Sugar

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Asado Negro

December 20, 2010 in Entree's, Red Meat by misterdelicious | No comments

This recipe comes highly recommended from my uncle Jim.   Asado Negro is a Venezuelan pot roast and what makes it so special is the bittersweet sauce.  Very tantalizing.  Sure to be a hit for the whole crowd!

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2 cups white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 lbs beef bottom/round roast
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 large Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only.  Washed well and thinly sliced.
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 green & 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375o.
  2. Combine white sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.   Boil sugar syrup without stirring till you reached the caramel stage(see making candy).
  3. At the caramel stage, add the brown sugar, vinegar and wine carefully.  Cook until combined and set aside.
  4. Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch-Oven large enough to hold the meat on medium-high.  When the fat is shimmering, sear the roast on all sides and set aside on a plate.
  5. Add the aromatics.  Garlic, onions, celery, leeks and the bay leaves.  Saute until softened and starting to take on a brown color.  Deglaze with the worcestershire and soy sauce.  Once incorporated, add the roast back to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Cover the roast with the bell pepper slices and caramel sauce.   Lid, and place in the oven to cook for around 2 1/2 hours, or until fork tender.  Baste and rotate the meat every 45 minutes.
  7. Remove the meat and place on a platter covered with tin foil.  Rest for at LEAST 30 minutes.
  8. If the sauce is not think enough, remove the vegetables and place around the roast(discard the bay leaves).   Then boil the sauce over med-high heat till thickened. 
  9. When the sauce is ready, slice the roast against the grain.  Return the meat and the vegetables to the sauce and re-heat to desired temperature.  
  10. Check for seasoning and garnish with cilantro right before serving!

 

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Making Candy

December 20, 2010 by misterdelicious | No comments

Who would think different combinations of sugar and water could yield so many different results!  From fudge to caramel syrup, there are many different ways to use this simple syrup!  Below are some basic fundamentals when it comes to making candy.

 

Candy Stages

 

Temperature and Test for Syrups and Candies

 
Product Test Temperature
Syrup Thread 230o
Fudge Soft Ball 240o
Caramel Candies Firm Ball 248o
Divinity, Marshmallows Hard Ball 260o
Popcorn Balls, Butterscotch Soft Crack 285o
Taffies, Brittle Hard Crack 302o
Light Caramel for syrups, color and flavor   340o
Spun Sugar, Sugar Cages; Medium Caramel   355o-360o
Dark Caramel   375o-380o
Black Caramel   405o

 

With Candies, the end result depends heavily on the water concentration in the sugar.   Generally the more water, the softer and more pliable the candy.  While less water makes the candy stiffer and more brittle.  So how can we know when we have the right ratio of sugar to water?  When you add sugar to water, it changes the boiling point.  As the concentration of sugar rises in a syrup, the boiling point will increase as well.  This is why we use the chart above.   When you get to 260o you know you have the right water to sugar ratio for Divinities and Marshmallows because you've reached that precise boiling point.  Which is why you should always use a Candy Thermometer instead of the "Test" method.  The "Test" method describes how the syrup reacts when you drop it into a bowl of ice water. Don't use it.

 

Crystallization and the End Product

 

As we discussed above, your end product relies heavily on the water to sugar ratio of the syrup.   The second most important factor in getting a good end product is controlling how your sugar cools and crystallizes.  If the candy forms a few large sugar crystals the texture will be coarse and grainy, while if the candy forms millions of small microscopic crystals suspended in the syrup you will have a smooth and creamy texture.  The movement of the syrup, the rate of cooling and the presence of any microscopic solids or dust can drastically impact your final product.  By controlling the movement of the syrup(none or whisk-happy) and the way it cools(ice-bath or room-temperature), you can make your candy do what you want.

This is why you don't want anything that could form a crystal seed in your syrup, even if your end product will have large sugar crystals.  You want to be in control of how those crystals are formed!  This is why you should follow the guidelines below:

  • Always use a clean pot - dust or grease can cause crystal seeds
  • NEVER stir the boiling liquid - agitation could cause crystal seeds
  • Clean the inside surface of the pot with a wet brush while cooking the syrup to dissolve any sugar crystals formed on the side back into the syrup.
  • Use a wooden spoon to test the syrup(wood is an insulator and will not conduct heat.  A metal spoon is cold and could cause crystals to form by the drastic change in temperatures) 
  • Don't move the pot till needed, as movement could cause sugar crystals

This is why some recipes will call for corn syrup or other ingredients.  The type of sugar in corn syrup will help prevent crystallization in the syrup.  There are other ingredients that will also impede or slow the growth of crystallization which in turn encourages the growth of finer sugar crystals.  

Follow the simple guidelines above, and you'll have perfect confections every time!

Caramelization

 

When we get to the Caramelization stage in sugar making, many wonderfully complex reactions take place.   At this point, the sugar molecules start to break down and create other flavor compounds that we love.  It's a very complicated process that involves many chemical reactions.  The syrup starts to take on a light brown color and gets darker the longer you cook it.   As you cook the syrup becomes less sweet and starts to develop a more bitter, acidic and a rich aroma.  Be careful not to take it over the edge and burn it!

 

I will add more information as I add more recipes involving sugar syrups

 

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Divinity - Traditional White

December 13, 2010 in Dessert by Moogie | No comments

PRE-PREP

 

INGREDIENTS

 

  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup (use Karo syrup)
  • 1 cup water
  • dash of salt
  • 3 egg whites (room temperature)
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

 

  1. Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture starts to boil.
  2. Continue cooking until mixture forms soft ball when tested in cold water (or use a thermometer).
  3. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with your Kitchen Aid until stiff.
  4. Then pour 1/2 cup of syrup over whites, beating fast all the time.
  5. Continue to cook remaining syrup while beating egg whites, until syrup reaches the light crack stage when dropped in cold water (this will happen quickly).
  6. Pour remaining syrup over egg white mixture, beating all the while. Continue beating until candy begins to hold its shape.
  7. Stir in vanilla and nuts.
  8. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.

Makes 50-60 pieces.

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Divinity - Cherry Pink

December 13, 2010 in Dessert by Moogie | 1 comment

BEFORE YOU START

  • The day has to be clear and dry - no humidity!
  • Eggs need to be at room temperature.
  • All utensils must be perfectly free of grease. Wash in hot soapy water and rinse the mixer bowl, beaters, spoons and pan and dry them.
  • Prepare, grease or line w/waxed paper, an 8 X 11 pan before you start.
  • Set up Kitchen Aid mixer on the work table.
  • Set out a large, heavy pan for cooking the syrup, a measuring cup, a small bowl of cold water, and a long handled spoon.
  • Gather the ingredients and place on the work table before you start cooking.

INGREDIENTS

 

  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo most recognizable brand)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 egg whites from large eggs AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
  • 1 3-oz. box Cherry gelatin (Use Jello brand - not generic)
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, coarse chopped (optional)
  • 1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

 

  1. Combine sugar, water & Karo syrup in the pot and bring to a boil on the stove top.
  2. Attach your candy thermometer to the inside of the pot and continue boiling and stirring the syrup mixture until it reaches 260 F OR forms a hard but pliable ball when you drop a bit into a glass of VERY cold water. Keep in mind that this mixture is HOT and will burn you if you are not careful!
  3. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites using your Kitchen Aid mixer until the the whites make soft peaks when the beaters are lifted out.
  4. Continue beating while gradually adding the cherry gelatin powder, and beat until whites are stiff and glossy.
  5. When you syrup mixture is ready, slowly pour it into the egg white mixture, while beating constantly until mixture is very thick, 6-8 minutes maybe.
  6. Immediately add walnuts & vanilla.
  7. Spread evenly in prepared dish and let stand at room temperature until completely cool and set - maybe 4 or so hours or overnight.
  8. Cut into 1 inch squares and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Moist air is very bad for your finished product.

Notes By MisterDelicious

  • Use a candy thermometer.   Don't guess.   They're cheap.
  • When boiling the sugar syrup, start your heat on high.  As you get to 200, turn your heat down to medium/medium-low.   Once the sugar syrup has started to boil and becomes clear, raise the heat again to medium-high.   If you keep your heat on High when it starts to boil, you WILL GET A BOILED OVER POT OF MOLTEN SUGAR.  This is no good.
  • When the sugar syrup is boiling, do NOT move the pot.  Do NOT stir the syrup.  And make sure you keep the sides clean, especially the side you will pour the syrup out of.  The reasoning behind this is you do not want to start and sugar crystal seeds until you mix the sugar and eggs together.  We want small small crystals to form when mixing(which is why you mix it), and if you have "seeds" larger crystals will form which again is no good.
  • When the sugar syrup gets to 260o turn the heat off and let the syrup rest a minute before combining.  This lets the bubbles dissipate and makes the syrup smooth.
  • I have a KitchenAid mixer.   I have found that the best attachment to use when mixing the egg whites and syrup is a dough hook.  The whisk and Paddle attachment did not produce the fine sugar crystal texture and it also put a strain on my motor.  The paddle attachment did wonders and it did not strain the motor.
  • Mixing.   When mixing, your goal is to create millions of tiny sugar crystals as the mixture cools.  This is achieved by constant mixing and agitating.  So how do you know when you've mixed enough?  If you mix too little, you have nothing more than a sticky sticky mess.  While if you mix too much you will create too many sugar crystals and you will have a lumpy mess.  So it's the middle you want.
  • With my paddle attachment set to the highest setting to mix without burning out my motor, I mixed for ~12 minutes.   You have to keep a very close eye on it.  The sheen will become more matte, and at that point you need to watch it very carefully.   You've mixed enough so that it is no longer really sticky(if it stops being sticky then you beat it too much, it's really a fine line and you want to get close to it, but not over it).  What's easy about this part is that you can stop and check as many times as you need.
  • My last piece of advice is to add the Vanilla Extract at the very very last end.  Right when you think your mixture is done, add the vanilla and mix enough to incorporate and then scoop into the pan(or spoon onto wax paper).
  • Let is rest.
  • Don't make it on a cloudy day as you need the low humidity for it to dry properly.

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Applesauce – ala Moogie

November 4, 2010 in Condiment, Extra's, Side Dishes, Vegetarian by Moogie | 1 comment

Gaby - Sorry, but I have no specific recipe for applesauce.
I do know, thanks to Nathan putting garlic powder in the pot when I was cooking it once (he was much younger and had a lot of enthusiasm, but less cooking savvy) that garlic powder is NOT a good ingredient for your normal applesauce… 

I usually am inspired to make applesauce because I have apples that have been in the refrigerator a little too long and are no longer crispy enough to eat raw.
I guess tart apples like Granny Smith are better if you are going to buy new apples, but honestly I don’t think it matters. However, I never buy Red Delicious for anything.

So, peel however many apples you have – let’s say 6 apples - quarter them, and then cut them into little chunks. I do this directly into the pot I am going to cook the applesauce in.
Add say ¼ cup sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, dash of cloves & 1 tsp vanilla. (You can always add more of these things, but you can’t take them out, so don’t put too much.)
Maybe add maybe ¼ cup or so of water so you don’t scorch the pot when you first start cooking it. Apples make their own liquid once they start cooking.

Bring to a boil and turn to a low heat.
Cook for a few minutes and taste, at this point test for flavor and add sugar or spices if necessary.
Continue cooking until the apples are the texture you like them – maybe 15 to 30 minutes or so – don’t let them dry out. Add water if you need to.
Be careful, because once you get the apples & sugar cooking, it can be like molten lava!

There you have it. XXOO

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White Chocolate Raspberry Creme Brulee

December 14, 2008 in Dessert by misterdelicious | No comments

This is a great dessert dish!  Creme Brulee's are so simple and easy to make that I'd do this whenever I have to make a a snazzy dessert without to much craziness.  You can make this the day before you need to it too, which makes it much easier when cooking a big dinner.

Ingredients

  • 2  Tbls all-fruit raspberry jam
  • 4 oz white chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream(or 3/4 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar & 6 tsp sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla
  • Fresh raspberries
  • 4 tall Ramekins

Directions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 300F.  Put 1/2 tbs of the jam into the bottom-center of each ramekin and set aside.
  • In a small saucepan melt the chopped white chocolate in the milk.  Once the chocolate has melted and has been incorporated into the milk, add the 1/4 cup of sugar.  Disolve the sugar and set aside away from the heat.
  • In another small mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks, salt and vanilla for 1 minute.  Then slowly add the cream mixture whisking well after adding each bit.  This is to make sure the eggs don't get heated to quickly.
  • Fill each ramekin with the mixture and place in a hot water bath.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the center of the custard jiggles slightly when bumped.  Take the ramekins out and let cool to room temperature.  Then place in the fridge for 2 hours minimum or up to 2 days.
  • When ready to serve, and ONLY when ready to serve, sprinkle about 1 1/2 tsp sugar on each creme brulee and torch to a nice crackle.  Place some raspberries on top and serve!

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Pumpkin White Chip Cookies

November 30, 2008 in Dessert by Moogie | No comments

These are really moist, delicious cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 bag white chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 and prepare cooke sheets.
  2. In a mixing bowl combine:  flour, cinnamon, cloves & baking soda, and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl beat:  butter, white sugar & brown sugar
  4. Beat pumpkin, egg & vanilla into the butter mixture
  5. Slowly beat flour mixture into the butter mixture.
  6. Stir in the chips & walnuts.
  7. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for about 11 minutes.
  8. Remove from cookie sheets to wire racks immediately and let cool.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

August 30, 2008 in Condiment, Extra's by Moogie | 1 comment

Ingredients

 

 

??

??

 

7 cups

1 cup

5 cups

1 6oz. pkg

 

Small canning jars

Lids w/sealing rings

(or use paraffin if you are brave)

Rhubarb, peeled & cut into small pieces

Water

Sugar

Strawberry jello

 

Instructions

 

  1. Prepare jars w/ring seals – Keep hot so they are sterilized. Grandma always kept her big, black metal baking dish on a burner, with water simmering in it. She turned the jars upside down inside the pan, along with the lids & rings, and kept them there on a very low heat until they were packed.

  2. In large pot, boil the rhubarb, water & sugar for 8 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat and immediately add the package of strawberry jello, stirring well.

  4. Pour into waiting hot canning jars & seal.

  5. Tip sealed jars upside down on a cloth on the counter.

  6. If you use paraffin: Melt paraffin in a pot. While hot and liquidy, pour a layer ¼” thick over the hot jam in the jars. When the paraffin has cooled/hardened, pour another ¼” thick layer over the first layer, tilting slightly to make sure the paraffin completely covers the jar and touches all sides of the jar to get a good seal.

NOTE:

Note on the use of paraffin: This was how Grandma burned parts of her kitchen.  She was melting the paraffin in the pot and got sidetracked by something else. When she returned to the kitchen, the paraffin was in giant flames in the pot, and the kitchen was engulfed in smoke. When Grandpa came home, he found grandma sitting on the front steps crying. I believe that the insurance payed for painting the kitchen, a new stove top, and some sort of refinishing of the cabinets.

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