FoodGirlOnline.com

Wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
Buy them at your local grocery or party supply store.
You can also buy bamboo skewers and cut them in half.
Candy thermometer
A candy thermometer is very important, especially if you’re making candy apples for the first time. You’ll need it to make sure your heated sugar reaches the right stage of completion. Judging otherwise can easily lead you to burnt or underdone coatings. However, the thermometer is not necessary if you are just melting chocolate.
Make sure your thermometer’s accurate: being off by just a few degrees can mean the difference between delicious and burnt. To check its accuracy, clip on your candy thermometer and set a pot of water to boil. The thermometer should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit/100 degrees Celsius when the water is boiling. If not, note what temperature it reads at and adjust for the difference.
Pot for making candy coating
Second container, bigger than your cooking pot
If you heat your coating to a high enough temperature, you’ll fill this container with cold water to submerge and cool the pot with your candy apple coating.
Tray or baking sheet (for completed apples)
Aluminum foil: you’ll need this if you do not want to put your finished apples directly on an oiled baking sheet, tray, or serving platter.
Alternatively, you can top your baking sheet with a silpat mat.
Measuring cups and spoons
Wooden spoon
Pastry brush, to keep sugar from crystallizing as you work.
Extra bowls for additional toppings

Braeburn: Golden-green to red skin, firm, sweetly tart
Fuji: Yellow-green skin, firm, sweet
Golden Delicious: golden skin, firm, sweet
Granny Smith: green skin, very firm, tart
Jonathan: Yellow-red skin, firm, sweetly tart
Jonagold: A hybrid of Jonathan and Golden Delicious, firm skin, tangily sweet
Lady: Red to yellow skin, firm, sweetly tart
McIntosh: Reddish-green skin, firm, sweetly tart
Choose smaller apples – they’ll be easier to make, easier to eat, and will give you a better candy to apple ratio!
Store-bought apples are usually coated with wax, which makes it more difficult to coat them. If possible, buy apples at a farmer’s market. Or you can go apple picking and get your own fresh off the tree!
If you have no choice but to use wax-coated apples, quickly dip them in boiling water and then wipe away the wax coating.
Chill the apples in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start making candy apples

Put your pastry brush in a cup of warm water.
Butter your baking sheet or tray (or aluminum foil) so it’s ready to hold coated apples.
Fill the second, larger, container with ice water, if you plan to cook your candy to 310 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Be Very Careful when cooking with hot sugar, caramel, or chocolates that are heated You will be burned if your not careful*

This recipe and others can be found at:

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-make-perfect-candy-apples

2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
5 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
FILLING:
1 small pie pumpkin (about 2-1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 teaspoons chopped shallot
1/3 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 small bay leaf
1 egg, lightly beaten
SAUCE:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

Place 2-1/2 cups flour in a large bowl; make a well in the center. Beat eggs and oil; pour into well. Stir together, forming a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding remaining flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute pumpkin and shallot in butter until tender. Add the sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a food processor; cover and process until blended. Return to the pan; stir in cream and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaf.
Divide pasta dough into fourths; roll one portion to 1/16-in. thickness. (Keep remaining dough covered until ready to use.) Working quickly, place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling 1 in. apart over half of pasta sheet. Brush around filling with egg. Fold sheet over; press down to seal. Cut into squares with a pastry wheel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Bring a soup kettle of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook for 1-2 minutes or until ravioli float to the top and are tender. Drain and keep warm.
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil; cook, uncovered, until reduced by half. Stir in butter and sage. Spoon over ravioli. Yield: 6 servings.

This recipe and others can be found at:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday—Celebration-Recipes/Halloween-Recipes

3/4 cup garlic-herb cheese spread
6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
1 cup fresh baby spinach
6 thin slices deli ham
12 thin slices hard salami
6 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

Spread 2 tablespoons of cheese spread over each tortilla. Layer with spinach, ham, salami and cheese. Sprinkle with peppers. Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
Unwrap and cut each into six slices. On a serving plate, stack roll-ups to resemble a spine. Yield: 3 dozen.

This recipe and others can be found at:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday—Celebration-Recipes/Halloween-Recipes/Halloween-Dinner-Recipes

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin and pie spice until well blended. Stir in ice cream. Freeze until serving. Garnish with gingersnaps if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings.

This recipe and others can be fond at:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday—Celebration-Recipes/Halloween-Recipes

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »