Episode 35: Marzipan from scratch, almost

The marzipan recipe I followed is very simple. All you need are almonds, powdered sugar, vanilla and two egg whites. A good chopper is also helpful. We started out by grinding the almonds in a coffee grinder, but for some reason that stopped grinding and we had to resort to the little chopper. This did not make the almonds as finely ground as they should have been, but it still made a yummy candy. Almost like marzipan.

Episode 34: Chocolate Hearts

Buy high-quality dark chocolate. We used Green & Black's organic chocolate. White and chocolate-mint flavors. It's worth every penny ... it's rich and creamy and melts in your mouth!

Fill plastic molds, available and Michael's or your favorite baking supply store.

Refrigerate or freeze till hardened.

Pop out of molds and serve for lunch, or dessert, or snacks or dessert ... (or dinner) ... or maybe give them as a gift ...

Yummy!

Episode 33: Sweet & Savory Nut Mix

The recipe:
1 cup pecans
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
1/8 maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary, thyme and sage
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper to tase

Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cool. Enjoy

Episode 32: Pecan Pie

The Recipe:

3 eggs (We threw one on the ground and used 2)
1 cup corn syrup (You can also use honey or maple syrup or brown rice syrup)
1/3 cup melted butter (Sorry, we forgot to show this part when making the show. It got added a little late.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 pie crust

Mix all of your ingredients in a bowl. Pour it into a crust lined pie pan. Cover the edges with foil and bake it in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 25 more minutes or till knife inserted in the pie comes out clean.

We really changed that part up ...
If you're cooking outside just place your pie on the bottom of the oven and pour the filling over the crust. Be careful not to put too many coals on the bottom of your oven so the crust doesn't burn. Watch it carefully ... ours cooked in about 25 minutes!

Episode 31: Cranberry Scones

We had no school today and finally a chance to film a new show. These scones are delicious and pretty with all the cranberry halves in them. A great breakfast or after-school snack!

This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
5 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) half-and-half
1/2 cup halved cranberries, drained on paper towels

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half until just moistened. Gently fold in cranberries.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times. Pat into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges; place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Brush tops with remaining tablespoon half-and-half; sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Episode 30: Butterbeer

After reading the third Harry Potter book I decided I just HAD to have a cup of butterbeer. Harry, Ron and Hermione drink delicious mugfuls whenever they are at Hogsmead, a place that's pretty much impossible for us to get to. The good news is now we don't have to go there for butterbeer, we can make our own yummy brew at home with this recipe. Enjoy!

THE BUTTERBEER RECIPE:

Ingredients:
1 bottle of good cream soda (I used Virgil's)
1/2 cup of butterscotch sauce (It's worth it to make homemade sauce. You'll have lots of yummy leftover sauce for ice cream!!)
1 tablespoon (or less) of butter

Directions:
Mix all ingredients into a saucepan and heat until butter is melted and drink is heated through.
Pour into mugs and enjoy.
Makes about 3 cups.

Episode 29: Pizza at Carino's

On this episode of my show I got to visit a real restaurant kitchen with two of my friends and Clifford. At Carino's we were set up with pizza ingredients and a HOT oven. I couldn't believe how fast the pizzas cooked! Oh, and they were super yummy. I want to thank Rylee and Cade's mom, Miss Courtney, for setting it up for us. And a big thanks to Mr. Trey and Corino's ... we had so much fun!