PEANUT BRITTLE

Peanut brittle just seems to go with Christmas, with its salty-sweet combination.
It is surprisingly easy to make and makes delightful little hostess gifts.

4 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups light or golden corn syrup

¾ cup water

6 cups salted roasted peanuts with skins

8 T unsalted butter

1 T vanilla extract

1 T baking soda

In a heavy Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water.

Bring to a boil, mixing with a long wooden chopstick or spoon. 

Cover and boil 5 minutes.

Remove lid and add a candy thermometer and continue to boil until temperature reaches 275 degrees F.

Add peanuts and stir constantly until mixture reaches 300 degrees F, which takes about 12 to 15 minutes.  

At this point, the mixture should be a rich golden brown.

Immediately remove from heat and quickly add butter, vanilla, and baking soda.  

Stir until butter melts.

Pour down the center of 2 baking sheets and then spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Allow to cool 1 hour. 

Snap into shards and store in an airtight container.

CUBAN BLACK BEANS

Here is a recipe from south of the border . . . way south . . . all the way to Cuba.

3 cups dried black beans

1 qt water

3 T extra-light olive oil
1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, cut into 2 or 3 pieces

1 jalapeno, split and seeded

1 bunch of cilantro, long stems cut off

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t dried oregano

¼ t allspice

2 T ground cumin

½ t coriander

½ t turmeric

2 bay leaves

1 small smoked ham hock

2 qts chicken broth

Sour cream

4 scallions, chopped

Lime wedges, for garnish

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Rinse and sort beans, discarding any foreign material. 

Combine beans and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  

Cover and set aside for at least 8 hours. You can also do this overnight.

In a skillet, add the oil and sauté the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeno for 10 minutes.

When cool, spoon into a food processor along with most of the cilantro, leaving some for garnish, and process.

Drain the beans and discard the water. Add the beans to a large soup pot or Dutch oven.

Add the ham hock, chicken stock, and processed vegetables.

Add the spices and simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours.

To serve, remove the bay leaves and ham hock.

Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls.

Place a dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl of soup. 

Garnish with some scallions, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge on the side.

Serves 4

BLUEBERRY-GINGER SORBET

This is the easiest sorbet to make because there is no simple syrup to make and let cool and no straining necessary.

4 cups blueberries

2 T freshly grated ginger

3 pieces of candied ginger, chopped

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup honey

1 T freshly grated lemon zest

3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup cold water

2 T vodka (optional)

Place all of the above ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer to a covered container and place in your freezer, until firm.

Serves 4 to 6