By Request - Potato Candy

Recently, a friend was looking at a post and said OOOO, potato candy.  Then informed me that the recipe I have here is not what she grew up with.  She was looking for the rolled potato candy that is filled with peanut butter.  I told her that I had grown up with that candy and my mother's instructions were to, and I quote, 'take whatever leftover mashed potato you have, mix in powdered sugar until you can roll it out, spread it with peanut butter.  Roll it up carefully and cut into pieces'

Have you ever done this?  I used to start with WAY too much potato and would need really obnoxious amounts of sugar to get anything near being able to roll.  So, to keep in simple, I experimented and found the following works well.  Keep in mind, sugar may need to be added, depending on humidity.

1/2 cup mashed potatoes (no added milk, butter, sour cream, etc.  Just potatoes)
2 to 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
peanut butter

Mix together the potatoes and 2 lbs of the sugar.  If it is no longer sticky and can be rolled out, proceed.  If not, add sugar until the desired consistency is reached.

Roll flat.  Spread with peanut butter (smooth or chunky).  Roll up, jelly roll style.  Cut into pieces and wrap in parchment, wax paper or cellophane.

Au Gratin Potatos

Au Gratin refers to preparing food with a cheese sauce that is then baked, with or without breadcrumbs, until the top is golden brown.  The recipe below is for potatoes, but feel free to substitute pasta.  If you like crumb topped gratin,  feel free to mix 3 tablespoons of butter with 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs and spread over the top before putting in the oven.

  3 Tbl butter                                         2 Lb Red Potatoes, cooked and sliced 1/2-inch thick

  2 Tbl cake flour                                  4 Ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

  2 Cups 1% Milk                                 4 Ounce Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

  Salt, To Taste                                                                          

  White Pepper, To Taste                                                           

                                                                                                 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 2 quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. In saucepan, over medium heat, melt the remaining butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly.  As the liquid thickens, add more milk, until all is incorporated and thickened to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese until melted and remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, pour the sauce over the sliced new potatoes and fold together.  Pour into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until golden brown and  bubbly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

The Mummy

Everyone is familiar with Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice, thanks to the movie.  Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas - very few passed up the chance to feast their eyes on that flick.  It was a good story, too, I am sure.  Never one to follow hype, I never had an inkling to read Anne Rice novels, until now.  The Mummy, Or Ramses the Damned, is a captivating story of 20th Century England combined with Egypt, Ramses the Great and Cleopatra.  It is a rollicking story that keeps your attention to the very end.  If you have not read Anne Rice novels, or if you have only read the Vampire Chronicles, it is time to expand your horizons.

Venison (or Beef) and Squash Casserole.

This casserole, cooked in a slow cooker, is very healthy due to the squash and venison.  No venison on hand?  Get a lean ground beef.

  2 1/4 Tsp dried thyme                               3/4 Lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

  2 Tsp kosher salt                                      14.5 Ounce Diced Tomatoes, Undrained                  

  3/4 Tsp ground black pepper                     14.5 Ounce Diced Tomatoes, Drained

  5 Tbl cornstarch                                       1 Small small butternut squash,               

  1 1/2 Lb Venison, Ground                          1 Tsp olive oil               

  1 Stalk Celery, Sliced                                                               

  1/2 Tsp Anise Seed                                                                  

                                                                          

                                                                

Combine thyme, salt, and pepper.  Set aside 1 teaspoon of the mixture and stir cornstarch into the remainder. Toss the Venison, celery, anise and potato in the cornstarch mixture and place in a 6-quart slow cooker, pressing down.  Top with tomatoes.  Peel, seed and slice the squash into 1/8 inch pieces.  Toss squash with oil and remaining thyme mixture. Arrange the squash on top of the tomatoes, making two layers.  Cover and cook 4  hours on high or 8 hours on low

Cherry Infused Wine Sauce

This is a yummy sauce.  Made with a sweet red wine and dried cherries, it marries the sweetness of these with the savory chicken stock.  Serve it hot with Ham, as listed below, or chicken. 

  1.5 Tsp cornstarch                                                1/2 Cup Sweet Red Wine

  1 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock                                       2.5 Ounce Dried Cherries

  1/8 Tsp ground allspice                                          2 Tbl packed brown sugar

Stir the cornstarch and stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth, set aside.  In a 2 or 3 quart pot over medium-high heat, stir together the allspice, wine, cherries and brown sugar and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.  Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and  thickens and reduces about 1/3.  Serve with sliced ham.

To Dip or Not To Dip

I Love Caramel.  Unfortunately, now that I make it at home, I only like it homemade.  Maybe not so unfortunately, calorie wise, but I digress.  The caramel below has two options - dipping or no dipping.  If you dip them in chocolate, they taste very much like Turtle Candy.  They are excellent naked, too.  You decide - let me know what you think is better.

  1 Cup Butter, No Substitutes                                          14 Ounce Sweetened Condensed Milk

  2 1/4 Cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed                           1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla

  Dash salt                                                                      3/4 Cup Pecans, Coarsely Chopped

  1 Cup Light Corn Syrup                                                 3/4 Cups Sweetened Coconut

                                                                                                 

Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper.  Melt butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat; stir in brown sugar and salt. Stir in corn syrup. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly until combined. Using a candy thermometer, cook to 248 degrees F (about 25 minutes), swirling occasionally (the mixture will be very bubbly). Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla,  nuts and coconut. Immediately pour into prepared pan.

Let candy cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares.  You now have a choice:

1.  Refrigerate the candy overnight and dip in chocolate. allow the chocolate can harden.  Wrap as in option two.

OR

2.  Wrap each square in waxed paper or cellophane candy sheets and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Coconut Cake - a new Easter Tradition

I made this coconut cake for Easter this year and I think this will become my annual holiday tradition.  If you like coconut, this is the cake for you.

  Cake:                                                                       1 Cup Sour Cream

  2 Sticks butter, Room Temp                                        4 Tbl Coconut Milk

  2 Cups sugar                                                              1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut

  4 Large eggs                                                             Frosting:

  3 Cups All Purpose Flour                                            1 1/2 Cup sugar

  3 3/4 Tsp Baking Powder                                            1/4 Tsp Cream Of Tartar

  3/8 Tsp Salt                                                                1/8 Tsp salt

  1 Cup Coconut Milk                                                    1/3 Cup water

  3/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract                                                2 egg whites

  1/4 Tsp Coconut Extract                                              1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

  Filling:                                                                      1/2 Tsp Coconut Extract

  3/4 Cup Sugar                                                             3 Cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 9x3 inch cake pans.  Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and coconut milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and coconut extracts and continue to beat until just mixed.  Divide batter equally among prepared pans.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks.

Filling:Stir together sugar, sour cream, coconut milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended. Place the first cake layer onto pedestal.  Spread half of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer and remaining filling.  Top with last cake.

Frosting:Place sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla and coconut extracts. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle  top and sides of cake with coconut.