Rock Candy Experiment

The egg shell geodes were such a big hit, the girls wanted to make them again, only bigger. I got the idea to make rock candy--in other words, geodes they could eat!

I raided out cabinets for glasses that were narrow and tall enough for the string to be covered in enough sugar syrup. Three champagne flutes and a glass mug worked perfectly.

It was difficult to keep the girls from wanting to eat the candy until it was ready. Patience doesn't come easily to four- and five-year olds. After about five days, though, there were enough crystals to see and eat and there was much sugar-fueled rejoicing.

It was a fun experiment and next time, if there is a next time, I'd try wooden sticks or try to find a way to keep the string straight instead of curling up. It did take longer for the first crystals to show up and I wonder if that's because the cups were near the air vent in the kitchen and it was a bit more humid with the AC on.

Now, what to do next...

Homemade Marshmallows

  The girls have been on a marshmallow kick lately. No roasting or toasting required, just eating one or two straight out of the bag for a treat. For the 4th, we were going to have friends over for grilled steak, wine and sparklers, so I figured we'd set up the fire pit and make S'mores. So I decided we could make homemade marshmallows for a fun activity.

Between trying to keep kids away from the boiling sugar syrup, beaters and other kitchen dangers, I didn't get any pictures of the process. But, the Barefoot Contessa's recipe isn't that difficult (and doesn't use egg whites, for those who sure vegetarian  or have allergies), just fairly sticky. Next time, I'll probably spray the pan with vegetable oil, then dust with powdered sugar because mine stuck to the sides and wouldn't slide out of the pan when I turned it upside down.

Tip: Use a pizza cutter (or thin, sharp knife) sprayed with vegetable oil and cutting is a breeze. I tossed them in a little more powdered sugar and had no problems with them sticking together.

Everyone agreed they were the best marshmallows they'd ever had. My friend's toddler kept grabbing the bag and stuffing them in her mouth (which is one way to keep little ones awake for fireworks).

I think these need to be part of my holiday baking routine, maybe flavored with peppermint and dipped in chocolate. 

Chocolate-Covered Candied Orange Peels

For me, the holidays are officially here when I watch A Muppet Christmas Carol (while decorating the tree) and when I make candied orange peels.

As I said earlier, my mom was famous for her orange peels. Her friends would hide them from their children, saving them all for themselves. They're not difficult to make, they're just time- (and space-) intensive. I usually make a double batch, using every single baking sheet I have for drying and dipping. I don't like grapefruit (unless it's mixed with vodka in a Grayhound), so I make mine with all oranges.

Chocolate Dipped Orange and Grapefruit Peel
1 large grapefruit, 3 large navel oranges
1 cup of honey
About 1 cup of sugar
16 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1. Remove peels. Cut it into 1/4" strips. Place in a 5-qt. Saucepan; cover with cold water; bring to a full boil; then drain. Repeat four times.
2. Transfer drained peel to a large skillet; add honey and 2/3 cup water. Cook slowly until all syrup is gone--about 60 min. Cook 15 min. longer, over low heat, being careful not to scorch the fruit.
3. Drain thoroughly; cool; then roll each strip in sugar. Spread out on cookie sheets in single layer; dry overnight. Next day, roll again in sugar.
4. In top of double boiler, over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate. Holding with tongs, dip each strip in the chocolate; drain off excess. Place on waxed paper on tray. Cool. Store in refrigerator.

A note on dipping: I'm lazy, so I only dip the peels halfway and I think the contrast between the dark chocolate and the crystallized orange is pretty. Also, I dip my peels in bittersweet chocolate, mainly because I get it in large packages at Costco. You can use milk, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, whatever taste you like best.


This year, I made fudge and almond toffee to go in my goodie packages. Looking through my notes from pastry classes, I found something interesting:

For every 1,000 feet/300 meters above sea level, subtract 2 degrees F/1 degree C from every boiling point listed in the recipe.

I'd never really thought about altering candy recipes for high altitude before, but it does make sense considering baking recipes need to account for differences in evaporation. I have to say, the fudge was creamier than the previous times I'd made it. So, try it and see if it makes a difference in your candy recipes.