Archive for Marienne’s Recipes

Pumpkin Maple Ice Cream

karenstivali / October 9, 2012 / 4 comments

I’ve been on an ice cream making kick lately. Today’s creation is the best one yet! It tastes like pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream. Totally yummy! And seeing as there’s a bit of pumpkin in it I think it counts as a serving of fruits/veggies! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Maple Ice Cream

1 3/4 cups heavy cream (whipping cream or full cream, depending on where you live)

1 1/4 cups 1% milk

1/2 cup grade B maple syrup (or amber grade A maple syrup)

3/4 to 1 cup of canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 pinches of salt

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl or in a large measuring cup with a spout (for easier pouring). Chill in fridge until cold (at least a half hour). Whisk again briefly, just to combine, then place in ice cream machine. It took roughly 22 minutes in my Cuisinart ice cream maker. Makes 1 quart.

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Guest Post by Taryn Raye – Decadent Date Cookies

karenstivali / September 14, 2012 / 6 comments

Today I’m handing my blog over to my lovely fellow Turquoise Morning Press author Taryn Raye. She’s graciously agreed to share a favorite recipe. Without further ado, please welcome Taryn and her awesome recipe and be sure to read the blurb about her novel Castaway Hearts!

 

Taryn Raye’s Decadent Crunchy Date Cookies

Thanks so much for having me Karen! It’s great to be here and I’m so excited to share this recipe with you and your readers.

With school starting back and fall fast approaching, I find that my thoughts often turn to comfort foods and treats that are perfect for chilly fall days and cold wintry nights.

Years ago, my grandmother made these cookies, only once, but I remembered fondly how rich and decadent the nutty fruity flavor was and how unique the ingredients, yet it was simple to make. It wasn’t until I was a grown woman that I finally asked her for the recipe though. I wanted a taste of something that reminded me of my childhood, of home, something I knew my family would love, as well.

For the past few years, my husband and I have found pleasure in making cookies and candies for the holidays together, as gifts for our closest friends and relatives. Along with things like peanut butter and chocolate fudge, lemon drop cookies, dipped pretzels and peppermint bark, Crunchy Date Cookies are an automatic for our list. It won’t be long now before the holidays sweep in and sneak up on us, so I thought what time is better than now to share it. You might want to add it to YOUR holiday treats for you or someone you know who has a bit of a sweet tooth.

 

Crunchy Date Cookies

Ingredients-

½-cup brown sugar

8 oz. package chopped dates

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick regular margarine

Dash of salt

 

Cook these ingredients together for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

FOLD IN:

1 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 Cup chopped pecans

 

Let cool long enough that you can handle it. Form into balls and roll in powered (confectioner’s) sugar.

Enjoy!

Check out Taryn’s novel Castaway Hearts…

 

 

Blurb:

Twice orphaned, Catherine Barrett arrives in Virginia a stranger to her closest kin and secretly engaged to the one man her family would disapprove of- her seafaring grandfather’s apprentice. Add to her troubles, the rich and intriguing older brother of her secret betrothed, Dawson Randolph, a plantation owner who is as heartless as he is handsome. Heartbroken when her intended sets sail for his maiden voyage, Catherine finds it difficult to adjust to her new life, hoping to befriend the one man who is, undoubtedly, the match her grandparents wish for her. Dawson’s distaste for her secret engagement to his brother makes it clear he has no designs for marriage to anyone.

Especially her.

Ten years since the tragic loss of his young wife and infant son, Dawson Randolph is convinced love and marriage is a fool’s game and resents being pardon to his brother’s hidden engagement. Damned by his instant attraction and his own growing desire, Dawson vows to befriend her against his better judgment. Determined to bring her happiness in a time of fear and uncertainty, Dawson puts aside his animosity to become her confidant, only to realize Catherine holds the key to his heart. When tragedy strikes at sea, Catherine’s guilt pushes Dawson to the fringes of her life as madness consumes her.

Can his love save her before she drowns in her own grief? Or is he doomed to love her from a distance, always in the shadow of her love for his dead brother?

Castaway Hearts is available in eBook & print from-

Turquoise Morning Press-

Also available on Amazon for-

Kindle or Print

On Nook from Barnes & Noble

Various formats on

Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, OmniLit, or Bookstrand.

***

About Taryn Raye- I was born and raised in a small town in Kentucky.  My father is a carpenter, my mother a homemaker and I have one younger sister. The town I grew up in is the famous home of Wild Turkey Distillers and a hop, skip and jump from Lexington, home of Keenland and the Kentucky Wildcats. I live in the country with my wonderful husband, who doesn’t mind that I often live multiple lives- the one we share and the ones bouncing around in my head. I have a 13 year old stepson, a 9 year old daughter and we have one furbaby- Miscellaneous- aka Mizzy- our 9 year old female cat. As you can tell, I love to bake.

Here are just a few places you can find Taryn Raye-

Website

Blog

Twitter

FB Page

Goodreads-

Google +- 

 

 

Share
Category: Guest Bloggers, Marienne's Recipes / Tags: , , , , ,

Gingerbread Cookies

karenstivali / December 17, 2011 / One comment

 

I spent years looking for a good gingerbread recipe that used butter instead of shortening, but I never found one I loved, so I made up this one. Whether you like your gingerbread cookies soft and chewy or nice and crispy, this is the perfect recipe. The dough is easy to work with, the cookies are flavorful but not overpowering, and they last for weeks in an airtight container. In a word: yummy.

 

 

Gingerbread Cookies

 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 tablespoon white vinegar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

confectioner’s sugar and milk (for glaze)

 

Place butter in large bowl and beat with electric mixer for one minute or until soft and creamy. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in molasses, egg and vinegar. Beat in flour.

Divide dough in half and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 in thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place one inch apart on cookie sheet (works equally well with large cookie cutters or the little mini-cutters).

Bake for 5-6 minutes until cookies become a lighter brown. Cool on sheet for a minute or two before transferring cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Decorate as desired. (I mix 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk, until the mixture is a good drizzling consistency, then I drizzle the cookies with the glaze. They can be iced entirely or decorated with the glaze or frosting of your choice.)

Layer between slices of waxed paper and store in airtight container.

Note: if you prefer a chewy cookie, take them out of the oven while your finger still leaves an indentation in the dough, if you like a crunchy cookie, bake a few minutes longer.

Enjoy!

 

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes / Tags: , , , , ,

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

karenstivali / December 14, 2011 / 2 comments

 

After years of trying different Chocolate Crinkle recipes I finally settled on this as the best one. They stay soft and chewy for at least a week if packed in an air tight container, which makes them perfect to make ahead for an event or to ship to out-of-town friends who may be in need of a chocolate care package.

Soft. Fudgy. Delicious.

Try them. You’ll like them.

 

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 ounces unsweetend chocolate, melted

1/2 cup oil (I use expeller pressed canola, any vegetable oil will do but do NOT use olive oil)

2 teaspoons baking power

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

confectioner’s sugar

 

Melt chocolate in large microwave safe bowl. Add sugar, oil, baking powder, vanilla and eggs. Beat with hand mixer on medium-high speed, scraping sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in as much flour as possible using mixer. Stir in last bit of flour by hand. The dough will be quite firm. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Scoop dough into 1 inch balls (I use a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon). Roll each ball in confectioner’s sugar and place on cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Press down on each ball just enough that it won’t roll off the sheet when you’re putting it in the oven (trust me on this—powdered sugar burning onto the bottom of your oven is not something you want to deal with).

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges of each cookie are set and the tops are all crackled. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in air-tight container. You can redust them with fresh confectioner’s sugar if needed.

Enjoy!

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes / Tags: , , , , , ,

Best Ever Frosted Sugar Cookies

karenstivali / April 21, 2011 / 2 comments

Looking for the perfect cut out cookie and the ideal frosting to make them beautiful and that much yummier? Look no further. These sugar cookies are simple to make, easy to work with, look fantastic and taste delicious. Who could ask for anything more? You can make them ahead of time, as they stay fresh for weeks if stored in an airtight container, then frost them when you need them to look fabulous and be ready for eating. The icing recipe below is the best I’ve found for decorating—it develops a thin crispy shell but the frosting beneath remains creamy and delightful. Color it, don’t color it, add sprinkles—the only limit is your imagination.

 

 

Best Ever Sugar Cookie Recipe

(makes about 100 three-inch cookies)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In a very large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for AT LEAST one hour (can be refrigerated overnight if that works better time-wise). *Note- I usually refrigerate this a minimum of two to three hours, it’s easier to work with the dough when it’s nice and firm.

When you’re ready to bake…

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out dough in batches, on lightly floured surface, to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter of your choice to cut out the desired shapes. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave about 1/2 an inch or so between the cookies as they will puff a little while baking.

Bake 7-10 minutes (depending on size and shape of cookie)—start checking them at 7 minutes and continue baking until the edges just start to turn golden brown.

Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

 

Best Ever Icing for Sugar Cookies

4 cups confectioners sugar

5 tablespoons heavy cream

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (though you can use any flavor you’d like)

food coloring,  if desired

Heat the cream and butter in a large saucepan until the butter is melted (don’t let it brown!).

Stir in the sugar and the extract.

Remove from heat and beat until thick and creamy.

You can divide the icing into bowls and color each differently (a few drops of food color).

As the icing cools it will get a firm shell on it (like pudding skin). If you are still frosting cookies when this happens, just give the icing a vigorous stir. If it becomes too stiff add a little more cream, a few drops at a time, until it returns to the proper consistency.

The icing hold sprinkles or colored sugar well, but make sure to get the decorative items in place on the cookie BEFORE the icing starts to harden.

Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container SEPARATED by layers of waxed paper. They will stay fresh for two weeks.

Enjoy!

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe

karenstivali / March 20, 2011 / 2 comments

In honor of the season finale of The Bachelor I have decided to give up my Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe. Why? Because it is SO (drink) AMAZING (drink)! Seriously,  I know I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, and I know I’ve promised some of you that I would eventually post the absolute best chocolate cake recipe, ever (I don’t mean to brag, but really, this one’s that good), so without further ado…. It sounds complicated, and I’ll admit there are quite a lot of steps and it’s a bit time consuming, but follow the directions and I really think you’ll enjoy the outcome. This is the culmination of years worth of frosting, filling and cake batter experimentation and a combination of several recipes—the result is a super moist, ultra chocolaty cake with a rich creamy ganache filling and the perfect buttery, sweet fudge frosting. Try it. You’ll love it.

Chocolate cake recipe

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup cocoa
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour two 8” or 9” round cake pans (or one 9×13 metal pan).

In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Set some water to boil, you’ll need it at the end.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and brown sugar. Start at a slow speed to get it combined, otherwise the mixture is too dry and will fly out of the bowl. Once they are starting to cream together, turn the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating on high for one minute after each egg is added.

On medium speed add a scoop of the flower mixture, mix, add a scoop of the sour cream, mix, add the vanilla and kahlua, mix… continue alternating between wet and dry ingredients until they are all combined.

On low speed mix in the ¾ cup of boiling water. Stop mixing as soon as it is combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s).

Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan and turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

WHILE THE CAKE IS BAKING AND COOLING MAKE YOUR FROSTING AND FILLING!

Chocolate Ganache Filling

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, broken into chunks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
EITHER 1 tablespoon of Kahlua OR 2-3 Tablespoons raspberry jam (your choice)

Place chunks of chocolate in a small mixing bowl.

In a small heavy-bottomed pot bring cream, butter and sugar to a boil (stir mixture as it heats so that butter is completely melted and sugar is dissolved).

As soon as the cream starts to boil remove it from the heat and pour it directly over the chocolate chunks. Cover the bowl with a plate (to trap in the heat) and allow it to sit for a few minutes.  Remove plate and stir the cream/chocolate, in one direction, until chocolate is completely melted.

Place bowl in freezer. Check every ten minutes and give it a good stir until it reaches a thick, frosting-like consistency. It will firm on the edges first, so make sure to stir the firmer edge parts into the still-soft center when you mix it.

Once it reaches the desired texture you can leave it at room temperature.

Chocolate Frosting

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
3 oz semisweet chocolate (I use Nestle’s semisweet baking bars, but others will do—DO NOT USE CHOCOLATE CHIPS)
1 1/8 cups cocoa (I use Hershey’s)
3 3/8 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
7-8 tablespoons milk

In large  mixing bowl melt butter and chocolate on HIGH in microwave for two minutes. Stir until all chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.

Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa.

When melted butter/chocolate mixtures is room temperature begin stirring in the cocoa/sugar, roughly a half cup at a time. When it starts to get thick switch to a handheld electric mixture and alternate adding the milk, sugar/cocoa/ and vanilla until all the ingredients are combined. Add more milk a tablespoon at a time if you want the frosting to have a fluffier consistency. If you accidentally add too much milk, don’t panic, just add a tiny bit of cocoa and powdered sugar until it firms to the desired texture.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE!

Place one layer of cake on whatever cake tray/plate/server you want to use. Spread on the ganache (it will be thick, so spread gently so you don’t shred/break the cake). Place the second layer of cake on top. Frost with the desired amount of frosting. (Note: the frosting recipe is actually a batch and a half of my original recipe, but I find this is a good amount of frosting to generously frost a cake this size and still have a little frosting left over for eating, bribing spouse/children/significant other/roommate/neighbors into doing favors, etc.)  Cover with a cake dome and store at room temperature, but not in sunlight. (If you don’t have a cake dome, strategically place toothpicks on the top and sides of cake and tent it with plastic wrap until you have the whole thing covered— the toothpicks will prevent the plastic wrap from touching the frosting.)

Eat any leftover frosting or ganache. :)

Enjoy!

(Sometimes I have to make a double batch, which yields a large, two-layer sheet cake. Somehow it always disappears….)

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sweets for your Sweetie—Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

karenstivali / February 14, 2011 / 3 comments

Most of the recipes you’ll find on this blog are tried and true recipes I’ve been making for years, but once in a while I’ll come across a new recipe that is so good I simply have to share it immediately. Last week someone emailed me a recipe for Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. It sounded so good I made a batch that day. The original recipe credit goes to http://picky-palate.com  ( http://goo.gl/oKMO0 ) for coming up with the idea for this insanely good treat. Below you’ll see my tweaked version of this recipe. I made it the original way first (and it was awesome) but I prefer it with the adaptations I’ve made (I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, used dark brown sugar for richer flavor, and used more vanilla because, well, I always use more vanilla than things call for). Either way you try it,  I highly recommend you make a batch of these as soon as possible. So, so good.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 TABLESPOONS pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

24 Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together butter and both sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in small batches. The dough will get fairly stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Lay a dozen Oreos on a cookie sheet and place a rounded tablespoon of dough on top of each.

Take a second rounded tablespoon of dough and place it on the other side of each Oreo.

Use your fingers to mold and pinch the dough shut so that the Oreo is completely surrounded in chocolate chip goodness.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are turning slightly golden in color.

Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container. This should make 24 jumbo cookies.

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

Super Bowl of Soup ;) – Super Split Pea Soup Recipe

karenstivali / February 6, 2011 / 3 comments

In honor of the Super Bowl I’m posting a recipe for a Super Bowl of Soup. I know. I’m ridiculous. I’m okay with that. This recipe for split pea soup is a favorite among my friends and is often requested even by people who “don’t ever like pea soup.” I’ve always liked pea soup, and this is by far my favorite recipe. It’s made with Canadian bacon, which adds a nice smoky flavor but not a lot of fat (or calories). It’s creamy, smooth, hearty, and reheats well. It’s also one of the only ways I can get my children to eat green vegetables. This recipe can be doubled, and often is at my house.

Super Split Pea Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-2 cups carrots, diced (depending on how much carrot you want in your soup)

6 ounces bacon, diced

1 bag dried split peas (green or yellow), sorted to remove any non-pea items (pebbles, etc.)

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme

8 cups chicken stock (If you have homemade stock on hand, great, if not you can use boxed or canned or bouillon cubes or some combination of all of them.)

In a large stock pot melt butter in olive oil until butter is completely melted and bubbly. Add diced  carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots begin to caramelize a teeny bit (if your carrots are too wet when you add them, this won’t happen, so dry them off first, and if for some reason they still don’t start to caramelize it’s no big deal—the caramelization just adds an extra touch of flavor but it’s not essential).

Add your diced Canadian bacon and stir. Add the split peas and stir.

Pour in your 8 cups of chicken stock. Add the bay leaves and the thyme.

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for anywhere from one to two hours, until you have a creamy, thick soup. (The time varies depending on the brand of peas, and sometimes depending on the bag of peas. If the soup is getting thick but is still grainy, add more stock or plain water and continue cooking—-it will become creamy eventually!)

Once the proper texture is achieved, fish out the bay leaves (or offer a prize for the diner who finds them) and serve immediately! Note: Pea soup thickens as it cools. If you allow it to thicken, simply thin it out with a tiny bit of water while you reheat it—this will be necessary when reheating any leftover soup and it in no way compromises the flavor  of the soup.

I love to serve this soup with warm, toasty sandwiches—some family favorites include grilled ham and cheese, warm cheesy chicken salad on buttered toast (recipe to be given in future blog), or any kind of Panini. It’s also great served with some nice fresh hot bread (or rolls) and butter.

Let me know if you make it and what you choose to serve with it! Enjoy!

?

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , ,

Turkey Meatballs with Apple Butter Gravy (aka Sweet-ish Meatballs)

karenstivali / January 27, 2011 / 3 comments


I’m a fan of food on a stick, so I generally like anything that can be served on a toothpick. That’s how my quest for a great cocktail meatball started. Years ago I played around with several recipes and couldn’t find one that I really liked, so I made up a recipe instead. It’s similar to Swedish meatballs, but with my own twist. When my kids first asked what it was and I said “it’s kinda like Swedish meatballs” they had no idea what Swedish meatballs were and one of them said “sweet-ish meatballs?” That’s what we’ve called them ever since. It’s fitting because it sounds like Swedish but it’s not…and they’re kinda sweet, but not overly so. Whatever you call them they’re yummy—equally good served over buttered noodles for a winter entrée or on toothpicks for an anytime hors d’oeuvre. They can be kept warm in a crockpot or chafing tray for parties too. Whenever you make them and however you serve them, I hope you like them!

Turkey Meatballs with Apple Butter Gravy (aka Sweet-ish Meatballs)

1 lb ground turkey (I use the 93/7 lean plain ground turkey—NOT seasoned, NOT the all white meat—for some reason the packages are usually 1.25 or 1.33 lbs, that’s fine, don’t adjust the recipe)
1 egg
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups plain bread crumbs
All-purpose flour (for coating)
2 cups chicken stock
½ – 1 cup of apple butter (I always use Musselman’s, but your favorite will work)
2 tablespoon butter (more as needed)
2 tablespoons oil (more as needed)

Place egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Mix in the ground turkey (use your hands, it yields a much better texture for the meatballs than stirring with a fork). Add in the bread crumbs (again, hands only). Once combined, form the mixture into meatballs around the size of ping pong balls.

Place a heaping scoop of flour on a plate and season it a little (a few dashes of pepper and salt and a dash of nutmeg will do just fine). Roll each of the meatballs in flour to give them a nice coating. They should look like powdered sugar donut holes when you’re done.

In a large, heavy bottomed frying pan (aim for one that’s the right size to hold all the meatballs in a single layer) melt the butter and oil until they’re bubbly (tilt the pan around to incorporate the butter and oil). Brown the meatballs on all sides.

As you do this you’ll notice that the flour is browning on the bottom of the pan—that’s good—you’re making a roux while you brown the meatballs—this will thicken the sauce as they finish cooking. BE CAREFUL not to burn/scorch the flour. If you see things getting too dark, lower your heat and add a pat of butter or a small amount of oil. (Also, if your meatballs aren’t browned on all sides and the bottom of the pan looks too dry/crusty add a little more butter or oil just to keep things going.) As soon as the meatballs are browned all around add your 2 cups of chicken stock right to the pan (I usually heat the stock in the microwave so it’s warm).

Ideally the meatballs should be about 2/3 submerged in liquid. Cover the frying pan and simmer (it should be bubbling but not a full rolling boil). Stir the meatballs every 5 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. You’ll see that the sauce is thickening as this happens. When the sauce gets to a good gravy consistency (fairly thick and coating all the meatballs), you should be done. This should take anywhere from 35-50 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and how high you had the heat.

Remove the meatballs to a serving bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.

Stir ½ – 1 cup of apple butter into the gravy (I like a lot of apple butter flavor, so I use a cup, if you prefer a less-sweet gravy, use ½ cup—taste as you go to determine your preference). Stir the gravy until heated through then pour it over the meatballs and toss gently to coat.

These can be served immediately or kept warm in a chafing tray. They can be made a day or two ahead and reheated, but the gravy will be much thicker upon reheating.

Let me know if you make them! Enjoy!

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Insanely Good Caramel Sauce Recipe

karenstivali / January 20, 2011 / 5 comments

I’m a big fan of caramel. I like all kinds—chewy, soft, liquid—it’s all good! There is, however, one caramel recipe that is my absolute favorite. Straight out of the fridge it’s ever-so-slightly chewy, at room temperature it’s soft and melty, and warm it’s pourable liquid heaven. In addition to being my favorite caramel recipe, it makes an appearance very early in my novel when Marienne brings it for dessert to the first dinner the two couples in Meant to Be share together. It’s a big hit with the guests and I’m sure it will be a big hit with you. Everyone loves this caramel.

It’s fantastic poured over ice cream, or brownies, or brownies and ice cream….it makes a wonderfully amazing dip for fruit (I recommend pineapple chunks and apple wedges)…and it’s to-die-for with chocolate. My most decadent use of this recipe is to make caramel truffle cups—I use a candy mold shaped like a peanut butter cup, coat it with chocolate, fill it with ganache and this caramel, then seal it closed with more chocolate. There are no words to describe how good it is. A simple chocolate/caramel combo is to just spread some caramel (fridge temperature) on a chocolate bar. Yum.

Warning: Although this is a most awesome recipe, it’s not without challenge. I’ve been making it for years and it still has probably a 10% failure rate—it’s a very temperamental chemical reaction and sometimes chemistry isn’t working in our favor! Be patient. Pay attention. If it doesn’t come out right, try again. Seriously. It’s worth the effort. And sometimes the “mistakes” are pretty tasty too. In any case, I’ll give the most detailed directions I can in hopes of teaching you how to prepare this buttery-rich, golden delight.

Insanely Good Caramel Sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Put the cream in a glass measuring up and microwave it until it’s warm but not boiling. The length of time will vary by microwave, so just base it on the power of your machine. 30-40 seconds will probably do it. Watch it closely—if you see bubbles in the cream, hit stop.

Put the cup of sugar into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and turn the heat onto medium-high. Using a fork, stir the sugar. STIR CONSTANTLY. At first it will seem like nothing is happening. Keep stirring. The heat will melt the sugar. You want to make sure no big clumps form in the melting sugar, so keep stirring.

It will likely start to liquefy on the edges first, so make sure to stir those in. The whole thing will start taking on the texture of cornmeal and then will start to become more liquidy. KEEP STIRRING.

If it’s turning golden too fast, lower your temperature a little. If any clumps form, try to break them up with the fork (a few clumps are okay, lots of clumps, not great).

If it starts to smoke on the edges, don’t panic, lower your heat and keep stirring. (If you have an area where the side of the pan is blackening you can carefully give it a quick wipe with a damp paper towel, but be very careful not to burn yourself!)

Once it is all melted continue stirring until it turns a deep golden color—the color of honey or dark maple syrup is about right. As soon as the proper color is attained, REMOVE THE POT FROM THE HEAT.

Take the hot cream and, wearing an oven mitt so you don’t scald your hand, pour the cream into the liquid sugar. BE CAREFUL—this mixture will boil up like a witches cauldron and tons of steam will rise—stand back so you don’t get burned!!

Place the bubbling pot back onto the stove burner at medium heat and STIR CONSTANTLY until you have a uniform liquid. Sometimes this is almost instantaneous. Other times you have a big ball of caramel goo stuck on the fork and tons of creamy liquid in the pot. If it’s all liquidy caramel, congratulations, you’re done—pour it into a bowl and let it cool. If it’s a ball of goo, KEEP STIRRING.

Most times, with enough stirring, you can incorporate the ball of goo into the liquid and attain the desired liquidy caramel. It can take a while. Be patient. Keep going until you can’t stand it anymore. If there’s still a clump on the fork or lumps in the caramel all is not lost, you may just have less liquidy caramel sauce than you planned.

IF you have lumps but you’ve stirred to the point where you can stir no more, pour the caramel through a strainer when you pour it into the bowl—-it will take out the lumps and the caramel you are left with in the bowl will be smooth and perfect.

IF there’s a big clump on the fork, let it cool and see what consistency it is. It’s possible you’ll be able to cut/chip off pieces and eat them as hard candy.

In any case, let the caramel sauce cool to room temperature, then cover and store in the fridge.

I wish everyone good luck making this, because when it turns out well (which is most of the time, after you get the hang of it) it’s truly worth it. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!

Share
Category: Marienne's Recipes, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries  
Privacy