Polar Express Hot Chocolate & Homemade Marshmallows

If you love Christmas nearly as much as I do, you're very familiar with The Polar Express.  It is truly one of my favorite Christmas movies and watching it every year is an event unto itself.  The first requirement of watching The Polar Express is wearing your pajamas.  In the movie, all the kids on the train are in their pajamas because they wondered out of bed close to midnight and boarded this magical train making it's way to the North Pole.  The second requirement is having delicious hot chocolate.  This is the requirement that I am here to help you with.

First, a serious must, are the delicious homemade marshmallows that make the hot chocolate you're about to enjoy very creamy and delicious.  They are easy, but there are some steps you'll want to ready through several times and follow closely.  It isn't complicated, but you don't want to get ahead of yourself.  You'll want a candy thermometer also before you get started.  Also, rice flour can be pretty difficult to find (update 11/30/13: look in the Latino Foods section).  I could only find it at Harris Teeter.  If all else fails, take white rice and put it in your food processor and grind it into a powder.  Sift out any large pieces.

 

 

 

BASIC VANILLA MARSHMALLOWS

4 Gelatin Envelopes

3/4 cup Water

1 Tbs. Vanilla Extract

3 cups Sugar

3/4 cup Water

1 1/4 cups Corn Syrup

1/2 tsp. Salt

Rice Flour

Confectioner's Sugar

 

Line a 10"x15" Pyrex dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the mixing bowl combine the 1st 3/4 cup water and the vanilla.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid to activate the gelatin.  In a saucepan combine sugar, salt, corn syrup and remaining water (do not stir).  With the lid on, bring to a boil (no stirring). When you have achieved boiling, remove the lid and attach your candy thermometer to the pot and continue to boil (without stirring) until the sugar mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (~240 degrees). 

 

NOTE: At this stage, take great care to NOT get any on you and do NOT taste it.  This molten sugar will cause 3rd degree burns and you will NOT be able to get it off your skin.

 

With the mixer at medium speed and the splash guard attached, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture.  It is very important to stay back, because it could splash and burn very easily. When all of the syrup is added, bring the mixer to high speed. Whip the mixture until it has increased in volume and becomes a little stiffer (8-10 minutes).  Pour the marshmallow mixture into the parchment-lined dish.  Allow it to sit, uncovered at room temperature for 10 to 12 hours.

 

To finish your marshmallows, mix equal parts rice flour and confectioner's sugar and sift over the marshmallows. Using the parchment that is still sticking up, you should be able to pull the marshmallow slab out of the dish and place it on a cutting board (I used a silicone baking mat).  Using a pizza cutter, cut the marshmallow slab into smaller pieces and make sure each side is coated in the flour/sugar mixture.  Shake off the excess powder.  Marshmallows will last several weeks in a sealed container at room temperature (Zip-Loc bags are best).

 

POLAR EXPRESS HOT CHOCOLATE

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (12 oz. bag)

6 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Homemade marshmallows

In a large pot over low heat, combine all of the above ingredients.  Stir regularly for 30-40 minutes until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated with other ingredients. 

If you're making this for a party, you could add all of the above ingredients to a Crock pot a few hours before guests arrive.  Provide a ladle and mugs and let them serve themselves.  Just be careful, because it can burn quickly if you leave it on too long.

Update (11/30/13): I found that it's much easier to blend the ingredients if you put the chocolate chips in to melt and as soon as they start to melt, add the milk (whole, 2%, skim...doesn't matter). When the chocolate chips are melted and blended, add the cream, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk, then heat until evenly warm (do not over cook).

 

 

 

This is truly the BEST hot chocolate I've ever had.  My friends and I compared it to a liquid candy bar.  It's so rich and creamy that you don't need too much.  Drink with care.

If you would like to enjoy this tradition yourself, and don't own The Polar Express, I have looked up when it will come on to help you out.  There are plenty of opportunities so I hope you don't miss out.  You'll definitely need to plan ahead for this because this isn't a last minute type of hot chocolate.

The Polar Express on ABC Family - 2013
Thursday, December 5 @ 7 PM (EST)
Tuesday, December 17 @ 9 PM (EST)
Monday, December 23 @ 10 PM (EST)

 

Merry Christmas! Enjoy!

Caramel S'more Cups

As I have said in some recent posts, caramel is quite possibly the most wonderful substance on the planet. Any food that has caramel in it, must be doing God's work. It's just that great. Some people really like chocolate and others long for the flavor of broccoli (I don't know, I'm sure there are some out there). This recipe I got off the Betty Crocker website and it is truly wonderful because it combines two of my favorite things: Rolos and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Caramel S’more Cups

1 pouch (17.5 oz) Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

½ cup butter/margarine, softened

1 egg

36 Rolos from 5 (1.91 oz) rolls (or 1 bag)

108 mini marshmallows (1 cup)

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray. Make cookie dough as directed on pkg. with butter and egg. Shape dough into 36 1-inch balls. Place 1 ball into each muffin cup. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven; press 1 candy into center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each with 3 marshmallows. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool 30 minutes. Loosen edges of cookie with small metal spatula and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely. Place chocolate chips in small resealable freezer plastic bag. Microwave on high about 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over marshmallows. Let stand until hardened, about 10 minutes.

These are very easy and even more delicious. They travel well, because the chocolate hardens and doesn't get all over the container. I hope you enjoy!!

Comments welcomed!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

"What is Chicken Cordon Bleu?" says the guy that lives under a rock.  It is sauteed chicken stuffed with cheese and ham.  In this recipe the chicken isn't stuffed, it is simply tossed with ham and cheese in pasta. I saw this recipe when a friend pinned it on Pinterest.  I chose to use a Smithfield ham steak and cut it into cubes.  It wasn't quite a pound of ham.  I cubed two chicken breasts and then sauteed them in the pan after I finished with the ham.  I also used onion powder instead of dried minced onion and rotini pasta instead of penne.  I made it once with penne and I very much prefer the rotini.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

1 lb. Pasta (penne or other)

1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed

1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed (large)

1 ½ cups Milk

8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)

2 Tbs. Dried Minced Onion

2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded

Salt & Pepper

Cayenne Pepper (optional)

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

½ cup Butter, melted

Heat the ham in a frying pan slightly cooking it on all sides. Cook pasta al dente according to directions, drain and return to the pot. Add in the chicken and ham and toss to combine. Preheat the broiler.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture. Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and peppers to taste. Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes).

This dish is very rich, but worth the calories. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did.  Comments welcomed!!

Pork Chops - Two Easy Recipes

It's summer and one of my favorite things to do is grill out.  Of course, I should probably say one of my favorite things is to eat grilled food. Whether gas or charcoal, grilling out makes food taste better. The smokey flavor that you can get with the grill isn't really something that is safe for indoors. Several weeks ago, I purchased a 6 1/2 pound pork tenderloin from Costco.  I cut the center into pork chops and used the ends to make BBQ and had my parents over.  I managed to get about 12 pork chops that would fairly small so I put planned to use two for each plate.  I used four for each of three different recipes. I've already posted the Baked Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy. I will post the other two tonight.

Zesty Grilled Pork Chops

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 Tbs. chili sauce

1 Tbs. brown sugar

¼ tsp. garlic powder

6 rib or loin pork chops (¾ inch thick)

In a large Ziploc bag or shallow glass container, combine the first five ingredients; mix well. Remove ¼ cup for basting and refrigerate. Add pork chops to remaining marinade; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, turning once.

Drain chops, discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium-hot heat for 4 minutes. Turn; baste with reserved marinade. Grill 4-7 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

The second recipe is one that everyone should have in their repertoire. It is probably one of the absolute easiest things you can do to either a pork chop or a chicken breast and make people think you're an amazing cook.

Italian Grilled Pork Chop or Chicken Breast

Pork Chops or Chicken Breasts

Italian Dressing

Place your meat of choice into a Ziploc bag.  Add Italian Dressing to the Ziploc bag (a sufficient amount to cover the meat). Grill meat.

On the night I was going to fix these, we happened to run out of propane so these were grilled on the George Foreman (Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine) Grill. Can you tell I like green beans?  Okay, my mom probably just fell out of her chair after reading that. when I was a kid, I would sit at the table for hours because I would refuse to eat my green beans. I hope you enjoy these recipes.

Pink Lemonade Cake

I know that for some people, a day without chocolate is like a day without living. There are others I know that aren't the biggest fans of chocolate.  Gasp!  No, it's true.  I tend to favor caramel, myself, but there are some who prefer the tang of a Pink Lemonade Cake.  A friend posted a recipe on Facebook and it inspired me to bake this delicious dessert.  For the first time, however, I had a cake turn out badly and I still have no idea what happened.  The center never baked and the outside burned.  After I took it out of the oven, it imploded just a little. Not one to give up, I quickly googled more Pink Lemonade recipes and happened to one I will share with you today that was posted by Better Homes and Gardens.  It's delicious, but that's partially due to the Lemon Buttercream recipe I found on the Wilton website. 

Better Homes and Gardens Pink Lemonade Cake

1 cup butter

4 eggs

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbs. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

Red food coloring (I used pink)

1 1/3 cups milk

¼ cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 tsp. pure lemon extract

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two 9x2 inch round cake pans; set aside. In medium bowl stir together 3-1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside (I sifted).

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In an extra-large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about ¼ cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add 1/8 tsp. red food coloring (or as much pink to achieve the color you wish); beat to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In bowl stir together milk, lemonade concentrate, and extract (mixture will look curdled). Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low after each addition just until combined. Divide batter equally among pans (you may want to use three pans if you don't have 9 inch cake pans).

Bake about 35 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly touched. Meanwhile, prepare Lemon Buttercream Frosting.

Wilton's Lemon Buttercream Frosting

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

½ cup butter, softened

2 Tbs. Lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

(I also included 1 tsp. lemon extract)

4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Milk or Lemon Juice (as needed)

In electric mixer, cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and zest; beat well. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed (you may want to turn mixer off while adding the sugar). Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Add lemon extract at this time for a little extra lemon flavor. When all sugar has been mixed in, if icing is dry, add additional juice or milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (I used milk here to make it creamier).

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Re-whip before using.

I hope this goes well for you.  It was very moist and very tasty. Enjoy!!

Comments welcomed!!

Watermelon Martini

Last summer, my friend, Erika, and I sampled a delicious watermelon martini at a local restaurant.  It was so delicious and refreshing that I knew I needed to find a recipe to make myself.  That night, I googled and searched (not to be redundant) everywhere for the perfect recipe.  All the while, I ended up coming up with something that was better than the original.

Just to be helpful, I went ahead and did the math for multiple recipes (in case you're extremely thirsty). The easiest method for getting the watermelon juice is to cut the watermelon in chunks then throw it into the blender.  I didn't like the texture of the pulp, so I strained it several times after blending it.  Also, simple syrup is just 1 part water to 1 part sugar and boil for a few minutes. If you want your beverage to be a little sweeter, use Rose's Lime juice instead of regular lime juice.

Watermelon Martini

½ cup watermelon juice

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. watermelon pucker

½ oz. simple syrup

½ oz. lime juice

Watermelon pieces for garnish

2 Watermelon Martinis

1 cup watermelon juice

¼ cup vodka (plain or watermelon)

¼ cup watermelon pucker

2 Tbs. simple syrup

2 Tbs. lime juice

Watermelon pieces for garnish

4 Watermelon Martinis

2 cups watermelon juice

½ cup vodka (plain or watermelon)

½ cup watermelon pucker

¼ cup simple syrup

¼ cup lime juice

Watermelon pieces for garnish

Drink responsibly and never drink and drive.  Enjoy!!

Comments welcomed!

Baked Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

Several weeks ago, my friend, Shelly, came over to cook dinner (because she's just generous like that). It was a delicious pork chop that was baked. I don't really like mushrooms, but this was just absolutely delicious and very irresistible. The mushrooms in the cream of mushroom soup are diced so the texture didn't bother me very much. The next time I make this recipe, I might try the Golden Mushroom soup instead of Cream of Mushroom. The Golden Mushroom adds a hint of tomato which I think will make the gravy have a little more zing. Be sure not to overdo cooking the pork chops when you're browning them in the skillet. This could make them tough. When finished, you should be able to eat them with just a fork (no knife required).

Baked Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

6 pork chops (or fewer)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. seasoning salt

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups Italian bread crumbs

4 Tbs. olive oil

1 10.75 oz. Cream of Mushroom Soup

½ cup milk

1/3 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 350º F. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

When Shelly made this for me, we had mashed potatoes and sauteed zucchini. In the picture, you'll see that I made green beans for this meal. Try with whatever side you like and I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Comments welcomed!

Layered Turtle Cheesecake

It has been over a year since my last post and I am going to revive The Orange Skillet.  I have really missed how it inspired me to find new dishes to share with everyone.  In the last year, I have found a few new dishes that I have made and I will begin by sharing some of those.  The most recent was a turtle cheesecake that I made for a few friends.  It was well-received and quite possibly the best cheesecake I've ever tasted. 

A word to the wise, make sure every dish in your kitchen is clean when  you begin making this recipe because you're about to dirty many of them and you don't want to overwhelm yourself.  Also, make sure you read through the ingredients and the directions several times.  There is nothing worse than getting into a recipe of this nature and not having exactly what you need.  As far as equipment, you'll need a 9" spring form pan, roasting pan (the spring form pan has to be able to fit inside of the roasting pan, a deep cookie sheet will also work), 18" aluminum foil (I used and doubled 12", but 18" would be easier), food processor (for the pecans in the crust), and an electric mixer.

Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to complete this recipe.  The cheesecake needs to be prepared the day before you want to serve it.  It needs to be refrigerated overnight before you make the ganache.  Also, allow yourself time on the day you wish to serve it so you can prepare the ganache and then refrigerate the cheesecake for at least another hour before serving.

Layered Turtle Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup finely chopped pecans

6 Tbs. cold butter, cubed

Filling

4 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour, divided

2 Tbs. heavy whipping cream

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled*

¼ cup caramel ice cream topping

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ganache

½ cup milk chocolate chips

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbs. chopped pecans

Additional caramel ice cream topping, optional

 

Directions

Place a greased 9-in. spring form pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

*Make sure you have melted and cooled the chocolate chips for the filling by this point.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Beat in ¼ cup flour, cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Spread over crust.

   

In another bowl, mix caramel topping and remaining flour; stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chocolate batter. Top with remaining batter. Place spring form pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325° for 75 to 90 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove spring form pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

For ganache, place chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.

Remove sides of spring form pan. Spread ganache over cheesecake; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate until set. If desired, drizzle a slice of cheesecake with additional caramel topping just before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

If you are not sure about a cheesecake that has this many steps, I will also post the recipe for a plain cheesecake later on.  Also, a tip for cutting a slice, make sure you use a clean knife with every cut (just wipe it clean with a paper towel). This recipe isn't incredibly difficult, but it does require patience and time.  I hope you enjoy!!