Rocky Road (Candy)... Take Me Home... To The Place... I Belong

I really didn't blog about candy all that much this year.  Oh, there was Fudge a plenty (which I blogged about last year) and of course, the Honey Caramels, which I covered this year.  Then I decided to do a recap on Divinity with the more traditional Black Walnuts.  But two of the Christmas treats I forgot to mention, both this year and last, were Great Grandma Ruby's Silver Drip (Which I will get to in a later post) and Grandma Reva's Rocky Road.  No, I am not talking about the Ice Cream flavor.

When I was a child, Rocky Road was the paramount Christmas candy.  What kid doesn't love marshmallows?  Combine that with Chocolate Fudge and Nuts and you have a candy that is destined to disappear as fast as you can make it.

Now that I am older, I am not so much into marshmallows, so after one piece I am pretty much done for the year, but many many other members of my family enjoy this delectable candy, immensely.  Thus it is still a holiday staple 'round these parts.  

The base fudge is the same as the gelatin fudge I blogged about last year, which has been profusely laced with both Walnuts and Mini-Marshmallows, making it all lumpy & bumpy... Ergo - Rocky Road.

Rocky Road Candy

3 oz Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate
3 cups Granulated Sugar
1 TB unflavored Gelatin
1/2 'Scant' cup Corn Syrup (I am figuring this at about 120 ml instead of 124 ml)
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 cup Whole Milk
1 1/4 cup (20 TB) (10 oz) Unsalted Butter (This is definitely NOT a low fat dessert)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 oz chopped Walnuts (or Almonds)
4 oz Mini-Marshmallows

Chop the Chocolate with a sharp, heavy knife.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, whisk the Sugar and the Gelatin together.

Add Corn Syrup, Salt, Milk and Butter.... along with the chopped Chocolate.

Apply Medium heat to the whole "mess" and stir while everything comes to a boil (this prevents scorching)

When the mixture comes to a boil, cover with the lid to wash the crystals down from the the side of the pan.

Remove cover after 5 minutes and insert a candy thermometer.

Cook the mixture to 235 degrees (soft ball)

Meanwhile, pour vanilla into the bottom of a mixing bowl.

And "butter" a 13 x 9 baking dish.

When the mixture reaches 235 degrees, remove from heat, remove the thermometer and pour the "syrup" over the vanilla (in the mixing bowl)

Let this sit for 25 minutes. (don't worry about the "110" degree thing as is standard with most fudge)
After 25 minutes (regardless of the temperature) begin beating the fudge at medium-low speed, for 15 minutes (sometimes it takes a minute or two longer)

When the mixture looses most of it's shine, stop beating and remove from the mixer stand, then stir in the nuts......

Then fold in the Mini-Marshmallows. (They will melt into the candy, just a little)

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread somewhat evenly. (This will be a little hard, since it's all lumpy)

Let set for 3 hours, until fully set before cutting into squares and prying out of the pan with a bench scraper (it just works easier)

While you are waiting, you can let your niece (or nephew) lick the bowl.

And Serve......

Or store in a metal container, lined with waxed paper in the refrigerator for up to a month. (It never lasts that long)

Mangia!!
~~

OMG! My BFF DD's MMF!!! - Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant

Sorry, but I just had to take the opportunity to use the obnoxious "text" speak.

Have you ever met my friend DD over at DDPie's Slice? She has more talent in her pinky finger than... Well, I am not sure what, but you won't believe the beautiful cakes that sally forth from her kitchen. Her attention to detail is unparalleled. Dare I say it, her cakes are more fantastic than Duff's on Ace of Cakes. A true artiste if ever their was one.

The reason I am bringing this up, is because I am working on another multi-post project. My niece's Luau birthday party is on the 19th (She's a Solstice baby) and I am in the process of helping my brother with her erupting Volcano cake. We think we have it figured out, but the first step was to protect the cake from the raging torrent of artificially colored Lava/Magma. Mainly because many members of my family are allergic to things like Allura Red 40 and Red 3 (Honestly, the stuff is horrible for you anyway) and it's gonna take A LOT of dye to create a dark enough lava. Thus the cake will be swathed in fondant to protect the sumptuous Chocolate Swiss ButterCreme that will not only bathe the cake but will nestle between the layers as well.

Well, the problem with fondant is that it tastes like sweetened cardboard... YUCK!!! This is when I looked to DD for some help. She has this awesome recipe for MMF (Marshmallow Fondant). It has everything.... Flavor, Texture, Workability... and it's fairly simple to whip up... Well, the ingredient list is simple, the process takes a little 'know how'. But DD, in her omni-awesomeness, has provided not only a recipe and instructions, but has bestowed upon us, all of her hands on knowledge in working with the stuff. (Located Here)

See? Cool Beans, huh?

So using DD's recipe as a guide, I made Chocolate Fondant, because it is going to be a volcanic mountain in Hawaii, thus there will be very little snow, if ya know what I mean. I used the modifications DD suggested in her post. Oh, and for an extra little twist, I happened to have Chocolate extract as well as Hazelnut extract

but Almond and Coffee might be nice too. So take a deep breath, cause we are plungin' right into the deep end where the big fish swim... :) NO FEAR!!!!

Chocolate-Hazelnut MMF

16 oz (454 g) Mini-Marshmallows
3 TB Water
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Chocolate Extract
1 tsp Hazelnut Extract
30 oz (850 g) Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 Cup (43 g) Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark, which is a mixture of Natural and Dutched Cocoa)
1/3 -1/2 cup (5 1/2 - 8 TB) Vegetable Shortening (Depending on humidity and/or ambient Temperature)

Place the marshmallows in a large bowl along with the water and set the whole thing over simmering water, stirring occasionally until mostly melted.

At this point add any flavorings, I used Vanilla, Hazelnut and Chocolate extracts, stirring to combine. (The marshmallows will turn from white to a light beige color)

When everything is all melted, add the Cocoa Powder and about 3/4 of the Confectioners' Sugar.

Then begin to stir, and stir and stir...

When it becomes too stiff to stir, it should be cool enough to touch, go ahead and knead it in the bowl by hand.

Turn it out onto a greased (this is where the shortening comes in) counter,

and grease up your hands too, then start kneading in more of the confectioners' sugar a little at a time.

Re-grease your hands as necessary, continuing to knead in more confectioners' sugar until you achieve a smooth elastic blob of fondant. (You may not use all of the confectioners' sugar)

Smear the whole thing in a little more shortening to keep it from drying out.

Place it in a Zip-Loc bag (remove as much air as possible) and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. (Up to 2 weeks)

Awesome!

Thanks DD, You ROCK!!!
~~

Chocolate Krinkles for Old Kris Kringle

One of those childhood memories is now surfacing as the Christmas holiday approaches at what seems like the speed of light (YIKES! how many more days of shopping insanity are left?) Those memories are all about the wondrous parade of holiday treats that marched from the kitchens of my Mom, Gramma and Great Gramma. One of those favorite childhood cookies that always comes to mind is the Chocolate Krinkle.

LOVE THEM!!!!

So did Santa, or at least he did when I was "Knee high to a grasshopper" and still believed in Santa Klaus (That's Klows... not Claws). That might have changed, since I have not left him any cookies in about 38 years.... Oh yeah, my parents explained about St. Nicholas and the whole Santa Klaus/Kris Kringle myth by the time I was 2 years old. But it was still fun to pretend.... and it gave my parents something to munch on while they filled our stockings with goodies (although I am sure we 3 boys really deserved coal)

So here is my families Chocolate Krinkle cookie recipe... In all their crispy powdered sugar coated exterior, rich soft chocolate interior deliciousness.

Chocolate Krinkles

4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate
2 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup (4oz) Butter (You can also use Soybean or Light Olive oil - They will be a little chewier and will spread more)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
1 cup Confectioners' Sugar

Break the Unsweetened chocolate up into small bits to foster even melting (I chose Ghiradelli instead of Baker's this time, but I think Baker's actually works better for this)

Melt the chocolate over low heat (or in a double boiler) so it does not scorch then set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk Flour Baking Powder and Salt together and set aside. (You can omit the Baking Powder and Salt by using Self Rising Flour - in the amount of 2 cups plus 1 TB - cause the are already mixed in)

Place Sugar, Butter, Vanilla and the cooled melted Chocolate in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Blend until homogeneous but don't try to "cream" it all together until "light and fluffy" or you will end up with cake instead of a cookie.

Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well before adding the next one.

Stir in the Flour mixture to form a soft dough.

Cover the dough and chill it for at least 3 hours or it will be uber-sticky and impossible to work with.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift powdered sugar into a bowl and begin dropping the dough in by teaspoonfuls.

Coat them well and then roll into balls; placing them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

Serve on a festive plate for Santa..... (with a glass of Milk, of course)

or just eat them yourself, directly from the oven rack, like I do. Don't worry, there will still be plenty left for Santa if you do, cause this recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies... Heck there may even be some left over for Santa's helper elves AND the reindeer.

Mangia!!
~~

It Ain't German, But It Sure Is Wunderbär - A Texan Phenomenon, German's Chocolate Cake

YAY!!!! Thursday June 11th is German's Sweet Chocolate Cake Day!!

German's Sweet Chocolate (The baking bar) was the brain child of "Baker's" employee Sam German, who developed the sweet baking bar in 1852. The idea was to "help" the home cook by incorporating the sugar directly into the chocolate bar, thus lowering or eliminating the need for additional sugar in a given recipe.

While the Chocolate bar has been around for a long time.... The Cake, properly called "German's Sweet Chocolate Cake" with the possessive form, was not widely known outside the south until 1957 when a Dallas newspaper printed a recipe submitted by a local housewife. Sales jumped in the area, so the recipe was submitted to several newspapers by General Foods (who had since bought "Baker's Chocolate"). True to rights, the cake recipe was a hit all across America and sales of German's Sweet Chocolate Bars Jumped an incredible 72%.

So what exactly is German's Chocolate, and why is it so special?
German's Chocolate is about 48% Chocolate solids and contains NO milk.
Why is this significant?
Even "Dark" and some "Semi-sweet" Chocolates at 54% & 65% can contain a few milk solids and are much less sweet. Milk Chocolate on the other hand is rarely above 30%, usually 25%, and contains large amounts of milk. Thus diluting the "chocolate" flavor. This is what sets German's Chocolate apart. It has an extremely Chocolaty, but sweet and does not require massive amounts of added sugar to compensate as is necessary with Dark and Semi-Sweet Baking Bars.

It all makes perfect sense that the Cake hails from the south, after all, it is a Buttermilk or a "Velvet" type of Cake, which are very common in the southern states. Pecans are plentiful in Texas, and lets face it; the Cake has, not 2, but 3 layers, and EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas. So there ya go. Proof positive of the cakes origins...

Up until about 10 years ago, I had never tried to make one. I thought it was some secret family recipe or something. When I became comfortable in the kitchen, I finally asked my Mom and Grandmother if I could get the recipe from one of them... They exchanged knowing looks and told me to look inside the German's Sweet Chocolate box... I must say, that I was both ecstatic that I would not have to ever worry about loosing the recipe, and yet a little bummed that I didn't become privy to the "ultimate secret" of all that is Cake.

Regardless of the origin, the cake is absolutely delicious... or wunderbär (Voon-Der-Bar - Wonderful in German)
I admit, I am a purist and prefer the sides of my cake sans frosting. I like to be able to see the layers, so smearing the sides with more Chocolate icing just seems sacrilegious to me. Taking away from the glory that is the Coconut Pecan deliciousness spread between the layers. I don't decorate my German's Chocolate Cake with Maraschino Cherries either. To me that says "Black Forest" Cake (which IS German), if I want Black Forest Cake, I make Black Forest Cake, not Black Forestize my German's Chocolate Cake. ;)

German's Sweet Chocolate Cake

1 pkg. (4 oz) (113g) Baker's German’s Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup (4 oz) (120ml) Boiling Water
1 cup (8 oz) (225g) Unsalted Butter
2 cup (13.5 oz) (385g) Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs, separated
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup (5 oz) (145g) AP Flour
1 cup (4.2 oz) (120g) Cake Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup (8 oz) (240ml) Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Measure out Buttermilk and set aside. (to let it warm up a little)

Separate the eggs into 2 small glass containers (do not use plastic to store the whites)

Break up the Chocolate and place in a small bowl.

Bring a kettle of water to a boil, measure out 1/2 cup and pour over the broken chocolate; set aside

Prepare your 3 9-inch round cake pans by cutting parchment or wax paper to fit the bottom; set aside

Stir the Chocolate/Water mixture.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the 2 flours, baking soda and salt; set aside

In a large mixing bowl, cream Butter and Sugar together until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time.

Stir in vanilla; then slowly pour the chocolate/water mixture while continuing to blend.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of cream of tarter, until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Begin adding the flour, alternating...

with the Buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Grab your largest spatula (in this case, Size DOES matter)

Fold in the egg whites in 2 batches.

Divide the batter between the 3 prepared baking pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. (leave oven on to toast Pecans)

Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a cooling rack, peeling the wax paper/parchment from the bottom.

Let cool completely before assembling with........

Carameled Coconut Pecan Frosting

4 Large Egg yolks
12 oz (354ml) Evaporated Milk (I heard Heavy Cream can be used, but I have not tried it)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (10 oz) (285g) Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup (6 oz) (338g)Unsalted Butter
Pinch of Salt
2 2/3 cup (7 oz) (198g) Sweetened Flaked Coconut
1-1/2 cups (6.5 oz) (198g) Toasted Pecans; Chopped

Place Pecans on a baking sheet and place in the 350 degree oven for 8 minutes before chopping.

Meanwhile, whisk Egg Yolks, Evaporated Milk and Vanilla extract in medium saucepan until well blended.

Add Granulated Sugar, Butter and a pinch of salt.

Place over medium heat and cook for 12 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, or until thickened and slightly darker in color.

Remove from heat and stir in Coconut

and chopped Toasted Pecans.

Cool to room temperature and use to frost German's Chocolate Cake.

Simply apply 1/3 of the filling to the bottom layer, and place the second layer on top.
Spread 1/2 of the remaining filling over the second layer, placing the final layer on top.
Apply the remaining filling to the top layer.
Chill until 20 minutes before serving.

Mangia!!
~~