13 February 2010

Basic Cookie Icing

- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 drops of dye


Used on shortbread cutouts. Not perfect, but works in a pinch (put it on thin, as it will taste a bit like icing sugar). Make sure cookies are cooled and just apply with a small spoon. I put them in the fridge overnight to ensure they gelled properly, and then they were fine to stack on top of one another.

10 February 2010

To Try: Hokey Pokey

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 4 tablespoons dark corn syrup
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix. You can't stir once the pan's on the heat, though.

Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt and then turn to goo and then a bubbling mass the color of maple syrup - this will take 3 minutes or so.

Off the heat, whisk in the baking soda and watch the syrup turn into a whooshing piece of baking parchment or greased foil.

Leave until set and then bash at it, so that it splinters into many glinting pieces.

06 February 2010

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (I once tried to put them on the pan first and drizzle the oil on top, but it was too much oil and the oven ended up smoking up.)
Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes (could be closer to 25), until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.
Optional: Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately.