Category: Treats

Portuguese Meringues (Suspiros)

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How can I describe a Suspiro?  Well… If you have never had a Suspiro or a meringue before, what I can say is imagine what cotton candy’s opposite would be texture wise while still retaining all the sugar.  It’s almost like a chalky consistency, but far from that in flavor.  And the best part about the home-made ones most especially is that they have a relatively gooey middle.

Suspiros have been part of my life forever. Every Portuguese market I know of always has these big beautiful sweet treats stocked. More candy than cookie, these special goodies were only bought every so often in my house, but when they were, we were always happy kids! Unlike the American version (Meringues) which are only about the size of a half-dollar, Portuguese Suspiros are about the size of a hamburger bun. They are best eaten slowly with a cup of tea.

In my opinion each and every holiday should include Suspiros, but none more than Easter! After 40 days of Lenten sacrifice, there is nothing more satisfying than pure sugar! They can be colored, of course, to accommodate any theme (think pink for Princess tea parties or blue for a baby shower) and are a great addition to birthday parties and anything you might want something a little “out of the box” for. A major part of making these yummies is drying them out, it is best to make them when it is not too humid out and best stored in an air tight container or zip tight bag.

Preheat your oven to 225°F.

Start by adding about 2″ of water to the bottom of a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.

You want to be sure the sauce pan you use is smaller than the bowl of your electric mixer.

You want to be sure the sauce pan you use is smaller than the bowl of your electric mixer.

Separate 4 egg whites into the bowl of your electric mixer. Cold eggs aid in this process.

They won’t look like much in the bowl, but their volume will increase, don’t worry.

Use the egg yolks in a cake recipe or to make lemon curd or just discard.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of granulated white sugar.

Add directly to the egg whites.

With a hand whisk, incorporate the sugar in with the whites by beating well.

Once the whites and the sugar are beaten to a slightly frothy milky white substance, place the bowl on the sauce pan that you have brought to a simmer. Beat steadily and quickly with your hand whisk for about 3-4 minutes.

You will know the mixture is ready to remove from the heat when it looks like the sugar crystals have melted as you bring the mixture up the side of the bowl as seen here.

Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Once sugar crystals appear to have dissolved, place bowl on electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until mixture has cooled and stiff peaks have formed. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

The mixture is so stiff that when I remove it from the machine and let it rest for transport to the sink, it just stays up right.

Stiff peak.

Ready your supplies. I am using a disposable pastry bag and an extra-large tip. If you don’t have these supplies, you can use a gallon size freezer bag and attach whatever size decorating tip you have, or just use no tip at all. The Suspiros will turn out just fine, they just won’t have the pretty carved look to them. (Unless you cut a zig-zag shape into the corner or “tip” of your bag.)

Prepare the bag by cutting off enough tip to accommodate your tip holder.

This is what you should have once it is all assembled.

I like to start by folding back about an inch from the top. whether using a pastry bag or a gallon size freezer bag, this tip helps to fill without incident.

The tip I am using today is a 1M by Wilton.

Fill the bag.

Unfold that top portion you had originally folded down. Pinch at the top so as not to lose too much mixture.

In a circular motion, pipe the mixture onto the parchment lined pan.

Build as high as you like. I like good hearty Suspiros. These are about 2 1/2″ in diameter.

Once all the Suspiros are built, they are ready for the oven.

Bake at 225°F for one hour without opening the oven door. Once the hour is up, shut off the oven and leave the Suspiros in the oven until completely cool about 1-2 hours more.

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Suspiros (Meringue)

Serves 16

Ingredients.

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 225°F,

Beat egg whites with sugar by hand for about 30 seconds in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place a sauce pan on the stove with about 2″ of water in it.  Bring water to a simmer. Place the bowl on the sauce pan and beat constantly. (This is an important step as it both builds volume and keeps the mixture moving so that the eggs don’t cook.) After about 3-4 minutes, check that the sugar crystals have mostly dissolved. Remove from heat and return bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk mixture for about 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks can be formed.

Place mixture in a piping bag (or gallon size freezer bag) fitted with a star tip (or just with the end cut off). Pipe mixture onto a parchment lined sheet pan in 3″ round circles that are about 2″ high.

Place sheet pans in the oven and bake at 225°F for one hour without opening the oven. Then turn off the oven and allow Suspiros to cool completely in the oven before removing. Remove from oven and enjoy! Be sure to store in an air tight container.

Stacy’s Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I have been to many the Christmas cookie swap in my day.  I actually went to two just last week.  One cookie that is ever impressive is the Chocolate Chip Cookie.  It’s in need of no special decoration or presentation, a well made Chocolate Chip Cookie can hold it’s own in any crowd!  To me the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie must be chewy but also a little crisp on the edges and not cakey, but have some body to it.  With being so particular, it’s probably no surprise to know that I have experimented with dozens of different recipes throughout the years.  Finally I decided to take the best elements of each and combine them into one YUMMY cookie!  Take a look at what I did…

Start with some softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add in brown sugar.

Add in white sugar.

Once you have both sugars in with the butter, beat on medium high until creamed together.

Add in one egg at a time being sure to mix well after each addition.

This is what you should have when that is done.

Add in a shallow tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl add in flour.

Baking soda.

And salt. Whisk together until combined and no lumps remain in flour.

Add into the mixer in two additions and beat on low until just combined. Then scrape down the sides and mix for about 10 seconds on high until thoroughly combined.

Add in semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir by hand.

Scoop out into 1Tbs. scoops with the small Pampered Chef Cookie Scoop if you have it.

Place two inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for exactly 10 minutes.

When the cookies come out of the oven, they won't look quite done. They will have lightly browned edges and they will be very fragile on the cookie sheet itself. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5-6 minutes before moving them to the cooling wrack. Then allow to cool completely before moving to a cookie jar... Of course you could sneak one with a glass of milk on the way!

When the cookies come out of the oven, they won’t look quite done. They will have lightly browned edges and they will be very fragile on the cookie sheet itself. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for about 5-6 minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. Then allow to cool completely before moving to a cookie jar… Of course you could sneak one with a glass of milk on the way!

Stacy’s Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 30 cookies (using 1 Tbs. scoop)Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups All purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer using a paddle attachment. Cream for about 1-2 minutes. Once thoroughly combined add in 1 egg at a time until well combined.  Add in vanilla, mix another 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add to mixing bowl in two additions mixing until just combined.  Scrape down the sides and mix on high for about 10 seconds.

Add in chocolate chips and mix by hand.

Scoop out using a 1 Tbs. cookie scoop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet leaving 2 inches between each scoop.  Bake for exactly 10 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Portuguese Style Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Sementes de Abóbora Assado)

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Being Portuguese, one of my most favorite Halloween traditions is roasting of the pumpkin seeds!  American pumpkin seeds (usually involving lots of salt as the only spice) are tasty and I do like them at other times of the year, but there is nothing like a home roasted Portuguese Style pumpkin seed that you get after carving your Halloween pumpkin!

Each and every family has a different style of pumpkin seed roasting and a different mixture of spices.  I have been working on this recipe myself for a few years now and I think I have it just right for my taste.  These are super spicy, so in the tutorial pictures, I give advice on reducing the heat if you like.

Start with an empty sealable container. This recipe can be doubled easily and will store nicely if you prefer to use it throughout pumpkin season… this recipe is great for squash seeds too!

To your container, add in garlic powder.

Kosher salt

Paprika… now, I use Hungarian Paprika which is very spicy, so if you like spice, use it, if you don’t, don’t

Crushed red pepper flakes

Since I already use Hungarian Paprika, I only use a touch of Cayenne Pepper… If you don’t have Hungarian Paprika, you may want to use a bit more Cayenne. Here I am using 1/4 tsp… I would up it to 1/2 tsp without the Hungarian Paprika.

Cover your container and give it a good shake.

Once you are through mixing your spice, it’s time to move onto the pumpkin. This guy is about to become a Mickey Mouse pumpkin!

Have a large bowl handy for your seeds.

I like to cut the bottom of my pumpkin for carving because no seam is shown up top.

Now pull apart and you will expose all your seeds.

Scoop them out.

You will find you may have a lot of pumpkin goop mixed in with your seeds, you don’t need that.

Remove all the goop. From here I DO NOT wash… I like that they are still slimy. Slimy seeds let the spice mix stick better!

You can throw out the goop.

Now, add in a little of the spice at a time. I have 2 cups of seeds here, so I am starting by adding in about half of my seasoning.

It looks to me like they are not well coated enough. So, I ended up adding the remaining spice. You be the judge on yours.

After they are mixed, this is what they should look like. Lay them in a single layer on a parchment covered cookie sheet… please do not try to put this directly on a cookie sheet… even with parchment, they stick. You could oil your pan first if you don’t have parchment paper.

After about 20 minutes in the oven, they look like this… You want to stir them up again and lay flat again. Pop them back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

When done roasting, this is what you get.

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Portuguese Style Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups non-washed pumpkin seeds

Spice Mix:

1 Tbs. Paprika (Hungarian for extra spice if desired)

1 Tbs. Kosher salt

1 Tbs. granulated garlic

1 tsp. dry crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Combine all spices in a resealable container. Spread on pumpkin seeds and stir.  Bake in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 350°F.  Stir.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Allow to cool. Break up any big pieces.  Enjoy!

 

 

Halloween Candy Bars

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Halloween has to be one of the most fun-loving holiday’s we have! I thought I would come up with a project to do with my kids that reflects that! And because it’s Halloween, there needs to be sugar involved in said project… Soooo, I took sugar wafer cookies (yum), chocolate (yum), and candy (more yum) and I put them all together in one super yummy festive treat!

All you need to do is pick up a couple of packages of sugar wafers (I got three flavors), two kinds of melting chocolate (or colorful melts if you like), and a selection of candy.  My kids LOVE m&m’s so those had to be there, then to make it extra Halloweeny, some candy corn of course and the rest were just random selections that suited my fancy!

This no-bake treat is inexpensive, easy and fun, let me show you how I did it…

Here are all the ingredients I used... You can swap any of this out, get creative, taylor it to your tastes!

Here are all the ingredients I used… You can swap any of this out, get creative, tailor it to your tastes!

I chose bittersweet chocolate because it helps to off set some of the sweetness.

I chose vanilla melts for the contrast in color.

Three different types of sugar wafers… the classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry… but there are lots of different flavors out there, again, get creative!

I used sweetened coconut flakes, you could use unsweetened or even toasted if you want to cut some of the sugar.

Candy corn is a non-negotiable if you are making these for Halloween! Even if they are just on a few, it really helps to doll them up… Now, if you are making these for let’s say Christmas or Easter, you might use candy canes or peeps!

I chose mini m&m’s because their cute little size fit with the wafers, also, because they are small, we could get more color… and as I already mentioned, this is a family favorite!

I picked up a cookies and cream candy bar and chopped it up… My kids love Oreo yogurt and so I knew they would just love this one!

I reserved some of the vanilla chips for decoration.

I also picked up some peanut butter cups, um, yum… obviously if you are making these to bring into a school or somewhere there might be a peanut allergy, I would leave these out.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment. You want to place on something mobile so you are able to move your bars to a cool place to set up.

Place your vanilla melts in a microwave safe bowl and heat for one minute to start, then stir as well as you can.

Place in the microwave again for 10-15 seconds at a time, stir after each time… until you come to this level of melt. Then allow any random bits to melt with the rest of the meltiness.

just plop each sugar wafer into the pool one at a time. With the vanilla chips, I start with the vanilla so that if some crumbs fall in, it doesn’t sour the batch.

Gently coat and allow to drip so you don’t get over coverage.

Once they are coated, place on your tray.

Some vanilla crumbs did get in, but they really aren’t seen, so I continue with the strawberry.

While still warm, start sprinkling on candy.

Get creative, let the kids have at it, there is no wrong way to do this!

Once you are done with the vanilla chips, move on to the chocolate… I like to do one at a time because it only stays warm enough to coat for a short time. So, pop this in the microwave for one minute and this is what it looks like after that minute. Mix as well as you can and pop it in for an additional 10 seconds at a time until you get to the next level…

Once you are mostly melty, mix and allow the rest to naturally melt… You don’t want to over heat, then you end up with burned chocolate, no fun!

The real chocolate will be much more liquidy, making for a more even coating.

Again, just have at it with the candy.

I had some left over chocolate, so I used it to further doll up my vanilla bars.

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Halloween Candy Bars

Serves: 16

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

8 oz. vanilla chips melted, plus more for decorating

16 sugar wafer cookies

1/4 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup candy corn

1 Cookies and Cream candy bar, chopped

2 peanut butter cups, chopped

1/8 cup mini m&m’s candies

(use any candy you like)

Directions:

  1. Cover a cookie sheet in parchment or wax paper, set aside.
  2. Melt chocolate or vanilla chips (one at a time).
  3. Dip and cover each sugar wafer, gently.
  4. Decorate with candy.
  5. Set on tray to cool and set up.

 

Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles

done1_edited-1Ahhh Snickerdoodles, one of life’s great gifts to cookie jars across the nation! With it’s crispy edges, it’s chewy inside and that snap of cinnamon flavor, who could possibly resist something so utterly yummy?  But, wait… To kick it up to the next level, we have converted the ever delicious Snickerdoodle into a “Sand Dollar” by simply adding 5 little sliced almonds to adorn the top… Now, they are set for my son’s “Surf’s Up” Beach Themed party this weekend!

On top of being a family favorite around here… they are super simple as cookies go.  They require no refrigeration after the dough is mixed.  They are fun for the kid’s to help with. And they keep for days and days (if you can keep them around that long!)

Let's start with the basic dough ingredients... Sugar, butter, flour, cream of tartar, eggs, salt and baking soda...

Let’s start with the basic dough ingredients… Sugar, butter, flour, cream of tartar, eggs, salt and baking soda…

Now, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar.  I use unsalted butter. If you only have regular butter or margarine, cut the salt you are adding to 1/4 tsp.

Now take your baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix them together into one little bowl and then into the four.

Now take your baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix them together into one little bowl and then into the four.

Right in.

Be sure your butter is at room temperature.

Cream.

Now add in your flour mixture in two separate times.

Blend the flour

Blend the flour

Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times throughout the mixing process.

Once your dough is complete, set it aside and mix your cinnamon and sugar.

Sugar and cinnamon… This is a bit more cinnamon than I really would use in a cinnamon sugar mix… However, our goal today is to make what will look like a sea creature that will be covered in sand.

Just a small cereal bowl is fine for this. It would also be great if you had a small to medium cookie scoop so that your Sand Dollars are all the same size, you also avoid getting your hands messy with one of these. I am using the medium scoop today. If you don’t have one, just use a spool and roll with your hands.

This is a very cinnamony mix… If you aren’t making actual Sand Dollars, you could use half the amount of cinnamon if you prefer. I happen to like a lot of cinnamon, so I’m good with it.

Now scoop out your dough.

Place it in the bowl

Place it in the bowl

Roll around in the cinnamon sugar.

And this is what you get.

Place them all neatly on your parchment lined cookie sheet

Place them all neatly on your parchment lined cookie sheet

Gently flaten each one slightly

Gently flaten each one slightly

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

As you can see I didn’t press down too too much, the oven takes care of most of the spreading, the point is to have a surface in which to apply your almonds.

Add 5 almonds to each cookie in sort of a flower pattern with the small end of the almond pointing in.

Aren’t they pretty? Bake these at 325°F for 8-10 minutes.

And here they are. Allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes when they come out of the oven… Then transfer them to a wire rack for cooling.

And there you have it... Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles... Enjoy!

And there you have it… Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles… Enjoy!

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Recipe for Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles:

(makes 32 3″ cookies)

1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 XL eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 small bag of sliced almonds

For dusting:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

(sugar and cinnamon can be cut in half if you want less waste)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Prepare ingredients: Mix together soda, salt and tartar, add that to flour and wisk to mix.  In the bowl of an electric mixed fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter and sugar for about 2 minutes.  Add in one egg at a time until each is fully incorporated.  Then add in flour mixture in two additions.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl a few times throughout this process.

Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a cereal bowl.  Scoop out dough in with a medium scoop. Roll dough ball in cinnamon sugar.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet allow at least 1″ between each ball.  Slightly flatten each ball.  Apply 5 almond slices to the top of each cookie.

Bake for 8-9 minutes.  Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet.  Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Enjoy!

“Portuguese Style” S’Mores (Bolacha Maria S’mores)

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So, I have decided to have a little fun with today’s blog entry.  It’s summer,  which means it’s fire pit and camping season here in New England.  So I decided to think a bit outside the box and merge the Portuguese and American cultures together in a fun and simple way… The Portuguese being the Bolacha Maria cookie… The American being the time-tested camp fire favorite, the s’more.

Now unlike my earlier s’more posting (Peep S’Mores) this post will involve real fire and bona-fide marshmallow roasting technique.  You will need to get ahold of three ingredients… regular size marshmallows… none of  those crazy giant marshmallow, no colors or crazy flavors… just plain ole marshmallows.  You will also need a package of Bolacha Maria cookies and a Hershey’s bar.

Let’s get started!

I like to use two marshmallows for my s’mores, no matter if they are American style with graham crackers or Portuguese style with a Bolacha Maria Cookie.

Now the trick here is not to place your marshmellos directly on the fire... you want to gently toast your marshmellos over the coals.

Now the trick here is not to place your marshmallow directly on the fire… you want to gently toast your marshmallow over the coals.

Constantly rotate your marshmallow over those coals and you will get a well toasted marshmallow perfect for building your s’more!

Place your Bolocha Maria cookie down on a plate.

Place your Bolacha Maria cookie down on a plate.

Unwrap a chocolate bar, cut in half.

Place the chocolate bar half on top of the cookie.

Add your toasted marshmallow on top of your chocolate bar.

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Recipe for “Portuguese Style’ S’Mores:

(serves 1)

2 Bolacha Maria Cookies

2 marshmallow, Toasted

1/2 regular size chocolate bar

Directions:

Toast marshmallow slowly over hot coals.  Then start stacking as follows: One Maria cookie, one piece of chocolate and then the marshmallows and top it off with the Maria cookie.  Enjoy!

***The Portuguese American Mom is in no way suggesting that this is a traditional Portuguese recipe… this is entirely the an adaptaion of a classic American treat by The Portuguese American Mom

Rainbow Popcorn

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A good friend of mine had an “UP” themed birthday party for her little girl recently.  To highlight the theme she had rainbows, balloons and colors galore!  I decided to bring along my contribution to her party by whipping up a batch of this super colorful Rainbow Popcorn!

Not only is this popcorn colorful, but each color has a different flavor because to color the popcorn I used none other than a rainbow array of Jell-O.  You could adapt this, of course, to any theme you would like… If you are doing a ‘Lemonade Stand’ birthday party, then just use the yellow… If you are planning a ‘Smurf’ theme, then just the blue… the possibilities are endless.  This is a great activity for kids to help with too!  It’s not complicated at all.

Here are all the ingredients you will need.

Prepare 12 cups of plain popcorn. I did it over the stove with kernels… You might also want to try a plain bag of microwave popcorn… well several bags. Then place 5 cups of popcorn into a large bowl.

Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk into a small sauce pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Pour half a packet of your chosen jello color into the pan.

Mix well to distribute color.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you'll get a burned pan like you see here.

Put the condensed milk mixture over low heat. If the burner is turned up too high, you’ll get a burned pan like you see here.

Pour the thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Mix in until it coats all the popcorn evenly.

I prefer parchment paper, but if you don’t have parchment, you can line your cookie sheet with foil like you see here and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Once baked, let cool about 20 minutes and then break into pieces and place in bowl.

Mix in each color seperately.

Mix in each color separately.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened... about 10 minutes.

Cook each color on low heat until thickened… about 10 minutes.

Pour each colors thickened liquid over the prepared popcorn.

Place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 mins.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

Place each color on the cookie sheet. Bake at 175°F for 18-20 minutes.

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Break up all the popcorn… Place in serving bowl and toss!

Recipe for Rainbow Popcorn:

(serves 24)

30 cups prepared plain popcorn

3 cans sweetened condensed milk

6 boxes of Jell-O, in rainbow colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)

Directions:

Turn oven to 175°F.  Prepare 6 cookie sheets (or alternate as you go along) with either parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Prepare fresh popcorn.  In a small sauce pan, pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Then pour in half a packet of your chosen jello into the milk.  Heat over a burner turned to low for about 10 minutes until thickened.  Stir often.

Place about 5 cups of popcorn in a large bowl.  Pour thickened milk mixture over popcorn and immediately stir together with a wooden spoon.  Place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 175°F.  Allow to cool about 20-25 minutes, then break up pieces and place into an extra-large serving bowl.

Repeat with each color.  Mix all cooled colors together. Enjoy!

*this is a Gluten-free recipe.

(Recipe variation… this popcorn has an intense Jell-O flavor, which kids love… but if you wish to tone it down a bit, use only 1/4 packet of Jell-O per mixture and add 4 drops of the matching food color to boost the coloring, for adults you could also sprinkle with kosher or sea salt just after baking to balance the flavor)

***This recipe is an adaptation of the Eagle Brand Condensed Milk recipe.

 

Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version

done22My special “Breakfast in Bed” Series continues today with “Breakfast in Bed – Fancy Pants Version”.  This series is designed in preparation for Mother’s Day or any time that you want to spoil that special someone with that extra effort.

Beds across the nation will be warmed up with the love of children to their mother’s showing them just how much they are loved and appreciated by that extra effort to take care of Mom as she takes care of them each and every day.  Today’s installment features a fancy kicked up breakfast.  Some of it can be prepared ahead of time, but some elements are meant to be done the morning of.  And unlike my first installment, Breakfast in Bed – Kid Friendly Version where most everything was disposable, this version takes a bit more effort because after breakfast there will be dishes to do and we don’t want to leave that to Mom!

So, again if you are Mom and you are reading this, now is the time to hand the computer or tablet over to your significant other or older child (as there are way too many breakables involved here for a youngster) and turn away.  I will now be addressing the Preparer.

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Some of the elements here such as the Chocolate Covered Strawberries and the Codfish Cakes can be made a day in advance.  Then other elements, such as the Tea, the OJ and the Southwest Veggie Omelet  need to be prepared the morning of.  Although, you should definitely refrigerate your oranges for the OJ, otherwise you will have warm OJ.

Start with your Mom’s favorite tray. This is mine. I bought it the last time I visited St. Michael. It is hand-made and adorned with hand crafted St. Michael’s signature blue and white tile. The scene depicted here is of the ‘Portas de Cidade” or Gates to the City. The Portas de Cidade is a famous landmark in Ponta Delgada, St. Michael’s capital city and is a source of great pride for all Azoreans.

Here is a mini tutorial on how to make delicious Chocolate Covered Strawberries from scratch:

Like I mentioned above, These can be done the night before, but they can also be done same day so long as you have a chilled area for them to set up quickly.

strawberries

Start with some fresh strawberries. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Moisture is melted chocolate’s worst nightmare.

Next, pour half the contents of a chocolate chip bag into a microwave safe bowl.

Pop it in the microwave. Start off with one minute on high. Stir.  Every 15 seconds, stir until you get the proper consistency.

When your chocolate still has this much texture to it, it should be ready to stir into melty goodness.

When your chocolate looks like this, you are ready for dipping!

dip

Give each strawberry its own individual bath.

Be sure to have a plate or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper to receive the dipped strawberries so they may cool and firm up.

Once you have them all dipped and ready to so, get them to a cool place to chill.

Next, here is a mini tutorial on how to make fresh squeezed orange juice:

OJ

There is nothing like fresh squeezed orange juice. It is not like the kind in the carton.  The nutritional value of the fresh squeezed is far superior to anything you might find at the supermarket.

oranges

Start with some beautifully ripened oranges.  It is a good idea to refrigerate these over night, otherwise you will end up with warm OJ, not great.

I found that one large orange was enough to fill a juice glass. Obviously this depends on how large you can find the orange and how juicy they are. Cut them in half to start.

Here are three different methods to getting one delicious glass of OJ:

hand squeeze

The first method of juicing is just to hand squeeze the orange into a glass. I find that this is the least efficient way as you will have a hard time squeezing out every drop.

core squeeze

The next method is a much more common method, using a juicer. This one has the little rim that catches seeds, nice! You will want to work the orange onto the juicer with a bit of elbow grease to get every last drop.

The third option is the squeeze juicer. This baby really gets every last drop out and prevents seeds from falling in the juice! I always find it funny how it almost seems like the orange is put in backwards, but it literally turns the fruit inside out.

This main plate features a Southwest Veggie Omelet and Codfish Cakes.  Recipes and tutorials are detailed on their respective postings.  Take a look, the omelet tutorial teaches how to make the perfect omelet and customize it to your tastes.

Although you may think of Codfish Cakes as a lunch or dinner item, it is especially good in the morning and with some eggs, so give it a try.

tea pot

And last, but not least is the tea. I found this little gem while traveling in Utah. I fell in love with this hand-made beauty and started collecting personal tea pots ever since. If you are looking for a lovely gift for Mom, check out Golden Moon Tea, they have some great high quality teas and tea ware.

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Supplies you will need:

* Pretty Tray

* Pretty plate

* Pretty napkin

* Crystal juice glass

* Personal Tea Pot

* 3″ glazed tile

* silverware

Food and drink:

* Southwest Veggie Omelet

* Codfish Cakes

* Fresh squeeze Orange Juice

* Chocolate Covered Strawberries

* Tea (don’t forget whatever your Mom takes in her tea, ie. sugar, milk, honey or lemon)

 

Have fun and remember to think about what your Mom loves and tailor her Breakfast in Bed to what she likes best!  A nice handmade card goes a long way too!

 

Crack-a-lackin’ Cracker Jacks

in mit3

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks… I don’t care if I never get back!”

Ahhh… The sweet sounds of spring (and the 7th inning stretch). Have you ever wondered why the kid needs Cracker Jacks AND peanuts?  I mean there are peanuts right in the Cracker Jacks.  Anyway, I digress.  I thought it would be nice to round off my week of celebrating the great game of baseball with everyone’s favorite… the CrackerJack!  The ingredients are simple, the method is easier than you might think; just takes a little bit of patience.  And as usual, I will give you the recipe and provide little short cut tips along the way in case you aren’t a purist like me!

Here we go:

 

kernals

Start with popping corn! Remember this stuff? It actually exists outside of a microwaveable bag! Growing up I used to watch the commercials for Jiffy Pop popcorn (and it seemed they sponsored half the TV shows in the 80’s) and I always wanted them. My Mom loved to make her own popcorn though, so alas we never got the Jiffy Pop. When I got older, I realized Jiffy Pop wasn’t all it was cracked (or popped) up to be anyway. Again, I digress… If you aren’t a fan of making your own pop corn or feel more comfortable with an air popper or your microwave, have at it. Just be sure it’s plain and you have enough for about 10 cups when done (like three bags)

oil

If you are coming along with me on the old fashioned popping train… Just follow your package directions. I’m just adding a few tablespoons of oil to a large dutch oven.

add kernals

Then add in the kernels over high heat. Put the lid on the pan. When you hear your first few pops, start vigorously shaking the pan until you hear no more pops.

pop corn

And here is your final product… a lovely pot of fresh popped pop corn. No matter how you achieve this… Just be sure it is plain, fresh, and about 10 cups when all is said and done.  Add peanuts in at this point.

oven

Continue prepping. Set your oven to 250°F.

empty trays

Line a couple of sheet pans with parchment. You can use baking dishes, or whatever you have handy. Just be sure whatever you have has a rim, otherwise you may have popcorn slipping off into your oven… not fun. If you only have one, that will do, it will just mean more mixing during the process, but I’ll explain that later. Oh, and the parchment is kind of a must, unless you have some other type of non stick surface like a Silpat or something. Remember, we are essentially making candy here, so you want to be able to work with it without it sticking to everything. Which brings me to my next step.

spray bowl

You’re gonna want to spray both a very large bowl (I use my Vavo’s massa bowl) and your rubber spatula (or whatever you have on hand) with cooking spray. We don’t want sticking!

ingredients

Now, gather up some ingredients. You have no time once you start on the stove to gather these ingredients. So, be sure you are prepped ahead of time. In addition to these already measured out ingredients, be sure to have both your vanilla and baking soda at the ready.

add sugar

Start with a medium sauce pan. I like my non-stick. It doesn’t have to be non-stick, just my preference. Melt your butter and then add in your sugar.

add corn syrup

Once that is in and starting to dissolve, add in your corn syrup and salt. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE. I repeat, DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE. This is not the time to get distracted, answer the door, check your text messages or discipline the children. You need 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted time here. You need to stir constantly.

stir

Keep stirring.

252

Once you get to right around 250°F on a candy thermometer or in my case a meat thermometer. Try to keep it at that temp. for around 3-4 minutes. This will likely include lowering the heat. You want to keep checking back. Don’t freak if it gets a little higher, just do your best.

vanilla

Once you make it through that 3-4 minutes, breathe. Then remove from heat and add in the vanilla. This is not the time to skimp out on the vanilla. Please please please use your very best PURE vanilla extract here. This one I am using is Madagascar bourbon vanilla, it’s my preference. But, you aren’t allowed to make this with that imitation stuff! (kidding, but really, don’t)

add baking soda

Now, add in the baking soda. I use a heaping half teaspoon. I like the fluffiness and lightness it brings. Careful not to overdo it though, baking soda can backfire in flavor if you go overboard.

stir2

Now stir to combine your new ingredients and it should look something like this.

pour caramel

OK… quickly pour this over your popcorn and start stirring. Again, not a time to take a break. You need to work briskly here.

mix in caramel

Keep stirring. Try to work all that caramel in throughout the popcorn as best you can. This process will take some time, assume a good 5 minutes for this step. Be fast but gentle, you don’t want a bunch of pop corn crumbles at the end.

done stirring

This is what you should have… I don’t like to overdo it with the caramel coverage. If you like more caramel coverage, just use 8 cups of popcorn. I wouldn’t go less than that though unless you are an experienced candy maker, because the caramel may clump up on you quite a bit.

spread on trays

Spread your mixture onto your prepared sheet trays.  Pop them in the oven for an hour.  But be sure to stir the mixture 3-4 times throughout their time in there.  I set my timer to every 15 mins.  This helps to further distribute the caramel and ensure you don’t have one big clumped mess when through.

in mit2

And there you have it folks. Crack-a-lakin’ Cracker Jacks! Enjoy!

 

Recipe for Crack-a-lakin’ Cracker Jacks:

(serves 4-6) (or one, shhh!)

10 c. plain popped pop corn (instructions above)

3/4 c. peanuts

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/3 c. light corn syrup

1/2 t. kosher salt

2 t. pure vanilla extract

1/2 t. heaping, baking soda

Directions:

Prepare all ingredients along with all equipment.  You will need a medium saucepan, preferably non-stick.  Two sheet trays with rims, lined with parchment.  And an extra-large bowl and rubber spatula sprayed with cooking spray. A thermometer with capability to go to 250°F.  Also, pre-heat your oven to 250°F.

Place popped corn in the extra-large bowl with the popcorn.

On the stove over medium/high heat, melt butter.  Add in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.  Continuously stir until it comes to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, check the temp. until it comes to 250°F.  Keep it at that temperature for 3-4 minutes, checking frequently and adjusting heat.

Remove from heat.  Add in vanilla and baking soda.  Stir.

Pour over popcorn and peanuts.  Quickly, but gently stir to combine.  This process takes patience.

Pour out onto prepared sheet trays.  Bake at 250°F for 1 hour.  Stir mixture 3-4 times throughout baking.

Cool.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peep S’mores

peephay1

This year we are adding a new tradition to our usual Easter fun… Peep s’mores!  As a Portuguese American mom, sweetbread is the good ole standby tradition (a post for another time) and then of course there is coloring and decorating Easter eggs, but I like to shake things up! I’m crazy like that!

Recently I’ve been seeing people having lots of fun dipping their Peeps in chocolate… I have even seen them packaged this way from the company.  I, however, am taking this a step further. Every year at Christmas I make s’mores on a stick as little treats to give out and they are a BIG hit (check back around Christmas time for that fun project).  Soooo… I thought elevating the chocolate dipped Peep to a new level was just the ticket.

I have a one and a two year old and this project is perfect for them to help with.  It’s cheap, its colorful, fun and their little hands do great with the soft tactile nature of a Peep.  But, I think this is fun at any age!

Here’s what you’ll need:

peeps

Peeps… any color… you can even do this with Peep bunnies if you are really feeling like jumping out of that box!

Blog_s'mores peeps_edited-1

Peeps, chocolate chips, graham crackers and sprinkles

crumbled crackers_edited-1

Crush your crackers with your fingers.

microchoc

Place your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Start out with a minute, mix and then do 15 second intervals until it is mostly melted. Don’t add anything extra to the chocolate. (If you don’t have a microwave or if you prefer, this step can be done with a double boiler)

time

 

Mix until smooth.

Mix until smooth.

3 ingredients

This is what you should have now… along with whichever Peeps you decide on.

Now, give your Peep a little bath... dip him about half way in.

Now, give your Peep a little bath… dip him about half way in.

Now, into the crackers he goes!

Now, into the crackers he goes!

Now, get him over to a piece of wax paper. I like to like a cookie tray so that it is easily moved into the fridge if need be.

Now, get him over to a piece of wax paper. I like to line a cookie tray so that it is easily moved into the fridge if need be.  tip: place cookie sheet in the fridge beforehand to speed up cooling time… if you didn’t do this, you can just pop the whole tray in the fridge for 5-10 mins and you’re good.

sprinklesbowl

sprinkles

And onto a wax sheet or some parchment as seen here for some sprinkles and set up.

Now dress him up with some sprinkles and let him cool.

manypeeps1

…and repeat

Now you have these little guys! Enjoy!

Now you have these little guys! Enjoy!

Peep s’mores recipe:

20 Peeps

8 graham cracker squares

1/2 package of chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)

colorful sprinkles

You will also need a microwave safe bowl and some wax paper or parchment.

Directions:

Get all your ingredients prepped before you begin because once the chocolate is melted, you will want to work fairly quickly.  So, be sure to lay out some wax paper on a cookie sheet, set aside.  Crush the graham crackers with your fingers, set aside. Separate the Peeps; I do this by cutting them with a knife so they stay neat, if you don’t care about that, they can just be pulled apart. Then, place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute, then in 15 second increments until melted, stirring throughout the process.

Now dip a peep into the chocolate, about half way in.  Then directly dip into the graham crackers.  Place onto a the cookie sheet and sprinkle.  Let cool.  Cooling may mean placing the tray into the fridge for 5-10 mins.

Once cooled, they can be packaged for Easter gift giving or just gobble them up!  If you are keeping them, they will keep for up to a week or two in an airtight container… do not store in the fridge, but in a cool dry place.

Have fun!