Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Harvest Breakfast Braid & Cherry and Brie Braid Recipes

Harvest Breakfast Braid
modified from the one found on KevinandAmanda.com

1 Sheet of Puff Pastry ( or 1 can Pillsbury™ refrigerated Classic Pizza Crust)
2/3 cup orange marmalade
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored, sliced 1/8-inch thick
6 slices Havarti cheese, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15×10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Unroll dough in pan. Spread 1/3 cup of marmalade down center of dough. Top with apple slices, half of the cheese, the sausage, the remaining cheese, half the pecans, and half the cranberries.

3. Make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side, stretching dough as needed. Bake 15 minutes.

4. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup marmalade over the top and sides of the partially baked braid. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes longer until golden brown. Serve warm.

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Cherry and Brie Braid

1 sheet of Puff Pastry
Brie, with the rind removed and cut into thinish slices
Spiced Cherry Jam (the recipe can be found in a previous post)
(Chopped Pecans - I forgot these, but they would have been nice to include in the recipe.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15×10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Unroll dough in pan. Spread 1/3 cup of cherry jam down center of dough. Top with cheese slices. Spread 1/3 cup of cherry jam on top of the cheese. Add the chopped pecans, if using.

3. Make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side, stretching dough as needed. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Christmas Candy Recipes

We made candy at the Cure Family Christmas party. I was WONDERFUL.

Here are the recipes, all found at Thecures.com.

Aunt Mabels Caramels

2 c. sugar
2 c. Karo syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter
2 c. thick cream


Boil sugar syrup and salt stirring occasionally. When syrup is very thick add butter and gradually add 2 c. cream dont stop boiling and stirring while adding cream or will curdle. Cook to firm ball stage add nuts and/or coconut. Pour in buttered 2 qt. pan to harden. When cool cut and wrap in plastic wrap.

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Aunt Myrtles Cinnamon Candy

Combine in large heavy kettle
4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. white corn syrup
Do NOT stir ever! Boil rapidly to hard crack stage, add 1 1/2 tsp red food color, 1 tsp cinnamon oil

Pour quickly onto greased cookie sheet.

For licorice use approx 1/2tsp. green color and 2 tsp anise oil (or a little more)

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Cherry Chocolate Candy (a cherry mash copycat recipe)

2 c. sugar
2/3 c. evap milk
Dash salt
12 marshmallows
1/2 c. butter
6 oz. cherry chips
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips
3/4 c. peanut butter

1 lg. pkg. salted peanuts crushed. Combine sugar milk salt marshmallows and butter in pan. Boil over med heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat add cherry chips and vanilla pour into 9x13 buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips add peanut butter and crushed peanuts. Spread over cherry mixture and chill.
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Endstroms Almond Toffee

This is a famous recipe made in Grand Junction Colorado. They send millions of pounds around the world. Before the store began Mr. Endstrom taught a candy making class for the county and gave out this recipe.

2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 lb butter
2 lg. Herseys choc bars
1 lb almonds (1/2 ground and 1/2 whole)

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Lightly butter 2 9x13 baking pans. Fill sinks with cold water. Unwrap butter. Place sugar & water in heavy pan at hottest heat until syrup spins a thread. Add 1 cube of butter and stir til melted. Add remaining sticks one at a time and melt each completely. Add whole almonds and continue stirring and cooking until almonds are toasted. Candy will be a dark tan and will pull away from the sides and bottom of the pan. ( If candy starts to smoke lift pan from burner rather than lowering the heat.) Pour into the two pans and set in cold water. Spread 1/2 of chocolate over each pan and sprinkle with 1/2 ground almonds. Using your fingers quickly flip over the candy (chocolate and almonds will now be on bottom of pan) - spread the remaining chocolate on the top of the candy and sprinkle with rest of ground almonds. Allow to mellow at room temp do (not refrigerate) for about 2-3 days.
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Peanut Brittle

1 c. sugar
½ c. light corn syrup
1 c. roasted, salted peanuts
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

In 1 ½ quart casserole, combine sugar and syrup. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add peanuts. Microwave on high 4-5 minutes, until mixture is light brown, stirring every 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla; stir well. Add baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy. Pour mixture onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour. When cool, break into small pieces.

(may substitute almonds or cashews for the peanuts).