What's Cooking
"Shut off the car, Mom!" my son fairly shouted, after I failed to understand the international hand signal for turning the ignition switch.
A grinding noise was coming from the engine. I don’t know much about cars, but I’m reasonably certain that “grinding” is not an adjective you want best to describe the sound coming from an engine.
The hood was raised. Fluids levels were checked, commented upon with kindness and tact, and leveled off. In the morning, given that no miracle of spontaneous car repair had occurred in the intervening hours, we called for a tow truck.
This is the time of year when the calendar turns a page and typically, we start to throw money at things. We buy gifts, we plan big dinners, we decorate, we make visits to faraway family, and in the process, we run the risk of exhausting our budgets.
Enter the suffering Subaru, stage right.
Couldn't you think of a dozen or two hundred other uses for cash than car repair? Yeah, me too.
Maybe you're facing your own shortfall at present. Maybe you're just stuck at what to give to the relatives who have everything, the coach who encouraged your favorite young athlete to victory, the great neighbors you see all too infrequently.
Here then are a few ideas for gifts from your heart and hearth, treats that everyone loves but few make or purchase for themselves.. Prepared with love, presented in pretty tins or festive jars and adorned with peppermint candy canes held tight with abundant bows, you'll strike the right note this holiday season without breaking the bank.
What follows is more method than recipe, as the art of candy making does seem indeed more art than science. The truffles are an attempt to create a less dense sweet than traditionally known; the buttercreams are meant to mimic as closely as possible the treats my mother made every holiday season. Her recipe, repeated to me often, written down in a leather-bound book I’ve subsequently lost, wasn’t hard to reproduce, but I offer it with a caveat: a mother’s touch is impossible to replicate.
For the truffles:
Carefully melt 1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips in a microwave. Stop each 30 seconds and stir well; don’t overdo or the chocolate will seize. This is a forgiving recipe, but still, better safe than sorry. Add ¼ cup cream,1/4 cup Amaretto, ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar, and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa. Mix together well. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate one hour.
When ready to form, break off heaping spoonfuls and roll into smooth balls between your palms. Slightly under an inch in diameter is a good size. Rolling will cause the outside of the ball to melt a bit. Have some dark cocoa in a little bowl ready, and toss the candies into it to cover well. Set on a plate and continue. Your hands will require washing a few times in the process. It’s worth it.
Cover with plastic and keep refrigerated.
For the buttercreams:
Place one stick of unsalted butter, cut into pieces, in a glass bowl. Microwave until just soft, about 30 seconds. Stir well. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons best quality vanilla, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 3 to 3 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar. Mix well with a spoon, then knead together with your hands until very smooth. Cover with plastic and refrigerate one hour.
To form into balls, break off heaping teaspoonfuls and shape between the palms of your hands. Set on a plate and when finished, cover with plastic and set in the freezer for one hour.
Ready to cover with chocolate? Place about 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate pieces in a small bowl and carefully heat in the microwave until just melted. Again, take your time, removing the bowl from the microwave every 30 seconds and stirring well. Don’t heat more than necessary of the chocolate will not provide a nice hard topping for your candies.
Remove the buttercreams from the freezer. One by one, skewer with a toothpick and, holding over the bowl, smooth chocolate over the candy with a spoon. Be sure not to allow too much to build up on any one side or bottom. Set on a plate and dislodge with another toothpick. Smooth the top with the spoon if necessary.
Keep the chocolate over a bowl of hot water if you like, or return to the microwave for just a few seconds to reheat if necessary. Again, err on the side of caution.
Allow the candies to harden at room temperature. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. Best eaten within a week, if they last that long. My mother would often substitute good bourbon for the vanilla in the buttercreams. Just saying.
Deliver these to friends and family on odd plates or crystal bowls you’ve found at antique stores, wrapped simply in cellophane and tied with lavish bows. Or pass them around after a holiday dinner with dark roasted coffee.
Thank you so much for stopping by today. Elaine Razzano’s wonderful double chocolate biscotti recipe will follow shortly, as soon as I overcome my deep-seated formatting issues.
