Candied Orange Slices

Reading blogs, craft blogs, that is, usually means I follow links and end up very far away from where I originally started. Thankfully, though, that's how I found this recipe for candied orange slices! It was on the blog named Brownie Points--it looks like another great food blog.

I just started the recipe tonight and will have to wait 2 weeks before it's done, but it looks worth the wait!

1 kg of sugar = 5 cups of sugar
600 g of water = 3 cups of water
100 g of sugar = .44 cups of sugar

Candy Orange Slices

modified version of procedure for candying fruit by Jean-Pierre Wybauw in Fine Chocolates, p70. Wybauw’s method utilizes a sugar refractometer- the following method doesn’t.

Fruit Prep:

• Clean three oranges by scrubbing under warm water.
• Slice into thin rounds. This candying method worked on all thickness of slices I tried up to 1/4 inch thick.
• The slices can be kept as circles, or cut into halves or quarters (hemi-circles and quarter-circles).

Blanching:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
• Have a bowl of ice water near by.
• Add the sliced oranges to the boiling water (may need to be done in batches depending on the size of your pot). Scoop from the boiling water when the slices float to the top and place into ice water to cool.
• When cool, drain and remove the slices from the ice water and transfer to a container large enough to hold all of the slices.

Candying:

• Bring to a boil: 1 kg of sugar (5 cups) and 600 g (3 cups) of water. This step is to just dissolve the sugar (not to cook the syrup).
• Pour the hot syrup over the orange slices. If the orange slices float, weigh them down to keep them fully submerged. Weighing down method I used the first week: placed a plate on top of the orange slices and a glass jar of water on top of the plate.
• Store the submerged orange slices in a dark cool place, like a cupboard or closet for the duration of the candying. I didn’t refrigerate them.
• Each day increase the sugar content of the orange slice sugar solution. Do this by draining off the sugar solution the slices are submerged in, add 100 g (.44 cups) of sugar, heat the solution to just dissolve the sugar, and pour back over the orange slices.
• Complete this increase-sugar step daily for two weeks.
• Notes
  • I didn’t follow the schedule as written: I skipped a couple days of the increase-sugar schedule, and just resumed the increase-sugar step when I was able to. My impression is that this recipe is not very picky about increasing the sugar each day. I think the variable of time is important though- don’t try to shorten the duration of this recipe.
  • Storage: the orange slices may be stored in the sugar solution indefinitely. No need to refrigerate, they can be stored in a cool dark place, like a cupboard.

Drying and dipping
The orange slices are removed from the sugar solution. Finishing can take multiple different routes:
arrange on a drying rack out at room temperature till less tacky, 1-2 days then

• roll in sugar (plain, vanilla, or with a touch of citric acid),
• or dip in chocolate (white, dark or milk- tempered holds up best).
• or you can do both- like in the picture: dip 3/4 of the orange slice in chocolate and sugar the exposed portion.

Storage of finished candies
In an air tight container is best to keep out humidity. I gifted these in glass canning jars or crunchy cellophane bags. The survivors of my nibbling suggest that these candies hold up well: at least a month, probably more.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

I could eat this dressing all by myself!!! It's soooooooo good! I found the recipe in a magazine called Midwest Living.

I used homemade plain yogurt and gorgonzola cheese.

Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt/sour cream
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese (1 oz.)
  
• 2-3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese (1 oz.)
• chopped chives
  

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix together.

2. Transfer to bowl and stir in 1/4 cup crumbled cheese and chives.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the dressing as directed. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

Found the recipe for "Hot Pastrami Sandwiches" at My Recipes. Haven't made it but it's another recipe I'd like to try.

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches

Yield: Makes 16 sandwich halves

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thinly sliced peppered pastrami
• 2 pounds thinly sliced corned beef
• 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 16 slices rye bread
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• About 3 cups coleslaw (homemade or from the deli)

Preparation

1. Place pastrami, corned beef, and broth in a slow-cooker.* Heat, covered, on lowest setting until hot, stirring periodically, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

2. Set out bread slices and cheese on a platter, and mustard and coleslaw in small bowls. Cover with plastic wrap until served (up to 1 hour).

3. When pastrami mixture is hot, invite guests to make their own sandwiches, or assemble for them: Spread 2 slices of bread with mustard. Pile a generous helping of the meats onto 1 slice, then top with a slice of cheese, about 1/3 cup coleslaw, and the second piece of bread. Cut sandwiches in half, they're large, so consider sharing.

*If you don't have a slow-cooker, put the pastrami and corned beef with a little broth in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and warm in a microwave oven.

Crispy Hash Browns

Made hash brows this morning and they were just like I like them, crispy! I found the "Crispy Hash Browns" recipe with the "secret" step at Simply Recipes.

Crispy Hash Browns

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil
• 1 lb Russet baking potatoes, peeled and grated
• Salt and pepper

Equipment needed:
Large frying pan (at least a 9" diameter bottom)
Potato ricer

Method

1 Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat.

2 While the pan is heating, squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes. It's easiest to do this with a potato ricer, using it much like you would a garlic press, except you don't force the potatoes through the ricer. You just press out the moisture. If you don't have a ricer, use paper towels to squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes.

3 When the oil in the pan heats up to the point of shimmering, but not smoking, add the grated potatoes, spreading them out along the bottom of the pan. The potatoes should not be too thick in any one place, no more than a half inch thick. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the potatoes. After a few minutes, lift up one edge of the potatoes and see how done they are. If they have fried to a golden brown they are ready to flip. Use a large spatula to flip the potatoes over all at once, or divide the large potato cake into halves or quarters and flip. Continue to cook until they are golden brown on the bottom.

Serves 4.

Pear Galette

I purchased a bag of pears from Costco and wanted to used them in a dessert. I read about "galettes" on craft blogs and wanted to try making one too. I found two recipes that I liked but only made one. I'll try the 2nd one later and then decide which one I like better.

#1 - Pear Galette, from website Food & Wine
#2 - Maple-glazed Pear Galette, from the blog Fueled by Plants

Recipe #1

Ingredients

1. 1 cup all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 7 tablespoons unsalted butter--5 tablespoons cut into small pieces and chilled, 2 tablespoons melted
5. 1 egg
6. 1 teaspoon milk
7. 2 tablespoons apricot preserves, strained
8. 2 large Bosc pears
9. 1/2 teaspoon very hot water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, toss the flour with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg over the flour mixture and stir. Working quickly, gather the dough into a smooth mass, squeezing it gently. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 9 1/2 -inch round, turning it clockwise an inch or two each time you roll to maintain an even shape. Transfer the dough to a heavy flat baking sheet. Fold up 1/4 inch of the edge of the dough to form a neat rim. Using a knife, score the rim in a decorative pattern. Brush the rim with a little of the remaining beaten egg. Brush 1 tablespoon of the apricot preserves over the bottom of the dough and refrigerate while you prepare the pears.
4. Peel, quarter and core the pears. Slice each quarter lengthwise into 5 thin wedges. Arrange all but 6 of the pear wedges on the dough in a spoke pattern, overlapping them slightly. Cut the remaining pear wedges and arrange them in the center of the tart to form a decorative rose. Brush the pear slices with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.
5. Bake the galette in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender and the pastry is crisp and golden. Carefully slide the galette onto a rack to cool slightly.
6. Stir the hot water into the remaining 1 tablespoon of apricot preserves and brush on the pears. Serve the galette at room temperature.

ChocoFlan

I saw Rick Bayless make chocoflan on his cooking show last night and am so glad I found the recipe online! I think I'll need to buy the cake pan/mold but that's not a problem because I think it might just get used often!

Impossible Cake (AKA chocoflan)

Serves 12 generously

Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico--One Plate at a Time

Revised October, 2009

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Ingredients

For the mold:

A little softened butter and some flour

1 cup store-bought or homemade cajeta (goat milk caramel)

For the cake:

5 ounces (10 tablespoons) butter, slightly softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons espresso powder dissolved in 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water

Or 3 tablespoons espresso

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I like the more commonly available - not Dutch process - cocoa best here)

9 ounces buttermilk

For the flan:

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Mexican vanilla

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Directions

1. Prepare the mold. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and position the rack in the middle. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round cake pan (you need one that's 3 inches deep), sprinkle with flour, tip the pan, tapping on the side of the counter several times, to evenly distribute the flour over the bottom and sides, then shake out the excess. Microwave the cajeta for 30 seconds to soften it, then pour over the bottom of the pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Set a kettle of water over medium-low heat. Set out a deep pan that's larger than your cake pan (a roasting pan works well) that can serve as a water bath during baking.

2. Make the cake. With an electric mixer (use the flat beater, if yours has a choice), beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light in color and texture. Scrape the bowl. Beat in the egg and espresso. Sift together the all-purpose and cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa. Beat in about 1/2 of the flour mixture, at medium-low speed, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat. Scrape the bowl, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute.

3. Make the flan. In a blender, combine the two milks, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend until smooth.

4. Layer and bake. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread level. Slowly, pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. (I find it easiest to pour the mixture into a small ladle, letting it run over onto the batter.) Pull out the oven rack, set the cake into the large pan, then set both pans on the rack. Pour hot water around the cake to a depth of 1 inch. Carefully slide the pans into the oven, and bake about 45 to 50 minutes, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, except for the very center . Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

5. Serve. Carefully run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake/flan to free the edges. Invert a rimmed serving platter over the cake pan, grasp the two tightly together, then flip the two over. Gently jiggle the pan back and forth several times to insure that the cake/flan has dropped, then remove the pan. Scrape any remaining cajeta from the mold onto the cake.

Homemade Muesli

I haven't made this recipe yet but found it online and I think the kids will like it. It seems pretty similar to the homemade granola recipes I make.

Scandinavian Muesli
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
2/3 cup rye flakes or wheat flakes (see Note)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (1 3/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (optional; see Tip)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye (or wheat) flakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until the oats are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off the oven. Stir raisins into the muesli.
2. Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; drizzle over the muesli and stir to coat. Return the muesli to the turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseeds, if using.

Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each.

Per serving:196 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 5 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Fiber (18% daily value).

Ingredient Note: Rye or wheat flakes are simply rye or wheat kernels that have been steamed and rolled, oatmeal-style. Look for them in natural-foods stores.

Tip: Grind flaxseeds in a clean coffee grinder or dry blender just before using.