June 2, 2018

Homemade Rocky Road Candy Bars

Posted by HI Cookery under 06 June | Tags: , , , |
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Homemade Rocky Road

Candy Bars

June 2: National Rocky Road Day

We have made homemade candy bars before. So we tried another popular one, Rocky Road, with a different chocolate mold. In the United States, Rocky Road is a combination of marshmallows and crunchy nuts and chocolate. In the United Kingdom, it is a combination of marshmallows, crushed cookies/biscuits and chocolate with a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. In Australia, Rocky Road is a combination of marshmallows, glace cherries, crunch nuts, dessicated coconut and chocolate. Whatever combination of ingredients used, Rocky Road is easy to make for a delicious dessert. So indulge on homemade Rocky Road candy bars on National Rocky Road Day!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • Chocolate chips or wafers (we used Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers)
  • Nuts, dry roasted and unsalted, chopped (we used cashews, following the original Annabelle Candy Company’s recipe)
  • Mini marshmallows (see Notes)

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a bowl (in a microwave or over a double boiler), according to the directions on the package. Chop the cashews, reserving the nut pieces and discarding the “dust”. Set aside.

Spoon melted chocolate halfway in the mold, making sure to coat the sides with a thin layer. Let cool slightly so the chocolate will not melt the marshmallows. Sprinkle the chopped cashews and mini marshmallows over the slightly cooled chocolate. Fill the mold with chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set and is firm. Unmold onto paper towels. Serve at room temperature but still slightly cooled.

Notes

  • If mini marshmallows are not available, cut jumbo marshmallows into small pieces.
  • This blog post is dedicated to Father Tim E. who loves anything “Rocky Road”.
  • Check out more chocolate recipes on our blog from the Theme Menus.

 

 

June 1, 2018

Teriyaki Steak

Posted by HI Cookery under 06 June | Tags: , , , , |
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Teriyaki Steak

teriyakisteak

June: National Steak Month

Islander’s Daddy served in Japan while he was in the U.S. Navy and liked to cook like the locals. As a chef on the ship, he cooked teriyaki steak and chicken for his fellow sailors. Likewise, while on shore duty, Daddy would occasionally grill teriyaki steak on his outdoor mini hibachi for the family’s Sunday supper. If there were any leftover meat, we would pack them for the next day’s lunch with a little rice for our very own bento boxes.

Teriyaki steak is terrific, especially during National Steak Month in June.

Recipe

(Adapted from Simply Recipes)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ – 2 pound steak (flank or skirt; we used ribeye), around ½ inch thick
  • 1/3 cup mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
  • 1/3 cup sake
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, granulated white or brown
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
  • olive or canola oil
  • sesame seeds or chopped green onions (optional garnish)

Directions

In a large, shallow bowl, combine the mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar.

teriyakisteaksteps1

Mix in the grated ginger. Marinate the steak in this mixture for at least an hour (overnight is better) in the refrigerator. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting the sauce drip back to the bowl. Set aside. Use the marinade to make the teriyaki sauce by placing it in a small pot. Boil it down until it is reduced by half and becomes a thin glaze. Strain out any ginger pieces (optional).

teriyakisteaksteps2

While heating up the grill, rub a little oil on the steak to prevent sticking to the grates. Sear on one side until browned (3-5 minutes) then turn it over and brown for another few minutes to desired doneness (medium rare to well done). Baste with a little teriyaki sauce. When cooked, transfer the steak to a plate, cover it with foil to steam-lock the flavor while it is resting for 10 minutes. Uncover and slice the steak across the grain, slightly diagonal, in ¼-inch pieces. Arrange the slices on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle teriyaki sauce on top and sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped green onions on top (optional).

teriyakisteaksteps3

Notes

  • This teriyaki steak may be pan fried with a little oil in a cast-iron or non-stick skillet. Sear on one side until browned (3-5 minutes) then turn it over and brown for another few minutes to desired doneness (medium rare to well done). Baste with a little teriyaki sauce after turning each side over.
  • Anyone concerned about using the same sauce in which the steak was marinated can rest assured that any bacteria will be killed during the boiling down process.
  • Serve teriyaki steak with a bowl or hot steamed, sticky white rice. We recommended as a side dish teppanyaki-style zucchini, onions and yellow squash.
  • Search our blog for more Japanese recipes under Theme Menus.

 

 

May 25, 2018

Han Solo Carbonite Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 05 May | Tags: , , |
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Han Solo Carbonite Cookies

May 25: Release date of the first Han Solo movie trilogy (2018)

Han Solo got a solo spin-off story in a “Star Wars” movie! The film, officially released today, features the origins of the space smuggler turned general in the Rebel Alliance/New Republic.

His character, portrayed by actor Harrison Ford, made his first appearance in 1977 in “Star Wars: A New Hope” (Episode IV) and was killed off in 2015 in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (Episode VII). In 2018, actor Alden Ehrenreich portrays the young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and may reprise his role in two more forthcoming films.

Han Solo is immortalized in pop culture history, much like his iconic scene in 1981’s “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back “ (Episode V) when he was frozen in carbonite. To celebrate the release of the new Han Solo movies, we made carbonite cookies à la LU Biscuits’ Le Petit écolier (“The Little Schoolboy”) cookies. The sugar cookie base is topped with a chocolate impression of Han Solo in his classic frozen state and finished with a shiny metallic silver glaze.

Make these classic cookies for the movie’s release and for a Star Wars themed celebration.

Recipe

(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma)

For the sugar cookie base

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until a dough is formed. Roll the dough into a large ball, divide in thirds, cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Roll out dough ¼-inch thick. Cut out rectangular shapes 1.5 inches wide by 2.75 inches tall. Place on a lightly greased baking pan. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to firm up the dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely and become crisp.

For the chocolate “carbonite”

  • Chocolate or confectioner’s candy (such as Ghirardelli melting wafers or Wilton dark chocolate candy melts)
  • Silver edible powder, non-toxic
  • Alcohol base (Everclear or almond/lemon/orange extract)

Directions

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into the Han Solo ice cube tray no thicker than ¼ inch. Tap the tray lightly to level out the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm. Carefully unmold the chocolate onto a paper towel.

pread a little melted chocolate on a rectangular cookie and press a Han Solo chocolate piece on top. Repeat to complete the rest of the cookies. In a small dish, put a little silver powder. Put an eyedropper or two of clear alcoholic liquid to make a thin paste. Paint over the Han Solo chocolates, being careful to avoid the cookie base. Let the cookies dry. Store covered in single layer.

Notes

  • Han Solo ice cube tray is available from Amazon.com.
  • For a cheaper “chocolate”, use Wilton candy melts.
  • Search our blog for other Star Wars-inspired recipes.

 

 

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