Mo's Peanut Brittle

My Grandma Mona was one of my closest friends. She taught me to sew, to paint, and that "being naughty is fun". We would drive over the mountains to stay with her for a long weekend about once a month. Besides cable television in the kid's bedroom, another wonderful feature of G-Mo's was the breakfast cereal. Sugary boxes of wonder awaited us, and frozen waffles were the alternate. Once in the weekend my grandpa would pull together a rich breakfast, sausages and eggs and pots and pots of coffee. I taught myself to like coffee at my grandma's house, wanting to be like her so much that I made myself chew coffee beans until I liked them.

She did not cook much, at least in my memory, although she always allowed us to choose things from the Schwann's truck. Golden Nugget bars, Dixie cups, and those perfectly round little pizzas were the most popular choices.

She did, however, made the best peanut brittle in the whole world. This brittle is different from your typical hard-candy-with-suspended-peanuts affair; this has two generous cups of peanut butter folded in to make a rich, buttery, slightly crumbly treat. Before she died someone had the wise thought to get the recipe, and I now own it written in her own hand. 

Top, Peanut Brittle. Bottom, Coffee Walnut Toffee.

Perhaps like me you wanted to give small gifts to people around you, but the holidays snuck up on you and then you caught that bug that everyone had and now it's too! late! I'm here to tell you: Make this peanut brittle and everybody will be happy.

The Longest Night

I'm pretty sure The Raven is nearby.

Princess Cookies

I'm pretty picky about spelling, and I'm not afraid to correct misspelled words. I don't understand people who don't employ spell-check. In college part of my job was to read my boss's papers with a red pen in hand. Besides all the free marshmallows and gummy bears I could eat, that was my favorite part of the job -- the power of that red pen. (Can you guess where I worked?)

A caveat: I'm not, per se, the best speller. I'm pretty good, but there are certain words that trip me up. It's gotten to the point where I have psyched myself out over these words, and so I'm never quite sure what the real spelling is. Calender. Independence. Lavender. 

That semi-interesting tidbit brings us to the title recipe. They're actually Coconut Lavender Macaroons. I associate coconut macaroons with two things: Christmas, and teatime. Christmas because my mom always made them this time of year, and teatime because they just seem like such a girly cookie. I also had a Disney princess bandaid on today, and it was the color of lavender. These cookies have lavender. So, Princess Cookies. (My brain wants so hard to talk about Kate Middleton right now. She might like these cookies! She is going to marry a prince! Her hair -- how does she do it!!!)

Five-Spice Beef Party Delight

PARTY FOOD I LIKE:
Deviled eggs. I could eat a whole platter.

Cheeses.

Weddings only: Those wedding pillow mints.

Seafood stuff.

Tiny sandwiches.

Smoked salmon.

Time to party! Except apparently me and my friends are not the party type.* Actually, I did go to a party this weekend, a potluck. The night before I decided that I would have to use a recipe from a cookbook that's languished on my shelf forever; there's no point in having something you never use. The Five-Spice Beef, categorized under appetizers, sounded delicious yet non-threatening.

(Although I am hosting a craft party this Saturday. Leave a comment or email me if you'd like to come! Goodies will be served.)

To make the recipe, you simmer a roast in a spiced soy sauce broth for a few hours, then chill and slice it. Chinese five-spice is a mixture of five spices, the specifics of which vary a little. Serve the sliced beef with a delicious dipping sauce that's spicy and savory!

Deck the halls

That cabinet? Four bucks.

Lately at work I've been tuning into the "Holiday Showcase" music station. It's nothing super great, but the four-year-old that I nanny likes to sing along. Everybody!

"Deck the halls with boughs of folly..."

Yes, that's really how she sings it. I kind of like it.  Boughs of folly. I feel a little sad putting up Christmas decorations, because in a month I know I'll have a serious case of the Januaries and no pretty greenery to alleviate it. I did buy two little dinky strands of blue lights and draped one around my bed, canopy-style. The other I wrapped around my Giant Branch. What is a Giant Branch, you ask? I will tell you. (Also, I am going to do a little bargain-bragging.)

About a month ago I parked on my university campus. A big windstorm had just blown through. As I ran up to Frat Row (gross) I saw a Giant Branch on the ground. I immediately wanted it, but my errand was urgent. As I hurried, I worried that someone would take my Giant Branch. Obviously I am a crazy person, because who else would want a Giant Branch? 

(Background: It is a well-documented fact that I <3 branches. When I worked in an art studio where we used a lot of natural materials, I was constantly dragging them inside after my breaks. Some were broken up for art projects; one winter I stuck a whole bunch into the top of a wire shelf and decorated them all to look like a winter wonderland, with glitter and ornaments and shiny things. I blame that job for my continued giant stick obsession.)

The G.B. in all it's glory.

THANK HEAVENS the Giant Branch was still there!

(Sidenote: I used to study art in college, but I wasn't as "serious" about it as some of the other "serious" art students (meaning I took classes in other subjects and other buildings). One day I made a really weird request of someone to save some materials that would otherwise have been thrown out (fine, it was human hair, from the student salon), and the other person looked at me like I was cray-zy. In that moment, I felt so proud, like "I'm a real art student!". I still get that feeling whenever I am gathering branches.)

That quilt? Ten bucks. Bookshelf and coatrack? Free.

This Giant Branch is the most giantest branch I have ever had. It is so wonderful. There's a little bark, and a little moss that's still green, but mostly it's naked and relatively smooth. To prepare it to enter my bedroom, I shook it (to get rid of bugs, duh) and let it dry out in my garage. Then I let it season for three weeks (meaning, I forgot about it). Finally, I brought it the two flights up to my room and lashed one end to the foot of my bed.The other end rests on the wall.

My branch can touch the sky!

FACTS ABOUT THE GIANT BRANCH:
It is about nine feet long.
It is made of wood and moss and bark.
It is vegan.

WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE TO DECK THE HALLS BESIDES BLATHER ON ABOUT A GIANT BRANCH:
I put pine boughs into cups and vases to make branch bouquets. Totally a planned branch theme (except not. I didn't notice it until justthismoment. I am just that savvy.)
Then I put some silver balls in strategic places around the room (meaning: where they would not roll away.)

ANYTHING ELSE:
Well, yesterday I had this stuck in my head all day. You're welcome. My favorite/most hated to have in my head part is the soaring "evergreen bough" line.

This weekend we bought our tree. We go to a cut-your-own farm nearby. Last year the farm was blanketed in snow. One of our international students said "It is like a Disney movie!" Indeed.

Not our tree.

Our tree!

I totally picked it. Tell me I did a good job!

Week of Loaves: Cinnamon Roll Bread

Fun fact: I have four brothers. Sometimes when I'm getting to know people I'll mention this, and they're like "Oh my gosh, four brothers, that's so many siblings, crazy crazy crazy." And I'll be like, "I know!" And so sometimes I don't tell them I also have four sisters. One of my friends didn't find that out for months after first meeting me. Whoops, sorry. 

So, I'm the oldest, and I was 15 when the youngest was born. A 15-year span is rather long. Family traditions that were totally followed and amazing when I was a kid are not things that my youngest siblings have grown up with, and vice versa. Sometimes I'll wax nostalgic about a fond childhood memory, and some of the "little kids" have no idea what I'm talking about. 

A few things have stuck around, which makes me very happy. One that's been a tradition since I was a kid is having cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Sometimes they've been from a can (so fun to pop!) and sometimes they're homemade. That tradition inspired me to make this bread.

It's not as gooey as a normal cinnamon roll, but the bread is very soft and delicate, and it does fall apart a bit around the filling. It tastes amazing, like a cinnamon roll machine started up in your mouth, and it is a little tidier to eat than a sticky bun. 

It can be made the night before, right up to the second rise, and then put in the fridge overnight. The directions for overnight are included below.


Cinnamon Roll Bread

dough adapted from Overnight Rolls, Joy of Cooking, p. 612

Dough:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shortening

2 tablespoons warm water (105˚ to 115˚; warm tap water)*

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

5 cups all-purpose flour

* If the water or milk mix is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread will not rise.

In a small pan, heat the milk and shortening together over low heat until the shortening melts. Remove from the heat and put in the fridge to cool slightly*.

In a large bowl, stir together the warm water, the yeast, and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Let this stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast is dissolved. (If the yeast does not make small bubbles and/or "puff" up, it is probably dead.)

Stir the milk mixture into the yeast. Stir in the additional 1/2 cup sugar, and the eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom. Gradually stir in the flour. Using your Hulk muscles or an electric mixer, beat the dough for about 5 minutes. The dough is very soft and sticky, so I recommend the beater blade instead of the dough hook. 

Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray, or coat with oil. Scrape the dough into the bowl and cover the bowl tightly. Put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume. This will take about an hour, but the increase in volume is more important than the time. If you have a very cold or drafty apartment, turn on your oven for one minute, then turn it off. Use this as a "proofing box" to rise your dough in. I use an 8-cup measuring cup for this step, which makes it really easy to see when the dough has doubled in volume.

Once the dough has doubled, follow the instructions below.

Filling: 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup raisins (optional)

In a small pan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium-low heat while stirring. Once the butter has melted, let cook for two to three more minutes, until the sauce begin to thicken and the spoon can make tracks in the sauce that take a moment to fill in. Add the cinnamon and cook for 30 more seconds.

Flour well a clean counter or a board. Punch down the dough, turn it out of the bowl, and roll into a 9" by 18" rectangle. You'll probably need extra flour to help roll, as the dough is rather sticky. Spread the sugar-butter mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2" gap around the edges. Sprinkle the raisins evenly over the butter. Starting from one of the 9" edges, roll the dough into a roll. To get started, fold the dough immediately over to make a little lip. Use a dough scraper or flat long knife to help the dough along if it sticks to the counter

Grease a 9" x 5" pan thoroughly. (Use a pan with a lip if you can, as the dough rises a lot and the lip will help prevent spillover.) Transfer the dough roll to the pan, making sure the top seam is tucked into the side of the pan. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let rise four about 45 minutes, or cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Optional fancy-topping: Right before baking, spread 1 tablespoon very soft butter over the top of the dough. Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar together and sprinkle over the bread.

If baking the same day: Preheat the oven to 350˚/180˚. Bake the bread until golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving.

You can also use a thermometer stuck in the middle to see when the bread is done. Pull it out when it hits around 200˚/93˚. Just makes sure that the probe isn't sitting in a raisin pocket. 

 

If refrigerating overnight: In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge. Make your coffee, and preheat the oven to 350˚/180˚. Bake the bread until golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes one 9 x 5 loaf.

Week of Loaves: Lemon Cranberry Gingerbread

It's not midnight yet! I'm still making my self-imposed deadline of a loaf a day! I'm so very tired!

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This is a gingerbready loaf with whole cranberries and lemony delicious flavors. I really wanted to make a lemon glaze to drizzle over the top, but we were out of powdered/confectioner's sugar and I'd already been to the store three! times! today.  If you want the glaze to soak into the loaf, drizzle it over while it's hot. If you want it to sit on top like icing, let the loaf cool completely.

Lemon Cranberry Gingerbread (with Lemon Glaze)

adapted from Guy Fawkes Day Cake, The Joy of Cooking, p. 724

Gingerbread:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 cup molasses

juice of one medium lemon (zest is also used; see below)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

zest of one medium lemon

2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

2/3 cup milk or egg nog

Glaze:
1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
juice of one lemon
dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350˚/180˚. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan or 8" square baking pan.

In a small pan, melt together the butter, molasses, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and melted. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, spices, baking soda, and lemon zest. Toss in the cranberries, coating them with flour mixture.

Add half the butter mixture and half the milk, give it a quick stir, then add the rest of the butter and the milk. Stir quickly a few times, until just combined. The batter is rather thin, like a waffle batter.

Pour into the greased pan and bake until the cake begins to pull away from the pan sides and a skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes for the loaf pan or 35 minutes for the cake pan. Let cool in the pan on a rack.

To make the glaze, put the powdered sugar in a large bowl and slowly stir in the lemon juice until it's thin enough to drizzle. Dip a spoon in and hold it over the bowl to test drizzle-ability, then lick the spoon to test for flavor. (Using an un-licked spoon), drizzle the icing over the loaf in pretty swirls. Dot with dried cranberries, if desired.

Mug shot

The bag my lemons came in.

Recommended accompaniment: A rousing chorus of "Here We Come a Wassailing", because this could count as Christmas loaf. Moudy cheese optional.

Week of Loaves: Cheesy Spinach Bread

Sometimes when something that looks to be high-calorie is near me, I'll ask others who've already eaten it if it's "worth it", meaning is the taste greater than the calories, making it worth putting in my mouth and body. This bread is "worth it".

I should warn you, the spinach in the loaf is decorative only. This is a luxurious bread, which means it's perfect to make four mini loaves and give three away to people who are not on a diet. I first made a version of this two summers ago, when I decided to dive in head-first and multiplied it by eight. Luckily it turned out great, and we all enjoyed it with our soup. The sour cream keeps it moist for a day or two, and for a really really horribly good snack, sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on a slice and broil it. Then do four hundred situps.

Use any not-too-soft cheese you have on hand. The original recipe calls for Parmesan instead of the shredded white cheese; I used a Finland cheese called Lappi. Use Jack, or Pepper Jack, or Beecher's Flagship... whatever you want. Change up the spices too -- try rosemary, or a little mustard powder, or cayenne pepper.

Cheesy Cheese Bread with Decorative Spinach

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Revised Edition, p. 487


4 ounces mozarella or white cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
dash turmeric
dash smoked paprika
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into mousetrap-sized chunks (about 1 cup)
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture


Heat the oven to 350˚/180˚. Grease one 9" x 5" or four 6" x 3.2" loaf pans. 

In the microwave or a small pot, melt the butter. Stir in the dried basil. Set aside to cool to room temperature.


In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, turmeric, and smoked paprika. Toss in the chunks of sharp cheddar and half (1/2 cup) of the shredded cheese. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg until beaten. Whisk in the milk, sour cream, and basil-butter mixture. Stir in the spinach.

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just moistened. Work quickly, but do not overmix.

Scrap the batter into the pan, diving evenly if using four mini pans, and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over top the batter. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick stuck in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes for a large loaf pan or 35 to 40 minutes for small pans. 

 

Let cool in pan for 20 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack. 

Recommended accompaniment: Tomato soup (and maybe a Lactaid pill)

Fire

I happened to glance into our living room this evening, where I saw my youngest brother frantically maneuvering a ball of fire around. Despite everything we know about stop-drop-and-roll, the flapping extinguished the flame (which was good because the pot I grabbed was taking forever to fill up with water). 

He had put a paper napkin into the flame of a candle. Apparently he didn't realize... how fast paper burns? I'm not sure. This is the same kid who put a bead up his nose "to see if [he] could get it out". He could the first few times, but eventually, yes, the bead got stuck. And yes, the napkin caught on fire. And yes, the scientific method lives on.

ps. - I asked him later what he would have done had I not noticed the inferno. He responded: "I dunno, keep flapping."

pps. -- on our family whiteboard is now the illustrated sentence: "[name withheld for privacy] has lost his fire privileges." Two of us used those exact words, independent of each other. Apparently "fire privileges" are a thing around here. I hope I never lose mine.