Christmas Candy in Corningware - Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Balls

I have said several times, since starting this blog, that the only drawback to Corningware is that you cannot make candy.  I think that it is time that I elaborate a little on that statement simply because "candy" is an extremely vague term.  

Thus, in an attempt to qualify my previous declaration, I would like to add that by "Candy"... I mean any confection based on boiling Sugar Syrup.  That would include English Toffee, Seafoam, Peanut Brittle, Divinity, Taffy, Lollipops, & Fudge (real fudge, not Marshmallow Cream Fudge).  This does not mean that you cannot make Turkish Delights, Truffles, Chocolate Nut Clusters or Pralined Nuts.   

As an example, let me offer up an old family favorite.... Peanut Butter Balls.

I can remember mom making these for Christmas when I was little.  All three of us boys were ALL too happy to help dip them in the melted chocolate, though truth be told, more chocolate ended up on our faces than on the Peanut Butter Balls.    Boys will be boys. 

Please note:  The proportion below are for a single batch.  During the "filming" of this post, I was making a double batch of peanut butter filling so your double boiler insert won't be as full as it appears in the photos below.

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 Cup of Unsalted butter
1 Cup Peanut Butter (I use chunky) 
Pinch or two of Salt
8 oz Confectioners' Sugar
1 Cup Rice Krispies 
10 oz Milk Chocolate for dipping

Corningware 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)
Corningware Double Boiler Insert (P-17)
2 Corningware Broil and  Bake Tray (P-35) 
(you only need 1 Broil and Bake Tray for chilling the centers, but you will need a second one when dipping cause they will need more room)
  
Heat about 2 cups of water in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) over Medium flame.

Place the Butter in the Double Boiler Insert (P-17) and place the insert into the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)

Once the butter is completely melted, add the Peanut Butter.

Please use natural peanut butter without added sugar.

Stir until everything comes together in a nice homogeneous mixture.

Add the Confectioners' Sugar and work it into the Butter/Peanut Butter mixture until it's nice and smooth. 

(No "chunks" of Confectioners' Sugar are showing)  
 

Pour the Rice Krispies into a medium sized bowl (a 2 1/2 quart Pyrex #403 or #443 works well for this)  

Pour the hot mixture over the Rice Krispies.

Stir and knead everything together with a spatula until it forms a sort of "dough".

Line the Broil and Bake Tray (P-35) with waxed paper.

Grab a small cookie scoop.

Fill the scoop to level.

Squeeze the dough out into your hand and roll it into a ball (It should be a 1 inch ball)

Place it on the wax paper lined Broil and Bake tray (P-35)

Continue until you have used all the dough (it should make 42-46 balls)

Wrap the balls and the tray completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Wash the double boiler insert (P-17), then empty and refill the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) with 2 cups of water, then place it over the lowest flame and place the, now clean, Double Boiler Insert (P-17) into the Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B).

Add the chopped Milk Chocolate to the Double Boiler Insert (P-17) and allow it to melt.

It takes awhile, but you don't want to over heat the chocolate, keep the flame LOW so the chocolate doesn't un-temper.

Line a second Broil and Bake Tray (P-35) with waxed paper.  

Grab some dipping tools, if you have them. (I have been using these for eons, but 2 forks works as well).

Remove the Peanut Butter Balls from the refrigerator.

 Dip each peanut butter nugget, letting excess drip off. 

Place each dipped Peanut butter ball onto the lined Broil and Bake Tray (P-35) spacing them about 1/2 inch or so apart to allow for potential chocolate spreading at the base.  

(you may have to re-line the first Broil and Bake Tray with waxed paper and use it as well)
Once all the balls have been dipped, check the first few and see if the chocolate has begun to harden.
If it has not, go ahead and place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so, uncovered.

Once the Chocolate has hardened, remove from the Broil and Bake Trays and place in a decorative tin or container lined with more waxed paper.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I do not suggest leaving them out at room temperature for more than 2 hours as the peanut butter interior begins to soften a little too much.

Where is your Corningware??
~~ 

Cooking With my Favorites - A Teapot Full of Hollandaise

It's time for another installment of "Cooking with my Favorites", and yes, it's all about the P-17 double boiler insert again.  :-)   Maybe I should refer to it as a Bain Marie this time...   Either way, it really is one of the most handy pieces to have in your collection.

Then again, so is the little mini 3 cup teapot; especially in this case.

Today it's all about France... or at least my sauce is all about France.   It's one of the infamous "mother" sauces of classic French cuisine.  Hollandaise, to be exact.  It's surprisingly easy to do and proof positive that not only does Corningware do Italian in a big way, it can also conquer the most fastidious French Cuisine with ease.

Sauce Hollandaise

4 large Egg Yolks
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Sugar
Pinch of Cayenne
1 TB Lemon Juice, divided
12-14 TB unsalted Butter

Corningware 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)
Corningware Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B)
optional - Corningware 3 cup Teapot (P-103)

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a simmer in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B).

Meanwhile, combine Egg Yolks, Salt, Sugar, and Cayenne in the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B).

Whisk until well combined and the mixture becomes pale.

Whisk in 1 tsp of the Lemon Juice.

Slice up the butter into 1 TB chunks, so you are ready to finish the sauce.

That means have 2 TB in reserve, just in case you need 14 TB instead of 12....  It happens sometimes.

When the water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) begins to simmer, place the P-17-B double boiler insert over the simmering water.

Whisk continuously until the mixture begins to thicken.

Remove the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) from the simmering water and place on a pot holder.
Reduce the flame on the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) to Low.

Begin adding the butter, 1 TB at a time, whisking well after each addition, until it has melted completely into the Egg Yolk mixture before adding the next chunk.

After you have added about 6 TB of the Butter, move the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) back over the water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and continue adding the remaining butter, 1 TB at a time, whisking constantly.

When you have incorporated the last of the butter, whisk in the remaining 2 tsp Lemon Juice to finish the Hollandaise.

In order to keep the Hollandaise warm, I suggest moving it to the 3 Cup Teapot (P-103).  As a bonus, it allows for easier pouring of the sauce as well.

Place the 3 cup Teapot (P-103) down into the warm water in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)

If there will be a long wait before use, insert a whisk (to mix the sauce later) and cover with the lid to hold the warmth in.

And just what do you do with Hollandaise?

A plate full of Eggs Benedict, of course. (though some roasted asparagus would have been nice too)

If, by some strange happenstance, you actually have Hollandaise left over (yeah, right) you can move it to a ramekin and cover on the surface with plastic wrap before storing in the refrigerator.

This stuff makes an AWESOME replacement for Mayonnaise on your sandwich or Butter on your toast.   I'm Just Sayin'

Where is your Corningware??
~~

P.S.  Don't forget to enter the "Sidekickin' it Old School" giveaway...  Entries must be received before Sept. 30, 11:59 PDT 

Cooking With my Favorites - Grandma's Grasshopper Pie

You've seen me use it before, but making cold soup doesn't really showcase the intended use of the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and the P-17-B double boiler insert.

Since my niece is going to be here for a pizza feed this afternoon, I thought I would make her favorite pie for dessert.  That would be my grandmother's Grasshopper pie.  AKA: Shamrock Pie, Christmas Tree Pie, or Creme de Menthe Pie; take your pick.  True, mint and chocolate may not be the best accompaniment to homemade pizza, but she loves it, so I make it.

I suppose I should have made a chocolate cookie crust and baked it in a Corningware pie plate, but the little plastic protector on the store bought pre-fab crusts comes in so handy, I usually just buy them.  It speeds things up a little too.  (I also don't have to worry about whether I get my pie plate back or not.  I'm just sayin')

Grasshopper Pie

26 large Marshmallows
1/2 cup Whole Milk
1 TB Creme de Cocoa (the clear stuff, not the brown)
3 1/2 TB Creme de Menthe (the green stuff, not the clear)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Chocolate Cookie Crust

2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B)
Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B)
optional - Pyrex 4 quart Cinderella Bowl (#444)

Place 1 1/2 cups water in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and place over medium flame, allowing it to come to a simmer.

Place the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) in the 2 1/2 quart saucepan (P-2 1/2-B).

Add the Marshmallows.

Pour the Milk over the Marshmallows.

Stir to coat the Marshmallows with the milk and continue stirring until the Marshmallows are completely melted and everything is nice and smooth.

Add the Creme de Cocoa

and the Creme de Menthe and stir well to combine.

Remove the Double Boiler Insert (P-17-B) from the simmering water in the 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) and set aside to cool, covering with plastic wrap on the surface to prevent crusting.

Allow this to sit for about 20 minutes, until it cools to almost room temperature and begins to re-gel.
Grab a mixing bowl and add the Heavy Cream. (Pyrex Forest Fancies 4 Quart Cinderella Bowl #444)

Whisk until stiff peaks.

Add 1/3 of the whipped Heavy Cream to the Marshmallow mixture and stir it in to make it lighter. (this will make folding, in the next step, a little easier)

Pour the lightened Marshmallow mixture into the whipped Heavy Cream.

Fold them together until all the streaks are gone. (Sometimes I leave streaks on purpose, cause it looks neat)

Pour the "mousse" mixture into the prepared Chocolate Cookie Crust.

Smooth with a spatula.

Invert the protective plastic that came with the crust, and cover the pie.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving (Sometimes when it's really hot, I freeze it instead)

Where is your Corningware??
~~