...Let there be MARSHMALLOWS!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!!

This morning, a man whose been in my life a very long time, looked deeply into my eyes, wrapped his arms around me, held me tightly and whispered in my ear those three words Every girl Wants to hear on Valentines Day! "You've Lost Weight!" ..... siiiggghhhh.... I'm In Love! lol.... who needs to hear Sweet Nothings when you've got someone whispering poetry like that in your ear. Needless to say, I wish I had some Cookies or Goodies to shower him with.....

The past week, I haven't had much strength or energy to bake some Goodies for V~Day... but in between catnaps & headaches... I had some very vivid dreams about MARSHMALLOWS!! no, I didn't wake up and find my pillow was gone. I did, however, have to drag my aching body out of bed to  make    some Marshmallows and what goes better with Marshmallows than Cocoa, right? Actually, It all started out as Marshmallows for everyone, but it got a little more complicated than I thought and my fingers & hands got into the process, I think I might have even unexpectedly coughed and so... DARN IT!... Marshmallows; Contaminated! Noone wants to touch them. *ahhhhh.... marshmallows.... all mine...* 

Now, I can be as Romantic as the next girl,  but of course, It's hard without Inspiration and being a single girl ... well... inspiration is a little lacking these days. So, if you have a Love, then.... cherish it! Cuz Folks, the grass is not that green on this side of the fence. But, there are MarSHmAlloWs ... and ... Gosh Darn It!! You just can't feel anything but HAPPY when you pop a marshmallow into your mouth!

Marshmallows are easy and fun to make and don't require a lot of time, but it requires all of your attention. Or things can get CraZy! You'll need:  3 pkgs. unflavored gelatin, 1-1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup light corn    syrup, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla, & powdered sugar.

If you don't have a standing mixer... I'd suggest going to get one, or going to get a bag of marshmallows! Which, is not a bad idea because they have the cutest shapes, now. And the sizes, OMGOSH! Every holiday has their own shapes ... don't even get me started on PeePs!! So, yeah, the mixer.... a handheld might not be strong enough to survive. I could be wrong... let me know how yours come out. Ok, in the bowl of your mixer, combine the gelatin w/3/4 cup cold water. It will soak up all the water and end up looking like wet sand. Let sit.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, syrup ~ did you know that if you spray or spread oil in the measuring cup, the syrup will slide right out? ~ salt, vanilla (I prefer vanilla paste, it's a lot more pricey but the flavor is amazing. But, I still use Vanilla and I beg you NOT to use imitation vanilla. If you do ... don't tell me ; )) & 1/2 cup cold water in a small saucepan. Cook this over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high & cook until the syrup (I mean the sugar mixture) reaches 240* A candy thermometer is the only way to measure heat. You can use the soft ball test. Drop a few drops into Ice cold water, if it flattens out into a soft ball, when held, it's done. but usually just cook it about 12 minutes (just guessing). Remove from heat and here is where the fun begins. Get all of your wiggles out now because you will be devoted to only these marshmallows for the next ... well,... you'll be Devoted!

I put Sweetie (my mixer) on low and slowly poured the sugar syrup into the gelatin until it all mixed. Then kicked her into Overdrive (high), she squealed with excitement and whipped the syrup (that I had colored with pink food gel) around that bowl in a frothy mess. Steam coming up and everything. It soon cooled and became thicker as she whirled round and round. With 15 minutes to whip, I stepped aside to prepare the parchment paper (wax paper would not be a good choice here, the marshmallows will stick. Parchment has a non porous/sticky surface). Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone... It wasn't enough that I couldn't breathe through my nose, I coughed at every tickle and my body still ached ... a lightbulb went on in my oxygen-deprived brain! I'll do different shapes!! I generously sprinkled Powdered sugar on a sheet of parchment, a Heart shaped cupcake mold, and an 8 inch square metal cake pan. I did pretty good! Powdered sugar only where I sprinkled it! Not all over. The pans, I could just pour the mixture into, but my BIG idea was to pipe the marshmallow into little hearts, kisses, and X&Os so I prepared a pastry bag with a round tip. do you see a disaster ahead? Always listening when I bake, I heard Sweetie begin to strain... I hate when this happens because I feel bad when I ask too much of her and which is why I remembered why I don't make marshmallows more often. She kept on whipping her little Heart out and by now I was standing next to her and caressing her and whispering words of encouragement to her. This might sound funny to you... but to me... she means the world and as I was rubbing her, I actually heard a shift in her gears. Like, i think i can, I Think I Can, I KNOW I CAN! haha... ok, a bit dramatic, but there was a shift and she chugged along steadily for the next 6 minutes.

I might've had a wee bit  much of cold medicine... I forgot the set-up time for marshmallows is..... QUICK!! I scooped mix into the pans, already feeling a little thick. I quickly rubbed my fingers with a little butter and smoothed the marshmallow into the pans. Then working really quickly I scooped the remaining mix into the pastry bag. Already I could feel the thickness as I put pressure on the bag to make little hearts, kisses and X&Os..... they all looked like little poops! Cute, Pink, Little poops! I laughed to myself as I kept squeezing the bag because I couldn't turn back now. No way was I going to throw the rest of the mix away.  It was still going to taste like Marshmallows, right? Let them sit for 4 hours or overnight to set up. Remove & dust off some of the powdered sugar and they're ready to eat.I have to confess that I left stuff out... just because I am confident in the kitchen and pretend to know what I'm doing... Marshmallows are still STICKY! lol... I had it in my hair, on my cheek, my eyebrow, my blouse, my behind... this only made me laugh more and the more I laughed, the worse it got. So, this should explain why the marshmallows are All Mine! But I'm still Proud the powdered sugar stayed where I put it.

Marshmallows are paired with Hot Cocoa like Romeo & Juliet, Anthony & Cleopatra, Ma & Pa Kettle... you get the idea. One only makes the other better! Just working with what I had in my cabinets... (I'll bet mine are not like your cabinets).  ; ) I found, 2 pkgs Instant Hot Cocoa Mix, 1 cup milk, 1 cup half & half, 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Paste, 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder & 1 chocolate bar & whipped cream for topping. If I had any flavored syrups, I would have used 1/4 cup.

Mix all ingredients into a sauce pan, making sure to chop or grate 1/2 of the chocolate bar. Save the rest to eat later. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Mingling is important when introducing new flavors to each other. Hey! That sounds like a Great dating tip! Warm up mixture on low heat, whisking every now and then until all is melted together. Remove from heat and let sit another 10 minutes. More mingling. Trust me... it's worth the time! On med low heat, reheat the cocoa until desired temperature. I like mine Hot so it begins to melt my marshmallows into squishy goodness. Get your favorite mug and gently pour in the Cocoa, leaving a little room at the top for LOTS of marshmallows.

Well, I hope your Valentine's Day is all you DREAM it to be .... haha, get it? I had a dream about Marshmallows and now I'm having them! On Valentine's Day! ; D   Don't forget to enjoy All of the Loves in your life... not just the Romantic ones! Now I'm going to go and enjoy my Cocoa with Marshmallows and watch a couple of Heartwarming chick flicks... you know... Saw 3D and Paranormal Entity ......  

 ~Happy Baking .... & don't forget your Apron!

Orange & Nutty Chocolatey Chocolate Cookies

Oops! I got so caught up in my emotions that I forgot the recipe for the cookies!!! Hahaha... bet you didn't think you were going to read a novel today, did you? Aw, c'mon... what else is there to do on a beautiful Saturday afternoon (just before you run out to get the ingredients for this recipe)?

As usual, I can't leave well enough alone and I used a recipe that i love named 'Chocolate Chunk Mountains' and tweaked it just a little... this recipe is from one of my favorite books called bigfatcookies by elinorklivans. I Love this book because you always get a giant handful of cookie!

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 - 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt ... only if using unsalted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup, packed brown sugar - to pack b. sugar, gently push down just until the sugar holds its shape
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
1 cup mixed nuts, chopped
1 box Orange Sticks, chopped ... about 40 - 50 sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350* and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Chop unsweetened chocolate in a bowl and melt in the microwave. Then chop the Orange Sticks into chunks. Then chop the Mixed Nuts. Set each aside.
3. Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Cream butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar until blended and light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down sides (always important). Mix in melted chocolate. Mix in the eggs, vanilla and dissolved coffee (here is where I would add Triple Sec Liquer instead of coffee, but I found I had none... hmm.. must have drank it and not remembered.) (I see a pattern here with the alcohol! GASP!!) until smoothly blended. Add the flour mixture just until incorporated. Stir in the chopped Orange Sticks and Mixed Nuts.
5. I use a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop because i like them Amazon size, but you can drop any size you want. Just make sure you space them apart because they will spread. 1/2 cup will spread to about 4 - 5 inches. WOW!! That's a bigfatcookie!
6. I went an extra step and added more Mixed nuts & Orange Stick chunks on top. Flatten your cookie a smidge so that you will get a more even cookie when it spreads out. It kind of directs it where to go.
7. Bake (1/2 cup size) for 20 minutes or until the cookie no longer looks shiny. Quite dull.
8. Leave on the cookie sheet for about 5 - 10 minutes and then move to a rack. These are quite thick so they need the extra air all around them to finish drying out in the middle.

I'm sorry, I didn't have more pics of the process. I guess I got excited about wrapping them that I forgot to take a pic of them to show you. They were HUGE!! ... believe me! The pic you do see... is of the raw dough, (only 5 fit on a 14 inch sheet) which you should never eat, but have I got a wonderful recipe for you if you LOVE cookie dough! Check out http://marleys-place.com/. She's a funny young lady that enjoys what she does and inspired me to start my own blog She has Great recipes! Check it out! ; ) .... feel free to ask questions, because I'm sure I left stuff out... my mind is not in the all-together today. I'd be happy to hear from you! ~Happy Baking...... & Don't forget your Apron!

... he was a King!



Happy Birthday, Helen! ; )

 Today is my boss's birthday, whom is also my very good friend, and I have been scrambling my brains all week on what to bake for her. Although she always requests a Chocolate Cake, this year she said nothing and to top it off, she started talking about eating HEALTHY!!! What are you people doing to me??? Don't you know that the joy of baking is in using Real products like Flour & Sugar? NOT whole wheat & Splenda!! lol... I will do it if I have to and dabble more and more in it, but You can't expect me to change overnight... so stop THINKING HEALTHY or no more goodies for you!! 



All wrapped up Pretty!

 Anyway, as I was saying... When I said to her, "No Goodies, then?" She looked as if I were the Crazy one. She said (almost to low to hear), "No Goodies." Of course, I didn't believe her, but I thought hard on another way for her to not feel that she was cheating. If I make her Orange & Nutty Chocolatey Chocolate Cookies then she could freeze them and eat them at her leisure and not all at once, like a Cake. Thanks Goodness, I listened to myself because when I told her 'no cake because you said no Sweets' she said, "AND YOU BELIEVED ME??" haha, what a nut. I know her better than she knows me! I could go on some more about her, but as much as I Love & Respect her, there is someone else I am thinking about.



 10 years ago today, I lost the only man who had a firm hold of my Whole Heart...my Dad. and just like the past nine years on this day, he consumes my every thought. There are no words to express how much I miss him and wish that I could just visit for a minute... of course, that would still not be enough. As you may have guessed, I  was a Daddy's Girl and so were my sisters. But, I'm the lucky one, I think, because being sooo ; ) much younger than everyone else, I got more at-home time with him and was maybe a little more receptive to his influence. Was that a good thing? Still, My memories are endless, from singing absurd country songs at a young age to eventually, as I got older, joining in with his teasing antics. Even though, he was just a man with imperfections, to me... he was a King!



Orange Sticks & Mixed Nuts...

How does this tie into baking? When I am asked where I got my baking skills, my standard answer is... I guess I inherited it from my Grandmothers, but if I really think about it... my Dad Loved to bake, too. He didn't do  it all the time, but you can be sure that when he did, flour was literally flying all over the kitchen. I guess I get that from him, too. haha. When I thought of my friends cookies, I wanted something to be about him, too. He LOVED candy. One of my favorite memories, as a kid, is our trips to Sears' basement where the candy counter was. He always got Orange Sticks and Bridge mix. He never failed to ask me what I wanted and guess what... those were MY choices, too!

Being a truck driver, he didn't exactly know how to treat us girls like Princesses, but looking back, now that I'm older and can appreciate it all... I think what we got was so much better. We learned how to stand up for ourselves, speak our minds & Swear like Sailors! He also had a great sense of humor... at least he thought so. I can tell you some horror stories that will curl your hair... wait... THAT could be why my hair is so curly!! Picking a time when it happened would be hard, though. Maybe the time(s) we would go to Gemco and he'd fall on the floor because he would trip over the door jam or any imaginary thing yelling for us girls to come back... or when he'd dilly-dally in the lobby and wait until the elevator doors were almost closed then jump in halfway as the doors closed and flail his arms while yelling, HELP, IT'S GOT ME!... or when walking around Bullocks dept. store with an empty Orange Julius cup, slurping the remains loudly as I reached behind me to wave my hand at him to shush, but he was so close I knocked it out of his hand and he cried while following me around... or he'd lay on the floor and yell, urgently, for me & when I went to him he'd tell me to Pull His Finger! Which I always did... or change the channel...  I was his remote control .... Explains alot about me, doesn't it?? I gave him my own, though... every time he asked for something to drink, I ran to him with a nice, warm cup of water and (every time) he'd take a big gulp and say, "Blah!! It's WARM!" hehe... I suspect he knew it was coming, but he drank it anyway!  He was a pain in my backside, but I never failed to tell my friends what funny things he did... he didn't know this, of course, could you imagine how much worse he could get if he knew?



Roger Camou 8/4/34 - 2/5/01
I Love You, Dad!

 As I got older and grew out of the trauma, my Dad became a Great Friend and was always supportive ... from the time he bought my first easy-bake oven and ate every cake as if it were gourmet, to the day he left us for greater things. I can still feel him, every time I'm in the kitchen baking, just standing over my shoulder with his hands behind his back and his face at my ear... asking, "Got any extra for me?"  Even if all he got were the burnt ones (yes, I used to burn a lot of things) 8}...he'd act like it was the best thing he ever tasted. I miss that. Unconditional. And I knew it was genuine. When he bought my Mom a huge, beautiful 6qt Kitchen Aid mixer (that I still use) and she didn't bake or need it for cooking, naturally it went to me. I like to (secretly) think that he bought it for me... how could he justify spending $500.00 on a Christmas gift for me and not my brothers or sisters? See, guys?? I Always knew I was his FAVORITE!!