Chocolate Coconut Candies

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For three full weeks I have labored in the kitchen armed with a stack of recipes from my Aunt Suzy on a quest to make as many holiday treats as possible. It’s been a great learning experience because I don’t make many sweets or desserts.

Last Saturday, I found myself drooling over a skirt steak at the grocery store like a hungry dog waiting under a table at Thanksgiving. As I cooked it up later that evening, I found myself on cloud nine – just giddy to be making something savory. That’s when I knew I had to end my treat making adventure, I had hit the wall, completely burned out on sugar, chocolate and peanut butter.

I have saved the best of Aunt Suzy’s holiday treats for last though. These candies feature a rich and sugary center wrapped in chocolate – like an edible  Christmas gift. I’m thankful to have great cooks around me like Aunt Suzy, her recipes have given me a treat making boost, and I feel like I just completed a class in creating desserts.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I'm now convinced that I don't have a sweet tooth. I love a tasty dessert but I just don’t crave sweets. I got so burnt out on making holiday treats that I HAD to cook something savory. I just lost all motivation to cook. I learned a lot making all the recipes that Aunt Suzy gave me but I was tired of treats.

Immersing myself in sweet treats for the last few weeks has given me enough knowledge to improvise. Simple techniques like using cake mix as a base or corn syrup to create a gooey filling with peanut butter chips is invaluable to me.

One of my resolutions in 2013 is to make more desserts. Even though I'd rather cook meals based around the perfectly cooked flesh of animals, I will start throwing in the sweet stuff on a regular basis.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 60; 45 minutes active, 2 hours cooling
1 C Butter (2 sticks)
2 lbs Powdered sugar
1 bag Coconut flakes (14 oz)
1 can Condensed milk
2 bags Chocolate chips
1/2 bar Paraffin wax

Make coconut balls
In a bowl, mix together butter, sugar, coconut and condensed milk until well incorporated. Shape into balls about the size of a walnut, place on cookie sheet. Insert a toothpick into each ball and refrigerate 1 hour.

Coat, chill and serve
In a double boiler melt chocolate chips and paraffin. Dip coconut balls into chocolate, return to cookie sheet and refrigerate another hour or until chocolate coating has hardened. Remove toothpicks and serve.

Peanut and Toffee Clusters

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This recipe is actually a modified recipe of my own from two years ago, it still qualifies as an Aunt Suzy Holiday Treat because it was adapted from a recipe of hers. The only change is the toffee bits, the original recipe calls for mini marshmallows.

Two years ago I substituted the marshmallows for candy corn while making a Halloween treat. For Christmas, I thought what the heck, why not try toffee. It worked well, in fact, so well that I think the toffee bits make this treat a cut above the candy corn or marshmallow versions.

After making this I thought that this is the type of mixture that becomes the inner layer of a candy bar or the heart of a delicious treat made by a chocolatier. In the future, I’m going to modify it a little and mold it so that it can be coated with another layer of yummy goodness – or be the center layer of some type of decadent desert. All this treat making has got my wheels spinning. It’s only a matter of time before I put out some original treats of my own.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is the second time I have posted this recipe. I made it available previously to go along with a story that ran in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about my blog.

Here is a link to the story.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 30 treats; 2 hours 30 minutes
1 lb Vanilla candy coating
1/2 C Creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 C Dry roasted peanuts
1 C Crispy rice cereal
1 C English toffee bits

Melt candy coating, stir in peanut butter
In a microwave or a double boiler melt the vanilla candy coating, once completely melted stir in peanut butter.

Stir in peanuts, crispy rice cereal and toffee
Take mixture off heat and stir in peanuts, crispy rice cereal and toffee bits until well incorporated.

Scoop and cool
In tablespoon-sized scoops, place mixture in clumps on cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Makes about 30 treats. Put in a cool place for 2 hours to let candies set completely, then serve.

Homemade Thin Mints

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This is one of the many recipes I have been making over the last two weeks that are straight from the archives of my Aunt Suzy. When I picked this recipe out of a pile of hand written cards I thought it would be super simple. Once I had assembled everything to begin making it I became suspect.

Melting chocolate chips without another agent like wax or heavy cream results in a frosting-like texture rather than a runny texture. This doesn’t effect flavor but it makes it much more labor intensive. My apprehension was warranted. When the chocolate was melted down it was to thick to dip the wafers. I had to spread it on each one individually. I cursed and swore at the 60-plus little cookies as I topped them. Aunt Suzy would have washed my mouth with soup if she had been there.

I didn’t think they were right for Behind the Bites until they cooled and I ate one. They taste just like Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, and if your not paying attention, you’ll eat them like they were potato chips - it’s worth the work.

BEHIND THIS BITE
As I mention in the introduction, I got this recipe from my Aunt Suzy. On the bottom of the card it was written on, it said “TV, Sandra Lee.” This meant that she got it while watching TV and had decided to jot it down. The recipe on the card called for two bags of chocolate chips and a tablespoon of butter and peppermint extract for each bag.

I was alarmed right away.

A tablespoon of any extract will pretty much blow any other flavor out of the water in a batch of this size. I looked up the original recipe online. The extract amount was a typo from Aunt Suzy, it called for just a teaspoon per bag of chips. It also said to melt the chocolate and pour it over 24 wafers instead of dip them, Aunt Suzy must have felt like pouring the chocolate would have been a waste, and I kind of agree.  One bag was enough topping to spread on 60 plus vanilla wafers.

There were challenges for me in making this treat when it came to a nice runny chocolate, but one things is for sure - these do taste just like Thin Mints. If you're a fan, you must try this as a holiday treat. Just be prepared to spread the topping on 60 little cookies.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 60 to 65 small cookies; 1 Hour
1 bag Chocolate chips (11.5 oz)
1 Tbs Butter
1 tsp Peppermint extract
1 box Vanilla wafers

Make coating
In a double boiler heat chocolate, butter and peppermint extract until completely melted, stirring often. Keep over low heat until next step is finished.

Coat cookies, cool and serve
Place a dab of peppermint chocolate mixture onto wafer and spread to cover top. Place on cookie sheets lined with wax paper and let cool completely, then serve.

Salted Peanut Chews

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This is the second of “Aunt Suzy’s Holiday Treats.” Like the first, it features a base made from a box of yellow cake mix.

It would be easy to measure out all of the ingredients and mix them together, but the convenience of opening a box and being done with that part is hard to resist, it saves time and eliminates the risk of screwing up the measurements. The mix combined with the butter and egg results in a sugary-rich cookie-like base that provides a decadent foundation for the layer of mini marshmallows and peanutty topping. Overall, this treat is pretty much amazing, kind of like a home-made candy bar. Awesome!

I never would have thought to use a cake mix like this. I’m glad I’m sticking with the original recipes while making these treats – just to see how the individual ingredients effect the final dish. I’m starting to see that by using a different cake mix, melting chip and/or nut this treat could be transformed into a number of delicious snacks similar in make up but totally different in taste. There will be many more sweet treats here at Behind the Bites in 2013.

BEHIND THIS BITE
After making the first few of Aunt Suzy’s treats I have a hundred ideas of how I could create a custom-made treat. So far, the mystery and intimidation of deserts is really fading away. I have to admit though, my sweet tooth and desire for sugar hasn’t changed. I’ll take a medium-rare ribeye over any desert, anytime. I ate as many sweets as I wanted as a kid and never developed that desert-craving that so many are effected by. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great desert, I just don’t get cravings for them. I do however get cravings for grilled or fried food, which can be worse for your health than a sweet tooth. Have your Twinkies, I'll take a steak and fries!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 32 treats; 30 minutes active,
2 hours cooling
1 box Yellow cake mix
1/2 C Butter melted
1 Egg
3 C Mini marshmallows
1/4 C Butter
1 Pkg Peanut butter chips (10 oz)
2/3 C Light corn syrup
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 C Dry roasted peanuts
2 C Crispy rice

Make crust
In a bowl, combine cake mix, butter and egg until a thick dough forms. Pat down flat into a cake pan and bake in a preheated 350° oven, until light golden in color, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add marshmallows
Top with mini marshmallows and return to oven for 3 to 4 minutes more or until marshmallows are puffy and slightly golden brown. Remove and chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Make topping, spread, cool and serve
In a saucepan over medium heat stir together butter, peanut butter chips, corn syrup and vanilla until chips are melted and mixture is creamy smooth. Stir in peanuts and crispy rice cereal. Spread topping over marshmallows and crust, refrigerate until cooled completely. Cut and serve.

Cherry Coconut Pecan Squares

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Recently I turned to one of my elders for some direction on holiday treats. I don’t make many deserts, so I thought the best way to learn was to seek the culinary expertise of my Aunt Suzy, a certified sweet treat Jedi.

I made two visits to her kitchen where she allowed me a small glimpse into her recipe archives – hundreds of recipes contained in binders, boxes and books that, combined with her experience, is a treasure trove of cooking knowledge. I emerged from my visits to her Mecca of cookery with a pile of recipes to make over the next few weeks for Christmas. Some are traditional, others are not, all are unique and 100 percent delicious.

This recipe is the first of “Aunt Suzy’s Holiday Treats,” It was written on a piece of stationary and calls for a frosting mix that hasn’t been sold on shelves since the 1970s. (I found a substitute from the original manufacturer.) The dish utilizes a cake mix and pre-made filling, making it simple to create and I challenge anyone who creates it to eat just one.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I’m amazed at the little bits of information I’m able to pick up making sweets like this. I know I will be using the cake mix foundation from this recipe again, it really makes for a rich base to pile other sweet flavors onto.

This treat reminded my of cherry cheesecake, it was so rich and the cherries really cut through the rest of the yummy flavors. The crunchy coconut pecan topping added nice texture and is the perfect compliment to the other layers. This treat is a must try, it’s easy to make and packs a delicious flavor.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 32; 45 minutes cooking; 2 hours cooling
1 box Yellow cake mix
1/4 C Butter melted
2 Eggs
1 Can Cherry pie filling
1 C Coconut flakes
3/4 C Brown sugar
1/2 C Pecans chopped
1/2 C Flour
3 Tbs Butter

Make dough for base
In a bowl mix together cake mix, eggs and melted butter into a ball of dough, then press into a prepared 9” x 13” baking pan.

Make topping
In another bowl mix together coconut, brown sugar, flour and pecans until well combined, then blend in butter with a pastry cutter until well incorporated.

Assemble, bake, let cool and serve
Spread cherry topping on dough base, then sprinkle coconut pecan topping over cherry filling. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely, 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

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When I set out to make this dish I was looking to create a spicy side. The batch was large enough for an alternative use though - burrito filling. So I decided to present it as both.

What I love most about this dish is how the rice absorbs the flavors. I have been cooking rice in chicken broth rather than water for years, it ads a ton a flavor. The rice here has not only chicken broth but chipotle, cayenne and a nice vegetable base as well.

I start the dish off with what I call my a southwestern mirepoix, which consists of onion, poblano pepper and garlic. It's a great flavor base that creates nice depth in the finished dish.

I have to say, I enjoyed this more in a burrito rather than by itself as a side. I like how the sour cream and avocado provided a cool balance to the spicy heat in the rice.

This can easily be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth - making it great for those who choose not to savor the yummy goodness created when heat is applied to parts of animals who are now grazing in the great pastures above.

BEHIND THIS BITE
When I originally made this dish I had to much cayenne pepper. The first batch was blow your mind hot, I needed a little sour cream on top to eat it as a side dish, so I dialed it back to a quarter teaspoon.

I learned a lot about rice creating this recipe. I love how it absorbs the flavors in the liquid it's cooked in. It was really my first attempt at a Spanish rice-type dish. In the future, I’m going to play with different flavors in the liquid for different styles of rice. I think it would be easy to make a Cajun-style or Italian-style rice, it would just be about finding the right combo of vegetables and spices to give it an ethnic flare.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Side for 8 to 10; 45 minutes
1 C Onion, diced
1 Tbs Garlic, minced
1 C Poblano, cleaned, chopped
1 Can Black beans, (14.5 oz) rinsed
3 C Chicken broth
1 Tbs Chipotle chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1 1/2 C Rice
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

Sauté Vegetables
In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in a little olive oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes add Poblano, season with salt and pepper, cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes more. 

Add broth, beans, seasonings and rice
Add chicken broth, black beans, chipotle chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and rice. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, remove from heat. Let sit 25 minutes. Do not remove lid. 

Remove cover, fluff, add cilantro
Uncover pot, fluff mixture with a fork and stir in cilantro. Adjust seasonings, then serve.

FOR BURRITOS
Makes 8 burritos
8 Flour tortillas
4 C Rice and beans
2 Avocados, sliced
2 Tomatoes, sliced
2 Tomatoes, sliced
1/2 C Sour cream

On a burrito sized flour tortilla place spicy rice and beans, avocado slices, tomato slices and sour cream. Fold in sides, roll shut, slice in half and serve.

A New Treat and the Journal Gazette

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Monday afternoon, Diana Parker of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette stopped by my office kitchen to have a chat about my recipes and blog. After sharing some new treats with her and showing her the process of creating my information graphic recipes, she was on her way.

I gave her some recipes to use in her column "Cook's Corner." All of the recipes can be found on the site but this one, "Peanut and Toffee Clusters," which was made exclusively for Diana's visit.

A full write up for this recipe will appear here in the next couple weeks as part of my upcoming "Aunt Suzy's Christmas Treats Special." Thanks to Diana and the Journal Gazette for the interest in my cooking and blog.

Here is Diana's story:

"Blogger Dedicates Days to Food" By Diana Parker

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

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Green bean casserole is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes. This year I went a little nutty and decided to make it from scratch. The fresh mushrooms are the biggest difference. Frozen or processed green beans are close in flavor to fresh picked and blanched, but the mushrooms in a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup have nothing on fresh baby bellas.

Going the fresh route provides big juicy and flavorful bits of mushroom which are complimented here by the addition of fresh thyme. Everything is bound together with a fresh cream sauce made from a roux. I could have went all out and made the french fried onions from scratch too, but this wasn’t the only dish I was making and the store bought onions had to suffice.

It really didn’t matter though, the fresh mushrooms were the star of the show and really helped kick this thanksgiving classic up a notch or two.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I made this casserole in two stages. When I started it, I got to the point of adding the french fried onions and I thought that I had messed up the cream. (More on that in a moment) I quit on the recipe, let it cool and then put it in the fridge to be eaten later.  I didn't think I would be publishing it here at that point.

The next afternoon when I fried a turkey, I added the french fried onions, heated it up, then topped it with more onions and browned them. It tasted great and provided a big surprise.

The cream that bound it all together was much thicker than I thought it was the night before and was why I quite on it. I didn’t pour off any of the liquid from the mushrooms and I added the beans before the flour which made the cream too runny, or so I thought. The next time I make this I will drain the extra liquid and create the cream before adding the beans. Although this recipe has flaws, it still made for a tasty thanksgiving side dish that will be good on any table, which is why I decided to share it.

I am very critical of my work and many times it is tasting the leftovers or returning to it later (like this recipe) that I surprise myself. I knew the flavors would be there, which is why I saved it to be eaten with the turkey. Good thing I continued with the documentation the next day.
 
Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Side for 6 to 8; 1 hour
1 lb Green beans, fresh
1 lb Baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1/4 C Unsalted butter
1/4 C Flour
2 C Milk
1 Tbs Fresh thyme
1 1/2 C French fried onions

Blanch green beans
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add green beans and salt to taste. Cook beans 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, remove and place in a large bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes, then drain.

Cook mushrooms, add beans, butter, flour
Over medium heat in an oven-safe skillet, cook mushrooms until soft and liquid rendered, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add green beans and butter, cook until beans are heated through and butter has melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in flour and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add milk, simmer, stir in onions, bake
Stir in thyme and milk and bring mixture to a simmer, cook until thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Once thickened, stir in 2/3rds of the onions and place the remaining on top of casserole. Bake in a preheated 400° oven until onion on top are browned and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

The Basics of Frying Turkey

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I recently fried my first turkey. The end result was the best poultry I have ever eaten. The breast meat was spectacular, it literally had a texture and moisture similar to watermelon. I was stunned. It was the definition of juicy and tender.

Here are some basics I learned:

• To fry a turkey safely, invest $50 to $100 in a turkey fryer. Choose a model with a pot that is marked with a maximum fill line to protect from over-filling with oil. When using the fryer, do it outside away from buildings - grease fires aren’t good for holiday parties.

 • Do not fry a whole turkey that weighs more than 12 pounds. For a larger turkey, cut it up and fry the parts separate, kind of like a chicken, for best results.

 • Bird must be completely thawed. Frozen turkey + hot oil = explosion.

• Use thermometers to monitor the temperature of the oil and the internal temperature of the turkey. Keeping track of the temperatures is the real secret to cooking the perfect bird.

BEHIND THIS BITE
As I wrote in the intro, I had never fried a turkey before. I wasn’t sure how to document it or what the bird would look like once it came out of the oil. All I could do was move all of my photography equipment out into the yard and take the pictures as I went. A turkey is an awkward thing to photograph, especially after it comes out of the oil. The legs and wings just flail around as it cooks and they end up setting in random positions.

I decided that I would take a “frying basics” approach once I looked at the photos from the shoot. I contemplated redoing it, because the shots weren't ideal, but I thought it would be valuable to share what I had learned while cooking this bird. That is what many will end up doing themselves this Thanksgiving.

Next time, I am going to fry only a whole breast. The wings and legs had spots that got way over-cooked, the thick parts were magnificent, with the breast being like nothing I have ever eaten. Which is why a breast alone or even legs by themselves would be the most efficient method to frying turkey.

This year I was just learning, next year, I'll refine my recipe. The fry method is perfect for the large chunks of meat, I would really like to try frying a pork loin, then slice it thin for sandwiches. Maybe that will be what I make for Christmas.

Eat well, cook often ... 

THE RECIPE
Serves 8 to 10; 2 hours
1 10 to 12 lb. Whole turkey, completely thawed
1/4 C Salt and pepper (2 Tbs each)
1 Turkey fryer with propane tank
3 Gal Oil for frying

Heat oil, prepare turkey
Heat oil to 375°. Pat dry thawed turkey with paper towel, removing as much of the moisture as possible. Season turkey inside and out. Place turkey on frying truss.

Cook turkey
When oil reaches temperature, slowly submerge turkey in oil (wear oven mitts). Let turkey cook until internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165° (Estimate approximately 3 minutes per pound cooking time)

Rest turkey
Once turkey is cooked removed to a paper-towel lined cooking sheet with a rack on it, let turkey drain and rest for at least 20 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 170°. Remove frying truss, carve and serve.

Steakhouse Pizza

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A little over a year ago, Carl's Jr and Hardee’s presented their Steakhouse Thickburger to the world, complete with an ad that featured a hamburger god and scantily clad goddesses. It followed a tradition in advertising for the fast food restaurant chain that is designed to attract guys 18 to 34 years old - or guys that like to see hot chicks in skimpy outfits - which is most guys in general.

After speeding to Hardee’s and trying the sandwich, I recreated it here at Behind the Bites. I thought it was a real home run for man burgers.

The burger featured lots of complimentary flavors that could easily be transferred to a pizza, and that is what I have done here.

I use A1 as the sauce which goes well with the steak, but it’s the perfect compliment to the tangy blue cheese. For texture and a slightly sweet flavor, french fried onions are added and everything is bound together with mozzarella cheese.

For the steak, I diced up some thin-sliced sirloin tip before cooking it. This helped tenderize the little chunks and help retain all their moisture after being cooked – none was lost do to slicing. With all of the great flavors working together the steak still shines through as the star of this pie.

BEHIND THIS BITE
I have cooked this pizza a few times in the last year and each time something went wrong which prevented me from being able to document and post what I cooked.

The first time I did this I was using a new camera, the exposures were all completely different and could have been classified as a food-photography disaster.

The second time, which I did a few months later I piled on the ingredients and it really ruined it. I used ground beef instead of steak and it made the pie greasy. Not only was there to much ground beef but there was to much everything. The thin crust I used didn’t hold up and the entire pie could have been classified as a pizza-making disaster.

All this lead to my third attempt, which is what is contained in this post. I got the exposure right, switched to actual steak and was happy with the ingredient amounts. The pizza was delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it. Before I knew it I had eat all but one slice of an entire pie which could have been classified as a healthy-eating disaster.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Make 2 12” pizzas; 30 minutes
2 12” pizza crusts
Divide over crusts
3 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Reserve small amount for final layer
1/2 lb Sirloin steak, cooked, diced
1/2 C French fried onions
1/4 C Blue cheese crumbled
Remaining cheese

Assemble and bake pizza
On pizza crust layer A1, most of the mozzarella, steak, onions, blue cheese and then the remaining mozzarella. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.