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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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Do You Cook With Flavored Salts?

YumSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:45:45 -0700

Yesterday Party gushed about the flavor of truffles on items such as fries, salad dressings, and pizzas. I'll eat them on anything and I love to add the flavor of truffles to a dish with my beloved truffle salt. Flavored salts are increasingly popular; stores such as NapaStyle carry the crystals infused with rosemary, sun-dried tomato, and citrus to name a few. Are you a fan?

Do You Like the Flavor of Truffles?

partysugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:30:14 -0700

Last week I dined with a girlfriend at a neighborhood restaurant called Local. While I couldn't get enough of its meaty housemade linguine with rich Bolognese sauce, my gal pal was crazy about the truffle fries. It may not be my most preferred flavor, but I, too, enjoy the taste of truffles on fries, in salad dressings, or drizzled on pizzas. How about you?

Come Party With Me: Bedazzle Bonanza - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:30:43 -0700

On the first Sunday in April, FabSugar and I are hosting a beddazzling party. Although the shindig takes place after lunch, we'll provide our guests a small assortment of nibbles. Everything on the sparkling menu, both sweet and savory, will be prepared and plated before hand.

For dessert we'll offer chocolate champagne truffles dipped in sparkling sugar and fleur de sel caramels. Both treats are bite-sized and delicious. These candies would also be delightful wrapped in a pretty package and presented as a hostess gift. For the recipes, read more.

Chocolate-Champagne Truffles in Sparkling Sugar
From Martha Stewart Weddings

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Champagne
1 tablespoon Cognac
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in the Champagne and Cognac. Refrigerate until chocolate mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, about 1 hour.
Using a small melon baller or ice-cream scoop, form 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar, and transfer to rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate truffles at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen.

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Fleur De Sel Caramels
From Ina Garten

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan (or loaf pan) with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to drape over 2 sides.
In a deep saucepan (6 inches diameter by 4 1/2 inches deep) combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until the caramel is a warm golden brown color. Don't stir - just swirl the pan to mix. Watch carefully, as it will burn quickly at the end!
In the meantime, bring the cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon fleur de sel to a simmer in a small pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, set aside and keep warm.
When the caramelized sugar is the right color, slowly add the cream mixture to the caramel - it will boil up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
Very carefully (it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.
When the caramels are cool, use the parchment paper to pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Starting at 1 end, roll the caramel up tightly until you've rolled up half of the sheet.
Cut the sheet across and then roll the second half tightly. You will have 2 (1 by 8-inch) logs. Sprinkle both logs lightly with fleur de sel, cut each log in 8 pieces.
Cut parchment papers in 6 by 4 1/2-inch squares and wrap each caramel in a paper, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Makes 16 pieces of candy.

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Monday's Leftovers: Truffled Mushrooms With Whipped Beans

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:50:32 -0800

If you're looking for something fast and easy to put on the table and are tired of your typical vegetables, turn to this dish. Its exotic flavors will wake up your palate.

This recipe transforms an ordinary ingredient like extra cannellini beans into a truly special meal with a quick whirl in the blender. To make this delightful dinner, read more.

Truffled Wild Mushrooms Over Whipped White Beans
From Vegetarian Times

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 lb. wild mushrooms, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. truffle oil

Directions

Heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, garlic and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer bean mixture to food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Return to skillet, cover and keep warm.
Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté 8 minutes, or until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.
Spoon whipped bean mixture into shallow bowls. Top with equal portions of mushrooms. Drizzle each serving with 1/2 tsp. truffle oil, and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 299, Protein 15 g, Total fat 7 g, Saturated fat 1 g, Carbs 46 g, Sodium 691 mg, Fiber 17 g, Sugars 2 g.

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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Kitchen Diva

partysugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:15:46 -0800

She's the queen of the kitchen, can whip up a double chocolate souffle while sleeping, and has dined at Momofuko Ko, David Chang's notoriously difficult-to-get-into restaurant, twice. Think there's nothing to get this kitchen diva - the girl whose been there, done that, got the t-shirt? Think again! She'll swoon at the site of a fabulously frilly apron and will die and go to heaven when she holds a bottle of the coveted cult classic 2004 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Or wow her with this "Red Diva" espresso machine: she'll have wonderfully fresh espresso at the push of a button!

Get more gift ideas in the widget below, or head to HolidaySugar for gift guides galore!

Good Things Come in Small Chocolate Packages

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:15:15 -0700

I love to follow up a nice meal with a little something sweet. It doesn't have to be much, just a little morsel at the end. Keeping this in mind, I went out to find a simple, sweet bite and stumbled across this recipe for Ice Wine Truffles. It looks ridiculously easy and wonderfully tasty so I'm going to give it a try. If you want to join me, get the recipe when you read more.

Ice Wine Truffles
From Christine Cushing via Food Network Canada

Note: If you don't have ice wine on hand, substitute with your favorite dessert wine or flavored liqueur.

Ingredients

6 oz good quality bitter sweet chocolate (180 gm)
1/2 cup whipping (35%) cream (125 ml)
2 tbsp ice wine (30 ml)
Finely chopped whole almonds (skin on), to taste
Good-quality cocoa powder, for rolling

Directions

Chop the chocolate very finely and transfer to a medium bowl.
Boil cream and immediately pour over chopped chocolate.
Stir until all chocolate has melted.
Stir in ice wine until blended.
Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Scoop into small balls with melon baller and transfer to a baking sheet.
Freeze for 10 minutes.
Roll truffles in almonds, then dust with cocoa powder.

Makes 20 truffles.

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TV Dinners: La Vie En Rose - Tournedos Rossini

partysugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:18:31 -0800

While on the first date with the love of her life, Édith Piaf - one of France's most beloved popstars - demands that her date, Marcel Cerdan, take her to a fancy restaurant. The boxer hopes to dine on pastrami sandwiches while Piaf- a diva in her own time - is hungry for tournedos rossini. A decadent dish that includes a thick slab of steak, foie gras, truffles, and a red-wine sauce, tournedos rossini are not for every day. They do however, make a wonderfully romantic and elegant meal. To see the recipe and check out a clip from La Vie En Rose - the movie that got Marion Cotillard a best actress nomination - read more.

Tournedos Rossini
From Just France

50g/2oz Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 slices of White Bread, crusts removed
4 tournedos of Beef Filet Mignon (tournedos)
Salt and Black Pepper
4 50g/2oz slices of Raw Foie Gras
2 tbsp Port
1 tbsp Brandy
1 tbsp Madeira
2 fresh Black Truffles, thinly sliced
190ml/6fl.oz. Beef or Veal Stock

Preheat the oven to warm, 250°F.
Cut the slices of bread into circles a little larger than the circumference of the beef tournedos then heat half the butter and a little of the oil in a frying pan on medium low heat, add the bread and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and place on a heatproof serving platter.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter and oil in another large frying pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper then add to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan with tongs, place each on top of the fried bread and place in the oven to keep warm.
Add the foie gras to the pan and sauté for 1 minute on each side, depending on the thickness. Remove from the pan with tongs, place once slice on each tournedos and return to the oven to keep warm.
Add the port, brandy and Madeira to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping up any bits in the bottom of the pan then boil until reduced by half.
Add the stock and sliced truffles, bring back to the boil and continue to boil rapidly for about 5 minutes to reduce.
To serve – pour the sauce over the top of the tournedos.

Serves 4.

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TV Dinners: Gossip Girl - Grilled Cheese

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:01:31 -0800

With the writers' strike putting a pause on my favorite television series plot, I've started watching repeats of Gossip Girl. I recently caught the pilot and came across a scene in which Chuck feeds a drunk Serena a grilled cheese sandwich from his hotel's kitchen.

Not your ordinary grilled cheese - it's actually on the New York Palace Hotel's restaurant menu - this sandwich costs $50. So what makes it so divinely delicious and extra expensive? Thick-cut housemade bread, imported Italian Fontina cheese, and fresh shaved black truffles. To take a look at a clip from the episode and check out the recipe, read more.

Gossip Girl's Grilled Cheese Sandwich
From Christopher Lee

8 slices of fresh baked white bread (look for a local bakery)
16 slices of fontina cheese
2 tbsp sweet butter
2 oz fresh shaved black winter truffles
salt and pepper, to taste

Layer 2 slices of fontina cheese between 2 slices of white bread and shave a couple of slices of truffles in the middle of each sandwich; do the same for all four sandwiches.
Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add the butter.
When the butter melts, add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is nice and toasted.
Remove and slice sandwiches in half and place into four plates.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

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Yummy Link: Oreo Truffles

partysugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:28:31 -0800

Looking for something sweet to serve your sweetie on Valentine's Day? Why not whip up a batch of these decadent chocolate truffles made from Oreo cookies? - Bakerella