Famous Recipes - Chewy Caramels & Cream Cheese Mints and other Recipes

Here's a recipe for everyone's favorite old-fashioned treat.

Chewy Caramels

2 cups (500 ml) sugar 12 Tbs (180 ml) butter 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream 1 3/4 cups (430 ml) light corn syrup 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, butter, cream, and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the firm ball stage, 242-248F (115-120C) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer until thickened. Pour into a greased 9-inch (22 cm) square pan and cool before cutting into squares. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 lb (450 g).

These smooth candies are a pleasure for the eye as well as the mouth.

Cream Cheese Mints

4 oz (225 g) cream cheese 3 1/2 cups (875 ml) powdered (confectioner's) sugar 1/4 tsp (1 ml) peppermint extract Red, green, and yellow food coloring Sugar for coating

Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Divide into 4 portions. Add 1 drop of food coloring to three of the portions and knead to make pink, green, and yellow - leave 1 portion white. Roll into small balls, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) in diameter, roll in sugar, and press down with the tines of a fork to make round disks with indentations along the top. Place on waxed paper to dry for 2 to 3 hours. Store in airtight containers. Makes about 12 dozen.

========================================= Sauteed Cauliflower

4 Tbs (60 ml) butter (or 2 Tbs (30 ml) butter and 2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil) 1 clove garlic, cut in half 1 large cauliflower, broken into florets and boiled or steamed until tender Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Hot red pepper flakes to taste (optional) Chopped fresh parsley, chives, or other fresh herbs for garnish

Heat the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the garlic until it begins to turn brown. Remove and discard the garlic. Saute the cauliflower until it is lightly coated with butter. Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes and cook covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs. Serves 4 to 6.

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Creamed New Potatoes au Gratin

2 - 3 lbs (900 - 1350 g) new potatoes 6 Tbs (90 ml) butter 6 Tbs (90 ml) flour 2 cups (500 ml) milk or half-and-half Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste A grating of fresh nutmeg 1/2 cup (125 ml) bread crumbs 1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 Tbs (30 ml) butter, cut into small pieces

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the flour aroma is gone. Add the milk and stir with a wire whisk over moderate heat until the sauce comes to a boil and has thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Combine the cooked potatoes with the sauce and place in a buttered baking dish. The dish may be covered and refrigerated at this point. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle over the surface of the potatoes. Dot with butter and bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until the top is lightly browned and the potatoes are heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 12.

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Duchess Potatoes

4 cups (1 L) mashed potatoes, heated 1/4 cup (60 ml) melted butter 2 egg yolks, beaten 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon-style mustard Salt and white pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Make mounds or patties on a greased baking sheet and decorate with a fork if desired. Alternately, you may pipe the mixture, using a pastry bag with a fluted tip, into any shapes you desire. Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until golden brown. Serves 6 to 8

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Really simple and the kids that don't normally like peas even like this!

Peas and Mayo

1 can baby peas or 1 cup frozen peas lightly salted and boiled 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix together and voila. We especially have it with a braai (barbecue).

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Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups coarsely grated peeled, raw sweet potato 1 stick melted butter 1 cup pecans, chopped 1/2 t salt 2 beaten eggs 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup sweet milk 1/2 t cinnamon 1/2 t ground cloves

Mix everything in shallow baking dish. Bake at 300F about 1 hour, until firm. Serves 10. Freezes well - bake first slightly underdone. Freeze, then thaw a few hours, reheat at 300F until warm.

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Caribbean Rum Fruit Cake

3 cups self-rising flour or 3 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. soda, 2 tsp. baking powder & dash of salt blended together 1 1/2 cups butter (unsalted) 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (imitation may be substituted) 3 eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated lime zest (grated pulp and rind) 1 cup of heavy cream (whipping) 3/4 cup (6 oz.) dark rum (artificial rum flavor may be substituted) 1/2 cup tropical trail mix (chop dried banana chips into smaller pieces) 1/2 cup of dried cherries 1 cup of chopped dried apricots 1 cup quartered or coarsely chopped pecan halves 1/3 cup of walnut chips 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped almonds Confectioner's (powdered sugar) for dusting cake Additional rum for sprinkling cake (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar and cream till light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and stir until blended. Beat in the lime zest and then add the rum and mix. Gradually add the flour, alternating with the cream and ending with the flour. Blend mixture until just combined; do not over blend. Add dried fruit and nuts and gently fold into mixture. Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 10-cup tube pan and bake for almost one hour. Test doneness with a skewer inserted halfway between the sides of the pan and the tube. Cool and turn the cake out of the pan. Sprinkle with additional rum if desired and dust the top with the confectioner's sugar. If you sprinkle with additional rum let sit for one day to absorb flavor of rum. It is best to refrigerate this cake because of the cream in the ingredients.

Note: Do not get batter too thin as nuts and fruit will separate and sink to the bottom of pan. Fruit and nuts must be gently folded into the batter.

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