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The Basics: Vanilla Ice Cream

partysugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:50:37 -0700

There's nothing like fresh-churned homemade ice cream. It's cool, but melts in your mouth, creamy and smooth, and when compared to a grocery store variety, has a richer, cleaner, more pure taste. To make ice cream you need an ice cream maker and a little skill, but most of all, it requires patience. Many recipes are egg-based, and one of the steps involves tempering a ribbon-like egg yolk and sugar mixture with warm milk. If you aren't patient, the eggs will scramble. Patience also comes in handy while you're waiting for the ice cream to freeze! When mastering the basic procedure, start with vanilla ice cream. It's a flavor that can be enjoyed in every season, is loved by all, and pairs with a variety of desserts. Once you know how to make vanilla, it's easy to experiment with more complex flavors - you can stir in strawberry puree, or chunks of chocolate, or small pieces of Oreo cookies. To learn how it's done, keep reading.

Come Party With Me: End of Summer BBQ - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:30:18 -0700

I just realized that the entire Summer has almost passed and I have not enjoyed one s'more! Before the long warm nights are replaced with Fall's cool evenings, I must make s'mores. What better time to do it than at my end of Summer barbecue?! After all s'mores, the gooey, finger-licking good combination of graham crackers, melted chocolate, and toasted marshmallows, are a classic American dessert. While I could simply purchase the ingredients at the store, I'm taking the nostalgic campfire treat to a whole new level with homemade marshmallows and graham crackers. To look at the recipe I'll be using - thanks Martha! - read more.

S'mores
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For graham crackers:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup untoasted wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons high-quality honey
For marshmallows:
Vegetable oil, for brushing
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin (3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
For s'mores:
20 ounces bittersweet or milk chocolate bars, broken into 2-ounce pieces

Directions

Make graham crackers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
Put butter, brown sugar, and honey into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface, and divide into quarters. Roll out each piece between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper into rectangles a bit larger than 9 by 6 inches, about 1/8 inch thick.
Using a fluted pastry wheel, trip the outermost edges or each rectangle, and divide into three 6 by 3-inch rectangles. Pressing lightly, so as not to cut all the way through, score each piece in half lengthwise and crosswise, to form four 3 by 1 1/2-inch crackers. Stack parchment and dough on a baking sheet and chill in freezer until firm, about 20 minutes.
Remove two sheets of dough from freezer. Pierce crackers using the tines of a fork. Transfer to large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating halfway through, until dark golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes; transfer crackers to wire racks to cool completely. Crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Make marshmallows: Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with oil. Line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Brush parchment with oil; set aside.
Put granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 238 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, put 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer; sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.
Attach bowl with gelatin to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With mixer on low speed, beat hot syrup into gelatin mixture. Gradually raise speed to high; beat until mixture is very stiff, about 12 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula. Set aside, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours.
Sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar onto a work surface. Unmold marshmallow onto confectioners' sugar; remove parchment. Lightly brush a sharp knife with oil, then cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares. Sift remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, and roll each marshmallow in the sugar to coat. Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.
For s'mores: Preheat a grill to medium (if you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 5 to 6 seconds).
Place a piece of chocolate on each of 10 graham crackers; set aside. Press each marshmallow onto the tip of a skewer. Cook marshmallows, turning occasionally, until toasted to desired doneness.
Using a fork, push each marshmallow onto a chocolate-covered graham cracker. Sandwich with remaining graham crackers. Serve immediately.

Makes 10.

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Make Your Own Harissa

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:50 -0700

Any gourmand with a hankering for something spicy would be right at home in my kitchen, where the fridge is stocked with scorching sauces from every corner of the world. From Tabasco to Sambal Oelek and Sriracha, I'm extremely well-supplied in the store-bought specialties department.

I recently came to the conclusion, however, that I'm lacking somewhat in the homemade hot sauce category. Enter harissa, a fiery garlic and chili paste that hails from Tunisia and is used in stews, pasta sauces, grilled meats, and couscous. Although the chili paste is sold in tubes and jars at many supermarkets, it's easy - and much more fulfilling - to make from scratch yourself. See how I did so when you read more.

Harissa
From Saveur

Ingredients

8 dried or 1 1/2 oz. new mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
8 dried or 2 oz. guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (I substituted aji panca peppers)
1⁄2 tsp. caraway seeds
1⁄4 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄4 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried mint leaves
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
5 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions

Put chiles into a medium bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Heat caraway, coriander, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat. Toast spices, swirling skillet constantly, until very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer spices to a grinder with the mint and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
Drain chiles and transfer to the bowl of a food processor with the ground spices, olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the paste is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a sterilized 1-pint glass jar and fill with oil until ingredients are submerged by 1⁄2". Refrigerate, topping off with more oil after each use. Paste will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 1 cup.

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Make Your Own Marinated Artichokes

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:00:37 -0700

Party and I are huge fans of making our own ingredients when possible, rather than using store-bought materials. We've had artichokes on the brain these days, and when she told me that she was itching to put together a classic artichoke dip, I decided I'd make my own version of canned artichokes to give to her.

Because I wanted to make a lot of cans, I doubled the recipe - and in a matter of minutes, I had bright-flavored, zesty jars of artichokes that are great edible gifts. The multi-purpose vegetables keep for up to a week and are great on everything from pastas to salads to scrambles. To get the super quick recipe, read more.

Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Adapted from Saveur

Ingredients

1 9-oz. box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (up to 1 teaspoon or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Rinse artichoke hearts under cold water. Combine artichokes, oil, salt, thyme, oregano, and chile flakes in a 1-qt. saucepan set over medium-low heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, 10 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature and stir in lemon juice. Serve or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.

Serves 4.

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Make Your Own Breadcrumbs

partysugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:30:56 -0700

Anytime a recipe calls for regular breadcrumbs I prefer to make my own. They taste fresher and less dry than their container counterpart. I haven't always done this: Several years ago I needed breadcrumbs and reached into my pantry for the store bought crumbs. However, I couldn't remember the last time I used them! Thus, I tossed them out and decided to experiment with bread and the food processor.

The texture was so light, crumbly, and crunchy that I've never returned to the premade kind. Once you learn the simple technique, you can jazz them up with all sorts - spices, finely grated cheese, nuts, minced herbs - of seasonings. To see how insanely easy it is to make your own breadcrumbs, read more.

Select a type of bread. White, wheat, sourdough, brioche - whatever you have on hand is fine. Tear several slices or a large chunk into small pieces. Generally speaking, 9 slices of white bread will make about 3 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs.
Toss the bread pieces into a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form.
Transfer to a dish and use according to the recipe.

Voila. Instant breadcrumbs! Making these is a great way to use up old bread. Have you ever made your own breadcrumbs?

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Have You Ever Made Sushi?

partysugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:00:32 -0700

Yummy Link: Ginger Ice Cream

partysugar — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:18:51 -0700

I haven't taken my ice cream maker out of winter hibernation. However, when I saw this recipe for homemade ginger ice cream, I knew it was time to dust it off, clean it out, and get churning. - The Kitchen Sink

Yummy Link: Homemade BBQ Sauce and Ketchup

partysugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:03:31 -0800

In an ideal world, I would have tons of free time to make lots of homemade condiments which I would give to my friends as gifts. First up on the to-make-list: barbeque sauce and ketchup. - For the Love of Food

Make Your Own Fruit Roll Ups

partysugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:13:33 -0700

What child doesn't love fruit roll ups? There is something so satisfying about peeling the strip of chewy, sweetened fruit off a piece of sheer plastic. When I was younger, I never would have guessed that fruit roll ups could be homemade! But sure enough, like most store-bought processed snack foods, fruit roll ups can be made in your very own kitchen. I double dare you to make some for your kids (or yourself) today! It takes a little bit of time, but the result is a rewarding and tasty snack. For a peek at the recipe, read more

Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
From Martha Stewart Kids
Source

2 cups dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 160 degrees with rack in center.
Place apricots in a large bowl, and cover with the water; let soak until they are completely soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve; drain, and reserve liquid.
Place apricots in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; add honey and sugar. Process until mixture is very smooth and easily spreadable. If it is too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon soaking liquid.
Cover two 10-by-15-inch baking sheets with plastic wrap. Divide puree between the sheets; spread in a thin, even layer with an offset spatula.
Let dry in oven until mixture is firm but slightly tacky, about 8 hours or overnight. Remove from oven; let cool.
Peel fruit leather from plastic wrap, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips using a pizza cutter. Roll tightly into cylinders, and serve.

Makes 30 roll ups.

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Reader Recipe: Easy Homemade Stromboli

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 03:18:31 -0700

Can the words dinner, easy and 15 minutes go together? You better believe it! TeamSugar member Shiloh Jolie Pitt has shared an amazingly simple, wonderfully easy and, if it looks anything like the picture, absolutely delicious recipe for Homemade Stromboli. It definitely uses a few shortcuts and is definitely worth checking out. To get the recipe, read more

Easy Homemade Stromboli
Recipe submitted by TeamSugar member Shiloh Jolie Pitt

Crust
1 (8-oz.) can Refrigerated Pizza Crust

Stuffing
Ham
Slices of provolone or mozarella cheese
Olives
oregano

Instructions
1 . Heat oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2 . Unroll dough; place on sprayed cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to form 12x8-inch rectangle.
3. Top with cheese, ham, olives, or your favorite toppings, sprinkle a bit of oregano. Fold long sides of dough over filling; press edges to seal.
4 . Bake at 400°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
5. Serve with tomato or marinara sauce on the side.

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