert Chocolate Fudge
From Martha Stewart

6 tbsp. chilled, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan and bowl
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp. Valrhona cocoa powder
Large pinch of fine sea salt
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 cup whole milk
4 oz. Callebaut unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Butter an 8-x-8-inch, straight-sided baking pan. Line with parchment paper; set aside. Butter a large, shallow, stainless-steel bowl; set aside.
In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk to combine the sugar, cocoa, and salt. Place over medium-low heat, and add corn syrup and milk, stirring until smooth.
Add chocolate. Cook, stirring until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolved before it reaches a boil. Brush down sides of saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization. Increase the heat to high, and cook until it reaches 236°F (soft-ball stage).
Pour into prepared bowl without scraping the sides of the saucepan. Dot top with butter. Let cool to 110–118°F on an instant-read thermometer without disturbing, about 1 hour.
Add vanilla. Using a plastic dough scraper, transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until the butter and vanilla are completely incorporated.
Increase speed to medium, and beat, stopping occasionally, until fudge keeps its shape when dropped from a spoon and sheen is gone, 3 to 8 minutes.
Using a clean plastic dough scraper, transfer to prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.
Before fudge sets completely, score with a knife into 1-inch squares. Let stand until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2 lbs.

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Do You Know Your Peanut Butter?

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:32:33 -0800

November is a time for turkey and pumpkin pie, but it is also National Peanut Butter Lovers Month. America seems to love peanut butter, it can be found in about 75 percent of all homes, so I guess it makes sense that we'd celebrate it for an entire month. So grab a big spoonful or a piece of PB fudge - today is actually National Peanut Butter Fudge Day - and take this quiz to find out how well you know peanut butter. Source

Take the quiz

Yummy Links: From Dungeness Crab to Turkey Cookies

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:50:32 -0800

San Franciscans get excited: it's dungeness crab season! - SFoodie
This holiday season, why not bake a beautifully festive cake or cupcakes? - Hostess With the Mostess
Eating dark chocolate may help you handle stress. - The Epi-Log
The FDA has withdrawn the ban on the sale of Gulf Coast raw oysters during warm months. - Eater
Introducing: people talking on bananas. - People Talking on Bananas
Could Jose Garces be the next Iron Chef? - Grub Street Philadelphia
Rachael Ray on the Martha Stewart Show makes for some uncomfortable television. - Eat Me Daily
Learn how to fight wine snobbery. - Chow
Turn Keebler Fudge striped cookies into Thanksgiving turkeys. - Serious Eats

Reader Recipe: Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Cake

YumSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:01:19 -0700

Is it too early in the morning to talk about a triple layer chocolate fudge cake with ganache frosting? Yah, I didn't think so either. This beautiful cake was posted in the Kitchen Goddess group by TeamSugar member crispet1, and if every morsel tastes as delectable as it looks, we are in for a treat. It's a three layer chocolate cake, with a layer of thick ganache between each one. To check out the recipe, read more

Submitted by TeamSugar member crispet1 from Food & Wine

What an indulgent picture!

Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup hot coffee

Frosting:
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Spray the pans and the parchment paper with vegetable cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and vanilla. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee. Using an electric mixer, beat half of the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat in half of the coffee mixture, then scrape down the bowl. Beat in the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures.
Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil. Immediately pour over the chocolate and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes. Gently whisk the ganache until smooth. Whisk in the butter until incorporated. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the ganache is thick enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar with the water and heat for 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set a cake layer on a cake plate or cake cardboard and brush lightly with the sugar syrup. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting onto the cake in an even 1/4-inch layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, sugar syrup and frosting. (I skipped this step completely. I didnt want to spread sugar water on pieces of cake, I just didnt see the point.) Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Let the cake stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing.

And then, because Im a genius, I decided to cover the top of the cake with raspberries. Obviously you would wash them in cool water, pat dry, and put the open end facing down on the frosting. Since you are working with ganache, you have to be somewhat fast since it sets into hardened chocolate somewhat fast.

Source: Food & Wine

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Taste Test: Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:50:57 -0700

I must admit: I'm not the world's biggest fan of cheesecake, it's always seemed a bit too rich. But I'm obsessed with red velvet cake, and was intrigued when I first heard about red velvet cheesecake. I put it on my list of things to make and before I could get to it, The Cheesecake Factory came out with a version and sent one our way - along with a couple others. Was it the perfect hybrid of Southern red velvet and smooth cheesecake decadence? How was the cheesecake on a whole? Find out when you read more