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gluten free

{Day 1} White Chocolate Candies

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Candy making is a true science. They say that about baking but truthfully there is sooome leeway in baking- candy making? not so much- but SO satisfying and your friends will be mega impressed.

Making chocolate candies like a pro requires tempering of the chocolate. This is a process of melting and cooling the chocolate that develops the cocoa crystals. The result is a glossy snappy chocolate that doesn’t streak or bloom. This can be a little on the fiddly side, but I promise, it absolutely is doable.

My best advice is to give yourself plenty of time and an uber clean work environment and then relax and enjoy. Water is an enemy of chocolate tempering, so if your melting your chocolate over a double boiler take extra care not to let any drips get into the bowl.

The method highlighted above is simple and direct. You can use an instant read thermometer like the one you stick in the Turkey bird. There is a specific glass chocolate thermometer with a narrow temperature range. Not an expensive investment, but not really necessary. Another word of advice- the greater the volume of chocolate the more stable it will be and temperature variables will be slower. The worst case? If you overheat the chocolate it will lose it’s temper, and like a sleep deprived 2 year old, there is no bringing it back to behave. Not a loss though, the chocolate is still delicious and can be used in baking, truffle fillings or icings.

When it comes to making chocolates, I use a chocolate tempering machine. I purchased my Revolation 2 about 15 years ago. I don’t do a ton of candy making or dipping, but man oh man, do I love this machine. If you can get your hands on one, or share one with a pal- it’s awesome. Remember, there are Valentines and Easter opportunities…

Tips on making Nonpareils:

These candies can be made with any color of chocolate but I just love the white on white for the holidays.

Make sure you get the smallest silver dragees possible. I used size 0- any larger and they are too crunchy to eat gracefully.

When decorating with the dragees let the chocolate set for a minute or two before sprinkling on the dragees. Because they are a little heavy they will sink into the chocolate when it is first poured. My method is to pipe out an entire tray and then decorate. Have all your goodies at the ready, cooling chocolate waits for no one.

When piping out chocolate use a CLEAN pastry bag or make a parchment cone. Any contamination in the chocolate makes it cranky.

Properly tempered chocolate that is left over can be melted and tempered again. Ain’t that a beautiful thing?

A word about chocolates- firstly, NO NOT use “coatings”. These are waxy substitutes for chocolate the way Velveeta pretends it’s cheese. Using quality chocolate is really worth the price and effort here. It’s best to buy chocolate in block form from a dealer and not buy bars at the supermarket. NY Cake and Baking supply sells in smaller and larger quantities and so do many other sources. If you plan on making chocolates for Valentines, investing in a slab, or 5 Kilo (11lb) block can be worth it as the cost is about half and it will keep. Just store in a cool place or wrap tightly and store in fridge- just keep the wrapping on when warming to room temperature. You don’t want to create any condensation on the chocolate (see above about water and chocolate).

Lastly- when adding things in to make clusters keep in mind the temperature of them. Whatever you use needs to be room temp otherwise it will throw off the temper. This goes for dipping cold centers since the chocolate that drips back into the bowl will be cooler. Watch the temperature level of the chocolate and keep it in range- my machine alerts me with a beep when the temp starts to slip out of range- so I just wait a minute until it brings the temp back on track (SEE why I love this thing so much?).

See the resource page at the top of the page for purchasing sources for all needs here.

White Chocolate Nonpareils
 
2# of chocolate- produced about 8 of these boxes
silver dragees, size 0
sanding sugar
sweetened coconut
Round piping tip size 10
Clean pastry bag- disposable plastic bags are the best
 
Prepare a flat area with parchment paper. If you’re planning on making a big batch lining a counter is fine. The chocolates set in a few minutes and unless you have a ton of baking sheets this is just fine. A granite counter is even better.
 
Prepare pastry bag and fit with the tip and line up your toppings
 
When all is at the ready then start tempering your chocolate. No walking away from melting chocolate and I do not recommend using the microwave for making candies. I know people do it, but it’s too loosey goosey when it comes to temperature control, and hot spots in the chocolate will make it lose temper.
 
When the chocolate is tempered time to fill the pastry bag.
 
Turn down the sides of the pastry bag and fold back the tip to prevent the chocolate from leaking out. You can set this up in a jar or glass for better control. Once filled twist the top of the pastry bag to prevent the chocolate from oozing out of the top.
 
You are ready start your piping. Do this as swiftly as possible but with grace. Hold your finger over the end of the tip to prevent the chocolate from leaking out between piping.
Squeeze the bag while holding the twisted part closed between thumb and finger. 
 
Try to make even sized rounds. I first measured my boxes to make sure my circles would fit nicely. However, no rules here- make ovals, squiggles, long bars, letters of the alphabet…
 
After a minute to allow the chocolate to juuust set- you can see the sides of the chocolates start to dull a little.
 
With a spoon sprinkle on the toppings. The dragees are best done on a baking sheet to capture stray beads which can be reused.
 
The coconut I “tucked” into the chocolate to make sure that there was a nice knot to bite into. To do this simply press the coconut gently down into the mound.
 
Allow the chocolates to cool and harden. Allowing them to slowly cool will create a greater sheen and a finer look. Putting them into the fridge is fine, but not my preference.
 
If your kitchen is very warm this can affect the process, so the cooler the room the better. Make chocolate on non baking days.
 
**if you’re finding your chocolates are just not setting up you can switch to “cold chocolates”  that you will just have to keep in the fridge. Not a bad thing- so remember that’s always a back up**
 
White Chocolate Rice Krispy Clusters
 
When I near the end of my candy making I like to use the remaining chocolate to make clusters. You can use a variety of things such as nuts, dried fruits or in this case, Rice Krispies- just remember, nothing wet like sliced berries…
 
There are no measurements here, just eyeball the additions. Factor a 1:1 ratio- there is really no right or wrong.
 
With a spoon drop mounds onto prepared parchment and allow to set as above. 
 
Personally I like tiny clusters- it’s a nice treat to take petite nibbles rather than indulge in a big puck of chocolate.
 
 
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Once the chocolates and set you can package them right up.
 
Store in a cool dry place.
 
Please see the Resource Page in the header bar for links to boxes and ribbon sources.

 

Dulce de Leche for Breakfast makes me think of Alberto

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Not Valorie’s table- but a taste of heaven in my home.
In celebration of my recent birthday my dearest Pam and I trucked on down to New Orleans for the weekend. It was our first road trip with our new Mazda Miata- and let me tell you- two girls traveling in a car with a trunk the size of a Barbie suitcase has it’s challenges, but not without laughs and good times.
After a few days on our own enjoying a romantically fantastic and culinary time, we toddled over to my dear friends Valorie and Alberto’s house in the Irish Channel. Val and I go way back to our early years in the wedding business. She was an exceptional floral and event designer and we made instant friends when we met during a set up for a wedding in a big NYC loft.
She is now an even more exceptional interior designer in NoLa and you may know her as The Visual Vamp. Her blog is chocked with great thoughts, ideas, Val’s great writing and her sense of joy and life living. When you have a minute it is a must read. You may also know she and Alberto, her Argentine husband, as US National Tango champions and instructors. And let me tell you darlings- this is only a small scratch into Val’s fabulousness.
The last time we visited we woke to one of Val’s beautifully set breakfast tables. A small table tucked into the kitchen was covered in a beautiful linen cloth. Stack of china, silver, pots and plates of goodness and “objets” covered the table and made it too beautiful to think about making a crumb amongst. However Val’s tinkling laugh, ease and grace made this fantasy feel like we’ve always belonged here. So with napkins on laps and Cholo, their King Charles Spaniel, at our feet- we dove right in.
Amongst the delights was a luscious bowl of dulce de leche that had come from Alberto’s Argentina from their last trip there to Tango. Val toasted up some chewy sourdough bread and with the dulce de leche on top it was divine….. Sweet and creamy on top of crunchy chewy and the tang of the sourdough made it heaven. Such a simple thing elevated- such is the magic that is always Valorie.
Homemade Dulce de Leche
 
makes approx 1c
I dusted off my crockpot for this. The slow low temp cooking is perfect and no need to keep an eye on it.
 
Take 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and remove the label.
 
Submerge the can in water in your crockpot and set on low.
 
Leave to work it’s magic for 8 hrs. Cool before serving.
 
No fears about bursting cans but if it concerns you alternatively you can empty the contents of the can into a small heatproof bowl and cover with foil. Add water up the edge of the bowl and proceed as above.
 
If you don’t own a crockpot you can use the alternative method in a pan and place into a low oven- as low as it can go for 5-7 hrs.

Ginger Poached Chicken Broth Soup

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As the holidays season descends upon us and the days get short and compact, it’s a lovely thing to come home to a warm brothy soup that only takes a short while to assemble and prepare.
This soup is a standby for me and it lends itself to creativity depending on what’s on hand in the cupboard or vegetable drawer. You need just a few basics, such as garlic, ginger, chicken broth and chicken, but from there on- you can “McGuyver” this dish anyway you would like. Leftover noodles or rice can find their way into the pot, or left over veg and the odd ends of this and that- mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, etc.
I’ve set the stage for the classic here- but I’ll leave the rest to your interpretation. The primary thing is to make a warm flavorful broth and keep it healthy and light. The perfect revival to a day of dashing.
 
Ginger Poached Chicken Broth Soup
 
serves 2 generously
 
3T of fresh ginger peeled and sliced into matchsticks
2cloves garlic smashed and rough chopped
1T vegetable oil
2-3 star anise pods
48oz box of your best low sodium chicken broth
soy sauce to taste- start with 2T
1 large chicken breast or leftover cold chicken cooked
1 bunch scallions, sliced into rings including whites and greens
1 baby bok choy, quartered and washed
drizzle of hot chili sesame oil
 
In a large pot warm the oil over medium heat, gently cook the garlic to release the oils. Do not toast.
 
Add the ginger and the star anise and then pour in the broth and soy sauce. More can be added right before serving to adjust for taste. 
 
Allow to come up to a boil and then slip in the uncooked chicken. Gently simmer until cooked through. Time will vary based on the thickness of the breast, but allow 20 mins or so. If using precooked chicken allow the broth to simmer for 15 minutes to develop the flavors and then add the chicken to warm through.
 
Right before serving add the bok choy and allow to gently cook to a tender/crunchy stage- just a minute or so.
 
Top off with scallion and a drizzle of hot chili oil right before serving and add more soy sauce if needed to taste.