chocolate date "truffles"

Dates may not be everyone's favorite sweet snack but they are a top contender for mine. Packed with minerals (copper, potassium, magnesium, and manganese), a decent dose of vitamins (3 B vitamins plus C, D, A, and K), and a healthy amount of fiber - I think it would be justifiable to need at least a date a day. I like dates just the way they come. I like them in salads and bars. But my current favorite date treat has to be these "truffles". The recipe came to me from Maria through Eden but beyond that I don't know who to credit. I do know that everyone needs this recipe. It is full of goodness - dates are just the beginning - fast, fun, and easy. Just be warned....when making these it was a case of a spoonful to roll and a pinch to eat. Lucky I had any to share :)

I used pecans in my "truffles" because I like the taste of pecans with dates. I don't eat walnuts because when I do I get an annoying, itchy, ugly, red rash but walnuts could be good too. Or you could simply go with almonds all the way.

chocolate date truffles

(from Eden and Maria Lang, with a tiny tweak or two)

14 pitted Medjool dates

100 gm flaked coconut

60 gm raw pecans

40 gm raw almonds

1 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp organic cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp water

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Roll into 1" balls and roll in coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or cocoa powder.

salted deep chocolate caramels

There are chocolate caramels and then there are chocolate caramels. These are the latter. Deep and richly chocolate with the loveliness of a sprinkle of Malden salt. Eye-rolling, deep-sighing, mouthfuls of goodness. You. must. try. 

Must!

That's all I will say. All I can say.

salted deep chocolate caramels

(from Gourmet December 2006)

2 cups heavy cream

10.5 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

flaky sea salt** - I used Malden's

Line the bottom and sides of a 9X13-inch metal baking pan with two long strips of crisscrossed parchment paper.

Bring cream just to a boil in a 1 qt saucepan over medium heat, being careful not to scorch, then reduce heat to low and add the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then stir  until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring sugar, syrup, water and salt to a boil in a 5 or 6 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring (but swirling pan every minute or so) until sugar is deeply golden - about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and pour in the chocolate mixture ( this will bubble and steam a bit alarmingly). Continue to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255 F on a candy thermometer*. This may take about 15 minutes - I always stay very close to the boiling pan, usually reading a book or magazine to while away the tedium because this does get tedious. I also stir more or less constantly but you can gamble with burning if you choose. Remove from heat, add butter and stir until the butter is completely melted and fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and DON'T scrape any caramel clinging to the sides or bottom of the pan. Let the caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan then carefully lift the caramel out of the pan with the aid of the parchment. Use a large heavy knife to cut into strips and then into squares. Wrap in 4" squares of cellophane or waxed paper.

*Check the info on using a candy thermometer in yesterday's post.

**Two notes here: I am a salt-lover. That should perhaps all be written in caps. Anyway, I  sprinkled the salt quite generously. It was good. Second note, I think it is the salt that really makes these caramels extra special. The chocolate is amplified, underlined, just somehow better because of it.

black licorice caramels

I have a passion for black licorice. And caramel. The two together are simply brilliant. I know that not everyone shares my passion for black licorice but I really do think that if you are in the black licorice-hating camp, and you were bold enough to give this a try, you just might begin to be persuaded. If not, well.... as my dad used to say "All the more for me!!" 

This recipe is really just a tiny adjustment to the Caramels with Mediterranean Sea Salt that I posted in February. 

Disclaimer: I am not any kind of an expert candy maker. I have made caramels for more years than I care to share and although they are about the most fool-proof candy out there, there are a couple of tips best kept in mind.

The first tip is that a candy thermometer is a minimal investment and worth every penny. Everybody's grandmother probably tested candy done-ness with a cold water bath and you can too but it takes a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly what a soft ball is as opposed to a hard ball (and we are not talking sports here). If you want to go that route, knock yourself out but you will probably also ruin more than one batch of candy while you are learning. So save yourself some grief and get a candy thermometer. A good one will still be under 10.00. 

Second tip: Proof that new (or old) candy thermometer. What? How? Remember back to grade school science? We learned that water boils at 212 F (or 100 C). That is true but it is also true that it is true at sea level and elevation makes a difference. Way up here in the foothills of Alberta water actually boils at 202 F (according to my thermometer) so unless I want to overcook my candy and have a tooth-pulling mess, I need to account for the difference when making candy. What this means for you is - when you get your candy thermometer put a pan of water on the stove, clip your thermometer on the side, and note at what temperature the water boils. If it boils at 202 F,  when your recipe says to cook the candy to 245 F, you know that you only need to cook it to 235 F.

black licorice caramels

1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup corn syrup
1 15-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp anise oil (sometimes called extract)
1/2 tsp black food coloring paste - optional


Melt butter in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, corn syrup, and condensed milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir. And stir. And stir some more. At some point in the stirring clip your invaluable thermometer onto the side of your pan so that you know when you have gotten to the firm ball stage (245 F). It may take a while - or it may not be more than 12-15 minutes. (You can see the advantage of the thermometer, right? When you have a bit of experience making caramels it is easy to see from the color of the cooking candy, and the thickness of the syrup that you are close to where you want to be - but as I say, experience is the critical thing here.)


Remove the pan from heat and stir in the anise oil and food coloring if you are using it. Pour into a well- buttered 9x13-inch pan. Cool.


When thoroughly cooled, turn the candy out onto a cutting board and cut into squares using a large sharp knife. Wrap in 4" squares of waxed paper.


And December 15th has flown by. 

Marshmallows with Jane

Thursday's are special since Christmas because now that Jane is 3 she is old enough to go to the preschool ballet class on Thursday afternoons.  Theo stays with me because at (just) 1 he still needs a nap. Most weeks, Hannah and kids come over late in the morning to play for a bit before it is time for the serious business of lunch, doing "ballet" hair, getting Theo to bed and Jane off to class. Sometimes just to make the day even more special Eden and her girls come too. But not today.

Today Jane and I had just enough time to make pink marshmallows. She was the sweetest little helper and after helping was even sweeter - if a little sticky.

Marshmallows

3 envelopes of Knox unflavoured gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp sea salt

powdered sugar and cornstarch for dredging

Line a 9x13" pan with foil and spray foil generously with cooking spray.

Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. Soak for at least 15 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour boiling syrup into gelatin* and mix at high speed. Add the salt, vanilla, and almond extract and continue beating for about 10-12 minutes or until white, glossy and stiff peaks form. Scrape into prepared pan and shake to spread evenly. If you want to smooth it more than this you can use a wet spatula or even wet hands.

Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (or more). Mix together equal measures of cornstarch and powdered sugar - I use about 3 Tbsp of each. Turn marshmallow out onto a cutting board that has been dusted quite liberally with the cornstarch and sugar. Peel the foil off and sprinkle the exposed candy with more powder. Cut with a sharp knife that has been dusted with the powder as well. (You will need to keep dusting the knife after pretty much every cut - or things get very sticky and get ugly fast.) Roll the cut marshmallows in the sugar mixture.... or coconut, or cocoa and powdered sugar, or cinnamon and sugar, or toasted coconut, or...you get the idea.

Store in an airtight container - if there are any left!

*Most recipes I have read say to pour the syrup in a thin stream over the gelatin but once (because I was in a hurry and didn't read carefully enough) I just dumped the whole thing over the gelatin and started to mix. Happily, it worked just fine and so that is what I do now. You can choose your method but for me, easy always wins (as long as it also works).

Notes: 

Jane and I wanted pink marshmallows today so we added a tiny dab of pink food colouring paste just we started the beating process.

The sky - or your imagination - is the limit when it comes to flavouring marshmallows. Chocolate (cocoa), cinnamon, licorice, mint. Whatever I have tried so far has been yummy.

And that is a pretty cute pile of pink!

Caramels with Mediterranean Sea Salt

I had meant to post this recipe before Christmas - but everyone knows what happens to things one means to do before Christmas. At least I always have a pile of ideas that I never get to in time. When the post didn't happen, I thought 'no worries, just do it next December' but then Jonathon relayed the info that his friend Allie wanted the recipe (I am guessing he shared some of what I sent home with him at Christmas time) and I decided that it made all kinds of very good sense to share the recipe as a Valentine's Day treat. For some people it isn't a real treat unless it involves chocolate - others (myself) prefer something caramel-y and salted. So if you know someone like that try a batch of these to say "I love you more than the whole world!"


Caramels with Mediterranean Sea Salt


1 cup unsalted cultured butter*
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 cup corn syrup
1 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla


Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add sugar and salt; stir thoroughly. Add corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until just past firm ball stage (245 degrees) or about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour into buttered 9x13" pan. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt (like Maldon's) to taste. I was pretty liberal with the sprinkling - but I love salt! Cool completely, cut into squares and wrap in waxed paper.


*good butter makes a huge difference here. Don't cheat yourself and buy any old butter - or worse, use margarine. Just don't.


Note: for an accurate reading on your candy thermometer, boil a pan of water noting at what temperature the water boils. All recipes assume that water boils at 212  degrees F but of course, that assumes we all live at sea level. If you want a happy outcome when making candy, do the check and then adjust your recipe. For example if water boils at 202 degrees and the recipe says to cook to 245 degrees, subtract 10 and cook to 235 degrees. (Clear as mud right?) You can also check the candy hardness by dropping a bit of hot candy into a glass of very cold water. This caramel should be very firm not hard. Good luck and have fun. It isn't hard and is always going to be delicious. It is, after all, salted and caramel!

Sorry the recipe is a week late Allie - this really was my first opportunity. I was too busy taking a holiday.