Photos courtesy of Angie Wolford.

Ingredients for 12 batches

• 11 lb granulated sugar
• 64 oz Karo syrup
• 1/4 C water

Ingredients for 4 batches

• 4 lb granulated sugar
• 24 oz Karo syrup
• 1 TBL water

Ingredients for 1 batch

• 1 lb granulated sugar (approx 2 C)
• 6 oz Karo syrup
• 1 tsp water

Optional:  Oil Flavoring and Food Coloring

Step by Step

1. Mix corn syrup and sugar (corn syrup will help keep the sugar from crystallizing)
2. Cook on low heat until sugar is completely liquefied.
3. Use an immersible candy thermometer to monitor your temperature.
   THIS IS WHAT I USE and it works great.  Great for perfectly cooking meats too.
4. Stir fairly frequently with a wooden spoon.
5. Stop stirring when everything is completely dissolved.
6. At 260º add your food coloring, but don’t mix it.  Let the bubbles do the mixing.
   Yellow for lemon, red for cinnamon, black for licorice, blue for… well, you get it.
7. Increase heat to high and heat until mixture is AT LEAST 300º but no more than 310º
   – This temperature is called CRACK, and it is when the crystals become rigid.  It will boil for quite awhile before the temperature gets to 300º but be patient – the high temperature is necessary, or you will have sticky hard caramel kind of things.
8. Pour onto a lightly buttered marble slab (or Coreon slab) and use a bench knife to keep the molten from spilling onto the floor.  You can also use a very large silicone mat.  BE CAREFUL.  THIS MIXTURE WILL BURN YOU TO THE BONE
   –
   SPECIAL NOTE:  Alternately, you can use old cookie baking sheets with edges. Don’t use nice new ones, because they will take a beating in a little while.  If you do it this way, let the mixture come to a NON-BOILING STATE before you add the flavor oil.  Mix it in, then pour it onto your baking sheet.
   –
   Another alternative, just use heavy duty aluminum foil.
   –
9. Pour in flavoring oil and continue to fold the edges to the middle of the mass
10. AS SOON as it can be handled without raising blisters, use a poultry scissors, cut into strips, then into pieces.
11. Drop pieces into a bowl with 1 C confectioner sugar
12. Toss until coated, then sift out and put onto a newspaper to cool.

If you go with the baking sheet method, let it cool completely ON THE COUNTER and then whack it with a small hammer and clean screw driver to shatter the pieces into whatever size you desire.  Discard the dust, and keep only the pieces.

This is a perfect way to send your Special Someone a message of love.  Adapted from a recipe by Sam the Cooking Guy.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBL vegetable oil
• 8 TBL sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 8 TBL sugar

STEP BY STEP

1. Type your fortunes up and cut them into strips
2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks
3. Mix other three ingredients in a small bowl into the egg whites
4. Beat just until incorporated
5. In a separate bowl, add 3 TBL water into the flour mixture
6. Mix until it looks sandy
7. Mix in with egg whites
8. Take 1 level tablespoon of batter and put it on a greased baking sheet
9. Form into a four inch circle using the back of the spoon
10. Bake about 15 minutes (or until browned) at 300º
11. Gently peel off and insert fortune strip
12. Fold them in half, then put the back edge over the rim of a glass
13. Carefully press down to create the fortune cookie shape

NOTE:  You can only do about four at a time, because these will harden very quickly once removed from the oven.

includes video

Recipe One

INGREDIENTS

• Mix the following and set aside:
  BOWL ONE
• 1 TBL EVOO
• 1 tsp fine salt
• juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 2 TBL red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBL maple syrup
  BOWL TWO
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground corriander
• scant turmeric
• scant allspice
• scant cumin
• 1 tsp fine orange zest
• 1 TBL Parmesan – grated
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• Optional:  1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

STEP BY STEP

1. Rinse and drain one can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2. Spread out on a paper towel on a plate to dry
3. Let dry for 10 minutes
4. Microwave for 8-10 minutes
5. Toss with powdered ingredients in Bowl One while still hot
6. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer
   BAKE
7. Bake 25 minutes at 400º
8. Put into large mixing bowl
9. Toss with prepared spice mixture from Bowl Two
10. Return to baking sheet and bake 25 more minutes
11. Remove one and taste it.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes if necessary
12. Toss in salt while still hot

Another video by PDX Traveler

Recipe Two

Ranch Chick Peas

• Drained, rinsed and dried chick peas
• Buffalo Dressing Sauce
• Dried Ranch Dressing package
• Kosher Salt

1. Chick peas
2. 2 TBL buffalo dressing
3. 1 TBL ranch dressing
4. Toss together
5. 350º in convection oven in single layer
6. Cook 10 minutes
7. Shake
8. Cool 10 more minutes
9. Shake – taste test
10. Possibly another 10 minutes

Recipe Three

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 250 (1 C – 2 sticks) Butter – NOT MARGARINE!
• 250 gm (2 C) Plain AP flour
• 125 gm (1 C) caster sugar
• 125 gm (1 C) cornflour
• ½ tsp salt

STEP BY STEP

1. Let butter come up to room temperature or soften butter in microwave at 30% power for 60 seconds
2. Put into a Kitchen Aid with the sugar and mix with paddle attachment on high for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to become creamy.
3. At a low speed, add both the flours.  Mix – increasing speed a bit when flour is mixed in.
4. Pre-heat oven to 300º F.

DECISION TIME:  Are you making Millionaire Shortbread, or simply Shortbread Cookies?

REGULAR COOKIES

1. On a floured surface roll out 1/3 of dough to about 1 cm (but not more) thickness. Cut out round biscuits and move to lightly greased trays.
2. Dock cookies with the tines of a fork
3. Once all the dough has been used, put trays into oven on the bottom two shelves and bake for 1 ½ hours, shuffling the trays around halfway through
4. The biscuits should be pale and short, not doughy (test 10 minutes after coming out of the oven – if doughy = wet, put back and bake for further 10 – 15 minutes).
5. Sprinkle with sugar immediately after coming out of the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes before putting them on racks
6. Store in air tight containers.

MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD

1. Prepare basic shortbread dough as shown above.
2. Grease a 9×12 rimmed baking sheet and line COMPLETELY with parchment paper
3. Press dough onto sheet evenly and dock thoroughly with tines of a fork
4. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes
5. Remove from oven and press down using another baking sheet so that it is completely flat and compressed
6. Let cool while you prepare the caramel
   CARAMEL PREPARATION
7. Heat 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk over medium heat to near boiling
8. Remove from heat and mix in 1 C compressed brown sugar, 1/2 C corn syrup (Karo), 8 TBL softened butter, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 C heavy cream
9. Continue to heat (about 16-20 minutes) until temperature is between 236º and 239º – BE EXACT – Stir occasionally
10. Pour onto shortbread crust and smooth using offset spatula
11. Cool on counter, then refrigerate for 90 minutes before the next step
    CHOCOLATE TOPPING
12. Microwave 6-10 oz bittersweet chocolate at 50% power for 60 seconds.  Repeat at 30 second sessions, until stirring creates a smooth chocolate mixture
13. Add 2 oz cocoa powder
14. Pour over top of the caramel topping using an offset spatula to smooth.
15. Sprinkle very sparingly with sea salt on some, Turbinado sugar on some, and crushed graham crackers on others… or not!
16. Refrigerate only 10 minutes, then remove to cut into strips or squares using a serrated knife
17. Cool and wrap in plastic, waxed paper or foil pieces

• 2 C plain yogurt
• 1 C preserves

1. Put into small waxed paper cups
2. Put sticks into the center of the yogurt mixture
3. Freeze overnight

This recipe is adapted from one provided by Becky Butcher. She made this for all the neighbors every Christmas when we lived on Orchid Lane.

• 8 ounces Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
• Optional:  Use some white chocolate as well for a nice contrast
• 3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º F
2. Toast the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 minutes
3. Wrap baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil, and set aside.
4. In a heavy saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard-crack stage), stirring occasionally
5. Temperature will climb rapidly after 285º but this whole process will take awhile.  Be patient – it will come.
6. Stir in the vanilla.
7. Pour the mixture into the lined pan.  It will spread but you may have to help it along with a spatula.
8. Grate the chocolate bar in a food processor or by hand
9. Sprinkle and spread melted dark (and white) chocolate over the toffee
10. Sprinkle with the toasted pecans, pressing to set pecans into chocolate.
    – OTHER OPTIONS:  Instead of pecans, you can use dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, seeds, crushed candy canes or other candy, pretzels, crushed coffee beans, etc.  Feel free to use your imagination.
11. Let set at room temperature on the counter for 1 hour, or until the chocolate is set.  THIS IS MANDATORY to allow the hot sugar crystals to harden.
12. Refrigerate for another hour, but NOT UNTIL it has set on the counter for an hour.
13. Break toffee into pieces.
14. Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 month.

1/2 C chocolate chips
2 TBL Cocoa
1 can Evaporated milk
3 TBL butter
3 C sugar
2 TBL corn syrup
Pinch of coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat milk, chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly
Sprinkle in salt and sugar
Increase heat to medium high
Mix well until it starts to boil
Increase heat to high and boil vigorously, stirring gently
Heat 10 minutes or heat to 235 degrees
Remove pan from heat and put into larger pan of cold water
– change water as it becomes warm
Let cool 5 minutes then mix hard for about 5 more minutes
Pour into greased square cake pan
Let harden for 30 minutes, then cut into squares

Chocolate Chunk Brownie

Watch the deconstruction of this recipe BY CLICKING HERE.

In a brownie pan, build as follows:

Bottom layer: Just use a standard brownie mix, layered thin, and cooked about 75% of what the recipe calls for.

On top of the baked brownie spread a thin layer of salted caramel.

On top of the caramel sprinkle crushed pistachios or walnuts and then pour butterscotch lightly over that.

Finally sprinkle chunk semi-sweet chocolate and tiny marshmallows. Pour hot liquid fudge over top of that.

Bake the entire thing about 20 minutes at 350º

Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie

• 1 C  Ghiradelli Chocolate Chunks
• 1/2 C granulated white sugar
• 1/2 C packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 TBL softened butter
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Combine all and drop on parchment paper by the tablespoon
2. Bake at 400º for 8-10 minutes
3. Sprinkle with Maldon salt while still hot
4. Let cool before eating