Graham Cracker Candy

Photo courtesy of the girl

Looking to make your girlfriend smile this Valentine's Day? Skip the boxed chocolates and make her this delicious candy! The girl and I made this for Christmas, but it's perfect for any occasion.

It's a variation on the well-known saltine candy recipe, made instead with graham crackers and almonds. Don't be shy about adding the salt! It may seem like quite a lot initially, but the salty finish really makes the whole thing come together and keeps it from being overly sweet.

Graham Cracker Candy

Adapted by the girl from “Homemade Candy from the food editors of Farm Journal”, and the blog "Not Without Salt"

Ingredients
4.5 graham cracker sheets
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 T butter
Sea salt or any fine finishing salt (we used pink Hawaiian sea salt)
3/4 bag bittersweet or dark chocolate chips


Directions

1) Lightly butter a 9 × 9 baking dish, and pre-heat the oven to 325*.

2) Arrange the graham crackers on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top. Put aside.

3) In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and boil for 3 minutes. Then pour this mixture over the crackers and almonds in an even layer. (I recommend drizzling in up and down rows, then using what's left in the saucepan to fill in the gaps.)

4) Sprinkle with a good amount of salt. You want 3 - 4 grains in every square inch. (The salt keeps the candy from being too sweet, as it's the last flavor you taste.)

5) Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the sugar mixture is bubbling all over.

6) Remove from the oven. Once it's stopped bubbling, sprinkle on the chocolate chips and let the residual heat melt them. Use a spatula or knife to smooth the melted chocolate chips so they cover the entire surface.

7) While still warm, score the candy with a sharp knife. (I'd recommend small squares, as the candy is very rich.)

8) Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Remove, and use the sharp knife again to cut along the score marks.

Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container for up to one week. The candy can also be frozen for up to one month.

Candied Orange Peels

These candied orange peels are an easy-to-make treat for any occasion, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. I picked up a bag of organic oranges for this, as I wanted to avoid using peels that may have wax or chemicals on them.

Martha says to take off all of the white pith of the orange rind before blanching and boiling in the sugar syrup. While it's a good idea to get as much of it off as you can, it's fine if some of it is left on. The slight bitterness of the bit of pith actually pairs very nicely with the sweetness of the sugar.

If you really want to go all out, you can dip the candied peels in melted dark chocolate (to create "orangettes") instead of rolling them in sugar.

Candied Orange Peels

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

4 oranges (organic are best)
4 cups sugar plus extra for rolling

4 cups water

Directions

1) Using a paring knife, make 6 slits along curve from top to bottom of each orange, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Again using a paring knife, remove excess pith from each strip and discard.

2) Place the strips in a large saucepan, and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil, then drain. Repeat this twice.

3) Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring the mixture occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Then stop stirring and wash the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add the strips to the boiling syrup, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the strips are translucent (about 1 hour). Remove the pan from the heat, and let the strips cool in the syrup. (The strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)

4) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the strips to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off any excess syrup with paper towels and then roll the strips in sugar. Arrange them in a single layer on a wire rack, and let them dry for at least 30 minutes. The sugared peels will keep, covered at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.

Candy Cane Marshmallows

Photo Courtesy of The Girl

As part of the Christmas food making, I made some candy cane marshmallows adapted from Martha Stewart (I kicked up the peppermint flavor!). The girl and I made some vanilla marshmallows last year and they were so easy to make. Try one of these in a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, it's to die for!

Candy Cane Marshmallows
Adapted from Martha Stewart

These can be made by one person but I found it easier to have a second person helping (thanks to the girl's Mom!)

Ingredients:
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1 cup confectioners sugar (for tossing cut marshmallows)

Directions:
1) Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2) Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

3) Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

4) Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

5) Cut into squares 1 to 1.5 inches square. Toss the cut marshmallows in confectioners sugar to keep them from sticking to each other.

Spicy Guinness Mustard

Photo Courtesy of The Girl

Do you love mustard? Is it on or in everything you make? Well as I found out, making your own mustard is really pretty easy and tastes much better than what you get from the store! I found this recipe in Saveur Magazine and decided to make a batch for my Dad for Christmas (and of course some extra for myself!). It was really simple and was delicious with the day after Christmas ham sandwiches!

Spicy Guinness Mustard
Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Guinness Extra Stout
1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 tbsp. kosher salt
1/3 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 days so that the mustard seeds soften and the flavors meld. You can leave this in the refrigerator for another couple of days and it won't be a problem.

2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more vinegar (I used some malt vinegar). You can process this to whatever consistency you like. We left it very thick as we like that texture but you could certainly grind it down to a smoother consistency. Transfer to a jar and cover.

3. Refrigerate overnight and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 months. (The flavor of the mustard will mellow as the condiment ages.)

Homemade Seed Strips

Photo courtesy of University of Warwick

If you haven't started planting yet, don't worry - seriously! Last year, the girl and I didn't get around to planting until the middle of June, and we still had a great harvest. So you have plenty of time to get your garden going!

The girl and I recently started working on our flower garden, aiming for late summer blooms. We started some seedlings in newspaper collars, and they are looking good, but we have more seeds that we want to grow. So, we decided to make seed strips to make the planting easier. They especially make evenly spacing small seeds, such as poppies and basil, a breeze. No more worrying about dropping too many in the same spot!

We found a step by step in Organic Gardening Magazine (posted below), and adapted it to our needs. Give it a shot if you still need to plant your veggies or flowers!

Paper Towel Seed Strips

What you need:
Paper Towels
Flour
Water
Ruler
Qtip or toothpick or spoon
Seeds (of your choice)

What to do:
1) Tear the paper towels into strips about 1 inch wide.
2) Mix flour and water together to make a thick gravy (we started with 1/2 cup flour and mixed in water as necessary until it was the right consistency).
3) Lay out seeds on the paper towels at the recommended spacing (per the seeds instructions).
4) Using a toothpick, spoon, or Qtip, place a small amount of the flour "glue" on top of the seeds
5) Allow to dry and then roll them up and place in a plastic bag until ready to be used

When planting, simply plant the seed strip in the soil at the required depth, cover, and wait for your seeds to sprout!