More great rice recipes, gluten free. :)

http://www.lundberg.com/recipes

Creole Rice with Shrimp & Sausage

• 1 cup Lundberg^® Short Grain Brown rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained, chopped up with wooden spoon
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried thyme
• 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 (12 oz) package cooked Andouille (hot links) sausage, cut into rounds
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 pound cleaned raw shrimp
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Combine Lundberg Short Grain Brown rice with broth in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring broth to boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 50 minutes; remove from heat (do not lift lid) and steam 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes; add garlic and stewed tomatoes, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add Andouille chicken sausage to heat through.

Melt butter in a large skillet and add shrimp. Sauté 3-4 minutes, until pink. Stir into tomato-sausage mixture.

To serve, place rice in a large, wide bowl and spoon tomato-shrimp-sausage mixture on top
.

Chili with Rotini Pasta, Beans & Beef

Serve in bowls. Pass grated cheese, chopped onions, and sour cream for toppings.

• 12-ounce box Lundberg^® Rotini Brown Rice Pasta
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 5-6 cups low sodium beef broth
• 15-ounce can of kidney or pinto beans, drained
• 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

Sauté ground beef in large pot until no longer pink, breaking up large pieces. Drain fat. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper and cook until onion is tender. Stir in broth, chili powder, tomato paste and tomatoes, undrained; bring to boil. Mix in pasta. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until pasta is al dente, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with toppings.

Spanish Rice with Beans & Cheese

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ cup Lundberg Family Farms® Long Grain Brown Rice
• 1 (14.5oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained and broken up
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
• 2 ¾ cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, divided

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add onions and garlic; cook for 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add to slow cooker. Blend cottage cheese and broth until smooth; pour into cooker. Mix in tomatoes, beans, green chilies, and one cup grated cheese. Cover and cook on high setting 4-1/2 to 5 hours, or until rice is tender. Just before serving sprinkle with reserved grated cheese. Cover with lid until cheese is melted. Serve with tortillas. Serves 8 to 10, generously.

Turkey Soup with Wild Rice

• 3 cups cooked turkey
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1(8oz) package Lundberg Family Farms Wild Rice
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 2 teaspoons sage
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste

Chop up the vegetables except spinach, and add to the slow cooker. Add wild rice, sage, turkey, chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Stir. Add two heaping handfuls of baby spinach to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours. The soup is done when the vegetables and rice are tender. Serves 6 to 8.

Creamy Parmesan Risotto

A simple stir it and forget it method to make risotto

• 1-1/4 cup Lundberg Family Farms Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3-3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 2 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Sauté Arborio rice in olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes; lower heat to medium and stir in garlic and onion; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Add broth and white wine, stirring well. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in grated parmesan cheese; recover with lid until cheese has melted. Serves 8 to 10.

Southwest Salsa Rice Bites

• 3 cups Lundberg^® Long Grain Brown Rice, cooled
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 (16 oz.) jar medium (or hot) thick and chunky-style salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 cup crushed Lundberg Sea Salt Rice Chips
• Additional salsa and sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice and cheese in large bowl; set aside. In medium bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Stir in salsa, sour cream, salt and pepper. Add salsa mixture to rice and cheese; mix well. Spray miniature muffin pans with vegetable cooking spray. Spoon approximately 1 1/2 tbsp. rice mixture into each cup, filling to just below the rim. Sprinkle crushed chips over filling, pressing slightly with back of spoon. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired. Makes 48 appetizers.

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake GF

Sugar Free and Gluten Free
makes 1 (9-inch) cheesecake; serves 10 – 12 (from simply sugar &gluten free.com)

adapted from Cooking Light, December 2010 edition

4 ounces biscotti or graham crackers (gluten-free, of course!!)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) packages block-style light cream cheese
4 ounces block-style fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 extra large eggs
2 extra large egg whites
1/2 cup Cranberry Clementine Sauce, pureed (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. (You want the long aluminum foil here so that it comes up the sides of the spring form pan. Otherwise water can leak into the bottom of the pan and ruin your crust.) Set a kettle of water to boil for the bain marie.

Place the biscotti or graham crackers in a food processor and whirl until they’re finely ground. Pour melted butter over crumbs and process until they come together. Press the crumbs in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until crust is slightly puffed and turns a light goled brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the all of the cream cheese with the agave on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the whole eggs one at time, mixing each one in before adding another. Scrape the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of the beaten whites directly into the cream cheese mixture. Fold the remaining egg whites in.

Gently turn the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust. Drop the pureed cranberry sauce by tablespoons in a random pattern over the top of the cheesecake. Swirl a knife through the cheesecake to create a beautiful marbled pattern. Place unbaked cheesecake into a 9×13 or larger baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven and carefully pour hot water halfway up the side of the spring form pan. Bake for 60 – 65 minutes or until the center of the cake barely moves when the pan is touched. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes with the door closed.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and carefully take it out of the bain marie. Remove the foil, run an offset spatula between the cake and the spring form pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for 6 – 8 hours before serving.

Cranberry Clementine Sauce
makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup fresh squeezed clementine or orange juice
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup unsweetened, frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
pinch of cinnamon
2 cups fresh cranberries

Put the fresh squeezed juice, water, thawed juice concentrate, stevia, and cinnamon in a heavy-bottom medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce to a simmer and let cook for 5 – 8 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in cranberries and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries have cooked down and sauce starts to become jelly-like.

Store in a pint mason jar in the refrigerator. Keeps for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!)

Butter Nut Rocky Road Fudge

You can not go wrong with this no fail fudge. It is the hit of the party. This recipe makes enough for everyone. Oh YES! its gluten free!

1 stick of BUTTER

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)

1 cup butterscotch chips

Melt in pot stirring as you go or they will burn

Remove from heat and add:

1 cup of walnuts (or any nut)

3 cups of mini marshmallows

Spread on a 8x12" pan -I like to cover the bottom with parchematn and let it drape over the ends (for handles) much easier to remove.

Refrigerate -when cool and hardened grab the ends and remove fudge form pan. Cut into peices.

Chocolate Covered Cherries-sugar & corn free

1 (10) ounce package frozen cherries
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao

1. In a medium saucepan, heat cherries, agave, vanilla and almond extract to a simmer
2. Combine arrowroot and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl to form a paste
3. Raise heat a bit and stir the arrowroot paste into the cherry mixture
4. Stir for about 1 minute until mixture thickens, scraping bottom of the pan with spoon, to evenly distribute the arrowroot, which can tend to settle on the bottom of the pan
5. Remove cherry mixture from heat and set aside
6. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat
7. Spoon scant 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each of the candy molds
8. Spoon one cherry (with some of the sauce) on top of the chocolate
9. Cover with another scant teaspoon of chocolate
10. Place in refrigerator to set, about 20-30 minutes
11. Remove from refrigerator, pop candy out of molds
12. Serve

Garlic Soup (aigo boulido)

A soup that is good for when your sick!

From Gluten Free & Sugar Free
Serves 2

5 cups water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 fresh sage leaves
1 medium bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 egg, lightly beated
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Place water, salt, garlic, sage, bay leaf, and thyme in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove a ladle full of soup and place it in a bowl to cool slightly. Once cooled, add it to the egg while whisking. While whisking the soup, pour in the egg mixture. Remove sage leaves, bay leaf, and thyme sprig. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Peppermint Bark Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like)

1 bag of white chocolate chips

24 mini candy canes, crushed *do not crush using a food processor – place candy canes in a zip lock bag and use a hammer to crush into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Pour (brown) chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave chocolate chips in increments of 30 seconds stirring the chips each time until chocolate chips have completed melted and mixture is smooth. Spread melted chocolate as evenly as possibly into lined pan. Place pan into freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat the same melting process with the white chips. While chocolate is still smooth, stir in half of the crushed candy cane mixture. Allow the white chocolate to slightly cool for a minute. Remove pan from freezer and spread white chocolate/crushed candy canes mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Spread white chocolate as quickly as possible. Top off with remaining crushed candy cane and gently pat down with the back of a spatula. Return pan to freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and gently lift the whole mixture from the pan with a butter knife. You should now have a solid sheet of peppermint bark. Remove parchment paper and break into pieces. Store any left over bark in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Enjoy!

Christmas Chocolate Bark

2 cups dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
⅓ cup pistachios (mine were unsalted)
⅓ cup dried cranberries
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used almost 1 teaspoon, as I like salt a lot)

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate
2. Pour chocolate into a parchment paper lined 8x8 pyrex baking dish
3. Sprinkle pistachios and cranberries over chocolate
4. Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture evenly back and forth to around ½ inch thickness
5. Sprinkle salt over bark
6. Allow to sit out until set, 1-2 hours
7. Cut into 16 squares and serve

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 3 Tbsp sugar ½ cup trans-free shortening 1 ½ cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp kosher salt 1 tsp xantham gum 1 cup sweet sorghum flour 1 cup superfine white rice flour 1 cup millet flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch 1. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and cut it into ½” chunks. Put the chunks into a mixing bowl of a standing mixer (outfitted with the paddle attachment). 2. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F 3. Line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with silpats or parchment paper 4. Combine the cinnamon and the 3 Tbls of granulated white sugar together in a shallow bowl. Put aside. 5. Put the shortening in the bowl with the butter and turn on the mixer to medium, beating them together until they are well blended. 6. Add the 1 ½ cups of sugar, and continue to beat until light and fluffy. 7. Add the eggs, one at a time beating after each addition and scraping down the sides with a spatula. Add the egg yolk and beat again. Finally add the vanilla and beat again. 8. Add the cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and xantham gum into the butter mixture and beat well. 9. Add the flours and beat until smooth. 10. Roll 1 tablespoon amounts of dough into 1” balls into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place on the baking sheets about 2” apart. 11. Bake for 12 minutes of until the tops of the cookies start to crack a little. Try not to over bake them, but don’t underbake them either. You want them them to crack on top, but not to look to dark brown. Let them cool on the pan for 3 minutes and then move them to a rack to cool. Makes 48 cookies. Note: the warmer the butter, the more the cookies will spread so don't let the butter get to warm.

Cheese-Stuffed Italian Chicken

adapted from the White House Cookbook (from simply sugar &free gluten free)
serves 2

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional- don't do mushrooms)
2 tablespoons shredded carrots
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, divided
pinch of cinnamon
8 – 10 drops liquid stevia
4 ounces tomato sauce
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese
a few grinds of black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until starting to soften. Add celery, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, cinnamon, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let the sauce reduce while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once sauce has thickened, taste add 8 drops of stevia. Taste and add more if necessary. The sauce shouldn’t be sweet – instead, the stevia will just balance out the acid from the tomatoes.

Mix cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Set aside.

Butterfly chicken breasts, then cover with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thick with a meat mallet or a skillet. (I use my small, stainless steel saute pan.)

Divide cheese evenly between the two chicken breasts, roll, and place in prepared baking dish seam side down. Top with tomato sauce. Cover and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until baked through. Top with shredded cheese, return to oven uncovered until cheese has melted. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Carob Dipped Pecan Shortbread Cookies

makes about 30 (2 1/2 inch) cookies
from simply sugar and gluten free

1 cup toasted pecans, divided
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons Basic Flour Blend (follow link)
1 1/2 – 2 cups unsweetened carob chips
1 1/2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
sea salt for sprinkling

Process 1/2 cup of toasted nuts in a food processor using the pulse button until finely chopped and set aside.

Cream the butter and the agave in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. (Please note that this is a different type of light and fluffy than when using white sugar – it’s a little darker in color and looks a little heavier.) Add salt, vanilla extract, and flour blend, and mix on the lowest setting just until blended. Add the processed nuts and mix again just until incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 20 – 3o minutes to make it easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Process the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted pecans using the pulse button until finely chopped. Put the chopped pecans on a plate. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough evently, spacing about 1 inch apart. Once the first sheet is full of cookies, roll each dough ball in the nut mixture to coat, roll into a ball and place back onto the tray. Use a flat bottomed glass to press the cookies 1/4 inch thick. Put the first tray in the oven. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Bake one tray at a time for 15 – 18 minutes until the edges start to turn lightly golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack lined with a paper towel to cool completely.

Once cool, bring one inch of water to boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Put the shortening in the bottom of a glass or stainless steel bowl that will fit snugly on top of the pan. Add 1 1/2 cups carob on top of the shortening. Once the water reaches a boil, turn the heat off and put the bowl on top of the saucepan. Let it sit for several minutes, stirring occasionally to help the carob melt.

Once melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan and dip the cookies halfway into the carob. Shake gently to remove any excess carob. Set coated cookies on waxed paper, sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and allow it sit until carob is fully set.

Steak & Tator Soup

1lb steak, roast (cut into small cubes) or you can use ground beef

1 large onion chopped

1 -15 ounce can of peas or fresh or frozen ( you can add any type of veggie -green beans, carrots)

6 med red potatoes -chopped into cubes

2 cups of whipping cream ( the good stuff 1T=45 calories- you can use milk to lower calories)

olive oil

Directions:

Cook onion in large pot coated with olive oil until onion is tender.

Cook steak in skillet coated with olive oil until done to your taste.

Add potatoes to the onions and cover with water until just above the potatoes.

Cook until potatoes are tender (around 15-20 minutes)

Add in the peas, steak. Slowly pout in the whipping cram and stir. remove form heat.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Healthier Eggnog

Healthier Eggnog
makes about 4 1/2 cups

4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia plus 15 – 20 drops to taste
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup half & half

Whisk together egg yolks and agave in a heavy bottom medium sized sauce pan. Slowly whisk in milk, then add in cinnamon, nutmeg, stevia, and cloves. Heat over medium low for 10 – 15 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and will coat the back of a spoon. If using an instant read thermometer, it should reach 165°F. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl or pitcher and whisk in heavy cream. Refrigerate for 4 hours or, preferably, overnight. Remove cloves before serving and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Will keep for 5 – 6 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

*Note: I used 1% milk. If you want an even lighter version, use skim. If you want richer egg nog, use whole milk.

Gluten Free Ginger Bread Men

560 grams All-Purpose Flour Mix
40 grams almond flour
3 grams xanthan gum
2 grams guar gum
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
230 grams (2 US sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh gingerroot


Combining the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, almond flour, xanthan gum, guar gum, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking soda, kosher salt, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper in a large bowl. Whisk them all together to combine and aerate.

Combining the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer (if you have one), mix the butter and sugar together until they are well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the brown sugar, molasses, egg, vanilla, orange zest, and fresh ginger. Run the mixer on low speed until everything is combined thoroughly, about 2 minutes.

Finishing the dough. With the stand mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients, about ¼ of it at a time, mixing in between until the flour has disappeared entirely into the dough. Continue this until all the dry ingredients have been added. The dough will be a little sticky to the touch. Don’t worry.

Refrigerating the dough. Divide the dough into four pieces. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Baking the cookies. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Put one of the discs of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough, through the parchment paper, to about 1/4-inch thick. (I like the cookies a bit thicker, so I made them about ½-inch thick. It’s your preference that matters.) Cut out the cookies using your favorite gingerbread man cookie cutter. Gather up all the scraps into a ball and roll the dough out one more time. (After that, toss the scraps. Or, if you’re like me, throw the random shapes onto the baking sheet and eat them later.)

Bake the cookies until the centers are firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

We found that the cookies taste even better the next day, so save at least some of them for frosting the day after you bake them. A couple of them, however, you’re going to want to eat right away.

I have not tried the chocolate drink mix recipes yet - I thought they looked interesting and wanted to get them on here before I lost them. You have to say they are defiantly interesting looking.

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

4 cups whole milk (you can use 2% as well)
1 inch of ginger root, cut into coins
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole allspice berries
Dash white pepper
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chunks, whatever kind you prefer

Pour milk into heavy bottomed sauce pan and add ginger root, cloves, cinnamon stick and allspice. Heat slowly over low heat until it comes to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove aromatics from milk.

Heat milk again to a simmer over low heat and add chocolate chunks and white pepper, stirring until melted and thoroughly incorporated. Amount of chocolate can vary based on your taste.

Remove from heat and serve with cookies, marshmallows or that oversized tin of popcorn you got at the office gift exchange

Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa

makes 2 servings

• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
• 1/4 cup cream

In a medium saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder into the milk and set aside.

Pour the sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan that will comfortably fit the sugar with some headroom. Place over medium-low heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon to keep the sugar heating evenly.

As the sugar heats, it will turn from fine grains to white shardy pieces to golden shards to a melted amber puddle.

When the sugar is fully dissolved and a deep golden caramel, stir in the Maldon sea salt and take the pan off the heat. Pour the cream into the caramel in a thin, steady stream while stirring; the caramel will hiss, bubble and harden, so this is where it’s crucial to have a pan with enough room to prevent boil-over.

Return the pan to the heat and continue to stir to re-melt the caramel.

As you stir the caramel, heat the milk/cocoa powder mixture over medium-low heat until it begins to steam. Keep the milk under a simmer or you’ll get a milk “skin” on top, one of my least favorite surprises in my cocoa mug. Whisk the hot caramel into the milk and serve immediately, with or without marshmallows.

Thai Spice Peanut Butter Curry Hot Cocoa Recipe

Yield: six 6-ounce cups of cocoa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk, 2% milkfat
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Recipe method:

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk and heavy cream over medium-low heat. Bring the milk to just 165°, or until you see bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat. Do NOT bring to a full boil, or the milk will taste burnt.

2. Pour in salt and chopped chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate is completely melted into the milk.

3. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, yellow curry powder, and ground ginger until you’ve got a smooth paste with no lumps. Add peanut butter to chocolate milk and return the saucepan to a low heat. Stir constantly until the peanut butter is incorporated into the milk. If you have some lumps of peanut butter that simply won’t melt, run the cocoa through a blender and reheat before serving.

4. Serve hot, adding more salt to taste.