And just like that, it is apple season! For those of us near our Hyde Park, New York campus, visiting our local apple orchards is an unmissable autumn tradition. Sure, you pick apples to bring home for snacks and pie, but most important is the season’s first apple cider donut. […]
Christmas Brittle
Where I grew up in New Jersey, there was a local candy shop that sold macadamia nut brittle that was a prized possession in my house. It was, as you can expect, expensive as kids candy went, and my parents/Santa only got it once a year to sneak into our […]
Coconut Macaroons
Makes about 32 macaroons Ingredients 1 cup sugar (divided use) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut 6 large egg whites 2 teaspoons grated orange zest 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Melted chocolate, as needed for dipping (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with […]
Making Homemade Fudge
Fudge is without question the quintessential homemade candy; it has been made in home kitchens for over 100 years. Mention fudge, and most of us immediately think of chocolate, but chocolate is not the defining ingredient in fudge; it can be made using a wide variety of flavoring ingredients. The […]
Master Sugar Cooking Technique
Sugar is the defining ingredient of candy making. It provides sweetness, bulk, flavor, mouthfeel, and preservation to candies of every description. Without sugar, there simply would not be such a thing as candy. In chocolates, the sugar is already contained in the chocolate itself, and we may add little or […]
Meet Your New Favorite Flavor: Gianduja
Gianduja (jhan-DOO-ya) is a delicious mixture of chocolate and finely ground nuts. It is most likely Italian in origin and is traditionally made with dark chocolate and hazelnuts. While it is possible to toast and grind nuts and add the resulting paste to chocolate, it is simpler to make and […]
Picking Apples for Baking
Over 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States, and of those, only about 100 are grown commercially. This means that the best apple for baking in your region might be different than the best apple halfway across the country. But there are some basic guidelines you can […]
Rochers
Makes 25 pieces Rocher is French for “rock,” and these chocolates just might be named that because they do! There is no limit to the possible combinations of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and cereals that can be made into rochers. These are just a few—use your vision to create your […]
Turkish Delight
Makes one 9- by 13-inch slab In the classic children’s books The Chronicles of Narnia, a little boy loves Turkish Delight so much that he trades his family for it. No need to swap your family or friends—they will surely thank you for sharing this delight with them. Any manufactured […]