Chocolate curls are such a fun thing and I have thought that they would be fun to put on top of a cake. So I watched a video on how to make them and set about to do it on my own. I made a cinnamon ganache chocolate cake to put them on and we really enjoyed it. I like my chocolate curls. In fact, I was having so much fun making them that I made way too many and so now I have lots extra to do something else with. Hmm….now what could I make?
Since it is a new year, I thought that I should make something new, unlike anything I have ever tried before. What I decided on was Madeleine cookies. Madeleines are something that I have admired for a long time and had a desire to try but never have. Once I watched a Julia Childs video about making the darling little things, but still I never ventured out to do it. The biggest thing stopping me was that I didn’t have a pan. I have looked a few times but could never decide whether I wanted mini madeleines or regular madeleines. I also did not know if I should get a nonstick or regular pan. Decisions, decisions. . . and that is why I never bought one.
I have had my eye on a recipe in Martha Stewart’s Living magazine called Chocolate Dipped Caramallows. Marshall saw the recipe and it reminded him of his favorite See’s chocolate which has caramel on the bottom with marshmallow on the top, then dipped in chocolate.
Today Marshall decided to try making sugared orange peel. Here is what he did:
Cut the orange peel into strips and remove the excess pith. Put it in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then drain it. Do this two more times. In another pan, make a simple syrup using equal parts of water and sugar and bring to a boil. (Marshall used 3 cups each of water and sugar.) Add the orange peel and then simmer for about an hour, when the orange peel starts to get transluscent. Cool the orange peel in the syrup and then drain on a rack until tacky and mostly dry. At this point you can roll it in sugar.