This starts as a tale of failure. I set out to make a rich, Guinness-laced caramel sauce to drizzle over ice cream. In my first attempt, I dropped the ball, got distracted and cooked the caramel little longer than needed. But as the caramel was setting up, I thought perhaps I could save the day by pouring the thick caramel into a pan to see what happened. What happened was … [Read more...] about Guinness Caramel Sauce or Caramel Chews
candy
Sweet Potato Pralines
I aspire to be, but am not much of a candy maker. I get a little nervous about the candy thermometer and the exactitude. In fact, I first started making pralines when I learned how to do them in the microwave. But I have been experimenting and expanding for awhile, and have come to discover making candy is not nearly as intimidating as I had feared. Sure, it takes some … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Pralines
Halloween Hot Chocolate (Liquid Candy)
I see lots of recipe for using up leftover Halloween candy. I’m not sure I see the point, as just eating it straight is generally fine with me. Mind you, not in one sitting, but over time, stashed in drawers and cabinets. But I do want to make my contribution with this creamy, rich hot chocolate. Make it as soon as the little monsters come in from the trick-or-treating … [Read more...] about Halloween Hot Chocolate (Liquid Candy)
Orange Slice Candy Squares
My grandmother lived in a small town in Arkansas, the town where my father grew up. She died when I was six, so my memories of her are somewhat limited. But those I do have are vivid to me, though undoubtedly burnished through the patina of time. I particularly remember visiting her with my brother in early summers, when we had relatively free reign of the area around the … [Read more...] about Orange Slice Candy Squares
Pralines for Idiots
Candy making is not something I typically try my hand at. All that talk about thermometers and stages and testing methods. Those recipes always look like the kind of thing I don’t have the patience for. Plus, once you’ve been badly burned by hot sugar, it makes you candy-shy. But this is an exception. I call it Pralines for Idiots, because it really does away with all that … [Read more...] about Pralines for Idiots
