I know, everyone's all revved up about the elections. Whatever the outcome, we're going to need chocolate afterwards - either to celebrate or commiserate. So I write for you a chocolate diary.
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These are not fast candies to make, but they are fairly simple. I've indicated places where they can be further simplified. What they all have in common is that they can be made while waiting for election results, and then consumed as soon as the results are all in - either in gleeful celebration, or to cheer you up after a disappointing outcome.
BonBons:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups light cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or flavoring of choice - rum is nice)
1 pound unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 ounce food paraffin
(or you could use dipping chocolate instead of the baking chocolate and paraffin)
Directions
1. Butter a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
2. Mix sugar and cream together in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Add butter, reduce the heat to low and cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 240ºF on a candy thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Let it cool about 2 hours. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the flavoring (vanilla, lemon, orange, rum, rose...use your imagination here). Using your hands, begin to pull and press the mixture. Keep pulling and kneading the mixture until it lightens in color, loses its shine, and no longer sticks to your fingers, about 15 to 45 minutes. Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until they are firm and cold, about 10 minutes.
4. In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate and food paraffin (or use a double boiler if you have one), stirring until it's smooth and well-combined. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate mixture, and return to baking sheet. If you use dipping chocolate, just heat in the microwave according to the instructions on the box. Refrigerate until the balls are chilled and the chocolate has set, about 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Beginning to end, this should take 4 1/2 - 5 hours, just about the time the election results are announced so they're nice, fresh and ready to devour.
Itzl Pawprints
Vegetable oil cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Large-flake sea salt
Dipping chocolate
Directions
1. Coat 16 cups of two 12-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture just starts to turn golden around edge.
3. Stir in pecans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is pale amber, about 8 minutes. Working quickly, spoon caramel into muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon each), and immediately sprinkle with salt. Let cool completely, about 2 hours on the counter or 30 - 40 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove the paws from the tins. The parchment lining should allow them to pop right out, but you may have to bang the tins a bit.
4. Melt chocolate and dip the bottoms of the "pawprints" then set on parchment paper to set, about an hour - 30 minutes if you chill them in the refrigerator.
Takes about 3 - 5 hours to make, mostly waiting.
Violet Crumbles (also known as Sponge Candy and Foam Candy)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo works best)
teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
3 teaspoon baking soda
1 bar semisweet chocolate (optional), melted, for dipping or drizzling or dipping chocolate
Directions
1. Lightly butter and flour a 9" x 13" aluminum roasting pan; set aside.
2. In a medium pot, combine sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently, until sugar has dissolved; it will start to bubble. Swirl occasionally. Add honey and continue cooking until temperature reaches 325°, then turn off heat. Let pan sit 3 minutes.
3. Dissolve gelatin in a scant 1 teaspoon water until it starts to thicken. Vigorously stir gelatin into sugar mixture until thoroughly combined.
4. Blend baking soda with a bit of water to make a thick paste. Quickly but gently stir the baking soda into the sugar mix, trying not to pop the rapid bubbles that form. Pour immediately into prepared pan. Do not stir or pop the bubbles. This is important.
5. Do not move pan; let sit for at least 2 hours, then use a large fork or hammer to break apart pieces.
6. If you dip the pieces in melted chocolate, they taste remarkably like that lovely Australian candy bar, Violet Crumbles. The texture's a bit off since this has much larger bubbles in it, but the flavor and crunch are really close. Let the chocolate firm up - about an hour on the counter or 30 minutes in the fridge.
Takes about 3 - 4 hours to make. If you don't dip it in chocolate, it's done faster. These are a bit hard, brittle, crunchy, and then they get a little chewy before they melt in your mouth. It's a whole serious of experiences, much like an election.
And now to the sweetest part of this diary - the Top Comments, Top Mojo and Picture Quilt.
TOP PHOTOS
October 28, 2012
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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