Delightful raspberry tarts and honeyed rolls materialize on glistening dishes on the dining table to either side of you, followed a second later by a plate of your favorite wine soaked chicken directly in front of you, its aromatic steam wafting up in the frigid-not-frigid air of the Munaqsri's Arctic palace. Your sigh of contentment is interrupted by the hungry slurping coming from across the long table where bits of seal gut and blood stain the formed snow. You sigh again, this time with a little self control and a heart full of endearment. You did marry a polar bear after all.
In Sarah Beth Durst's beautiful Arctic fantasy novel Ice (reminiscent of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Beauty and the Beast, and White Bear King Valemon), the meals and foods are often used to enhance the meaning of a scene or to bring further understanding of a character or setting. Comfort and the facade the facade thereof, and desperation and providence, among other themes, are shown through food or meals via Durst's succinct and engrossing writing style. Read my review of Ice here.
Note: The favorite chicken meal in the story is simply described as being "wine soaked". Because the dish is served in the Arctic, science-magic palace of a polar bear spirit caretaker, and because I love creamy sauces, I decided to not only marinate the chicken in white wine, but also to cover it in a creamy white wine sauce (and obviously I chose white wine instead of red).
Another very important point to note, this dish can be non-alcoholic (because even heated, alcohol doesn't entirely cook off). Instead of using wine, use a mixture of white grape juice and white vinegar! This makes for a wonderful and unique flavor. I adore it.
Cassie's Favorite Wine Soaked Chicken (w/ Cream Sauce) Ingredients:
2 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts Marinade
1 Cup White Wine (the drinking kind, not the cooking kind)
OR
1 Tbsp. White Vinegar + enough White Grape Juice to equal 1 Cup
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Paprika Cream Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup White Wine (same kind as used for marinade)
OR
2 tsp. White Vinegar + enough White Grape Juice to equal 3/4 Cup
2 Tbsp. Flour
Pinch of Ground Sage
Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Cracked Pepper, to taste
Directions: 1. Remove the fat & yucky bits from the chicken & then slice them however you'd like (medium, bite-sized, or leave whole). Place the chicken into a sturdy plastic baggie or a plastic dish with a lid in which the chicken can lay flat. Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients & pour the resulting mixture over the chicken. Close the baggie or container & toss (or squish in the case of the baggie) to coat & then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. Remove the chicken from the fridge & pour out the marinade (there are bits of chicken stuff in the marinade that will make the sauce look gross if you reserve it. So just go ahead & pour it down the drain & we'll start fresh for the sauce in step 3, okay?). Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat & fry the chicken about 5-6 minutes each side. Times vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Make a little slice into the thickest part of the chicken to make sure the inside is cooked (no pinkness). You can also grill the chicken for about 5 mins per side or bake for about 15 mins at 375°F, but again the times are totally dependent upon the thickness of your chicken. Once the chicken is done transfer it to a serving dish.
3. Thoroughly whisk together all of the cream sauce ingredients except for the salt & pepper. Pour the sauce into a medium pot over medium high heat & bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cracked pepper & salt to taste. Turn heat to low & let thicken even more, continuing to stir. Spoon over the chicken or serve in a gravy-type dish on the side. You could alternately stir the chicken into the cream sauce, especially if the chicken is cut into cubes. Wonderful with pasta & mushrooms!
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone! Thank you so much for your interest and support throughout 2013! Stay tuned for more fun recipes from, or inspired by, books, film, and games! I'll continue to bring you new posts every Monday, and some on random days too. There are just so many foods I want to make and share!
Last night I made a "Doctor Who" themed Crescent-Wrapped Brie with a TARDIS on top (pictured below), and for Christmas today I'll be making Whoville Roast Beast (recipe forthcoming) and Peeta's Cheese Buns! I'll be making a few other foods too, of course, but they won't be fiction related (I do have plans for some of the leftovers though). For more about the crescent-wrapped brie see below.
"Doctor Who" TARDIS Crescent-Wrapped Brie
This is a very easy recipe, requiring only 4 ingredients, adapted from Pillsbury's website. Please refer to the original recipe here. I added apricot preserves inside by slicing the brie wheel in half through the middle (making two circles), placing one circle onto the prepared dough (on a floured surface), spooning about 1 Tbsp. or so of preserves on, & then placing the other brie half on top. I then continued following the recipe for putting on the dough. Make sure the dough on the sides isn't too thin or the hot cheese & preserves may spill out during baking. Leave out enough dough to make a TARDIS & little leaf shapes, plus 2 hearts & a couple of stars if you want. I used tiny cookie cutters for everything but the TARDIS which I cut out using a small spatula & a knife. I affixed all of the cut-outs with wetted fingers & then lightly brushed the whole thing with the beaten egg + water to make it thinner. Follow directions for baking & serve with fruit including sliced apples or pears. Makes a yummy appetizer or party snack!
In a few days we'll be saying goodbye to our dear Matt Smith as The Doctor in BBC's long-running, science fantasy show "Doctor Who". What better way to send him off than with one of his favorite treats? I've already shared my fish finger yorkie recipe (small yorkshire puddings) so it's time for my take on jammy dodgers! Served with tea of course. I was promised tea.
These cookies/biscuits have appeared several times during Matt Smith's tenure as Doctor, beginning in the season 5 episode "Victory of the Daleks", and continuing in audio dramas, prose, and later TV episodes. In many of these instances I'm sure Jammie Dodgers, the popular British biscuits from Burton's Foods with the little heart in the center, were the ones meant (and seen very obviously in "The Bells of Saint John"), but in that first instance (s.5, ep.3), I don't even think the unsuspecting eyestalk of a Dalek would fall for a tiny red heart being a self destruct button. No, if you'll notice in the screen capture below, that's a red circle in the cookie he's holding. Then, after the Daleks' scan comes up with nothing, The Doctor eats it.
"All right...it's a jammy dodger, but I was promised tea!"
—Eleventh Doctor, "Victory of the Daleks", S.5, Ep.3
Often referred to as Jammie Dodgers (capitol "J", capitol "D", and an "ie") and sometimes jammy dodgers (as I've done. Notice the lowercase letters and a "y"), these shortbread biscuits are similar in style to linzer cookies, anglesey cakes, and biscuits à la confiture (and still others); all jam filled sandwich cookies with a shape cut out of the top layer. The "dodger" part is original to the Burton's brand, being inspired by the comic character "Roger the Dodger" (1953-present), but I wonder if, because they have been so popular for decades, that some British are prone to calling any type of similar cookie a jammie/jammy dodger, like in America we sometimes say kleenex for tissues or scotch tape for translucent tape. I kinda feel like the "y" ending is the one I should use for homemade and the "ie" for the official ones from Burton's Foods. Maybe? I don't know, it was probably a Crawford's jam ring or Fox's jam sandwich—or a bleeping thumbprint cookie—that was in "Victory of the Daleks". But The Doctor called it a j—dodger! Oh well, let's move on and make our own...whatever they are.
TARDIS cinnamon ornament in background. Recipe here.
Note: I created these cookies to be comparable to Burton's Jammie Dodgers; crumbly shortbread with a jam middle, but I wanted mine to be softer. I think mine taste a little more buttery too. And they're definitely perfect for tea. And just FYI, for novelty purposes, Jammie Dodgers are available state-side at World Market/Cost Plus stores (this is how I was able to do taste and texture comparisons).
Eleven's TARDIS Self Destruct Buttons (a.k.a. Jammy Dodgers) Ingredients:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature (soft)
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar (Baker's/Fine Sugar if you have it)
1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, slightly packed
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
Pinch of Nutmeg
A Little More Than Just a Pinch of Salt
Seedless Raspberry or Strawberry Preserves (without chunks of fruit)
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter on medium speed & then add in both of the sugars & continue to mix. Add in the egg yolk & vanilla & mix until fully incorporated. On low speed add in the flour, salt, & nutmeg, a little at a time, blending completely each time. The dough might look crumbly just after you've put in all the flower, but keep mixing until it comes together. Then, using your hands, form the dough into a ball. 2. Cut a sheet of parchment paper so that it can sit easily in/on your baking tray. Lay the paper on a flat work surface & roll out about half of the dough ball onto the paper, to about 1/8" thickness. Using a medium-sized circle cutter (I used the cap from a canister of non-stick cooking spray, which is the perfect size) cut as many circles as you can from the dough, leaving about 1/2" or more between each circle. Remove the excess dough from around the circles & add it back in to the dough ball. Next, using a small circle cutter (half the size of the larger cutter), cut a circle out of the center of half of the cookies (or try other shapes! They won't look like buttons though). Use a toothpick to remove the little circles if you're having trouble getting them out cleanly. Transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to the baking tray & bake for about 8 mins. or until the cookie edges are JUST beginning to brown. Remove from the oven & carefully transfer the cookies to a flat surface to cool (I put mine on a towel). Repeat the dough rolling, cutting, & baking process (I had a rotation going of two trays & two sheets of parchment paper) until all of the dough is used up & you have an even number of tops & bottoms.
3. Once the cookies are cool spread a thin layer of red preserves onto the whole circle cookies, a little thinner on the edges than in the middle. Gently place a center-cut-out cookie on top of each preserve-spread cookie, pressing down ever so lightly. Serve with cozy, warm tea. These cookies are even better the next day as they've had time to settle in with the fruit preserve.
Matt Smith/Eleventh Doctor portrait by James Hance.
These cinnamon ornaments are something from my childhood that my mom, sister, and I would make together around the holidays. The recipe is so easy and is great to do with little kids and big kids too. The applesauce and cinnamon ingredients create a form of pomander ("amber/golden apple" in French), a smelling-spice ornament that dates back to medieval times when the spice mixture was suspended in little gold balls from the clothing of royalty. The pomander has transformed through the centuries from a clothing accessory to a smelling mixture for repelling disease to a molded fruit shape for the bathroom to a clove studded orange, strung up or in a bowl (I made these growing up too. See below for an image & how-to). Basically a pomander is spices mixed with fruit, dried, and set around to smell-up your home. They're great! But be warned that the cinnamon can be a little overwhelming and you might get a runny nose while making this recipe.
Orange & Clove Pomander
Note: These ornaments don't have to be relegated to the holidays but can be used throughout the year to make your rooms smell cinnamon-y good! Simply make shapes that aren't Christmas/holiday specific. These also make awesome handmade gifts!
To Make the Orange & Clove Pomander: Wrap a ribbon several times around an orange & tie it off at the top in a way that can be hung. Poke small holes in the orange skin using a skewer (optional, but it makes the next step much easier) & gently press whole cloves into the holes. You can make a simple design or get complex, whatever you want! Hang it to dry and smell lovely. You can also forego the ribbon and put a few orange pomanders in a glass bowl as a center piece. Great decoration for a Regency or Victorian Era themed gathering or book party!
Applesauce & Cinnamon Pomander Ornaments (original recipe from McCormick's) Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Plain Applesauce
1 Cup Ground Cinnamon
(Or use other spices like allspice, nutmeg, ground clove, etc., equal to 1 cup.)
1. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients using your hands (you can start with a spoon) until the mixture is like clay. Roll it out on a lightly cinnamon sprinkled sheet of parchment paper to about 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or press sections of the mixture into cinnamon sprinkled molds & then poke a hole in the top of each shape with either a straw, skewer, or toothpick. Suggestion: You can make 3D ornaments by cutting out the individual pieces, completely drying them, & then gluing them together (like the BMO ornament I made). 2. Transfer the shapes to a baking tray & bake in a 200°F oven for about 2 1/2 hours, flipping the shapes halfway through. You can also let these air-dry for a couple of days (instead of using the oven), making sure to flip them every so often (air drying can protect against any cracking or deforming that might happen in the oven). The ornaments will lighten in color as they dry. 3. Once the ornaments are dry, you can leave them as is or you can decorate with craft paints, glitter, puffy paints, etc.—get creative! String each ornament with thread or ribbon & hang on your tree, or from a light, or on a wreath, or your front door, or wherever you want!
I love everything about this movie; the characters, the incredible animation—especially the movement of the characters, the action/fight scenes, and the closeups—and the themes of identity & faith explored through the storytelling & dialogue, themes centered around the immortal, magical being Jack Frost. Jack has a magical staff that is the embodiment of his power, the source of which Jack must uncover as the story progresses or all is lost, including himself.
In light of the holidays, and the fact that this movie is all-hecks-of-awesome-and-you-should-totally-watch-it-or-watch-it-again, I thought I'd create this dessert to share with you so you can have a "Rise of the Guardians" viewing (party or solo) with treats!
Note: The recipe for these Jack Frost inspired cupcakes is below, along with instructions for making the snowflake cupcake wrappers seen in the photos. I dropped my finished, fully decorated cupcakes, into the wrappers, but you can also wrap the cupcakes before you frost & decorate them. Choose whichever way you think will work best for you!
Also, the cupcake recipe is a modified box mix recipe that makes very moist and fluffy cakes, but you can forgo all of that and simply use the white cake mix and make it as directed, substituting prepared hot chocolate in place of the plain water (same amount). I didn't use chocolate cake mix in the recipe because then it would simply be chocolate cake and not cake with hot chocolate!
Jack Frost Cupcakes Ingredients: Cupcakes (makes about 2 dozen)
1 Box (15.25 oz.) White Cake Mix
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
Pinch Salt
Pinch Ground Nutmeg (optional, this is how I like my hot chocolate!)
1 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Hot Chocolate Powder
3 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 tsp. Hazelnut Flavoring (or Vanilla Extract)
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips Frosting (choose the frosting you'd prefer on your hot chocolate!)
Marshmallow Fluff Frosting (recipe here, I prefer #1)
OR
Whipped Cream Frosting (recipe here)
White Edible Snowflake Sprinkles Staffs
Small Bag of Pretzel Sticks (you could also use Pocky)
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
Silver or Pearl Edible Spray/Color Mist (ex. Wilton brand)
1.Cupcakes: Heat your oven to 350 F & place the cupcake liners into your cupcake pan. Sift together the 1st 4 ingredients, plus the optional nutmeg, into a large mixing bowl. Heat the cup of water in the microwave for about a minute & whisk in the hot chocolate powder until it's dissolved. Pour the hot chocolate into a medium bowl & whisk in the eggs, oil, sour cream, & flavoring until the sour cream is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients & mix it all together until it's fully incorporated & no lumps remain. 2. Heat 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave by heating it for 30 seconds, stirring, heating it for 30 more seconds, & then stirring it completely until it's all melted. Swirl the melted chocolate into the cupcake batter by pouring it in & then folding it over with a spatula only a few times (don't stir it so it blends in!). Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full & bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Continue making cupcakes until your batter is all gone!
3. Frosting: Whip up some marshmallow fluff frosting (which is what I used) or some whipped cream frosting—whatever sounds good to you with hot chocolate! Put the frosting into a frosting bag with a large starburst tip (or just a big circle is fine) & frost those babies up! Decorate the frosting using snowflake sprinkles & edible spray (or don't use the spray on the frosting & use it only on the chocolate pretzel staffs, either way is fine).
4. Staffs: Line a tray with parchment paper (securing the paper to the tray using magnets is really helpful) & place as many pretzel sticks onto the tray as you have cupcakes. Break several other pretzel sticks into 3/8" - 1/2" pieces, you'll need 4 for each staff (plus the whole stick). Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a bowl (microwaving & stirring at 30 second intervals) candy bag or candy bottle (microwaving at 30 second intervals) & then use the melted chocolate to connect the pretzel pieces together in the shape shown right. Once the pieces are chocolated together into staff shapes, coat the upward facing side of each staff in chocolate. Use a toothpick to spread the chocolate over the exposed pretzel surfaces & to create some wood lines in the chocolate. Put the staff tray into the freezer for a few minutes so the chocolate can harden more quickly. Remove the tray from the freezer & gently peel the staffs off the parchment paper & turn them over (if your hands have too much heat, run them under cold water & then dry them before you handle the staffs). Repeat the chocolate covering & hardening process. Spray the finished chocolate staffs with silver or pearl edible spray & then carefully stick them into each cupcake.
Snowflake Cupcake Wrappers Items: Cupcake Wrapper Template (download here)
4 (12"x12") Sheets Dark Blue Scrapbook Paper(you can get abt 6 wrappers from 1 paper) Pattern Edge Scissors or Edge Punch (optional)
Snowflake Stickers or Snowflake Shaped Paper Punch
Double-sided Tape
Directions:
1. Print the cupcake wrapper template (fit image to page; it's actual size) & then cut it out. Lay the template onto the backside of 1 sheet of scrapbook paper, close to the edge, & trace. Trace several more templates onto the paper (you can get abt 6) & then cut them all out, preferably using pattern edge scissors (or edge puncher) for the upper edge. Decorate the wrappers on the topside of the paper by putting on snowflake stickers or punching little snowflake shaped holes with a special punch. 2. At one end of each wrapper, on the backside, place a piece of double-sided tape. To get the wrappers sized right for each cupcake, work with one wrapper at a time & hold it up to a cupcake. Wrap the ends around the cupcake until they meet, forming a cup shape, making sure the outer end is the one with the double-sided tape. Mark the right measurement with your fingers & remove the wrapper from the cupcake. Press the wrapper ends together with the tape & then carefully drop the cupcake into the wrapper.
(Adapted from a recipe in Disney's A Merry Christmas Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Cold Water
1 pkt. Plain Gelatin Powder
1 Cup Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of cold water with the gelatin powder & let sit for about 10 minutes.
2. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the sugar and remaining 1/4 cup of water together and heat until the sugar dissolves. Plop the solidified gelatin in and bring to a boil until the gelatin dissolves.
3. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl & add in the salt & vanilla extract. Beat on medium high speed for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is creamy & smooth & doubled in volume.
4. Line a tray or flat bottomed dish with plastic wrap & spray with non-stick spray. Pour the marshmallow mixture onto the plastic wrap & spread out evenly, taking into consideration the thickness you want your marshmallows to be. Spray another large sheet of plastic wrap with non-stick spray & place it, spray-side down, over the marshmallow. Let sit at room temperature for about 3 hours.
5. Remove the plastic wrap from the top & cut the marshmallow into whatever shapes you'd like. Toss them with powdered sugar or a mixture of powdered sugar & cornstarch, try colored sugar, or coat them in chocolate or candy melts. You can also use the marshmallow to create moon pies or sandwich cookies! Use your imagination! Feel free to straight-up double or triple the recipe if you need more 'mallow.
Here are two homemade marshmallow fluff recipes which can be used for frosting or fluffernutters or whatever other marshmallowy uses you can think of! Both recipes have pros and cons, the first one is fluffier and holds its shape better, but develops a crust after a little while leading to a thicker crust as time progresses, almost like freeze-dried marshmallows! The second one takes less time and effort to make and stays soft longer, but flattens out a little bit after a while (doesn't hold shape as well as the other one) and gets a little chewy. Once marshmallow fluff is put on something it should be eaten immediately though so the hardening and flattening shouldn't be an issue. To store, put the fluff into an airtight container in the fridge.
Marshmallow Fluff #1 Ingredients:
3 Egg Whites
1/4 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In a medium pot heat about an inch or so of water to a steady, low simmer. Whisk the 1st 4 ingredients in a medium metal or glass mixing bowl until white(ish) & foamy. Sit the bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bowl bottom is not touching the water, & beat the egg mixture on high speed until it is white, thick, & smooth & stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted (about 10-12 mins beating time). 2. Remove the bowl from over the pot & place it on the counter. Add the vanilla extract & beat for about another 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Marshmallow Fluff #2 Ingredients:
4 Egg Whites, room temperature
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Pinch Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Directions:
1. In a medium pot heat about an inch or so of water to a steady, low simmer. Combine the 1st 4 ingredients in a medium metal or glass mixing bowl. Sit the bowl on top of the pot, making sure the bowl bottom is not touching the water, & whisk the egg mixture constantly until it is hot & the sugar granules are dissolved (about 5-6 mins). 2. Remove the bowl from the heat & beat the egg mixture on medium speed for about a minute & then on high speed for about 5 mins more, until the mixture is thick, glossy, & has stiff peaks. Add the vanilla extract & beat for another minute. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
Suggestion: If you spread or pipe homemade marshmallow fluff onto a cake or cupcakes, how about toasting it a little bit with either a few puffs from your kitchen torch or a couple of minutes under your oven's broiler? It'll smell & taste just like campfire roasted marshmallows!
A frigid, impossible land covered in sparkling snow surrounds you, your little sister, made more annoying by the fact that she wasn't lying after all, is lost to you up ahead, and an intoxicating chorus of sleigh bells jangling with anticipation swiftly approaches, what other choice is there than to climb into the waiting, fur draped arms of an elegant lady cooing promises of castles and kingship and confections? Oh, poor Edmund, little did you know you'd get there eventually anyway (the castle and kingship and all, just in a different, better way).
Edmund wasn't messing around when he asked the White Witch for Turkish delight. There was a time in Britain when this delectable treat was primarily enjoyed by the upper class (being a Mediterranean import), and I wonder if that wasn't the reason C. S. Lewis included it in this scene as something a greedy little boy, with delusions of grandeur, would demand and then devour in a gooey, sticky fingered fit of self-importance.
"The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle on the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious."
The symbolism of Turkish delight in Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is of greed and manipulation and deceit, but even though its literary purpose isn't lost on us, we want to eat it because it's something from a wondrous fantasy world that we can actually get (or make!) in our own. Because seriously, who doesn't want a gooey sweet treat? And we know better than to fall prey to the White Witch's wiles, right? Minus the evil schemings, being cuddled up in warm fur with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a tin of delicious confections hardly seems like something anyone would not want.
Note: The recipe below is for basic Turkish delight, also known as lokum in many parts of the world. Rose water is a very common flavoring (that has a very nice scent), but you can put in any other water-based flavorings (not oils), up to two tablespoons, like grenadine or orange or lemon or mint, mix 'em up, or make up your own concoctions using tea bags or whatnot. Another very common ingredient in Turkish delight is crushed nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts. Simply add the crushed nuts at the same time as (or in lieu of) the flavoring (step 3 below).
The White Witch's Turkish Delight (based on a recipe by Marcus Ranum)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Canola or Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (about 1 lemon)
4 Cups Granulated Sugar
4 1/2 Cups Water
2 Cups + 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 Cup + 1 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar Flavoring & Coloring (optional)
1 Tbsp. Rose Water (for food, not your skin!)
1 Small Drop Pink Food Coloring
Important Items: 9"x9" Silicone Baking Pan
Silicone Spatula or Spoon
Candy Thermometer
Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer
Paper Bag or Cardboard Baked Goods Box
Parchment Paper
Directions:
1.Pour the 1 Tbsp of oil into your 9"x9" silicone baking pan & spread it around the bottom & sides using a paper towel. Set the pan aside. In a medium-large-ish pot mix the lemon juice, granulated sugar, & 1 1/2 cups of water. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pot & turn the heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, spoon, or whisk. When the temperature on the thermometer reaches about 240°F, known as the soft ball stage, remove the pot from the heat (if you don't have a candy thermometer to tell, soft ball stage is reached when a drip of the sugar mixture stays in a ball shape when dropped into cold water). The mixture should be light amber in color & all of the sugar should be dissolved.
2.In a medium pot combine 1 cup of cornstarch & the rest of the water (3 cups). Add the cream of tartar & stir gently until no lumps remain & everything is dissolved. Turn on the heat to medium & stir constantly, bringing the mixture to a low boil. Pay close attention because this mixture changes quickly! When the mixture is sticky, creamy, & thick, but before it becomes a really thick paste, remove it from the heat (I think I let mine go a little too far). Stir it a bit more until it becomes nice & creamy & then immediately pour it into the pot with the sugar mixture. Stir until you get a smooth, creamy, thoroughly combined, light amber mixture. Put this pot back on medium heat & bring it to a low boil, stirring constantly, pressing out any lumps & scraping down the sides as you go. Continue stirring for about 40 minutes (yes, for realz. I recommend something soft under your feet & maybe a podcast to listen to). It's important to note that hot air pockets will develop under the mixture & bubble up & burst so be careful! To avoid the bubbles as well as to prevent burning on the bottom is why constant stirring is so important! As the time progresses the mixture will thicken & turn a slightly darker amber color.
3.Remove the mixture from the heat & thoroughly stir in your flavoring of choice & coloring (or omit one or both). Pour the mixture into the oiled silicone pan & spread it out & flatten it with a lightly oiled spatula or spoon (I actually used my oiled fingertips to get it level). Whisk the 1 Tbsp. cornstarch & 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar in a small bowl & sprinkle it over the mixture using a sifter or fine mesh strainer. Let the filled pan sit on the counter, uncovered, for several hours or over night (you can loosely drape a paper towel or napkin over it to keep the dust off).
4. In a medium bowl whisk together the rest of the cornstarch (1 cup) & the powdered sugar. Use some of this to powder a cutting surface. Carefully upturn the solidified delight onto the powdered surface, using a powder coated metal spatula to separate the delight from the silicone pan if needed. Using the mesh strainer or sifter, generously coat the exposed side of the delight. Powder a non-serrated knife & slice the delight in half horizontally using a single downward motion (no pulling or sawing). Re-powder your knife & slice both halves into 1/2" vertical strips. Carefully place these strips into the powder bowl & coat the newly exposed edges. Gently lay the powdered strips back onto the cutting surface & cut horizontally to create bite-sized cubes. Put these cubes into the powder bowl to coat & then scoop them into the sifter, over the bowl, & gently toss to get rid of the excess powder. To store, place the pieces in a non-airtight container such as a paper bag with a little extra powder in it or a cardboard box lined with parchment paper. Serve with decadent hot chocolate while riding in a sleigh.
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