This weekend, we decided to head back to the Twin Cities to see our families. One of the beauties of this move is that we actually didn't move that far away. Driving time from Milwaukee to the Cities is about five and a half hours (or five, thanks to our new WI plates that allow us to blend in with the other WI drivers...).
It was a weekend filled with family. Lots of cooking, eating, drinking, walks on the bridge (that skyline view will get me every time), and time spent with those we miss most. It was too short of a trip, because there is no way to do everything or see everyone we wanted to.
On Friday night, we had our parents over to dinner at my mom's house. It was starting to look and feel like fall, much more so than in Shorewood, but we wanted to do one more summer cookout session before the seasons really turn. We grilled brats and vegetables outside and had homemade potato salad and char-grilled green beans on the side. All simple, fresh, and so summery.
For dessert, we made another recipe out of the Sussman brothers' cookbook - the s'mores! The original recipe called for bourbon, but we made them with rum instead. Considering neither Andrew nor I really love marshmallows, we were both pretty impressed by these! We had a good time making them (I was really excited to use my mom's stand mixer; we don't have one, but want one badly!). The recipe was easy to follow, and it was so fun to see how the marshmallows, which started out as pure liquid, puffed up to become these lovely, pillowy, gooey squares!
I'm posting the recipe we used below, as adapted from the Sussmans' This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life.
S'mores with maple-rum marshmallows.
From This is a Cookbook: Recipes for Real Life (available at Williams-Sonoma - check it out!)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Powdered sugar for dusting
2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup rum, plus 3 Tbsp
1/4 cup maple syrup (get the good kind - trust me!)
1 1/2 cups extra-fine sugar
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
Graham crackers, halved.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Coat lightly with cooking spray and dust with some powdered sugar.
Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl; sprinkle in the gelatin and stir to dissolve.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the rum, maple syrup, and sugar; bring to a boil. Continue to cook and stir often, until the temperature reads 240 degrees F on a candy or frying thermometer. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the dissolved gelatin and remaining rum. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 10-13 minutes. Note - it will take much longer if you use a hand mixer!
Scrape the marshmallows into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Let cool at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.
Once the mixture has hardened, remove the marshmallow from the pan and take off the parchment lining. Cut into even squares, and toss with powdered sugar in a bowl to coat.
Put the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Assemble the s'mores: graham cracker + marshmallow + chocolate + graham cracker. Serve and enjoy!
So tasty! If making this with little ones, obviously omit the rum or bourbon.
Making s'mores, we just had to have a bonfire. We tried heating the marshmallows over the fire, but because they were basically made out of sugar only, and didn't have any of the "other" processed ingredients like the marshmallows you buy at the store, they just melted instead of turning nice and golden. Oh well, they were perfectly delicious as they were. It was a beautiful night for a fire - chilly, with a definite feel of fall coming on. Andrew, my sister, and I sat around the fire on our patio with a few pyvos (as Andrew says, "beer" just sounds better in Ukrainian!). All in all, a great night.
I'm off to finish dinner for tonight - stay tuned for more on gnocchi and oxtail ragu! YUM!
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