Fresh Pasta

Submitted by Michael Watkins, from Mario Betali


Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. flour
4 large eggs

Directions:
1. On a clean work surface, make a mound of the flour. Clear out a small well in the middle. Add eggs to the well and beat. Carefully work the flour into the eggs. When the flour is about half-way incorporated, the dough will start to form--it will be rough-looking.
2. Using the palms of your hands, knead the dough until it is cohesive, adding flour in small amounts if dough is sticky. When dough is fully formed, knead for about 6 more minutes, dusting with flour as necessary.
3. If you have time, it is best to let the dough rest tightly wrapped for about 20 minutes. If not, it's not a big deal. Roll out thin and form as desired.

For ravioli: Roll thin and cut into squares (any size you desire really). Fill. Lightly rub a dampened finger along the edge and fold over. Cook in boiling water until the ravioli float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

For other pastas: Hang and let dry slightly--about 15 minutes. Boil until al dente--about 5 to 8 minutes.

Gnocchi

Submitted by Michael Watkins


Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes (about 6 medium-sized Yukon Golds)
1 c. flour
pinch of salt, optional
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes until tender. Using the tines of a fork, scrape off the peel (optional). Mash the potatoes as fine as possible and fluff with fork.
2. Mix flour and salt. Add potatoes and mix. Add egg and mix together until you can handle it with your hands. Knead with your hands on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth--it should be fairly light and fluffy feeling.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi. Remove with a slotted spoon as the dumplings rise to the top of the water--this can take less than a minute so you'll want to be standing right next to it.

You can use gnocchi is soups or just serve it with your favorite sauce.

Tip: We have found it is best to use a boiling potato. They have a different texture that makes them creamier and you're less likely to bite into a chunk of potato than when you use a russet.

Vanilla Bean Scones with Honey Glaze

Submitted by Kristi Goldsberry


Ingredients:
2 whole vanilla beans or 1 1/2 to 2 T. vanilla extract
3/4 heavy cream, plus more if needed
3 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
5 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 cold sticks unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. If using vanilla beans, slice down the middle lengthwise and scrape out the "caviar" inside. Stir caviar into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture until crumbled.
4. Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture. Stir gently with a fork just until it comes together. Turn onto floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be crumply.) Use a roling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use hands to help form as necessary.
5. Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Cut each in half diagonally to form two triangles. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 18 minutes, removing from oven just before they begin to golden. Allow to cool 15 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Top with glaze.

Glaze:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. honey
5 T. heavy cream
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Use a butter knife to generously spread atop cooled scones.

Strawberry Scones

Submitted by Kristi Goldsberry

Ingredients:

1 lg. egg

1/4 c. plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 c. milk

1 t. orange or lemon zest

2 1/4 c. flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

8 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 heaping c. diced fresh strawberries

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, milk, and zest until blended. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Add butter pats to dry ingredients and pulse several time times until mixture is rough--about the size of small peas.

3. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add strawberries to flour mixture and toss to coat. Add wet ingredients to bowl with dry ingredients and gently fold together with fork or spatula until a sticky dough has formed. Knead just until all ingredients are incorporated and the dough is cohesive. (If necessary, add milk 1 T. at a time until dough is formed.)

4. Transfer to well-floured surface and pat into disc about 7-8 inches in diameter. Sprinkle lightly with additional sugar. Slice into 8 wedges.

5. Bake at 425 F. on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned on top--about 15 minutes. Cool a few minutes before serving.

Slow-Cooker Pound Cake

Submitted by Mary Beth Cheney


Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/4 t. salt
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 t. ground nutmeg
6 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients.
2. Mix with a hand or stand mixer until ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Grease inside of your crockpot, or a loaf pan. (If using a pan, place inside the crockpot and do not add any water.)
4. Prop lid open with a chopstick or toothpick. Cook on high until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (About 4 hours.)

Cream Fondant for Dipping Chocolates

Submitted by Deloris Gehmlich from Candymaking by Ruth. A. Kendrick and pauline H. Atkinson


Ingredients:
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. light corn syrup
4 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. Mazetta (or marshmallow cream)
Flavoring and/or nuts

Directions:
1. Set aside a 9-by-13 in. ungreased baking pan. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine cream, milk, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Place over medium-high heat and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. If any sugar crystals are present, wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush.

2. Clip on candy thermometer. Cook syrup to 234 degrees F. or soft-ball stage. Remove from heat and, without stirring or scraping, pout into baking pan. Without excess movement, place in refrigerator or other cool area.

3. When bottom of pan no longer feels warm, begin stirring fondant with a wooden spoon. You don't have to stir rapidly, just keep the mass moving. If desired, after 15 minutes of stirring add 1/2 c. mazetta or marshmallow cream. If you intend to flavor the entire batch one flavor, you can add it any time after the mazetta is added. Stir until fondant becomes very thick and loses its gloss. At this point it has set up.

4. If it is too stiff to handle, break off small pieces and work them in your hands like modeling clay. This should cause it to soften. You could also wrap fondant in plastic wrap and cover it with a warm damp tea towel for 15 minutes. If it doesn't soften, it may be overcooked. Follow directions for recooking.

5. If you have stirred the fondant for more than 1 hour and it hasn't set up, try letting it rest for a few minutes without stirring. This will sometimes cause the fondant to begin the desired crystallization process. If resting doesn't work, it may be undercooked. Follow directions for recooking.

Cream Fondant Flavor Variations
Each is enough to flavor an entire batch. If you are flavoring one batch many flavors, reduce accordingly.
Vanilla or vanilla nut: 1 T. vanilla and 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts.
Black walnut: 1 T. vanilla, 1/4 t. black walnut extract, and 1 c. walnuts.
Cherry creams: 2 t. almond extract and 1 t. rum extract.
Cherry nut: 2 t. almond extract, 1 t. run extract, 1/2 c. chopped candied cherries, and 1 c. chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
Mint creams: 1/2 t. oil of peppermint or 2 t. peppermint extract.
Lemon creams: 1 T. lemon extract, small amount yellow coloring, and 1/4 t. citric acid.
Orange creams: 1 T. orange extract, small amount of orang coloring, and 1/4 t. citric acid.
Raspberry or Strawberry creams: 2 T. raspberry or strawberry extract, 1/4 t. lemon extract, small amount pink or red coloring, and 1/4 t. citric acid.

Making Hand-Dipped Chocolates

Notes for best results submitted by Deloris Gehmlich


1. Buy a good European chocolate with the melting point of 236, 230, or 232 degrees F. (The 1 lb. Belgium milk or dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe's work well.) Break the bars into smaller pieces and place in a 9-by-13 inch pan or larger. About 10-12 hours before dipping chocolates, preheat the oven to 130 degrees and immediately turn off. Place pan of chocolate pieces in the oven with no heat. The oven light will be enough to melt the chocolate. If not melted gradually, the chocolate can turn cloudy and grey after dipping.

2. Make fondants (centers) from recipes and directions found in an HP Book named Candymaking by Ruth A. Kendrick and Pauline H. Atkinson. Deter Gehmlich suggests making fondants a few days in advance in case you need to re-make them. To mix and cook the fondant, you'll use the following kitchen supplies:
- heavy pan (the bottom half of a pressure cooker works great!)
- high-quality digital candy thermometer (since the exact temp. is crucial to whether or not the fondant sets up or is runny)
- pastry brush (to brush down any sugar crystals that form)
- 9-by-13 inch glass pan to pour cooked fondant in and stir it until it's the correct consistency--pliable, thick, and not glossy.
- wooden spoon

Plan on the fondant-making process taking at least 90 minutes since the fondant will need to be stirred 30-45 minutes by hand. Many fondant recipes often call for Mazetta as an ingredient that will help add a light fluffy texture. Another option is to use marshmallow creme.

**If the fondant is undercooked, it won't solidify. Try to fix it by adding a couple degrees to the temperature the original recipe calls for and boil the mixture until it reaches that point.

**If the fondant is overcooked, it will turn into  sugar instead of being smooth and pliable. If that happens,  follow the instructions on page 17 of Candymaking to try and recook the batch.

**Once fondant is solidified, put it in a well-buttered pie tin, cover it, and refrigerate until the day you'll use it (or dip immediately). When you dip, put cornstarch on your hand and take 1/2 t. of the fondant and roll into a ball and set on waxed paper.

3. Before dipping the fondant, temper the chocolate (you can find instructions for this online or on page 150-151 of Candymaking.) Dip the balls of fondant into warmed chocolate, using your hands to roll it around until covered. (If chocolate starts to set up, the frying pan can be turned on and then off again immediately.)

4. Cool dipped chocolates as soon as possible by placing them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and placing them in a cool room (like a garage, etc.)

5. After chocolates are thoroughly cooled, place them in chocolates in paper candy holders and then into a container.