Chocolate Taffy


¾ cup European Style or Dutch Process Cocoa
2 cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Corn starch
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup Corn syrup
2 tsp. Glycerin
¾ cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter

1- In a heavy bottom, 3-4 qt sauce pan, combine the cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and salt.

2- Add the corn syrup, glycerin, water, and butter, and stir until well combined over medium heat.

3- Cook at medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer, then drop the heat to medium-low.

4- Dip a pastry brush in warm water, and use it to wipe away anything that is stuck to the inside wall of the pan.

5- Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 246- 250 degrees F. (The Firm Ball Stage).

6- Meanwhile, butter a sheet pan, and cover the bottom with a silicone baking matt.

7- When desired temperature is reached, pour the sugar onto the baking matt, and let cool for 10 minutes.

8- When taffy is cool enough to handle, stretch until the color turns to a dull brown and a sheen develops (approx. 15 minutes).

9- Next, cut the taffy into 4 or five manageable logs using scissors. Roll these logs out into long snakes, 1/2” in diameter, and clip into 1” long pieces.

10- Finally, wrap each piece in a 4” x 2” piece of wax paper for safe storage.

Chocolate Orange Sabayon Parfait


For the Champagne Sabayon:

4 ea. Egg Yolks
2 oz Sugar
Pinch Salt
4 oz Sparkling Wine

1- In a non-reactive bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt, and whisk together.

2- Add the sparkling wine to the yolk mixture, and whisk to combine.

3- Place the bowl over a pot of simmer water to create a double boiler.

4- Whisk the mixture constantly as it cooks. Heat until a thick homogenous yellow foam forms.

5- Remove sabayon from the heat and reserve.


For the Orange and Chocolate Base:

6 ea. Seedless Oranges
12 oz High Quality Bittersweet Chocolate

1- Peel and segment the oranges

2- Shave the chocolate into thin pieces.


To Assemble the Parfait:


1- Divide the orange segments evenly between 8 ramekins.

2- Divide the chocolate evenly between the 8 raemkins.

3- Top each Ramekin with 2-3 Tbsp of the Sabayon.

4- Brulee the Sabayon by means of either a broiler or blow torch.

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats


For the Wafers:

150 gram package Oblatne plain wafers
1# 2oz Creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp Vegetable Shortening
1 ½ Tbsp Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Light corn syrup


For the Chocolate Coating:

1 1/2# Semi-sweet chocolate
1 pint Heavy cream

1- To make the peanut butter frosting, put the peanut butter and shortening in the bowl of a mixer, and beat until combined.

2- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar in three stages.

3- Whip the mixture until light and fluffy.

4- Using a pastry bag and a flat piping tip, pipe a layer of the peanut butter frosting onto a wafer, then top with another wafer.

5- Repeat this process until there are four wafers with three layers of filling.

6- Gently press on the wafer pile to distribute the frosting, and cut into desired snack sizes.


1- To make the chocolate coating, chop the chocolate into small pieces, and place in a metal mixing bowl.

2- Place the bowl of chocolate on top of a pot of boiling water, add the heavy cream, and heat until smooth and viscous.

Finish:

To coat the wafer snacks in chocolate, use a pastry brush, and let dry on a wire rack. If chocolate sets up while in use, simply place the bowl back over the boiling water and re-warm.

Challah Bread Pudding

Challah Bread Pudding

Black Tea 1 bag
Water 2 cups
Raisins and candied orange peels 1 cup
Challah, diced 4 cups
Whole Milk 3 cups
Vanilla Bean, split 1 ea.
Sugar 1 1/3 cups
Cinnamon ¼ tsp
Nutmeg ¼ tsp
Eggs 2 ea.

1- Brew the black tea in the 2 cups of water, and then soak the raisins and candied peels in this for 4 hours or overnight.

2- Toast the diced challah in a 275 degree oven until very dry (approx 15-20 minutes).

3- Add the vanilla bean to the milk and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

4- Strain the hot, sweetened milk mixture over the toasted bread in a large bowl, and allow it to cool to near room temp.

5- Stir in the eggs, and then pour the entire mixture into a greased, 9” cake pan.

6- Bake at 350 degrees for 35- 45 minutes, or until set.

7- Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Challah

Challah

Bread Flour                                           12-14 oz (plus more for kneading)
Active Dry Yeast                                   0.25 oz
Salt                                                       0.30 oz
Honey                                                   3 fl oz
Eggs, Large                                           2 ea. (plus one for egg wash)
Water, room temperature                      7 fl oz (plus 1 Tbsp for egg wash)
Unsalted butter                                      melted 2 oz
Sesame seeds                                        As Needed to Garnish



1- In a large mixing bowl, combine 12 oz of the flour, all of the yeast, and all of the salt.

2- In a second bowl, combine the 7 fl oz of the water, the honey, two of the eggs, and the butter.

3- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together using either a wooden spoon or your hand until a thick dough forms.

4- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead. Add remain flour to the dough as necessary while kneading. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

5- Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with either plastic wrap or a wet clothe.

6- Allow the dough to double in size (1-2 hours), and then punch it down.

7- Divide the dough into equal portions, and form into a braided loaf, turban loaf, or knot rolls.

8- Allow the dough to rise again until almost doubled in size (40 minutes to 1 hour).

9- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

10- Combine the remaining Tbsp of water with the remaining egg and whisk thoroughly. Gently brush this mixture over the loaf (or rolls).

11- Top the loaf (or rolls) with sesame seeds, and place in the center rack of the oven.

Bake for approx 40 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when gently thumped. Turn as needed for even brownin

CarbonnadeBacon, diced                                                                  5 oz
Vegetable Oil                                                                 as needed
Chuck roast, diced                                                         1 ½#
Yellow onion, sliced                                                       8 oz
Garlic, sliced                                                                  2-3 cloves
Salt and pepper as needed
Flanders Red or Trappist Ale                                         12 oz
Corn Starch slurry                                                         (approx 3 Tbsp)

1 Brown the bacon in the bottom of the pressure cooker, then remove (leaving the grease in the pan).

2 Brown the beef in the bottom of the pressure cooker, adding vegetable oil as needed, then remove.

3 Sautee the onions in the bottom of the pressure cooker until lightly browned and semi-translucent (adding oil as needed).

4 Add the sliced garlic and sautee for 2 more minutes.

5 Deglaze with the beer, then add the beef back to the pot and bring all to a simmer.

6 Cover the pressure cooker and process according to the directions specified for your unit (mine takes approx 12 minutes to cook).

7 When finished, uncover the pot and bring the contents back to a simmer.

8 Thicken the stew with a cornstarch slurry to the desired consistency, then add the cooked bacon back to the pot.

9 Serve over (most traditionally) mashed potatoes or (less traditionally) biscuits.

Candied Pecans

1 ea. Egg whites
2 tsp. Water
¾ cup Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ginger
1# halved pecans
1 Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2 In a bowl, whisk egg white until foamy.

3 Add water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to whites and whisk until thick and opaque.

4 Add pecans to mixture and toss to coat.

5 Spread pecans on a sheet pan (treated with non-stick spray), and bake for approx. 30-40 minutes, or until well browned.

6 Allow pecans to cool completely before eating.