Cranberries!

I've been asked to fix a double batch of the Cranberry Chutney I've made for the past 7 years for the same function. Personally, I love this recipe so much that the canned variety of sauce is now ruined for me. It's insanely good. It's got some crazy textures going on with a surprisingly spicy sweet and sour kick. Definitely not your grandma's cylindrical sauce that slurps out of a can. I'm now of the opinion that a person should never be able to stack their cranberry sauce like cord wood in a serving dish. I don't care how much parsley lays underneath for "presentation". There ought to be laws against it. I'm horribly embarrassed I ever did that.

About this chutney... Again, I found this recipe HERE. At the time, I had a bag of berries I feared would go bad if I didn't use them right away. I also had all the necessary components needed to make it. So, I fed my fear and made the sauce. Unfortunately, it was January--a little too late for the holidays--but it was awesome for the Super Bowl. Having no meat to serve this with--I spooned it over cream cheese and served with butter crackers. AWESOME!

In later years, I chopped up left over turkey and mixed it into some of the chutney and served it like a sandwich on a bagel that has been schmeared with cream cheese. The same turkey salad is also great on left over salad or rolls too.

On my Tuesday agenda: make a double batch of cranberry chutney. I may or may not go to the grocery store for bagels, crackers and cream cheese.

Cranberry Chutney

1 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup apples - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

In a medium saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Add the cranberries, apples, cider vinegar, raisins and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes stirring often. Pour mixture into a mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce. Cool to room temperature and serve or cover and refrigerate. Bring chutney to room temperature before serving.

HINT: The chutney tastes best if made a day or two in advance to allow the flavors to meld.

Addendum: I could never perfect the technique of getting the gelled cranberry sauce out of the can without marring the surface. One crack... one scratch and the glistening sheen of the cylinder is ruined. For whatever reason, it just doesn't taste the same if it's not perfectly can shaped. It can only be saved if eaten with olive covered fingertips.

Congo Bars

For as many yummy recipes my mother had in her arsenal, there were a few complete misses—the one that first comes to mind are her Congo Bars.  It was like a challenge for my mom, I suppose, to finally conquer the recipe and make it work.  Ultimately, the recipe won.  There was no cracking it in her lifetime.  They never came out right--but you know, that never stopped my mom from trying.  She made these all the time. 

Just to clarify things a bit…. 

Congo bars fit into the category of brownies and blondie—the difference being the addition of toasted coconut being added to the dough along with chocolate chips and nuts.  The bars should have the same consistency as their counterparts.  

So, what was wrong with my mom’s recipe?  The end product never cooked evenly.  The edges were break-a-tooth rock hard while portions of the center were undercooked and doughy. .. and the bottom overbrowned or burnt.  Now, I even tried to make the same recipe with the same result—so it wasn’t my mom—the recipe she had was a bad one.  After researching a bit, the recipe we meticulously followed had issues.  Subsequently, I chucked said recipe and found a new one.  

Cook’s Illustrated’s version:

Congo Bars

How Congo Bars are supposed to look.

• 1 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped
• 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (+ ¾ cup coconut, toasted to sprinkle on top--optional)
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 TBSP unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), melted and cooled (No substitutions!) 
• 1.5 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tsp vanilla extract ( I know, it’s a lot)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips—(may use milk chocolate chips or butterscotch—or blend all three together). 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast the coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.  

Fit two pieces of aluminum foil into a 13 by 9″ baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Stir melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix.   Fold in chocolate, coconut, and nuts.

Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.  Sprinkle with toasted coconut.  

Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not over bake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Turtle Bars

This particular recipe was one of my mom's "go-to" recipes in case of emergency pot luck. At least, it was one of her favorite recipes in her arsenal of pot luck friendly dishes she knew she'd never bring back home.  These cookie bars got rave reviews wherever she brought 'em. 

On a practical note, this "fills the bill" at least once a month when we are hormonally challenged.  If you really want something salty, add salt into the recipe either in the  crust or in the filling...  It works!  I know...

Turtle Bars:

For Crust:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

For filling:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Topping:
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. For crust, combine flour, brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. 
2. For filling, Sprinkle pecans evenly over crust.  Combine butter and brown sugar in small saucepan. cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
3. Bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle evenly with chocolate pieces.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into bars.
   
   

Homemade Marshmallows

Thinking about gift giving?  Here's an idea... a package of homemade marshmallows coupled with a jar of your favorite homemade hot cocoa mix. These puffy squares o' bliss are absolutely delish!  If you never had the homemade variety, you just don't know what you are missing.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 3 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cornstarch--divided
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar--divided

Directions

1. Oil the sides a 9x13 baking dish (not the bottom) and line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. . Cut another piece of parchment to cover, set aside.  Blend cornstarch and confectioner's sugar together in a bowl, mixing well.  Sift 1/4 cup of this mixture on top of parchment lining the bottom of the pan. It's important to sift to eliminate any lumps.  
2. Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to allow gelatin to bloom.
3. While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.
4. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on high for about 8 minutes with electric mixer OR until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks. Add vanilla extract, and beat just until blended.
5. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using an oiled spatula to smooth the top of the candy.  Sift another 1/4 cup cornstarch/powdered sugar over the surface of the marshmallow. Cover the candy with the reserved parchment, and press down lightly.

Allow the marshmallow candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight. Mix together cornstarch and confectioner's sugar in a shallow dish. Using a pizza cutter that has been either oiled--or dipped in hot water, cut the marshmallow candy into strips 1 inch wide, then into 1 inch squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in the cornstarch mixture and store in an airtight container. 

This is where the creativity plays the ace.  

Some of my all-time favorite customized versions of this candy are:  

• Toasted Coconut--coconut extract + toasted coconut sprinkled on top.
• Chocolate--cocoa powder
• Peppermint--Peppermint extract with or without crushed peppermint candy sprinkled on top.  (For visual appeal, as soon the candy is panned up, adding red food coloring then marbling the color with a butter knife throughout the candy. 
• Lemon--lemon extract
• Raspberry--Raspberry extract with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on top.  

Imagination is the limit.  

Colored sugars, sprinkles, etc can also be used.  

Experiment! 

Grandma's Popcorn Balls

 Like Rice Krispy Treats, but not really... 

Ingredients: 
9 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package large marshmallows
6 tablespoon fruit flavored gelatin mix, any flavor

Directions:
Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. In a sauce pan, melt butter and marshmallow over low heat. stir in gelatin. Pour over popcorn. Toss to coat. When cool enough to handle, lightly butter hand and quickly shape into balls.



Modifications: Depending upon flavor of gelatin used, candy or other complimentary mix-ins can be added.

The BEST Rolled Sugar Cookie EVER!!

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Sifted powder sugar for rolling

 Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on surface sprinkled with powdered sugar to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven or until edges of cookie start to brown. Cool completely. 

Other ideas...  

Add 1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy to dough.  Shape into 1 inch balls, then flatten with the tines of a fork using  cross-hatch pattern--like typically seen on peanut butter cookies.  Cook as directed above.  Note:  you'll need to use parchment paper to line cookie sheets for this. 

Cookie Candy Corn...
Divide cookie dough into three parts--or simply make three batches of dough. 

Using past food colors, color one part yellow and another orange.  The last third, leave uncolored.

In a waxed paper lined loaf pan, press yellow dough into the bottom--distributing dough equally.  Press orange dough on top of yellow dough, then press the uncolored dough on top.  Remove pressed dough from pan, cover and chill for 2-3 hours. 

Once chilled, slice dough 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick then cut each slice into triangles.  Bake as directed. 

Gather up scraps and gently knead into a ball allowing colors to marbleize, but not blend.  Roll into 1 inch balls.  Roll balls in orange sugar crystals.  Bake as directed.

Got any other ideas?  Please share them!