Homemade Marshmallows

I originally found this recipe for Peppermint Marshmallows on Pinterest and followed it back to The BeanTown Baker's blog.  I've also adapted the recipe to make maple flavour marshmallows.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 3 packets gelatin
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (substitute 1 cup pure maple syrup for the maple ones)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp peppermint extract (omit for maple ones)
• powdered sugar and cornstarch in equal portions
• food colouring (optional)

Steps:

• Add 1/2 cup cold water to mixing bowl of stand mixer and sprinkle gelatin on top, set aside

• Bring to simmer remaining water, sugar(or maple syrup), corn syrup and salt in a small saucepan
• Once simmering, cover with lid and cook for 4-5 minutes
• Remove lid and continue to heat until mixture reaches 240° or hard ball stage, remove from heat

• Turn stand mixer on to low and mix gelatin for 1 minute
• Slowly pour hot sugar mixture down side of bowl while mixing
• Once all the sugar mixture has been added, increas speed to high
• Allow to mix for approx. 15 minutes, till it cools and almost triples in volume
• While mixing, prepare 9x13 pan - lightly oil the pan and dust with powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture
• When ready, pour mixture into prepared pan, smooth top with oiled offset spatula
• Dust top of marshmallows with powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture
• Leave to dry for a minimun of 4 hours, or preferably overnight
• Turn out onto dusted cutting board
• Cut into 1 inch squares (a pizza wheel works best)
• Toss each square into the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture to coat sticky sides, brushing off any excess

Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks

Pate Chinois

This is one of the 4 recipes that I presented to the Daring Kitchen cooks for the December 2012 Challenge. You can check out the full file with all the how-to pictures here:  Paté Chinois

This is a slight variation on the version my Mom always made when I was growing up.  I've add a few more flavours, and of course some onions.

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Ingredients:

• 2 ½ lbs (1 kg) lean ground (minced) beef
• 2 onions diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1¾ cups (115 gm) (4 oz) mushrooms diced
• ½ teaspoon (2 gm) dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons (8 gm) prepared horseradish
• ½ cup (120 ml) red wine (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 19 oz (550 gm) can of cream corn
• 2 ½ lbs (1 kg) potatoes
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk
• ¼ cup (55 gm) (2 oz) butter

Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. 
2. Wash potatoes and cut into quarters 
3. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain.
4. Mash potatoes with butter and milk. 
5. Set aside. 
6. In frying pan, brown ground beef with onions, garlic and mushrooms. 
7. Season with horse radish, mustard powder and optional red wine. 
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9.  Cook until well done and no pink remains. 
10. Evenly spread ground beef on the bottom of an oven proof casserole dish. 
11. Top with cream corn. 
12. Spread mashed potatoes on top. 
13. Use a fork to make drag marks through the potatoes for decoration. 
14. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until heated through.
15.  Place under broiler (grill) for 2-3 minutes to brown up potatoes. 
16. Serve and enjoy

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Homemade Cream Cheese Mints

I came across this recipe on Pinterest.  You can check out the blog I got it from here:  Kelley Highway: Homemade Cream Cheese Mints

These candies were very easy to make and really quite yummy.  You may think that the sugar will never incorporate into the small amount of cream cheese that you use, but carry on, it really does.

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Ingredients:

• 3 oz cream cheese
• 3 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• Food colouring (optional)

Steps:

1. Blend cream cheese and mint extract with electric mixer. If using food colouring, add now.
2. Sift and add sugar slowly, mixing well between each addition.
3. When mixture gets too stiff to use electric mixer, mix by hand.
4. Using melon baller, scoop small amount of dough and roll into small, cherry size ball,
5. Place on parchement lined cookie sheet, sprinkled with powdered sugar
6. Flatten each cirlce with the back of a fork,
7. Let dry overnight, turning each candy occasionally so that it dries thouroughly.
8. Store in parchment lined tin for up to 3 weeks.

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Brie A La Chume

We are not really sure where this name came from, as a quick Google search did not turn up any other recipes by this name.  Hilary recalls having it at the Bloor St. Diner in Toronto, so maybe they can have credit for the name. (Though it's not currently on their menu)

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Ingredients:

• 1-2 Granny Smith Apples
• Brie (as much or as little as you like)
• Garlic powder to taste
• Mini pitas or cut up baguette to serve with

Steps:

1. Core and cut up apples into wedges
2. Cut up Brie into small cubes, include the rind
3. Intersperse apple wedges and brie in an oven proof dish, sprinkling with garlic powder as you go
4. Bake in 400 ° oven till heated through and cheese is melted, approx 15 minutes
5. Serve immediately

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Hummus

In an effort to add more protein to my diet, we have started making hummus each week.  I eat it for breakfast with my vegetables.  I have not listed quantities for the ingredients as this is very much by taste.  Each week it tastes difference - heavy garlic one week, strong lemon flavour the next.  All of them are good though.

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Ingredients:

• Chickpeas
• Garlic (fresh or powdered)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Tahini
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Water (if needed)

Steps:

1. Soak the chickpeas in cool water over night
2. Cook the chickpeas in water until tender, approx 1 hour (if you don't pre-soak them, cook for approx 2.5 hours),drain well and cool to room temperature (can also be cooked the day before and kept in the fridge)
3. Add all ingredients to food processor
4. Blend until well mixed and desired consistency
5. If it's to thick and dry, add water, 1 Tbsp at a time

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Pesto Shrimp Pasta

This is one of our favorite, quick go-to meals.  We generally have all the ingredients on hand an it only takes as long to make as it takes to boil the pasta.

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) of dry penné
• 340 g raw, unpeeled shrimp
• 270 ml Basil Pesto
• 2 onions
• 3-4 tomatoes

Steps:

• Cook penné according to directions, drain
• Drain off oil from the pesto into a frying pan

• Sauté onions till tender
• Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly

• Add shrimp and continue to stir until cooked through and completely pink, about 3-4 minutes

• Add pesto and shrimp mixture to drained pasta

• Toss well and serve

Cheese Souflé

I decided that I wanted to learn to make a cheese souflé. I read over many different recipes and decided to follow Alton Brown's from the Food Network.

Souflés are very impressive looking, light and airy and tasty.  They also seem very intimidating.  Turns out, they aren't that hard.  Make a basic Béchmel sauce, add cheese, egg yolks and flavouring and fold in whipped egg whites. Pour into buttered ramikins and bake.  The hard part is folding in your egg whites, making sure you get it well incorporated without losing the volume.

For these cheese souflés I used a sharp old cheddar and chives, with some dry mustard and garlic in the Béchmel sauce.  They rose nice and high and browned well.  They did fall almost as soon as they came out of the oven, but they were very light and fluffy on the inside.

I'm glad to have conquered cheese souflés.  Next I would like to try a desert version.