Candied Orange Peel

My favorite thing in a chocolate shoppe is chocolate covered orange peel; however, orange peel without the chocolate is amazing itself!  I'm going to need some of this for some upcoming recipes, so it's drying on the rack for now.

Here's how it's done:

5-6 large navel oranges
4 1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 c water

Score each orange thru the pith about 6 times around.  Remove from the orange and with a sharp paring knife remove the excess pith.  It's okay to leave some on but you don't want it to be too thick.  This is the bitter part.  After you have done this with all your oranges, cut the peel into 1/4" slices and place into a large sauce pan.  Add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil.  Once it has come to a full boil, pour off the water and start again with fresh cold water.  You want to repeat this process 3-4 times in order to soften up the peel and lessen their bitterness.

Add 1 1/2 c water and 4 1/2 c sugar to a heavy sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until the temperature on a candy thermometer reads 300* - 340* (thin thread stage).  At this time, add the orange peel and adjust the heat to keep the peel simmering for about 45 minutes or until translucent.  Do not stir during this time.

Have a bowl with about 1 1/2 c sugar ready.  Once the peel has finished simmering, drain off the syrup (you can reserve this and use for other recipes or beverages if you desire).  Dump the peel into the bowl of sugar and toss to coat.  Remove to a wire rack and dry for several hours or overnight.

Orange you glad I shared this with you?

Caramelized Apple & Brown Sugar Spice Cake with Caramel Frosting

If this cake doesn't make you think of Thanksgiving, nothing will.  This is a 3-layer luscious and very moist spice cake filled with a caramel frosting and decorated with Marzipan pumpkins, acorns and leaves.  The leaves are dusted with edible lustre dust available wherever Wilton products are sold..  I'm very proud of this cake.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and grated on the large holes of a box grater (4 cups)

1/2 cup apple cider

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups pecan halves (5 ounces), toasted dark and finely ground in a food processor

Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Gold Marzipan Pumpkins, Leaves, and Acorns

STEP 1

Put 1/2 stick butter into a large nonstick skillet. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into skillet, and toss in pod. Cook over medium heat until butter is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until apples are golden and translucent and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla pod. Let cool.

STEP 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Reserve 1/4 cup flour mixture.

STEP 3

Beat remaining 2 sticks butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the sour cream and scraping bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour mixture to apple mixture, and toss. Fold in apple mixture and pecans.

STEP 4

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tops are dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Unmold cakes, and let cool, right side up, on rack. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

STEP 5

Assemble cake: Trim each cake so it's 1 3/4 inches high. Place 1 cake, cut side up, on a cake stand. Spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream over top. Place remaining cake, cut side down, on top. Spread 1 cup buttercream over entire cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, overnight.)

STEP 6

Before serving, decorate with marzipan pumpkins,acorns, and leaves.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe.

Candied Bacon & Pecan Buttermilk Scones

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In a previous post I shared a recipe on how to make Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear Butter.  It made me think about what I could make that would compliment it perfectly.  I came up with this recipe, and they were great together.  These scones are so moist and tender and tasty.  You have the sweet 'n salty taste of the candied bacon and the nuttiness of toasted pecans all rolled into a rich, buttermilk dough.  Serve with the Slow Cooker Salted Caramel Apple & Pear butter or a favorite curd or jam.  Not overly sweet, so perfect on a chilly autumn morning.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 T granulated sugar
4 T cold unsalted butter, diced
4 T vegetable shortening
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
6 strips candied thick sliced bacon (recipe below)
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1 egg, beaten with a tsp of water for an egg wash

Candied Bacon:
5 strips thick sliced bacon cut into thirds
1/2 c dark brown sugar
2 T pure maple syrup

Heat oven to 350*F.  Line a cookie sheet w foil and place a rack on top.  Place the cut bacon on the rack, set aside.
Mix brown sugar and maple syrup together.  Cover the bacon slices with the mixture.  I use my fingers and drop pieces on the bacon and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until crisp.  Cool completely, then dice with a sharp knife. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of it while you are preparing the scone batter! ;)

Place flour, baking soda & granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk to get any lumps out.  Add butter and shortening and with your fingers, work the mixture until the butter and shortening and pea size.  Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk all at once along with the vanilla.  Combine just until blended.  Toss in the diced bacon and pecan pieces.

Prepare the scone batter:
Cover a large cookie sheet w parchment paper, set aside.
On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out to about 1 1/2" thickness.  Using a floured biscuit cutter; one with a fluted edge will look nicer, cut out the scones and place them on the prepared cookie sheet.  It is okay if they touch.  With a pastry brush, brush the egg was all over the scones.  This will give them a nice browned color as they bake.
Bake approximately 12 minutes or until golden brown, but still tender to the touch.

Brilliant!  Absolutely Brilliant!

Chai Sugar Springerle Cookies

I have a new found love of Springerle Cookie Molds.  They are so intricately done and romantic.  I love the way they look and have been acquiring them little by little.  They are a little pricey, so this is a slow growing love.  I've purchased the ones pictured here from Springerle Joy.  They have a huge selection to choose from along with other tools of the trade and recipes to try them out on. Their website is also a great place to become familiar with Springerle, and where you can also purchase a book on the history of Springerle.

For those of you that may be new to Springerle, it is a German cookie with a stamped impression that is typically on the harder side and flavored with either anise or lemon.  However, any good sugar or butter cookie recipe can be adapted for Springerle. The designs are achieved by by either a rolling pin with designs on it, or individual cookie stamps. I've not had too much success with the rolling pin as the dough tends to stick in places if you don't get the flour distributed evenly.

For this recipe I chose to adapt a simple buttery Chai Sugar Cookie recipe.  If you can find Chai spice you're ahead of the game, otherwise you will need to make a batch and it takes 1 week to marry and become wonderful!  I have included the recipe to make your own below.

Ingredients for the Springerle:

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Chai Sugar (recipe below)

1. In a large bowl beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla paste with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. In a medium bowl sift together flour, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add flour mfixture to better mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half.
3. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out each dough half to 1/4" thickness. Place between parchment on 2 baking sheets and refrigerate for about an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line baking sheets with parchment.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator, removing top sheet of parchment paper. 
6. Important: Prepare you molds with a fine and even dust of flour. Reapply flour after every use (i.e., once for each cookie)
7. If your molds are round, use an appropriate size round cutter and cut the round and press into the mold, adding additional dough to any "low" areas created by a deep-cut design, if necessary.  Trim excess dough and repeat.  If your molds are square, press into the dough hard enough to make a clear impression, again filling any low areas with dough scraps, if necessary.  Trim edges with a sharp knife.
8. Place cookies 2" apart on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with Chair Sugar.Bake until edges of cookies are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.  
9. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

CHAI SUGAR

1 c sugar
1 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped and reserved

1. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and vanilla bean and seeds. Cover and let stand in a cool, dry place for at least 1 week or up to 6 months.
2. Discard vanilla bean. Transfer to an airtight contain.

Recipe adapted from Taste of the South Magazine 2013 Fall Baking Special Issue

Chai for now!

Natural Almond Brown Sugar Body Scrub w Oatmeal & Honey

This is my "go to" recipe for a natural, homemade body scrub, and makes wonderful gifts as well.

What you'll need:

3/4 C. packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 C. processed Old Fashioned Oats
3 T Coarse Sea Salt (optional)
1 T Honey
1/3 C. Carrier Oil (Jojoba or Almond)
3-4 drops of Almond Essential Oil
10 oz. clean glass jar w/lid

Process Oats in food processor until fine.  In a large glass or stainless bowl mix together all ingredients, making sure there are no dry areas.  I prefer a moist, rather than a wet scrub.  However, if you prefer a wetter one, add more carrier oil - NOT essential oil.  Essential oil is very concentrated and should only be added a drop at a time until you achieve the fragrance strength you prefer. Place in jar and replace lid.  I prefer glass as opposed to plastic, firstly because it's earth-friendly, and secondly because the oil tends to break down the plastic over time and leaves a sticky residue.  Not ideal for reusing the container when it's time to make more.

The benes:  The oatmeal helps with itchy skin, the brown sugar acts as an exfoliant, adding sea salt helps heal irritated skin and provides a heavier exfoliant.  The honey has natural antiseptic & antibacterial properties, and the carrier oil is necessary as it is used to dilute essential oils before they are applied to the skin; i.e., they carry the essential oil onto the skin.  It also serves to moisten and soften your skin.  Essential oil provides a fragrance, so choose one that appeals to you.

Note: You can also grind up whole unblanched almonds and add as an exfoliant instead of the sea salt.

Use within 2 months.  Before refilling, clean the jar in hot, soapy water and dry with a clean cloth.



Always aromatherapy,