Ellen's Favorite Butter Toffee

I love that some of you tried the caramels I posted a few weeks ago. Well here's a chance to try out that candy thermometer again. These are Ellen's absolute favorite thing that I make at Christmastime. I make at least two double batches and give some to all the kids' teachers and to friends and family. The recipe is an old one that my mom got from an old friend. This recipe is tried and true and continues to be an all-time favorite.

Butter Toffee

makes about 3 pounds of toffee

1 pound of unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 cups sliced almonds
18 ounces quality milk chocolate

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or a silicone liner. 

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add sugar, salt, and water. Stir with a silicone spatula until the sugar is dissolved. 

Heat to boiling and cook to 310 degrees or hard crack stage on a candy thermometer, stirring frequently to prevent hotspots from burning.  This takes a little while so be patient and keep checking the thermometer.  You know you are getting close when the mixture become darker and thicker like caramel.

Working quickly, carefully pour the toffee onto the sheet pans (about half per sheet), spreading the candy out slightly with a silicone spatula. The liquid does not need to be spread to the edges of the pan, just spread out a little so that it's not too thick. Allow it to cool for a minute or two then spread 1/2 of the melted chocolate on top of the toffee. I use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the almonds before the chocolate has a chance to cool. 

Place the pan in a cool place or in the refrigerator and let cool at least 15 minutes, until the chocolate has set. Place another cookie sheet on top of the toffee and invert the toffee onto that cookie sheet. Peel away the parchment or silicone liner from the underside of the toffee.  You may need to gently reheat the remaining chocolate if it has become too cool to spread easily.  Spread the rest of the melted chocolate on the other side of the toffee and sprinkle with remaining almonds. Allow to cool completely. Break into pieces with your fingers.  Store in an airtight container up to 2 months.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This recipe requires your full attention, so if you have some time and you're craving something savory and spicy, give this a try. It's delicious! Also, you can cherish the huge eyes and gaping mouths any spectators will have when you flambe the shrimp!  Don't be afraid of the flambe - just be sure to have all the ingredients ready and read through the whole recipe before you start. --oh and have a lid ready to place over your skillet just in case the flambe gets out of hand.

Shrimp Fra Diavlo
adapted from a recipe from Cook's Illustrated


1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (or scallops are also good)
1 tsp crushed red pepper or a little less to taste
6 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp table salt, divided
1/4 cup Brandy
4 T minced garlic, divided (I used probably half of this amount)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 pound angel hair or linguine

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, heat a large skillet over high heat for 4 minutes. While the pan is heating, toss the shrimp, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 T olive oil and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and spread to a single layer. Cook without stirring for about 30 seconds. Take the pan off the heat, stir the shrimp, and add the Brandy. Let it stand off the heat until the Brandy warms slightly, about 5 seconds, then return the pan to high heat. Wave a lit match or lighter over the skillet until the Brandy ignites; shake the skillet until the flames subside. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Add 3 T olive oil and 3 T garlic to the now empty skillet, reducing the heat to very low. Cook the garlic until it's browned but not burned. Add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp salt, sugar, tomatoes, and wine. Increase heat to high and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. At this point, add the pasta and some salt to the boiling water and cook while the sauce is simmering. When the pasta is almost done, add the shrimp, the remaining 1 T garlic and the minced parsley to the tomato sauce and simmer until heated through, about 1 minute longer. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the pasta and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Serve immediately.

Color!!

After more than 5 years of white walls, we have color! Check it out!
The family room is Southern Wood...

The dining room is Cordial...

The kitchen is Pea Soup...

And the entryway and upstair hall are Applesauce Cake...Mmmm!

The sunroom, powder room and laundry are Halcyon Green...

Yes, we finally have color and we love it! Now for the upstairs...

Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt

These caramels would make a great gift to give the kids' teachers along with some toffee and various biscotti's. They are simply wrapped in waxed paper which requires no ties or ribbons, just a twist on either end and that's it! If you have a reliable candy thermometer you can make these. They're easy!


This recipe can be cut in half if you don't need as many as the recipe calls for.  I've found that if I make too many, I end up eating more than my share. {sigh}

Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt
Makes 120 caramels

4 cups heavy cream
1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
1 1/3 cups honey
2 cups sugar
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pound walnuts, toasted and chopped (I omitted these)
1/2 tsp sea salt

Grease bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan. For half recipe, use 9x9 pan. Line the bottom with parchment. Grease the top of the parchment. Combine cream, corn syrup, honey, and sugar in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until a candy thermometer reads 260 degrees F. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, kosher salt and vanilla. Fold in walnuts, if using. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt. Allow to cool. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the caramel onto a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch pieces with a large, sharp knife. Roll individually in waxed paper.

Gingerbread Biscotti

How do you cope with cold winter weather? I have a ritual of making a cup of hot tea in the afternoon.  Sometimes I'll light up the gas fireplace and read, or crank up the oven to make some delicious biscotti or tea cookie (so I can dip it into my tea, of course). It's my way of creating Hygge - the Scandinavian idea of crafting coziness from little pleasures.

Don't these just beckoned to be dipped? 


So Old Man Winter - bring it on - because I'm armed and ready (to bake). Just don't stick around too long.

Gingerbread Biscotti
From Southern Living Christmas 2006
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup almonds


Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars together in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at time, beating well between additions. Add molasses and mix well. In another bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except the almonds. Add to the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in almonds. Divide the dough in half. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment or Silpat liner, make two flattened logs approximately 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Use water-dampened or floured hands if dough is too sticky to form the logs. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300. Transfer the logs to a cutting board (don't slice on the Silpat) and slice the logs on a diagonal at 1 inch intervals with a large serrated knife. Place the slices, cut side down, back onto the cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes on each side. The biscotti will become more crispy as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is delicious, healthy, easy, and environmentally friendly (no plastic containers to throw away!).  And if you use milk in returnable glass bottles, there will be no waste at all.  It's a win-win!

You will need:

1 quart of whole milk

small container of organic full-fat yogurt to use as a starter

a yogurt maker or instant pot with yogurt setting
a thermometer

First, measure out the milk and place it in a pot over med-low heat. Heat the mixture to 180 degrees F. Stir constantly and check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer every few minutes.  Try not to get distracted because milk will boil over as soon as you turn your back (that seems to be my experience anyway).

After the milk has reached 180 degrees, I pour it into a quart-sized pyrex measuring cup and wait for it to cool down to between 110 and 115 degrees. It helps to set a timer for 10-15 minutes and check the temp each time. Skim off and discard any film that forms on top of the milk as it's cooling. Place 2 T of yogurt into a small bowl and whisk with a small whisk to remove any lumps. When the milk reaches 115 degrees, gradually add about 1/2 cup warm milk to the yogurt and stir until smooth. Add the yogurt mixture back into the rest of the milk and stir to combine. Pour the milk into your yogurt maker and let it ferment for 6 hours or until thick.  The longer you let it ferment, the more tart the yogurt will be because more sugar is being consumed by the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt.   Refrigerate the yogurt for several hours before stirring or eating.  This helps to keep it thick. 

After the yogurt has chilled, you may choose to strain it to make Greek-style yogurt.  Set the yogurt in a strainer lined with a coffee filter or two layers of cheesecloth and set the strainer over a bowl. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The whey will collect in the bottom of the bowl.  If the yogurt is too thick, you can add some of the whey back in to get the desired consistency.  Any extra whey can be saved and added to smoothies or other recipes for an probiotic boost.

Scandinavian Apple Cake

Apple Cake

from Country Home March/April 1997

4 cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped cooking apples

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp salt

powdered sugar for top

In a large mixing bowl combine apples, sugar, walnuts, and melted butter. Stir in eggs and vanilla. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, allspice, and salt. Add dry ingredients to apple mixture, stirring just until combined.

Spread the batter into a greased and floured 13X9 pan or a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F about 30 minutes for 13X9 pan or 50 minutes for tube pan. Sprinkle warm cake with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes 12-16 servings.