March 7, 2014

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

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Hawaiian-Style Chex Mix

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

March 7: National Cereal Day

Put some pizzazz in a plain party chex mix and add some aloha with meaty macadamia nuts and flavorful furikake. Hawaii’s locals love to sprinkle the latter on snacks, such as “hurricane popcorn” and Spam musubi. The salty-sesame rice seasoning balances the sweetness of the sugar-syrup in the cereal mixture. Try something deliciously different for your next social gathering and for National Cereal Day—mix it up with macadamia nuts and furikake for an onolicious Hawaiian-style chex mix! Aloha!

Recipe

(From Auntie Maria B.)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 box rice chex cereal
  • 1 box corn chex cereal
  • 2-4 cups macadamia nuts
  • 1 bottle furikake (nori fumi or nori komi)

Directions

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the vegetable oil, sugar and corn syrup. Mix until well combined.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Line two large baking pans with foil. Mist with cooking spray. Combine the rice and corn chex cereals with the macadamia nuts and divide evenly into the two pans. Pour the sugar-syrup over the cereal mixes, dividing evenly between both pans.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Mix with a spatula. Sprinkle furikake. Bake in a preheated oven at 225 degrees F, stirring every 15 minutes, for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool, stirring every so often to prevent the ingredients from sticking together. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Hawaiian Style Chex Mix

Notes

  • Mahalo to Auntie Maria B. for the recipe as well as the macadamia nuts and furikake that she sent to us from Hawaii.
  • Fond of furikake? Then try furikake on fish (mahi mahi)!
 

March 1, 2014

Oscar Chocolates

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Oscar Chocolates

Oscar Chocolates

February/March: Hollywood Awards Season

Add some edible elegance to your Oscar watch party and give guests mini Oscar chocolate statuettes! They may not walk away with an expensive Hollywood swag bag, but they still get a fancy favor from you at a fraction of the cost!

To make these knockoffs inspired by the candy creations of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, you need a mini mold or two (we purchased one from eBay from a seller in the United Kingdom, probably because the Oscar design is proprietary in the United States). A 12-ounce bag of melted chocolate yields 10-11 mini Oscar chocolates. Paint them with gold edible powder for a fabulous finish. Place them in treat sacks and into swag bags or display them as dazzling decorations on an Oscar-themed dessert table.

These Oscar chocolates are sure to be the biggest stars at your movie night celebrations—and you definitely win the award for being the Best Host(ess)!

Recipe

(Inspired by HMH Designs)

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces chocolate wafers/candy melts (such as Ghirardelli or Wilton brands)
  • alcohol, such as EverClear, tequila or vodka (optional)
  • gold edible powder (we used CK brand)

Directions

Melt the chocolate according to the package instructions. Fill the mold, tapping lightly to level out the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm, around 15 minutes. Unmold carefully on a paper towel. If the chocolate breaks, dip a little into melted chocolate and “glue” back together. Smooth out the edges and breaks with a warm finger. Continue molding the rest of the Oscar chocolate statuettes.

Oscar Chocolates

Spread a little melted chocolate on one half of the unmolded chocolate. Press the other Oscar half together. Continue with the rest of the Oscar statuettes, taking care to keep them dry and cool.

Oscar Chocolates

When ready to paint them with edible gold powder, make a thin paste with the alcohol (make sure it is not too watery). Work quickly and brush the gold paint over the surface of the Oscar chocolates. Let dry and retouch with more gold paint, if necessary. Keep them dry and cool until ready to serve.

Oscar Chocolates

Notes

  • We tried spraying edible gold aerosol paint (such as AmeriColor brand food color spray and Wilton brand color mist) on the Oscar chocolates but they did not adhere to the chocolate very well. Coverage was uneven, leaving liquid spots on the surface.
  • Alcohol mixed with the edible gold dust is optional and the Oscar chocolates may be dusted dry instead. The surface will not be as shiny as those applied with the alcohol mixture but it still has a shimmery surface.
  • Bake some Hollywood cookies as another dessert for movie nights and Oscar watch parties.
 

February 22, 2014

Margarita Cupcakes

Posted by HI Cookery under 02 February | Tags: , , , , , |
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Margarita Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes 
February 22: National Margarita Day 

When we go out to eat with our Tex-Mex neighbors, Glenn and Ana Maria B., who like to take advantage of happy hour prices at their favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in San Antonio, Texas, Highlander would order a cerveza (beer) while Islander tries a margarita. She personally finds the alcohol too strong for her tastes. But she likes margarita cupcakes over the cocktail and often bakes this boozy dessert for fiestas and get-togethers. Make margarita cupcakes for National Margarita Day. Son muy deliciosos.

Recipe

(Adapted from Diana’s Desserts)

For the margarita cupcakes

  • 1 box white cake mix (we used Duncan Hines brand)
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 (10 ounces) can of non-alcoholic lime margarita mix, thawed (we used Bacardi brand), divided use (3/4 cup for the cupcakes, remainder for the frosting)
  • 3 tablespoons orange liqueur (we used Triple Sec)
  • 1 tablespoon tequila
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 4-5 drops of green food coloring

Directions

Zest the lime and set aside. Separate the eggs, reserving the yolks for another recipe.

Margarita Cupcakes

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and egg whites. Add the lime margarita mix, orange liqueur, tequila and vegetable oil. Mix in the lime zest.

Margarita Cupcakes

Tint the batter with green food coloring. Blend until smooth. Scoop batter into cupcakes papers lining a muffin pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: 2 dozen. 

Margarita Cupcakes

For the frosting

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used Wilton brand clear vanilla)
  • 2-3 tablespoons non-alcoholic lime margarita mix, thawed (from the cupcake ingredients above)
  • lime wedges/half slices or curly peel (optional garnish)
  • green sugar sprinkles (optional decorations)

Directions

Cream the butter. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla. Thin with 2-3 tablespoons of lime margarita mix until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Margarita Cupcakes

Frost the cupcakes (or fill a pastry bag with frosting and decorate with a swirl on top; we used Wilton tip 1M). Garnish with a lime wedge/slice. Sprinkle green sugar on top. Refrigerate to set. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Margarita Cupcakes 

Notes

  • Also try our Texas Margarita Pie recipe for National Margarita Day. 
  • Search our blog for other Mexican-inspired recipes.
 

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