December 2011

Tessa’s Tips – Spicy Comfort Food Comes Home for the Holidays

Spice up the holidays this year!

Around the world people look forward to celebrating the holidays with friends, family, and food – often comfort food.  Ever thought about using chili peppers to boost your favorite comfort food this holiday season? Adding a little extra spice will take your food from one-dimensional to multi-dimensional.  There are more than 30 different varieties of chilli peppers, each with their own unique flavor and heat.  There’s even a way to officially measure the spiciness of a chili pepper – it’s called the Scolville scale.  Sweet bell peppers start at zero while habaneros can push 300,000. 

It’s fun to experiment with using different kinds of peppers.  You can adjust the flavor and spice level by layering the dish with roasted, pickled, and fresh peppers.  But remember, as with most spices, a little goes a long way. 

Here are a couple suggestions for traditional holiday favorites to get your creative juices flowing:
Green Bean Casserole: Add a little roasted poblanos with the cream of mushroom soup.
Cornbread Stuffing: Opt for something more interesting than your typical cornbread by including chipotle peppers.
Filet of Beef: Create a simple, tasty dry rub with smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, garlic and salt and pepper.
Pasta dishes: Consider adding dry hot chilis to punch up most any pasta recipe.

We all love the comfort and joy around the table this time of year. Flex your culinary muscle to make this year that much more merrier!

Share your favorite way to use chilis  – we’ll choose a handful of folks to receive a coupon for a free bowl.

Happy Holidays!

Candy Cane Marshmallows – An Expected Treat from the Test Kitchen

Quick, easy, and unexpected

Our culinary goddesses are always surprising and delighting us with fun, festive recipes.  This morning we came in to find CANDY CANE MARSHMALLOWS in need of a little taste-testing.  We gladly obliged.  These marshmallows are super tasty with the perfect amount of peppermint and gooey, springy texture.

The recipe is pretty straight-forward and not as hard as you might think!  Give them a try and then surprise your friends and family this holiday season with something a little more special than your run-of-the-mill complement to a holiday toddy. 

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water, divided
3 (.25 ounce) pkgs unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup candy canes (fine chopped in food processor)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
red food coloring

Directions:
1. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with lightly greased parchment paper. Grease another piece of parchment to cover the top, and set aside.
2. Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to soak.
3. While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for about a minute (soft-ball stage).
4. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin and beat on high for 12 minutes with an electric mixer, until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks.
5. Pour marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a greased spatula to smooth the top of the candy.
6. Add red food coloring once in pan and swirl with toothpick to desired saturation.
7. Cover the candy with the reserved and greased parchment and press down lightly to seal candy from air.
8. Allow the candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight. Mix together cornstarch and confectioner’s sugar in a shallow dish. Using oiled scissors or knife, cut the marshmallows into strips, then into 1″ squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in cornstarch mixture and store in airtight container.
9. Devour all by themselves or with your favorite hot toddy!
(Modified from AllRecipes.com)