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Posts Tagged ‘dessert’

Saltine Toffee

April 29, 2017

Southern cooking relies on ingredients that are a.) Cheap, b.) tasty, and c.) generally pretty terrible for your body. Saltine Toffee historically meets all of those criteria. It’s often a Christmas cookie treat, but it’s one of my go to treats to send along on trips and as a gift.

Start by lining a sheet pan with saltine crackers. I line with foil for the mess and a sheet of parchment paper to stop the candy from sticking to the foil. Who wants to eat little bits of foil? (Foil sounds like f-oh-l when I say it, if that helps.)

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil. Stir to keep the sugar from burning for 3 minutes.

Pour the boiled sugar mixture over the crackers (it will plop, more than stream) and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven at 425 for 5 minutes until the sugar mixture is hot and bubbling, then remove and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. I’m a stickler for fair trade chocolate because imho, child slavery tastes bad. Cover with foil and let sit for 5 minutes until the chocolate has melted, then spread the chocolate out across the toffee crackers. I top it with pecans, because Central Texas, but it’s good as is or even with crushed peppermint.

Refrigerate until cool, peel the candy from the lined pan and break into bite sized pieces.

Saltine Toffee:
Soda crackers, about 50
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup salted butter
2 cups fair trade semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 pecans

Preheat oven to 425. Cover a lined baking sheet with soda crackers, leaving as little gap as possible. Place butter and brown sugar in a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Pour boiling sugar mixture over crackers and place the sheet pan in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate chips with a rubber spatula and then top with pecans if desired. Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes until cool. Break into serving pieces. Best fresh while the crackers are still crisp, but can be stored in an air tight container.

Tags:candy, chocolate, dessert, southern cooking, toffee
Posted in Food, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

HUGE fudge brownies

March 19, 2011

Since the addition of Moxie to my life I tend to make every thing in double batches, then freeze half for later. When making deserts this gives me the chance to make multiple varieties of everything. Today i was making brownies for a family function, but wanted some on hand for friends later in the week. Since I’m in a bit of a camp kitchen situation at the moment, I ended up pouring this truly enormous batch of brownie batter into a large baking pan, a small casserole, and two sets of mini muffin tins. They are exceptinally chocolaty, though some mini dark chocolate chips stirred in couldn’t really hurt.
I’m attempting to keep the kidlet off of refined sugars and corn syrup for as long as possible. If you don’t have cane sugar, the regular old white stuff would do the trick.

Frickin' HUGE batch of brownies

6 oz semi sweet chocolate
4 oz bakers choclate
4 sticks butter

3 cups cane sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla

2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
2 tbs cinamon
2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups chopped walnuts

Grease 2 9X13 inch baking pans. (Or one 9X13 inch pan, 2 12- cup mini muffin tins, 1 8X8 inch pan) Preheat oven to 350. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Pour in to large mixing bowl, being careful to scrape in all of the chocolate. Stir in sugars to incorporate. In a sperate bowl, lightly whip eggs. Mix eggs in to chocolate mixture a little at a time, mixing between additions. Combine dry ingredients, then add slowly to the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake. If using mini muffin tins, remove from the oven after about 10 minutes.

Tags:brownies, dessert, recipe
Posted in Food | 1 Comment »

Mom’s Red Velvet Cake

March 27, 2009

Excellent frosting job by Andy.

My mom’s recipe originally called for shortening instead of butter, but I refuse. She also used a boiled white frosting, but I think any excuse to eat cream cheese should be taken.

Frosting:
6 tbs butter, softened
12 oz cream cheese, chilled
3 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

In an electric mixer, cream butter. Add cream cheese, one dollop at a time, while mixing. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until the frosting is your desired consistency.

Cake:
1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 oz bottle red food coloring
3 tbs cocoa
2 1/2 c sifted cake flour
1 c buttermilk
1 tsp salt
1tbl vinegar
1 tsp soda

Cream shortening, sugar eggs, & flavors. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Add to first mixture. Alternately add flour and buttermilk. Mix soda and vinegar in small bowl and add to batter. Blend. Bake in 3 – 9″ or 10″ pans for 20-25 mins at 350. Let cool completely. Cover with frosting.

Tags:dessert, Food, recipe, red velvet cake
Posted in Food | 2 Comments »

Buttermilk Pie

September 7, 2008

I have no idea why, but this is quite possibly my favorite dessert. It’s ridiculously easy and is almost universally drooled over. I’m making it today in Austin and then going back to New Braunfels after eating one slice. Its probably best to maintain some distance between yourself and this pie.

Yeah, it is a store bought pie crust. What are you gonna do about it?

1/2 C FLOUR

3 3/4 C SUGAR GRANULATED

1 TEASPOON SALT

6 EGGS

2 TEASPOONS VANILLA

1 C BUTTER MELTED

1 C BUTTERMILK

Mix dry ingredients. Add yolks, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat the whites with a fork until frothy. Don’t over beat! Fold egg whites into custard mixture. Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells and bake at 350 until golden and mostly set. They’ll jiggle a bit in the middle, but not much. My mom’s recipe claims they cook in 30 minutes. I’ve never seen them set up in under 45 and its usually more like an hour.

Tags:buttermilk pie, dessert, Food, recipe
Posted in Food | 1 Comment »

Ricotta Cheesecake

May 11, 2008

This was an invention of mine for Valentines Day. It’s a compilation of many recipes I found. I’m told an actual graham cracker crust would make it better.

Softened butter, for pan
Graham cracker crumbs, for pan
32 oz ricotta cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tbs orange liquor
Zest of one orange
1 bar dark chocolate, melted w/ 2 tbs heavy cream or milk

Butter 9 1/2 inch spring form pan. Coat bottom and sides of pan w/ graham cracker crumbs. Tap out excess. In mixer: soften ricotta cheese, add sugar, flour, and salt until combined. Add eggs one at a time. Add flavorings and orange zest. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 300F for 1 1/4 hours until light brown. Cool completely. Top w/ melted chocolate.

Tags:cheesecake, dessert, Food, ricotta cheese, Valentines
Posted in Food | Leave a Comment »

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