Peanut Butter Pretzel Popcorn

I'd like to consider myself a bit of a cinephile, a total homebody who's idea of a perfect night is spent on the sofa, curled up in front of a great film with a cat on my lap.  Those who follow me on Twitter probably already know that my genera of choice is horror, I was brought up on scary movies and it's an obsession that has only grown bigger with age. Now, if there's two things that go hand in hand, it's a great horror film and a overflowing bowl of popcorn.  It even works as something to hide behind if you're of the more squeamish natured.  Popcorn will protect you from Jason, I promise.

I always pop my own corn at home, store bought just doesn't cut the mustard with me. It never has the flavour punch I need, and don't even get me started on that awful sickly caramel number. Gross!  Not only is it super cheap to make your own popcorn but it's fast and the flavour combinations are endless.  One of my favourites is this peanut butter pretzel number. It's moreish, sweet and the pretzels add just enough crunch to stop you getting bored.  Perfect.

What is your favorite movie to enjoy with a big old bowl of popcorn? Any other horror addicts out there?

Peanut Butter Pretzel Popcorn

Ingredients:

• 60g popcorn kernels, popped in hot oil.
• 200g salted pretzels
• 150g honey
• 60g golden caster sugar
• 125g creamy peanut butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 226g bag of mini Reeces peanut butter cups

Cooking Directions:

1. Place your popped popcorn and pretzels in a large bowl, mix them together and set aside.
2. Heat the honey, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the peanut butter until melted and runny.
3. Pour the melted peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and stir to combine ensuring all of the kernels are covered. Stir through the Reeces Cups, season with a sprinkling of salt and serve.

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Peppermint Marshmallows

The snow has started falling up here in Newcastle and that means one thing, steaming mugs of cocoa topped off with delicious homemade marshmallows.  Homemade marshmallows really are leagues apart from their supermarket counterparts, the texture and delicate flavour are so perfect and fluffy you could be chewing on a peppermint cloud.  The method may seem a little scary, boiling sugar is never something that should be taken lightly, but as long as you're careful it really couldn't be any simpler.  

I've added peppermint extract to these marshmallows but feel free to flavour them however you wish.  Vanilla, rose or even coffee would work wonders, just change the colours to match your tastes.

Peppermint Marshmallows

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

450g cups sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

4 packages gelatin

3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons red food coloring

Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, golden syrup, and 175ml water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 175ml cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

A few weeks ago Pet Lamb attended a less than fabulous market.  The high winds which hit the North of England and Scotland saw a four day market turn into a two day rush!  Thanks to the blustery weather I was left with an abundance of Hershey's Kisses which normally adorn the top of our double chocolate cupcakes.  Rather than resign myself to Kris munching his way through three huge bags, I decided to use them in some relaxing Christmas Eve baking.

I've seen these adorable cookies on many American blogs but always thought Hersheys Kisses were a little too pricey to use in such large numbers.  Up until recently I only ever saw them in the American food section of fancy food halls sporting a massively inflated price tag.  Thankfully the candy company appear to have started trading in the UK, supplying most major supermarkets for a pocket friendly price.  Now if only Junior Mints were to do the same!

Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

113g unsalted butter

170g smooth peanut butter

70g light brown sugar

65g caster sugar

1 large egg

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp baking soda

2tbsp milk

200g plain flour

1/4tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C and place rack in the center of the oven. 

 

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Beat in the milk. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for about an hour, or until firm enough to roll into balls.

Roll the batter into 1 inch round balls. Place the granulated white sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each ball in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a unwrapped Chocolate Kiss into the center of each cookie, pressing down gently until the cookie just starts to crack. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

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Hotel Chocolat Turkish Delight

Recently I witnessed a distressing Twitter debate.  It seems, a lot of you twitterati don't like turkish delight?!  I know, I can't believe it either!  Ever since the White Witch enchanted young Edmund with some of the magical rose scented candy in the land of Narnia I was a girl obsessed.  So here it is, I'm begging you, give turkish delight a chance.  I bet, if you let it, it can enchant you too :)

Need some more persuading?  Well how about this, the lovely folk at Hotel Chocolat have given me a stunningly beautiful wooden box filled with my favorite turkish delight to give away to one of you lucky people!  Interested?  Read on, dear follower.

Leave a comment on this post to let the world know you're either pro turkish delight (yay) or against (boo).  The winner will be announced on Friday 30th December!

Don't forget to check out Hotel Chocolat's gorgeous Christmas range, it's not too late for some last minute deliciousness!

Stay tuned for what I have planned for this mouth watering box of sweeties in the next few days, it's going to make the perfect Christmas gift for a rose loving vodka drinker ;)

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Rose Creams

I have to admit, I have a little bit of a thing for rose and violet creams. Since I was a small girl I was obsessed with the floral fondants from my local sweetie shop.  Since then my adoration has only grown and grown till I can no longer walk past a chocolates without peaking my head through the door and scanning their array of choccies for those magic words. 

My copy of Hope and Greenwoods Life is Sweet has sat in my bookcase unused and gathering dust for many months.  Often I find myself running my painted finger down its eager spine with a far away gaze in my eye, dreaming of candy and marshmallow, before shaking my head and slamming the glass door.  There are few times in my life I find myself with the patience to dig out my candy thermometer and put it to use, but today I felt ready, today nothing would stop me.  That was until I happened upon the recipe for rose creams, no candy thermometer, not even any boiling sugar.  I can live with that.  

Sadly, I found my cupboards were lacking in the rose syrup department so instead was resorted to using rose water.  The result was a little too floral for my tastes and will definitely be on the hunt for a nice bottle of rose syrup for any future adventures.

Rose Creams

Ingredients:
3tbsp double cream
1 drop pink food colouring
3tbsp rose syrup
275g icing sugar
200g bilk chocolate broken into small bits
1tsp groundnut oil
crystallised rose petals or sprinkles for decoration


Method:
place the double cream, 1 drop of pink food colouring and the rose syrup into a bowl and mix well.


Sift the icing sugar over the mixture and stir to combine.  Tip the mixture onto a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead the fondant till it all comes together in a firm ball.  Place in the fridge to firm up for around 30 minutes.


Using your hands roll teaspoon sized lumps of fondant into balls and flatten slightly, place on a plate while you roll the remaining fondant until your have a plate full of disks.


Melt the chocolate and oil together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not com into contact with the water.   Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.  Carefully take a fondant disk, one at a time, and using two forks dip it into the melted chocolate until coated all over.  Be quick as you don't want the chocolate to melt the fondant.  Place the coated rose cream onto the prepared baking sheet and decorate with pretty pink sprinkles and put in a cool place to set.

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Instagram - London

Since ditching my Blackberry and joining the wonderful world of the iPhone I've became totally and hopelessly addicted to Instagram! After seeing these posts popping up all over peoples blogs I was inspired by Paula and Harriet to have a go myself.  

On Tuesday Kris packed our bags and jumped on a train to London for a few days. He was excited to finally see the amazing Weezer in Brixton while I was itching to shop and eat my weight in sweet treats from cupcakes to macarons (although I was pretty stoked to see Rivers and co in the flesh too)!  I'm sure you all agree how much of a pain it can be lugging a DSLR around you know you're going to be out all day so my trusty iPhone Instagram App really came in handy.

Here's what we got up to...

Are you a fellow Instagram addict? Add me on Katiescakes!

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Buckeyes

I hate this time of year. All the way up here in the depths of North East England the weather is sucky to say the least!  We don't get sun, instead we get overcast sky and muggy, sticky heat. This is angry Katie weather, this is when my inner bitch really comes out to play.  Its this time of year I really feel sorry for Kris. Sorry baby, I don't mean it, I'm horrid when I'm sticky!

You can probably gather that my heat rage is intensified while baking, especially considering my kitchen is a real sun trap during the afternoon.  This is why any recipe which doesn't require me to turn on that damned oven yet still scratches my baking itch makes me smile a giant smile.

Buckeyes are my kind of sweetie.  Peanut butter and chocolate, yes please, in my face! They've been on my to bake (well, to make) list since I got the Baked Explorations book last Christmas.  All I've been waiting for is a muggy day like today to justify the super easy task of whipping these up.

Buckeyes

(from Baked Explorations)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup  cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I used chunky as I grabbed the wrong jar from my cupboard, D'oh)
1 cup digestive biccy crumbs (from about 10 biccies)
3 cups icing sugar
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped

Method:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and beat for 10 seconds. Add the sugar and butter, and mix on the lowest speed until it stops floating off everywhere, then increase the speed until the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the whole bowl well, then mix again. The mixture will be quite sturdy and a little dry — perfect for shaping. Set it aside while you prepare the coating.

Melt the chocolate either over a double boiler, stirring until it is completely smooth or in a microwave in 30 then 10 second increments, stirring before you start it again until it is completely smooth. Let it cool to tepid while you shape the peanut butter centers. 

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop out slightly more than one tablespoon’s worth of filling  and use your hands to form it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared sheet and repeat the process until all of the candies have been shaped. They can sit close to each other but make sure they are not touching.

Using a fork or large skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate and roll it about so that almost the entire candy is coating, leaving a small circle uncoated. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off the candy before placing back on the lined baking sheet.

Chill the buckeyes until they are set, about 30 minutes before munching down with a big glass of milk!

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