Cucumbers Best for Pickling

Best for pickling: gherkin, cornichon, Kirby cucumber, and lemon cucumber.

Toffee Bars

2 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 large egg yolk; beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 regular Hershey bars
1 cup pecans; chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F .

In large bowl combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender cut in butter. Combine egg yolk and vanilla. Add to crumb mixture until dough holds together.

Press into a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place chocolate bars over hot cookies. Spread chocolate. Sprinkle with walnuts. Cut into bars.

Homemade Heath Bars

2/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 hershey chocolate bars
1/2 cup butter
nuts; chopped

Butter a loaf pan. Sprinkle nuts into the pan. Unwrap chocolate bars. Stir together brown sugar, and butter in heavy saucepan, over medium heat. Stir CONSTANTLY. When mixture starts to boil, time EXACTLY 6 minutes,(not 5.5 not 6.5—6!) Remove from heat and pour over nuts. Immediately top with chocolate bars. Spread melting chocolate over the top of the hot toffee.

Chill. Break into uneven pieces.

This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Chipotle Pepper Substitution

ancho (larger and milder)

or

in adobo sauce – 1 tablespoon catsup + 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke + 1 jalapeno pepper can be substituted for chipolte pepper.

Cayenne Pepper Substitution

Thai pepper

or

habanero

or

jalapeno

or

serrano

or

cherry pepper can be substituted for cayenne pepper.

Deluxe Peanut Butter Cups

1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/4 pounds Bittersweet chocolate or semisweet; chopped
3/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts; separated in halves

Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in chunky peanut butter. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Place 36 foil mini-muffin cups (measuring 2 inches in diameter at widest point) on 2 cookie sheets. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from over water. Drop 1
teaspoon chocolate into each mini-muffin cup. Rotating each cup, spread chocolate 3/4-inch up insides of cups with small palette knife. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.

Drop 1 rounded teaspoon peanut butter mixture into each cup. Flatten slightly with back of spoon. Remelt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Spoon enough chocolate (about 1 teaspoon) into each cup to cover filling completely. Sprinkle each peanut butter cup with several peanut halves. Dip fork into remaining melted chocolate. Carefully wave from side to side over peanuts to create decorative pattern. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.

Divide peanut butter cups among airtight tins. (Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate.)

36 candies

Gale’s Famous Truffles

1 1/2 cups crème fraîche; or sour cream.
2 tablespoons espresso coffee; finely ground
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate; best-quality chopped
1 1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder

In a saucepan, combine the crème fraîche and espresso and bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat. Meanwhile, put the chopped bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl. Strain the hot crème fraiche mixture into the bowl. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cover and let rest in a cool place overnight. The mixture will become firm but not too hard to pipe easily.

The next day, using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe bite-size “kisses” of the mixture onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate briefly just until set, about 30 minutes. Use your palm to gently press down the point that sticks up on each truffle. Transfer to the freezer and freeze until hard, 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the semisweet chocolate. It should be liquid, but not so hot that you can’t touch it; if it is too hot for you, wear disposable surgical gloves. Spread the cocoa powder out on a sheet pan with sides. Working in 2 batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan of cocoa, dip the frozen truffle centers 1 at a time into the melted chocolate, shake off any excess, and
set them down in the cocoa. When all the truffle centers are dipped and the chocolate has started to set, gently but thoroughly shake the sheet pan to roll the truffles around in the cocoa until coated. Carefully remove to another sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. You can sift the unused cocoa and use it for another purpose. Transfer to an airtight container and keep chilled until almost ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Source: Gale Gand

50 to 60