eve’s Neighborhood

These cute little candy bites are a recipe that I found in the fun cookbook entitled "You Made That Dessert?" by Beth Lipton. The recipe calls for only four ingredients to make around 35 tasty candies. The candies are sweet and crunchy with a nice peanut butter butterscotch flavor. I added a little sea salt topping to mine for some extra flavor. The recipe is pretty basic and calls for rolling the candies into little balls. I decided to take it a step further and dress them up a little by using a candy mold and some melted chocolate. I think they turned out nice and would make a fun gift! Here is how you can make your own candies: You can find the basic recipe here.  After you crush the cornflakes, add them to the melted peanut butter and butterscotch chips and mix in some vanilla extract. I used an organic unsweetened peanut butter because I wanted a true peanut flavor and not a whole lot of sugar as the butterscotch chips are very sweet! After the mixture is well combined set aside. Because I wanted my candies to have a more uniform shape I used this handy-dandy plastic candy mold that i got at the hobby store for around $2. I wanted to use up the left over candy melts from my caramel apple post, so i melted the chocolate in a squeeze bottle and poured a little into the mold. Next I used a small paint brush to brush the chocolate up the sides. The chocolate filled mold went into the fridge for 5 minutes to set. When set, I scooped out a small mound of peanut butter butterscotch mixture into the mold and then topped it with more melted chocolate. I sprinkled a little sea salt over the top of the chocolate and chilled the candies again for around 15 minutes. When completely chilled I popped the candies out of the mold and drizzled a little melted white chocolate across the tops. I placed the finished candies  into individual mini-muffin cups that I found at the grocery store (73 cups for 99¢) and set them into a box for gift giving. You can also by-pass the chocolate and just scoop some of the peanut butter-butterscotch mixture directly into the molds and top with some chocolate sprinkles. Chill and unmold. Or even skip the mold by rolling the peanut butter-butterscotch mixture into small balls and then rolling the balls in chocolate sprinkles or chopped salted peanuts! Voila, you've got lots of yummy candies for you and your friends!

Here is a sweet, spicy and crunchy Halloween snack sure to please: Sweet & Spicy Popcorn Crunch! This easy to make caramel corn gets its spicy kick from a full 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper added to a sweet caramel syrup that gets poured over a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn and salted peanuts before baking in the oven until nicely crisped, browned and crunchy. The resulting popcorn crunch is delightfully addictive with its unusual crisp caramelized sweet/spicy flavor. To make this recipe really easy, use microwave popcorn! I used around 2 1/2 packages of buttered PopSecret Microwave Popcorn. The butter and extra salt in the microwave popcorn give the finished caramel crunch an even better flavor. Here is how you can make yours: You can find the full recipe for Sweet and Spicy Popcorn Crunch here. If you are using microwave popcorn, go ahead and pop up about 3 bags. Pour 2 1/2 bags worth of popped corn (minus the uncooked kernels) and 1 cup salted peanuts into a large bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line two baking sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. In a medium pot over medium heat melt together the butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook until golden brown and bubbly. Swirl the pot occasionally so the syrup doesn't burn, this should take around 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the salt and cayenne pepper then immediately pour mixture over the popcorn and stir to incorporate. Try to cover as much of the popcorn with the syrup as possible. Divide the popcorn evenly between the two baking sheets and bake for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the baked popcorn cool before breaking apart into crunchy pieces. Put into a big bowl, grab a blanket and turn on the spooky movies. Happy Halloween Everyone & Thanks For Checking Out My Blog!

Caramel Apples- the quintessential Halloween party treat. Flash-back to lots of sticky caramel stuck in little teeth and apple juice dripping down little chins. Lots of fun then but how to recreate that idea with a more grown-up twist for now? Hmmm....how about Caramel Apples with Bourbon Laced Caramel, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and for an extra spicy/salty kick: crushed Wasabi Peas and chopped Wasabi Almonds?! These are seriously good: the wasabi peas and almonds are the perfect spicy and salty compliment to the sweet white and dark chocolate while a touch of bourbon adds a little extra smoky flavor element to the buttery caramel before crunching down into the tart, crisp, juicy apple. Don't you just want one now? Here is how you can make your own:
This recipe will make approximately six small-medium sized caramel apples. You will need:
• 22 oz. (2 bags) Kraft Premium Caramel Bits (or 22 oz. of regular caramels unwrapped)
• 2 Tbls. of bourbon & 2 Tbls. water (or you can just use 4 Tbls. water)
• 6 small-medium sized apples, all appoximately the same size and shape
• 6 sticks (some bags of caramel will come with sticks/can also find at hobby shops)
• white chocolate candy melts or white chocolate
• dark chocolate candy melts or dark chocolate
• wasabi peas (can be found at Trader Joe's)
• wasabi almonds

Choose apples that are relatively small as they are easier to coat in the caramel. I used bright green Granny Smith apples because of their crisp tart flavor/texture and relatively uniform shape and smaller size.
Start by washing the apples really well in warm water with some vinegar added. The vinegar helps remove the wax found on the outside of the apples. If you leave the wax on the apples the caramel will slide right off! After scrubbing the apples remove the stems and dry them thoroughly. Using your sticks, carefully skewer each apple thru the stem end going down an inch into the apple to secure. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment or silpat, set aside. Make sure you have room set aside in your fridge for this sheet pan! Mix together the 2 Tbls. of bourbon and 2 Tbls. water with the 22 oz. of Caramel Bits into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula or spoon until the caramel is smooth and melted. Hold an apple by the stick over the melted caramel and coat with the caramel by spooning over the apple letting the excess drip off back into the pan. Transfer the coated apple to the lined 1/2 sheet pan. Repeat process with remaining apples then place pan of apples in fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. While the apples are chilling, crush the wasabi peas to a fine crumb using a food processor. I wanted to go for the texture of Shake-N-Bake so I made mine as fine as possible. Place the finely crushed wasabi peas in a wide shallow bowl. Using the food processor again, chop the almonds until they are fairly fine. Place the chopped almonds in a wide shallow bowl and mix with some of the crushed wasabi peas. (Of course you can always keep your peas and almonds chunky if you prefer!) Set bowls aside. When the apples have finished chilling, place the white chocolate candy melts into the top pan of a double boiler set over medium low heat- try not to let the water boil. Alternatively you can melt them in the microwave, following the instructions on the bag. When the white chocolate has become smooth and melted, remove the caramel apples from the fridge. Holding the apple by the stick, quickly pour the chocolate over the apple using a spoon. You will notice that the chocolate will start to melt the caramel. Just keep working quickly and transfer the apple back onto the 1/2 sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining apples and place pan into fridge for a minute or two  to lightly set the chocolate. Remove from fridge. Holding the apple by the stick roll/press it into the wasabi peas and/or almonds going all around the sides, about half way up the apple. Repeat with remaining apples. When finished, place the apples back into the fridge for another 20-30 minutes. While the apples are chilling, melt the dark chocolate melts in the top bowl of the double boiler (or use the microwave) until smooth and melted. I poured the melted chocolate into a large squeeze bottle to drizzle over the tops of the apples but you could easily just use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the apples. Remove apples from the fridge and drizzle the dark chocolate over the tops of the apples letting it run down the sides of the apple. Sprinkle chocolate with remaining crushed wasabi peas and almonds. Place apples back into the fridge to chill completely. When apples are finished chilling you can either serve them (they cut easier when left out to room temperature for a little while) or you can bag them up for gift giving or party favors. I made a "leaf" tag for my apples and tied each bag with a bright orange ribbon. For even more tips and ideas for caramel apples check out this great site: King Arthur Bakers. Whatever flavors you decide to use, everyone will love these caramel apples!

Decorated Sugar Cookies are a fun and festive way to celebrate the season. Who doesn't like getting a big colorful cookie with their own name iced across the top? Or how about a whole platter set out for a buffet? The cookies can be used as party favors or even place settings at a dinner. There are so many different cookie cutters to choose from, its best to start with simple shapes until you become more proficient at decorating. I made a bunch of these 5" pumpkins with this cookie cutter using a simple sugar cookie recipe and decorated with royal icing. While the whole decorating process can be time consuming, I have a few tips for making the process easier and that produce consistently good results. I thought I would pass them on to you:
• Sketch out a design for your decorated cookie before baking— This saves time by showing how much icing of each color will be needed and the placement of the icing when you start decorating. To make a design, trace the cookie cutter onto paper and use colored markers to indicate where the icing will go. Try to stick to two colors (three colors max!) and keep the design simple. For each color you will need an "outline" icing for piping and a "flood" icing for filling in between the outlines. The outline icing in firm and holds it shape when piped and is great for details. The flood icing in a more liquid version of the outline icing and spreads easily creating a smooth even surface.
• Roll out the dough to a precise thickness, usually 1/4"— A consistent thickness ensures even baking for all your cookies. You can use these handy rings that fit over your rolling pin or just use two slats of wood that are the correct thickness and roll dough out between them.
• Chill rolled dough before cutting— Chilling the rolled dough until firm ensures the cookie cutter will make perfect cutouts with nice crisp edges!
• Chill cut-out shapes- I actually freeze my cutouts before baking! The colder and firmer the cut out shapes, the better detail in your finished cookie and the cold dough really helps discourage spreading in the oven.
• Before mixing royal icing make sure all utensils are grease-free- Fat and grease are the enemy of royal icing as they break down its texture. To ensure a grease-free surface, wipe down your bowl and beater with some vinegar before washing thoroughly with soap and water. You can find an easy recipe for royal icing here.
• Use a squeeze bottle to decorate with flood icing— Flood icing is the thinner icing using to "flood" the main shapes on your cookie. Squeeze bottles are easier to use and fill than piping bags plus they are reusable. You can find squeeze bottles here.
• Let finished decorated cookies dry, uncovered over night before packaging or stacking—Letting the cookies dry thoroughly ensures that your masterpieces will not be smeared or dented when you place them on a buffet platter or into a cute gift bag.
• For lots of decorating ideas and more tips try this book: Cookie Craft by Valerie Peterson
Why not break out your rolling pin and your imagination and try some decorated sugar cookies this holiday season, remember you can always eat the mistakes!

Oh here we go. 

I'm getting caught up with blogging today because I was busy all weekend (including a detour to LitQuake where I attended the super-entertaining panel hosted by SFist and SF Appeal) and the next two weeks are going to be really busy for me. However, as I read The Twitter, the newspapers and so on, it's clear we're going to have an authentic Made-In-San Francisco crapstorm coming this week, and well, hey that's what fuels blogs, right?

In this case, we have two pieces of news that don't really have as much to do with each other as spinners and the like would have us believe. However, because the human mind likes to pick out patterns even when one might not exist, we're going to have one of those unproductive debates where shrillness and cleverness beat out the facts. (Remember David Chiu's silly-willy "accounting" about fare inspectors?)

As part of the "deal" crafted by "Mayor" Newsom and the Board of Supervisors over the MTA budget, a study on parking meter hours was preparedTuesday on parking meter hours was prepared. The point was in part to share the budget pain amongst everyone, instead of just Muni owner/riders, and to encourage 21st century parking management as well. There's plenty for people to like or dislike, and the misinformation pumped out by political types and the "Green Mayor" have helped fuel irrational speculation. The irony is of course, once again, "Green Gavin" has stabbed Muni owner/riders in the back, and talked a good game on climate change, but of course goes back on his word.  (Insert blogger snark/sarcasm here)

Now, I'm not a car abolitionist, and I absolutely hate relying on fines as a permanent operating fund source. That's in part because for several years I owned a car and racked up a sh*t-ton of tickets which I very much disliked paying and cost me a lot of money! And no one likes fishing for quarters or finding out they don't have any at the wrong time, my primary cause for getting a ticket, if I recall...

However, I also dislike how people use parking spots in business districts for overnight parking when they come home, essentially getting free parking on the taxpayer dime. It's not good for business districts that operate past 6pm, and it's not fair that some people get a "fake freebie" and some pay more for less. Right outside my apartment I see the usual suspects (some of whom I found don't even live in the neighborhood) hog all the spaces all night, while those that need one are circling for an hour. 

It makes a lot more sense to find ways to make it so those who actually need parking can find it, and those that do not (i.e. like a former neighbor of mine who was perfectly healthy yet had to drive 2 blocks for a pack of cigarettes in his gas guzzling SUV) pay more. Unfortunately, with the storm launched by the media , and opportunistic politicians who want to be seen as giving goodies like Santa Claus without disclosing the true cost, will probably ensure that reasonable policies will go down by the wayside, and no one wins. 

Complicating matters was the release of a study, no doubt done by the No Duh Institute, which makes the earth shattering discovery that fare cheats cost the Muni system a significant amount of money, to the tune of an estimated $19 million per year.

No, really? Stealing from Muni has consequences? Who TOLD?

I've always insisted Muni do a better job collecting fares and parking meter money it is currently owed, before sticking us with more hikes. It's just a natural - one would not take a large piece of their pay each week and toss it in a garbage can and then complain they can't pay the rent, so....why would Muni do that?

Now here's the San Francisco crapstorm - people are trying to tie the fare collection issue to the parking issue, and that's just foolish. The former is a function of management and maintenance and tracking, whereas the latter is about managing a very limited resource in a compact city. 

Yes, extended hours on meters would add in a bit of change to the MTA budget, but the real goal is to better manage and charge for that limited resource to keep the city moving. Put it another way - people say the MTA should be run like a business - well if it did, it'd charge market rate for all parking spaces, which would be significantly higher than they are today.

It's a lack of honesty in these discussion, and the willingness of our leaders to put political points ahead of good policy, that ensure that in the end, we, the owner riders of Muni and citizens of San Francisco end up with a dysfunctional transit system, combined with clogged streets and poor parking management. So long as we insist that's ok with us, we'll continue to get such lovely results.

Photo Credit: Flickr User ZontikGames via a Creative Commons License