Chocolate Easter Nests

April 5, 20201 Comment

I’ve been so in love with this idea since I first saw it two years ago. It has probably already circled the internet a few times, but if you haven’t, by chance, seen it, I would say this might be the one Easter idea that is worth doing, especially if you are short on time. In fact, I am thinking of having these be my kids’ Easter baskets this year–small, simple, beautiful, and ready to fill with a few candies and eggs.

This recipe comes from Alice Medrich, who I think is incredible, and I originally saw it on Food52. I used to do a lot of candy making at Easter–caramel and peanut butter eggs, molded chocolates, homemade Peep-type things, but now I really just do this and some breads. It’s the right amount. And again, so pretty.

Chocolate Easter Nests

4 ounces (115 grams) dark chocolate or 6 ounces (170 grams) milk chocolate, chopped [I ended up adjusting a little according to the look, too]
4 to 6 cups thin salted pretzel sticks (such as Snyder’s of Hanover)

Equipment: Two-quart stainless steel bowl to use as a mold

To prepare the mold, press a sheet of plastic wrap across the bottom and up the sides of the bowl, as smoothly as possible and with as few air bubbles as possible, letting the ends hang over the bowl. If necessary, press another sheet into the bowl crosswise to cover any bare sides of the bowl. Tip: If you wipe the bowl with a damp sponge or cloth, it will help to adhere the plastic a little better, but be sure that chocolate never comes in contact with a moist surface. And no, foil is not better for lining the mold!
Put the chocolate in another (clean, dry) medium stainless steel bowl. Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a wide skillet. For dark chocolate, set the bowl directly in the water and adjust the heat so that the water is not quite simmering. For milk chocolate, turn the heat off under the skillet and wait 60 seconds before setting the bowl of chocolate in the water. [If you’re familiar with melting chocolate in the microwave, it’s also very doable and easy. Just microwave only in 30 second segments, stirring between each turn. It doesn’t take long and requires attention not to scorch, but it can be easier.]
Stir the chocolate frequently with a clean, dry spatula until the it’s melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the water and let the chocolate cool to lukewarm, (about 90° F–this will temper the chocolate relatively well, too, so you don’t have white streaks). Pour about 4 cups of the pretzels into the chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to turn the pretzels gently in the chocolate until they are completely coated; add more pretzels if you can, as long as you can get them coated. It’s okay if some of the pretzel shows through the chocolate, but they should be coated and the chocolate should still be sticky. Continue to turn the chocolate-coated pretzels in the bowl until the chocolate seems a little thicker and cooler, but not yet starting to set.
Use your fingers to arrange the pretzels in the bottom and up the sides of the lined mold.
Refrigerate to set the chocolate. To unmold, lift the plastic liner out of the bowl. Set the basket down on a serving platter and peel the plastic gently away from the pretzels. Serve filled with chocolate truffles, stemmed strawberries, or other treats.

Simple Peach Ice Cream

July 23, 2014Leave a comment

I love when I’m reading a magazine, and I come across a recipe that I have both the time to make as well as all the ingredients, so I can make it pronto! This recipe from Martha’s Living definitely qualified. The simplest ice cream ever, with a lot of fresh fruit. I can’t wait to try it with the cherries in my freezer, too!

Simple Peach Ice Cream

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 quart frozen peaches (made from about 4-6 medium fresh peaches)

I already had frozen peaches on hand, but if you don’t, just boil fresh peaches for 30 seconds (to loosen the skins), remove from pot, and let cool until you can handle them. When ready, skin and slice the peaches, then either flash freeze them on a cookie sheet in a single layer or place in a quart baggie and freeze for at least one day.

When ready to make the ice cream, place the sweetened condensed milk and peaches in a blender (if you have frozen them in a baggie, you may want to microwave them briefly to separate, and smash them a little to help your blender out), and blend for about 1 minute. This makes a beautiful soft-serve consistency ice cream. You can return it to the freezer if you’d like something harder, but we enjoyed this ice cream right away! We thought this was a perfect end to a summer day.

Mitzi’s Chicken Fingers

August 27, 2013Leave a comment

I like dinners that cook relatively quickly, and I like using chicken breasts, because it seems like all stores really just want to sell boneless chicken breasts, so it’s great to have many uses for them. This recipe is a great one for both those reasons, and because it really is terrific tasting. I don’t know that I will want to buy chicken fingers again, because I can’t imagine them being better than these! I also love the simple instructions, and the fact that they work! Incidentally, don’t double the seasoning–it turns out to be way too strong. From Saveur Magazine, September 2011 (there’s a dipping sauce on the original recipe, too, but we just make a honey mustard, use ketchup or barbecue sauce).

Mitzi’s Chicken Fingers

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3″-long-by-1″-wide strips
1 T. sugar
1 T. kosher salt
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
1½ t. garlic powder
1 t. paprika
1 t. dry mustard powder
1 c. flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. finely ground fresh breadcrumbs or panko
Canola oil, for frying

In a medium bowl, toss together chicken, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and mustard; set aside. Place flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set aside. Pour oil to a depth of 2″ into a 6-qt. Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Working in batches, coat chicken in flour, shake off excess, and dip in eggs; coat in breadcrumbs. Fry chicken until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken. Serve with dipping sauce.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

August 12, 2013Leave a comment

Saveur’s Great Image

I don’t know that I’ve ever heard my son Henry say, “Mom, will you make this again sometime?” because I don’t know that he’s ever enjoyed a dinner meal enough to say this. So, I was shocked at this declaration last week when I made these meatballs. He, and all my other kids, really loved them. Loved them as in ate-them-all-and-asked-for-more loved them. I couldn’t believe it. Happily, my hubby and I loved them, too. This recipe comes from Saveur magazine, November 2012.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Sauce

2 tbsp. canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
½ tsp. sour salt (available at Amazon.com), or the juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp.)
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Meatballs
2 lb. ground beef chuck
2 eggs, beaten
⅓ cup long-grain white rice, parboiled for 3 minutes
1 cup bread crumbs
1 medium yellow onion, grated on the coarse side of a box grater
2¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare the sauce: In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil, then sauté the minced onion over medium heat until tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, and rinse out the can with ½ cup water to loosen any sauce that remains, adding that liquid to the pan. Stir in the sour salt or lemon juice and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Make the meatballs: Put the ground meat in a large bowl and push it to one side. Add the eggs, rice, bread crumbs, onion, salt, and pepper to the other side of the bowl and combine with a large fork. Work in the meat, handful by handful, until everything is thoroughly blended. Return the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Using a ½-cup measuring cup, shape meatballs measuring about 2½” and drop them gently into the sauce. You should have 10 to 12. Cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes, gently rotating and pushing the meatballs around halfway through the cooking so that they are thoroughly coated in sauce after about 15 minutes. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve very hot.