HOME-MADE MARZIPAN: Marzipan is used widely in cake-and-candy making at home. I personally prefer home-made marzipan to the store-bought variety.

MARZIPAN:

 

 

 

2 cups ground almond                                                

1 ¾ cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. lemon juice                                                       

2 tsp. sherry or brandy

2 drops almond extract                                               

2 small egg whites

extra powdered sugar

 

 

 

 

Combine almonds and sugar in a large bowl. Add in lemon juice, sherry or brandy and almond extract, mix well.

 

Gradually mix in enough egg white to ensure that the almond paste is sticky, but not wet.

 

Knead paste until smooth on a pastry board dusted with powdered sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap.

 

Store marzipan in an air-tight container placed in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.  This recipe makes 1 lb. marzipan.

HOME MADE PRALINE: Praline is one of the many things that can be made at home with satisfying result. It pgives "crunch" that adds to the texture of a lot of desserts.

PRALINE:

 

 

 

½ cup butter                                                    

1 packed cup of brown sugar

½ cup broken pecans or walnuts                     

2 ½ cups corn, bran or wheat flakes

 

 

 

Bring butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat to a boil.  Watch carefully and let it boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and toss with a fork to coat with butter and sugar.

 

Let it cool; then crumble praline. Store it in an air-tight glass jar.

 

Praline is delicious for sprinkling over ice cream, deep dish fruit pies, puddings, custards or cheesecake.

HOME-MADE CANDIES: To make candies at home to give out as gifts to friends is still a gratifying hobby to pursue.

BUTTERSCOTCH CANDIES:

 

 

 

 

2 lbs. brown sugar                                                      

1 cup butter, softened

4 tbsp. lemon juice or 1 generous tsp. ground ginger

 

 

 

 

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, dissolve sugar, then stir in remaining ingredients and boil, stirring constantly,  20 minutes, or until syrup/caramel forms a hard ball when dropped into ice water.

 

Remove from heat, stir vigorously for 5 minutes; and then pour on a well-buttered surface.

 

Let cool, then mark into small squares with a sharp knife. When completely cold, remove bars of butterscotch and tap with a knife handle to break into bits.

 

This recipe yields 2 lbs of candies.

CAKES: I missed this basic cake recipe when posting the cakes category. This is a different kind of sponge cake to the "yellow sponge cake" I have used as basic cake in most cake recipes.

BASIC GENOISE CAKE:

 

 

 

 

1 cup cake & pastry flour

4 eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. butter, melted

 

 

 

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Grease and paper an 8-inch spring-form pan.

 

Sift flour, 2 tbsp. sugar and the salt together onto a large piece of wax paper. Repeat the sifting one more time.

 

Place eggs in a large bowl set over a large saucepan of water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Beat with a hand-held electric beat until eggs are hot; then remove bowl from the saucepan and continue beating until eggs are pale-yellow in colour and forms long ribbons when the beaters are lifted off the batter. Add in vanilla.

 

Pour flour mixture back into the sift and shift in roughly 1/3 of it onto the eggs in the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to very gently fold flour into the eggs. Repeat adding and folding in of the other 2 batches of flour. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into prepared pan, shaking pan slightly to distribute batter more evenly.

 

Bake for 25 minutes or until cake is a nice golden colour on the top and when a tooth pick inserted into middle of it comes out clean. Remove to rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert cake from pan, peel off wax paper; then sit cake, top side up, on rack to cool completely.

DESSERT: These iced petits fours are spectacular when used to highlight a dessert spread on festive occasions. It just takes a few practise trials to get it right.

ICED PETITS FOURS:

 

 

 

 

1 square piece of prepared genoise cake, see posted basic genoise cake recipe

topping:

    ½ cup apricot jam or preserve                                 

    1 tbsp. water

    4 oz. marzipan, store-bought or home-made

icing:

    1 tbsp. light corn syrup                               

    ¼ cup warm water

    2 cups powdered or icing sugar                              

    few drops food colouring, if desired

 

 

 

To make topping:  Press jam through a fine sieve or strainer into a small saucepan. Stir in water and cook mixture, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth. Cool slightly. Brush top of prepared genoise cake with jam mixture.

 

Roll out marzipan thinly between 2 sheets of wax paper. Remove 1 sheet of wax paper from marzipan and invert it over top of cake. Peel off waxed paper and trim marzipan edges even with cake.

 

Using a very sharp knife cut cake into 1-inch squares. Or if making round petits fours, use a small cookie cutter to cut circles of cake, and the marzipan layer to fit. Chill 30 minutes to firm the marzipan.  

 

Meanwhile, make icing by combining corn syrup and 2 tbsp. water in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add powdered sugar and mix in well. Add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of warm water to make icing liquid. Add food colouring to tint icing to desired colour if preferred. Keep warm.

 

Place cut cakes over a wire rack set over a baking sheet and spoon icing over. Leave to set.

 

Top petits fours with cut pieces of fruit, or drizzle with melted chocolate to decorate before serving.           

COOKIES: I missed this goodie while posting cookies receipes. Hope you'll try it out.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS BARS:

 

 

 

 

½ cup butter                                                                

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup light brown sugar                                              

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 ½ oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces or chips             

pinch of salt

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and grease 11 x 7-inch baking pan.

 

Use a hand-held electric beater to beat butter and sugar together, in a large, bowl, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix in. Sift flour and salt together and add to butter mixture, using a wooden spoon to mix in well. Fold in walnuts and chocolate pieces.

 

Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes.

 

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. When completely cold, cut into bars of preferred size.

DESSERTS: Here are 2 more recipes and ways to make home-made sorbet.

BLUEBERRY SORBET:

 

 

 

2/3 cup each sugar & water

4 cups blueberries                                           

1 tbsp. orange liqueur or lemon juice

 

 

 

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and water is boiling.  Alternately, pour 2/3 cup boiling water over sugar in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Let cool completely.

 

In a food processor, puree blueberries and strain through sieve. There should be 2 cups of puree. Add in cooled syrup and liqueur, pulse on/ off to mix well.

 

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Or, without ice-cream maker, pour mixture into a large cake pan or metal container. Cover and freeze until almost solid. Transfer mixture to food process or beat mixture with electric beater to break up the ice chunks, and beat until smooth. Transfer to airtight container and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

LIME SORBET:

 

 

1 cup sugar                                                     

1 envelope unflavoured gelatine

2 cups milk                                                     

2 tbsp. golden rum

1/3 cup fresh lime juice                                  

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 egg whites

green food coloring                                        

 

 

 

Dissolve gelatine in 2 tbsp. hot water in a bowl sitting in a pot of simmering water. Then add this to the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in milk and bring mixture to almost boiling, stirring constantly to make sure gelatine is completely dissolved and mixed in.  Transfer to a bowl and let it cool.

 

Stir in rum, lime juice and rind and enough food colouring to tint mixture a delicate green. Pour mixture into a metal container and freeze until mushy.  

 

Beat egg whites in a chilled bowl until stiff; then add into the partly frozen mixture. Continue beating until smooth.  Return container to freezer and freeze until firm.

DESSERTS: This version of peach sorbet is simple and straigh forward. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

PEACH SORBET:

 

 

 

5 cups water                                                   

2 ¼ cups sugar

juice of ½ lemon                                             

6 peaches, peeled and pitted

 

 

 

Bring water and sugar to a rolling boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar thoroughly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add lemon juice.  Puree peaches and add puree to the syrup.

 

Place mixture in a metal container and freeze until mushy. Take out and beat with electric beater until smooth.

 

Return container to freezer. Freeze until firm.

DESSERTS: This sorbet takes a little effort to make, but the result is gratifying to the taste buds.

PINEAPPLE SORBET:

 

 

 

1 cup each water & sugar

½ cup white wine                                            

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 ¼ cup fresh pineapple (1 medium pineapple)          

¼ cup lemon juice                                                      

1 egg white                                                                 

sprigs of fresh mint to garnish

 

 

 

Combine water, white wine and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to medium and bring to the boil. Boil mixture gently for 5 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

 

Peel and core pineapple, and cut into chunks. Process in a food processor fitted with steel blade until smooth. Stir pineapple, lemon rind and juice into the syrup. Taste and adjust for sweetness, adding sugar or lemon juice if too tart or too sweet.

 

Transfer mixture to a metal container. Cover and freeze about 2 hours, until mixture is frozen 2-inches in from the sides of the container. 

 

Transfer to the food processor and process until smooth. Drop in egg white through the feed tube and pulse on/off for a few seconds longer. Return mixture to the metal container to freeze until solid 2-inches in from the sides again, in another 2 hours or so. 

 

Beat again until smooth. Then freeze until firm, about 4 hours longer.

 

Serve the sorbet garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.

DESSERTS: Sorbet or fruit ice is a slighty tangy and refreshing dessert to serve at any time of the year.

STRAWBERRY AND PEAR SORBET:

 

 

 

4 cups fresh strawberries

2 medium pears                                              

½ cup sugar

¼ cup lemon juice                                                                              

2 egg whites

 

 

 

Wash, drain and hull berries. Puree in blender or food processor with sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

 

Peel, core and slice pears and cook pears in a little water in a saucepan until tender. Drain and puree pears. 

 

Press strawberry mixture through a sieve to remove seed; then blend together with pear puree for a few seconds to mix.  Pour fruit mixture into metal container and place in freezer. When puree is frozen to a mushy consistency, use a hand-held electric beater to beat until smooth to break up ice particles.

 

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into puree at this stage. Cover container with a lid or double thickness of foil. Refreeze until solid before serving

ICE CREAM: This is a nice ice cream to make and to serve when peaches are ripe and delicious in the summer time

PEACHES & CREAM ICE CREAM:

 

 

 

 

2 ½ lbs. ripe peaches, peeled and roughly chopped                

2 tbsp. brandy

1 cup whipping cream

½ cup each milk & half-and half cream                                                                     

4 egg yolks

1 whole vanilla bean split lengthwise                                      

6 tbsp. each dark brown sugar & light brown sugar

1 cup Crème Fraiche; see below, optional                                          

 

 

 

Place peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with brandy. Let marinade at least 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and chill in refrigerate overnight.  In a food processor or blender, puree peaches.

 

In a large saucepan, combine cream, milk and half-and-half. Scrap vanilla seeds into the milk mixture, then add in the  whole bean. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat; then remove from heat.  Take out vanilla bean and reserve it. 

 

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together in a saucepan.  Add hot milk mixture to egg mixture gradually, whisking constantly. Cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it visibly thickens and coats the spoon.  Remove from heat, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl set over ice. Return vanilla bean to mixture and let it infuse until mixture is completely cold.

 

Discard vanilla bean and stir in puree peaches along with Crème Fraiche. Cover and chill at least 6 hours or overnight. Transfer mixture to an ice cream freezer if available and freeze it until solid. Or put mixture into a metal container and freeze in the freezer until mushy. Beat with hand-held electric beater until smooth to break up ice particles and freeze again until firm.  Serve with creme fraiche if preferred.

 

 

CREME FRAICHE:

 

    1 cup whipping cream

    2 tbsp. buttermilk

 

 

Mix ingredients together in a glass jar. Cover with lid and let stand at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. It is ready when the cream becomes thickened. Refrigerate until needed. Stir mixture well before using.

ICE CREAM: Hope you'll like this too, even though it is not as rich as most ice cream.

ORANGE ICE CREAM:

 

 

 

 

3 cups unstrained orange juice                        

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. grated orange rind                                           

2 cups 18% cream

1 cup whipping cream

 

 

 

Heat orange juice, sugar and orange rind in a saucepan over moderately-low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, until mixture is hot. Remove from heat, pour mixture into metal container and  chill for at least 3 hours.

 

When orange mixture is cold, stir in 18% cream and mix well. Freeze in ice cream freezer following manufacturer’s instructions. If not, put mixture in the freezer and freeze until mixture begins to thicken. 

 

In a large chilled bowl, whip whipping cream until stiff. Fold it into the slightly thickened mixture and beat together until smooth. Return mixture to freezer and freeze until it is firm.

ICE CREAM: This ice cream recipe, utilizing the food process to mix ingredients, was given to me long ago. It is simple to follow but takes a few practise in technique to get it right. Hope you'll have no problem with it.

MOCHA ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

 

 

 

 

8 large egg whites                                                       

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp. each vinegar

 

1 tbsp. boiling water

                                                         

1 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp. instant coffee granules

chocolate Sauce:

    6 oz semi-sweet chocolates                                     

    1 cup sugar

    1/3 cup boiling water                                                          

    2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

 

 

Using food-processor fitted with metal blade, combine egg whites and sugar and process 8 seconds. With machine running, add vinegar through feed-tube and process for 2 to 3 minutes or until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Slide egg whites into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using same work bowl, add cream and process 25 to 30 seconds until stiff. Do not over process.

 

Dissolve coffee in boiling water, add to cream and pulse on/off once. Place beaten egg whites in a ring on top of whipped cream and pulse 2 or 3 times or until egg whites almost disappear. 

 

Transfer mixture to a metal bowl and place in freezer until it thickens and becomes mushy. Take out from freezer and beat mixture with a hand-held electric beater until smooth and to remove ice particles. Return to freezer and freeze until firm.

 

To make chocolate sauce: Use food processor with metal blade to process chocolate with sugar. Pulse 4 or 5 times; then run machine continuously for 30 seconds. Add boiling water through the feed tube and continue processing for 30 seconds more until chocolate has melted. Add vanilla extract and blend in.  

 

 

 

 

ICE CREAM: Even if you are not into brandy and liqueur, you might still be delighted with this excellent home-made ice cream.

BRANDIED-CHERRY ICE CREAM:

 

 

 

 

 

2/3 cup vanilla sugar                                                   

1 ½ cups each milk & 18% cream                                                      

6 tbsp. brandy

4 egg yolks                                                                 

1 cup chopped, pitted black berries

3 tbsp. Grenadine liqueur

 

 

 

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar with milk, cream and brandy and scald the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until very hot.

 

In another large saucepan, beat egg yolks until thick and light-coloured. Pour hot milk mixture through a fine sieve into it, stirring constantly to combine. Cook mixture over medium to medium-high heat for a few minutes; then add in cherries. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon. 

 

Transfer to a large metal bowl set in a bowl of ice to cool. Add enough grenadine liqueur until the desired green colour is reached.  Let cool completely, covered with a round of buttered wax paper to prevent crust forming. 

 

Freeze mixture in an ice cream freezer, if one is available, until solid. If not, pour mixture  into a metal container and freeze until mushy.  Take out and beat it with a hand-held beater to break up any ice particles. Cover with foil and return to freezer and freeze until firm.

ICE CREAM: The popular green tea ice cream is the basic ice cream recipe with a twist. Hope you'll like my version of it.

GREEN TEA ICE CREAM

 

 

 

 

1 cup each evaporated milk,  water & whipping cream

3 tbsp. green tea leaves                                               

6 cloves

3 eggs, separated                                                         

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt                                                                    

1 tbsp. lemon juice + 1 tsp. grated lemon rind                                    

pinch cream of tartar

4 to 6 drops green food colouring                               

 

 

 

Add tea leaves and cloves. Steep a few minutes to develop flavour; then strain and reserve liquid.

 

Scald milk and water in a saucepan until very hot. Combine egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Pour in hot milk mixture in a steady stream, whisking well to combine. Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly.

 

Stir in lemon juice and rind. Add food colouring, a drop at a time, stirring well after each addition, until desired colour is reached.

 

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, beat in rest of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, and continue beating until stiff.  In another bowl, whip cream until soft peaks then fold into cooled milk mixture along with egg whites.

 

Spoon mixture into a metal container and freeze until mushy. Take out from freezer and beat it with an electric beater to break up ice particles. Beat until smooth' then return to freezer. Freeze until solid.  

ICE CREAM: Home-make ice cream is easy, even without an ice-cream maker. I particularly like this recipe for vanilla ice cream which is really delicious.

BASIC VANILLA ICE CREAM:

 

 

 

1 cup vanilla sugar****                                              

2 cups milk

2 cups whipping cream                                               

6 egg yolks

 

****To make vanilla sugar:  Chop a 4-inch piece of vanilla bean into small pieces. Put it into blender with 1 cup sugar. Blend at high speed until vanilla is pulverized. Store vanilla sugar in an airtight container****.

 

 

 

Put vanilla sugar in a heavy saucepan.  Add milk and stir to mix well. Scald mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very hot.       

 

In another large heavy saucepan, whisk egg yolks until light-coloured and very thick.  Add hot milk mixture in a steady stream into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Cook over moderate heat, stirring continuously, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat immediately.

 

Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely, covered with a buttered round of wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. 

 

In a large chilled bowl, whip cream until stiff and fold into custard. If an ice cream freezer is available, freeze mixture by following manufacturer’s instructions. Alternately, pour mixture into a container and freeze until it is mushy. Using a hand-held electric beater, beat mixture, breaking up any ice formed, until smooth. Cover with foil and return it to freezer, freeze until it is solid.

DESSERTS: Sweetened whipped cream not only enhances puddings and desserts, but is also invaluable as filling for a variety of cakes.

STABLIZED**** WHIPPED CREAM:

 

 

 

½ envelope of unflavoured gelatine                           

3 tbsp. water

1 cup whipping cream                                                

2 tbsp. icing sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Optional flavouring: brandy, cognac or rum; melted and cooled chocolate; fruit puree

 

 

 

Sprinkle gelatine over water in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir to dissolve gelatine. Cool to room temperature.

 

Whip cream in chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Pour in gelatine in a steady stream while continue to beat cream. Add icing sugar and vanilla to flavour the cream. Additional flavouring may be added according to various recipes.  

 

 

 

****Whipped cream is one of the basic ingredients to fill a layer cake. The addition of gelatine helps to "set" the cream, especially