June 30, 2011

Know your ingredients: Chocolate

This is the first of a planned series of posts about common ingredients.


Chocolate is, with the possible exception of sugar, the hardest ingredient in a bakery to use. Cooking sugar involves a zen-like focus on the thermometer, watching for a one degree rise. Sugar is finicky. One wrong crystal, creeping down the side of the pan, can ruin half an hour's work. But in the end, sugar is sugar. The same cannot be said for chocolate. Chocolate is an unmistakable taste, but not an unmistakable ingredient. Even more frustrating than the variety of products crowding under the umbrella term "chocolate" is that each has a use. If I could satisfy my chocolate curiosities with "use this one, not any of those," I could rest easy. But I couldn't. So to any of you who've ever puzzled over why your ganache didn't turn out, why one brand's bittersweet taste's sweeter than another brand's semisweet, or what exactly a "melty" is, I present my annotated (yes, really) research on chocolate.

A few facts on chocolate

Photo by Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate

  • Chocolate, as you probably knew, comes from the cacao bean. As you may have guessed from the colorful pods, cacao beans are grown on trees in tropical climates.  Oddly enough, the pods grow directly on the trunk and main branches, and all the way to the ground. Where most fruits grow high up in the branches, so as not to be eaten by every passing ground-walker, cacao pods are in no such danger due to a tough leathery skin.
  • When harvested, the pods are split open, revealing a cavity filled with fresh cacao beans and a white, mucus like substance commonly known as pulp. The beans are then sandwiched between banana leaves on the forest floor and fermented. After this fermentation (a component, I'm coming to realize, of all the great foods), the beans are dried in the sun and shipped to chocolate companies.
  • On arrival, chocolate makers roast the beans and crack them open, finally getting a product some of you may have seen: the cocoa nib.


Varieties of Chocolate
Not cocoa nibs

  • Cocoa nibs: A cocoa nib is as pure of chocolate as most of us can get (and they can be hard to find). If you've never tasted one, they're very bitter and earthy. Some people do snack on them, or use them in place of chocolate chips in cookies, but it seems cocoa nibs are something of an acquired taste. During the next part of the chocolate making process, cocoa nibs are ground into a paste called either chocolate mass or chocolate liquor (alas, non-alcoholic).
  • Chocolate mass: Chocolate mass consists of cocoa solids and cocoa butter. It is doubtful that most of us will ever see or use it in this form, but the taste is very bitter.
  • Cocoa butter: Cocoa butter, which makes up 53% of a sample of chocolate mass, is what gives chocolate its melt-in-your-mouth feeling. It's what coats the mouth when a piece of chocolate melts and what gives chocolate its fluidity. It is, like other butters, a fat.
  • Cocoa powder: Finally, a form we all recognize. Cocoa powder is chocolate mass with all of the cocoa butter removed. Originally a by-product of chocolate making, it sees widespread use today. Most of you have probably seen a recipe which calls specifically for Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is more mild in flavor, darker, and doesn't lump as easily because it has been chemically treated to neutralize cocoa's acidity.
  • Unsweetened chocolate: Pure hardened chocolate mass. You'll probably see it as "baking chocolate" on recipes. Recipes calling for unsweetened chocolate usually have a pretty intense flavor, so if you're going to substitute a different type of chocolate for it, be sure to decrease the amount of sugar in your recipe.
  • Bitter/Semi-sweet/Dark: These are chocolate mass (at least 35%) plus added cocoa butter, sugar, flavorings, and often emulsifiers. Supposedly a bittersweet chocolate contains more chocolate mass than a semisweet (usually by 10% or so), and a dark more than a bittersweet. The problem is, the lines are blurred at best. Bitterness varies vastly by brand and especially by country of origin. A good rule of thumb is to look for a percentage cocoa over a label like "bittersweet." If a recipe calls for semisweet (~65%) or bittersweet(~70%), use whichever you prefer (or whatever you have). It is your kitchen, after all.
  • Couverture: Couverture is shiny, fluid chocolate which is great for covering things. It is usually very high quality, and contains at least 32% cocoa butter. Often couverture has only three ingredients (cocoa solids, sugar, and cocoa butter) but it may also contain flavorings and emulsifiers. Couverture comes in all different cocoa percentage ranges.
  • Sweet chocolate: This is one I personally have never run across in a recipe. Sweet chocolate is at least 15% chocolate mass, and contains a sweeter, less bitter flavor than semisweet, but ideally contains no milk solids. It is also called German chocolate.
  • Milk chocolate: Many people favor milk chocolate for eating. Sometimes I'm one of them. The problem is, it doesn't substitute in place of other baking chocolates well because the milk solids (the only distinguishing factor of milk chocolate) burn easily. It can certainly be melted and substituted in non-baked applications, however.
  • Chocolate chips: The main difference in chocolate chips is that they have less cocoa butter, so that the chips retain their shape and give you something hard to bite into in a cookie. Many chocolate chips also contain a lot of added flavors, fats, and emulsifiers, making them unsuitable for chocolate making. Keep in mind as well that in order to melt chocolate chips, you need to add some sort of fat. Cocoa butter would be ideal, but I've yet to meet someone whose pantry staples include cocoa butter. My next choice is butter. Be careful not to add too much, though. You want to keep fat percentage below 40, if you can find what percentage of fat is in your chocolate chips.
  • White chocolate: Some people deny white chocolate status in the chocolate family, since the only part of the cacao bean it contains is cocoa butter (in addition to sugar, flavoring, and milk solids). Does it taste like chocolate? No. But it does have a pleasant taste which need not be compared. When substituting it in baked goods, keep in mind that it melts at a lower temperature and burns more easily than dark chocolate.
  • Coating chocolate: Coating chocolate is also called compound chocolate, chocolaty coating, and any number of other, trademarked names containing the word "melt." Coating chocolate is used because it is much less expensive that real chocolate, has a higher melting point, and doesn't require tempering. There is a reason, however, that it cannot legally be called chocolate. High in sugar, very low in any part of a cacao bean, and full of hydrogenated oils instead of cocoa butter, you'll know when you bite into it. Coating chocolate has a waxy mouth feel.


Now that we know about all of these types of chocolate, we can talk about tempering. Tempering, in short, is a specific way of melting and cooling chocolate so that the fat crystals all line up in a pleasing arrangement. Tempering is what gives chocolate its shine and its snap. When chocolate has undergone this process, giving it the characteristics we prize in chocolate, it is said to be in temper. This can be hard, but there is an easy solution for most of you. The best way to "temper" chocolate is not to have to temper it at all. When chocolate is made, it's tempered. So when you go to use it, it's still in temper. The easiest thing to do, then, is to melt it without it getting out of temper. Milk and white chocolates go out of temper at about 87 degrees F(dark is closer to 90). To do this, we need to heat the chocolate very slowly. The perfect tool to do this is probably already in your kitchen: the microwave. The idea is to blast the chocolate on medium power in your microwave for about 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each blast. When the chocolate is almost fully melted, stop microwaving and stir until the last pieces dissolve. Then your chocolate is ready to use for any application.

And that, for now, is all I have to say about chocolate. The information mostly comes from the book "On Baking" by Sarah Labensky and company. 

Are there any questions I missed?

What're your chocolate horror stories?
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June 28, 2011

Nectarine upside-down cake recipe

For whatever reason, upside-down cakes always remind me of the south. In fact, I say them in my head with my best Paula Dean impression. There's nothing to suggest they're southern, but I nurture the notion for some reason I can't put my finger on. This recipe, like all great recipes, came from the need to use a nectarine before it went bad. This recipe makes 3 ramekins of cake. That's one more than I would normally write a recipe for, but this way you get dessert for 2 and brunch for 1 (or the other way around).

Ingredients:

  • 1 nectarine
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 oz butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2/3 cup AP flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp chili powder
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. First, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Pour this mixture into the bottom of your ramekins.
  2. Slice the nectarine fairly thin and layer it in the ramekins, in a cool pattern if you're so inclined.
  3. Next, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chili powder.
  4. Then mix your softened butter in with the sugar (the easiest way is to use your hands to work them together). Then mix in the egg until completely combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla.
  6. Pour the batter onto the nectarines, place the ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for approx. 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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June 27, 2011

Banana Peanut Butter Cups recipe - with only four ingredients

Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana are the Three's Company of flavor pairings; they never fail to bring a smile. So what's better than peanut butter cups? Peanut butter banana cups? With only 4 ingredients? I was going to throw some bananas, chocolate, and peanut butter in a glass and call it a trifle or a parfait or something, but I think you'll agree this is better. Easier than you think, too.


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chocolate (I like a 60-70%)
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 of a banana
Note: Chocolate means chocolate, not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are full of "extra" ingredients (read oil and flavorings) and don't melt or temper like real chocolate does. Really, I'm not a chocolate snob, I just had to make sure you didn't try to use chocolate chips and end up disappointed. If you're in a fix, a Hershey's bar works just fine.

Directions:
  1. Step one: temper your chocolate. The easiest way to do this is in the microwave. Put your chocolate in a small bowl and put it in the microwave for ten seconds at a time. Be sure to stir it after every round for 20-30 seconds, to melt as many chunks as possible. The idea is to keep the temperature as low as possible while still melting the chocolate. This should only take about 4 blasts, if you have a high powered microwave.
  2. Next, pour the chocolate into your molds. It doesn't take much chocolate at all to coat your molds, so go easy with it. The idea here is to pour out as much of the chocolate in each mold as possible. Swirl the mold around so that the chocolate coats all of the sides. Be sure to hold it upside down and let all of the chocolate drain out that will. Your molds should look something like the picture above (sorry for the bad photo). Save the rest of your chocolate. You can also use those tiny cupcake papers, if you double up on them and work carefully. 
  3. Now, let your shells set at room temperature as you prepare the filling. First, mash the banana as much as you can. A food processor works well if you have the gumption. Mix in the rest of the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  4. Once your shells are set (you should be able to tell when they're nice and solid by looking), spoon in the filling. Be sure to leave room at the top for the rest of your chocolate.
  5. Finally, temper your chocolate again and pour it over the filling. Swirl it around a bit and scrape the excess level with the mold with a bench scrape or offset spatula. Let these set (room temperature is best, but freezer works if you're in a rush and don't mind condensation), rap the mold against the counter, and flip the cups out.

And there you have it, easy banana peanut butter cups. What're your experiences with making candy bars and chocolates at home? Are there any you've always wanted to try but never found a recipe for?
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June 26, 2011

Espresso Ice Cream Tarts? Yes please.

Ice cream tarts are the grown up version of the ice cream cake. I know, I know, it's not quite the same without the frosting clown on top, but I promise these won't disappoint.

Ice Cream-
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups cream
  • 2 tbsp espresso powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
Directions:
  1. Steep cream, espresso powder, and sugar together for 15 minutes or longer, to infuse flavor in the cream.
  2. Then, temper in the egg yolks by whisking a portion of simmering cream into the yolks, before adding them into the cream mixture.
  3. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently.
  4. Then chill the mixture and add it to your ice cream maker. Freeze it until the rest is ready. Oh, and it's pretty strong, and you should even have some left over to snack on.
Tart Shells-
Ingredients:
  • 3 oz butter
  • 2.5 oz sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 6 oz AP flour

Directions:
  1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Beat well between each.
  3. Add the flour, kneading to combine.
  4. Chill the dough until cool and hard to work. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it's around 1/6th of an inch to 1/4 inch thickness.
  6. Place into pans (Note: I used silicon muffin tins, for individual sized portions. Try using smaller pans for bite-sized tarts, or a regular size tart pan), trim excess off of top, and chill for 10 minutes.
  7. Line the shells with foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or raw nuts (these have the added benefit of being edible once you're done) and bake for 12 minutes (or until the sides are set) before removing the foil and baking for an addition 3-4 minutes. The tart shells should be lightly golden brown.
  8. Next, fill your cooled shells with ice cream and top with dark and white chocolate shavings. Eat straightaway (my favorite) or freeze until dessert.

What flavors do you think would make for good ice cream tarts?
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    June 23, 2011

    My first sugar cookies


    I don't know what it is about shaped cookies that drive people crazy, but it seems everyone loves them. Seen a kid dismember a gingerbread man lately? I rest my case. Shaped cookies make the action of eating a cookie almost as pleasant as the taste. So I headed over to one of my favorite blogs to check out her recipe for sugar cookies. These cookies come courtesy of Ms. Humble over at NotSoHumblePie. The recipe for the dough can be found here. And the recipe for the royal icing is one I've adapted from a few different places. Just add a splash of whatever extract you'd like for flavor.
    Ingredients:
    • 1 lb powdered sugar
    • 1 oz pasteurized egg whites
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • Splash of flavoring
    Directions:
    1. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixer and mix for about 1 minute.
    2. Add water until the icing is soft, but still holds a peak. This will probably be somewhere around 2-3 ounces.
    3. Pipe the outline with this icing, then add more water for the "flooding." If you have little tips sticking up out of your outline, you can smooth them down by dipping your finger in water and smoothing out the icing.
    Note: Ms. Humble also has a quite nice royal icing tutorial, if you're interested.

    And that's it. Let the icing hard for at least an hour, and enjoy!
    What's the coolest or funniest shape you've seen for sugar cookies?
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    June 21, 2011

    Cream puffs for two


    I suppose "for two" is a relative term, but that's what I had in mind for these cream puffs. The idea is that you'll save some for someone else, but I won't tell if you don't. I've been working a bit on my photography and food styling skills (or lackthereof), so let me know what you think of the pictures too. One word of advice: stir your pastry cream constantly. It burns very easily.

    Ingredients:
    ---- For puffs
    • 1 oz water
    • 1 oz milk
    • 1/8 tsp tsp salt
    • 1 oz butter
    • 1.5 oz bread flour
    • 1-2 eggs
    Directions:
    ---- For puffs
    1. Preheat the oven to about 385 degrees F. Then combine the water, milk, salt, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
    2. Once the liquid mixture is at a boil and all of the butter has melted, add the flour (all at once) and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and leaves a slight film. It should clump into a ball of dough.
    3. Then take the pan off of the heat and move the dough into a mixer. Beat the dough on low speed for a minute or two, until it's cool enough to touch comfortably. Then, beat in the first egg until well incorporated. What you want is for the dough to be stretchy. To test for the right consistency, take some dough between your thumb and index finger. Stretch the two as far apart as they will go. If the dough stretches into a thread between them and doesn't break, you have the right consistency. If it breaks early, beat in your other egg (or half of it).
    4. Next, fill a pastry bag with your eclair paste. Onto a parchment lined baking sheet, pipe rounds of dough. I usually go about the size of a 50 cent piece. If you have little peaks where you stopped piping, you can wet your finger with a little water and smooth them out.
    5. Bake the cream puffs for about 17 minutes, until they're getting pretty brown on the outside. Then take them out and stab a little hole in them with a paring knife before popping them back in the oven for a few minutes. This lets the inside of the puff dry out. Now let them cool and prepare your pastry cream.
    Ingredients:
    ----For pastry cream
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla (or better yet a vanilla bean)
    • 2 egg yolks
    • .6 oz cornstarch (plus 2 tbsp water)
    • 1 tbsp butter
    Directions:
    ----For pastry cream
    1. First, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla and heat over medium heat until simmering.
    2. Next, combine the egg yolks and cornstarch slurry, whisking together.
    3. Then, temper the egg yolks with a bit of milk, whisking constantly. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the rest of the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
    4. Once your pastry cream is boiling, be sure to cook it for at least two minute, to get the taste of cornstarch out.
    5. Finally, take the pastry cream off of the heat and mix in the butter until melted. Place the pastry cream in a shallow dish, press plastic wrap to the surface of the cream, and refrigerate until cool. You can also pop it in the freezer to save time.
    6. Now you're ready to fill your cream puffs. Make a small hole in them with a paring knife, fill your pastry bag with pastry cream, and fill away! They're especially good covered in powdered sugar and chocolate sauce.
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    June 18, 2011

    Insanely easy chewy peanut butter cookies

    I've tried dozens of peanut butter cookie recipes over the years. Not because I can't find one I like, but because there are so many different textures and PB intensity levels (I'm pretty sure it's an official scientific measurement). So here I present my humble offering to the ranks of peanut butter cookies. If you're always looking for another PB cookie recipe, or if you need some cookies you can whip out in 10 minutes or less, look no further.
    Ingredients:
    • 3/4 cup peanut butter
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 3/4 cup instant oats
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    • pinch of salt
    Directions:
    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. First, beat the peanut butter until it gets a bit fluffy (this shouldn't take long at all and can be done quite easily by hand).
    3. Next, beat in the sugar.
    4. Once the mixture is again workable, beat in the egg.
    5. Next, stir in the remaining ingredients and scoop onto a cookie sheet.
    6. Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden around the edges.
    7. Cool and enjoy!





    What's your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe?
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    June 16, 2011

    Marble Cupcakes, courtesy of Martha

    I'm sure some of you out there are who are Martha Stewart haters. I was a bit skeptical at first too, but I tried her red velvet cupcakes recipe, and they turned out wonderful. So this was my attempt at making marble cupcakes with her recipes for yellow and chocolate cupcakes. Overall, not bad. The texture was great and, though the chocolate could be a bit stronger, the flavors were good too.

    Yields: 24 cupcakes

    Chocolate Cupcakesfrom Martha Stewart

    Ingredients:

      • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

      • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

      • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

      • 1/4 teaspoon salt

      • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

      • 1 cup sugar

      • 3 large eggs

      • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

      • 1/2 cup sour cream


    Directions:

        1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

        2. Cream the butter and sugar together until nice and fluffy.

        3. Whisk together your dry ingredients.

        4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture. Be sure to mix each egg until completely blended before you add the next one. Add in the vanilla extract.

        5. Pause here and make the Yellow cupcakes.

        6. Stir half of the dry mixture into the butter until just blended. Then add 1/3 of the sour cream and do the same. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and sour cream in thirds.

        7. Lightly stir together your yellow and chocolate cupcake batter until swirled.

        8. Spoon into muffin tins until half full. Bake approx 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.



    Yellow Cupcakesfrom Martha Stewart

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • 1/2 cup milk

    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

    • 3/4 cup sugar

    • 2 large eggs

    Directions:

      1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Combine the milk and vanilla.

      2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

      3. One at a time, mix the eggs into the butter mixture.

      4. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixtures in thirds, alternating with the milk.

      5. Finish making the chocolate cupcakes.


    Vanilla Italian Buttercreamadapted from Gourmet magazine

    Ingredients:

    • 3 egg whites – room temperature

    • A pinch of salt

    • 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons

    • 3 sticks of softened butter

    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Directions:

        1. Moisten 1 cup of the sugar with a bit of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

        2. Cut the butter into tablespoons and set it aside.

        3. Whip the whites and salt in a clean bowl to soft peaks. When the sugar reaches 240 degrees F, stream it into the egg whites (down the side of the bowl, not onto the whip attachment). Turn the mixer up and whip until the eggs reach stiff, glossy peaks and are cool to the touch.

        4. Add the butter in small pieces, beating after each is incorporated. Beat this until smooth and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.


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    June 13, 2011

    Strawberry Lemonade Lollipops - The perfect summer treat

    I know I promised lemon taffy, but well... I lost the recipe. I'm sure I'll find it somewhere, and when I do, I promise to upload it ASAP. But until then, I'd like to share a really simple, really good recipe for strawberry lemonade lollipops. It's getting to be that time of year again (even if it doesn't look like it here in Washington), so what better way to kick off the summer than strawberries and lemonade? Did I mention that the recipe is only 3 ingredients? So let's get cookin!


    Ingredients:
    - 4 oz granulated sugar
    - 1/2 tsp lemon extract
    - 1 medium-large strawberry

    Makes ~6 lollipops



    Directions:
    1. First, slice your strawberry and prepare your mold. I used a plastic hard candy mold, but you could make a cornstarch mold too. Be sure to oil your plastic mold, if you're using one. Next, slice the strawberry thinly and place the strawberry slice into your mold. Insert the stick (I used half of a chopstick, which worked awesomely) over the strawberry and you're ready to go.
    2. Next, oil the sides of a saucepan and add your sugar with just enough water to moisten it. You may also want to add a bit of corn syrup to prevent crystalization, if you're worried, but just plain sugar will work fine too. Cook your sugar to 300 degrees F, brushing the sides of the pan with water occasionally, but be sure to watch it so that it doesn't start to caramelize. When it reaches 300, remove it from the heat and stir in your extract.
    3. Finally, pour the hot sugar and extract mixture into your molds. This mixture should encase the strawberry and the lollipop sticks. Let your 'pops cool for a few hours, then pop them out of the mold and enjoy!



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    June 5, 2011

    Learn to make tasty orange jellies

    The age old question: Jelly or gelee? Well, I suppose that depends whether you're French (or just prefer French words) or not. Either way you choose, they both come from the lovely, very appetizing French word meaning "congealed." Don't let that both you too much, though, or you risk missing some really great candies (if that's not enough, a scan of the ingredient list proves them quite innocent). These jellies, which have a similar texture to vegetarian gummies, are perfectly refreshing on a hot day. Or a cold day. So whatever the season, enjoy!

    Ingredients:
    • 4 oz sugar
    • 3.5 oz corn syrup
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 pkg (1.75 oz) pectin
    • 1/2 tsp orange extract
    • 1/4 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup water




    Directions:
    1. First, combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan. Grab a glass of water and a pastry brush and set them next to the stove. Cook the sugar over medium-high heat, stirring only until the granulated sugar is dissolved. Be sure to occasionally brush the sides of the pan with water.
    2. In another saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients. Bring them to a boil over medium heat.
    3. When the sugar and corn syrup mixture reaches 280 degrees F, pour it into the pectin mixture, stirring with a heat-safe spatula (I like silicon).
    4. Grease three or four ramekins, a small shallow bowl, or a small baking dish. If you'd prefer your jellies thinner, use a larger dish.
    5. Take the mixture off the heat and pour it into your prepared pans. Be sure to use a spoon to skim off the bubbles which form at the top (I forget that one a lot).
    6. Let the jellies cool at room temperature for approximately 4 hours, to ensure that they're set.
    7. Finally, cut your jellies to desired size and roll them in granulated sugar. And of course, enjoy.

    Please comment and let me know how they turn out. And, of course, stay tuned for more. Up next: Vegetarian Lemon Taffy to curb your Starburst craving.
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    June 4, 2011

    A quick note before we begin

    Hey everyone! Welcome to Confectious.

    Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to read this. It is my hope that through this little blog I can help people to make everything sweet. From easy 10 minute desserts to laborious candies (which I can assure you are equally worth the effort), we'll be making all of it. So click the subscribe button and stay tuned for some great treats!

    Sincerely,

    Jacob
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