Homemade GooGoo Clusters

The Setting: Gloomy day, but warm enough to leave the ski mask at home.

The Soundtrack: Hoosband flipping through papers and working out figures on the calculator. Hooray tax time!

Steaming up the Oven: Bread.

The Scenario: We're in the home stretch for Music City in the Midwest, with our second-to-last recipe, Homemade GooGoo Clusters.

In 1912, Nashville's Standard Candy Company brought the world its very first mass-produced combination candy-bar.

In a world of plain-Jane candy bars made exclusively of chocolate or taffy, the GooGoo Cluster proudly combined chocolate, marshmallow, caramel, and peanuts in a confection so tasty people would start asking for it from birth--that's right, the next time you hear a baby say "Goo Goo," you'll know what he's clamoring for.

My version uses dulce de leche instead of caramel (because it's easier to make, easier to work with, and pretty freaking delicious) and honey-roasted peanuts for an added flavor bonus.

This recipe is dedicated to my daughter, Oia, who is expressing her share of goos and gahs these days, and to the memory of my grandparents, who always had a stash of GooGoo Clusters somewhere in the house.

Homemade GooGoo Clusters
This recipe uses the same Marshmallow Cream recipe as the Homemade MoonPies, also featured in Music City in the Midwest.

1/3 cup powdered sugar, for sprinkling and rolling
1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
3 (1/4-oz) envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups dulce de leche
1 1/2 lbs honey-roasted peanuts
16 oz semisweet and/or dark chocolate, divided
16 oz milk chocolate, divided
4 1/2 T coconut oil, divided

Make the Marshmallow Cream: Prop up each of two disposable pastry bags in each of two tall drinking glasses and fold the tops of the bags down a few inches (as if you were going to turn then inside-out). Set aside.

Line your counter with parchment paper and sift half the powdered sugar over the parchment.

Sprinkle the gelatin over 3/4 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Fix a 3-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer so that the bottom of the thermometer is just above, not touching the bottom of the pan. Make sure the thermometer is set to Fahrenheit. Add the sugar, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, salt, and remaining water to the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir. Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 231 degrees F. The mixture will be light-golden-to-pale-amber in color. Remove from heat, turn the mixer on low, and very slowly and carefully stream the sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture.

Add the vanilla and increase the speed slightly. Continue increasing the speed slightly every 30-to-60 seconds until the speed is set to high. Beat on high until the mixture is white, fluffy, and voluminous and the bowl is almost cool to the touch, about 6 minutes.

Split the mixture between the two pastry bags, and pipe rough 1 1/2-inch puffs onto the prepared parchment.

Sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar, and roll each puff gently in the powdered sugar to coat (this will prevent the puffs from sticking to each other and make them easier to handle.

Top each puff with about 1 T dulce de leche.

Place the peanuts in a bowl. Press each puff, dulce-de-leche-side down into the peanuts so that the nuts cling to the dulce de leche.

Prepare the Chocolate Coating: Place 6 oz semisweet chocolate, 6 oz milk chocolate, and 2 T coconut oil in a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir till completely melted and smooth.

Line your counter with clean parchment paper.

Gently press each cluster, marshmallow-side down, into the chocolate so that the chocolate coats the bottom. Allow the bottom of the cluster to gently graze the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate as you transfer the cluster to the parchment paper to set.

Once set, transfer the clusters to a cooling rack and set the rack over the parchment paper.

Prepare remaining chocolate ingredients as before.

Spoon chocolate over each cluster, using the spoon to help you coat the top and sides, getting the chocolate into every nook and cranny. Let set.

Use an offset spatula or a wide, flat cheese tool to help you remove the fully set clusters from the cooling rack without cracking the chocolate.

Store clusters in a plastic zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes approximately 50 clusters.

Guest Feedback:
Average Score on a scale of 0-5, 0 being "Never again. Need to set my mouth on fire to extinguish the memory" and 5 being "Woohoo! When can I eat that again?" 4
Comments:  "Good." "Very satisfying!" "Too tasty."

This recipe was featured in a post called Music City in the Midwest for Foodbuzz.com's 24x24 event, for which 24 food bloggers from around the world are selected to host dinner parties within the same 24 hours and blog about them.

Thanks for Reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

Slow-Cooker Dulce de Leche

The Setting: Gorgeous day! We're talking stroller-out, take-the-baby-for-a-walk blue skies and tolerable temperatures.

The Soundtrack: House Hunters International.

Steaming up the Oven: Nothing...but we've got hot dogs on the Griddler!

The Scenario: Sometimes it's best to take things slowly...just not so slowly that they're forgotten.

I am obsessed with dulce de leche. I know, I've mentioned it before, but only recently did I become obsessed with making it work in the slow-cooker.

I was certain I had a fool-proof plan for flawless, clump-free dulce de leche.

....And I was just the fool to prove me wrong.

I am, however, a stubborn fool, and a Crock-Pot full of dog-food dulce de leche wasn't going to stand in my way.

So after a good scrub down of the slow-cooker, I set to it again.

And this time, I got it right.

Slow-Cooker Dulce de Leche
Two cans of sweetened condensed milk will make about 2 cups dulce de leche. Adjust cooking times as necessary for larger or smaller batches.

2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
sea salt and/or vanilla (optional), to taste

Empty the cans of sweetened condensed milk into the slow-cooker. Set to low and cook with the lid ajar for 1 hour. Remove the lid completely, stir, set the slow-cooker to "keep warm," and continue warming for 3 hours or until amber-colored and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add sea salt and/or vanilla if using.

Let cool. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.

The Write Time

The Setting: Fighting for space at a table too small for its contents in an apartment with the same condition; gazing through sheer curtains at changing leaves, powder-blue skies, and a beautiful Midwestern day.

The Soundtrack: Oia's gentle snoring.

Steaming up the (microwave) oven: Oatmeal.

The Scenario: Taking time to write.

Relishing the nuances of raising a newborn hasn't left me with an abundance of time for cooking or writing or, really, anything that is best accomplished sans baby.

I did, however, just complete the entire series of The Hills in seven days, so you know, there's that.

Excessive use of Netflix streaming aside, I try to be as productive as possible.

Our new place has its perks, like a great community, convenient location, and super-low price-tag.

One thing it does not have is a dishwasher...that is, however, unless you count me and my increasingly chapped hands (the sausage-fingers may have deflated post-pregnancy, but the soap-and-hot-water-induced wedding-band rash returns the rings to the sidelines most days).

We have a small drying rack and limited counter space, so dishes are often done in batches.

Despite my efforts to limit dish-usage and stay on top of the cleaning, the dirty dishes and water glasses pile up faster than mini-skirts on a dressing room floor in the junior's section.

My dish-washing is perpetual.

Thankfully, we do have a washer and dryer in the apartment...which is good, because somehow we manage to generate enough dirty laundry for at least one load a day, generally more.

Question our carbon footprint if you must.

I squeeze in a toning class and yoga once a week, but with a baby who likes to eat as often as she is cute, most of my time is spent remote-control in hand, with my Brest Friend strapped on and my booty glued to the loveseat...which is likely why my maternity jeans are starting to fit again.

Or it could be the recipes I've been testing/inhaling when I've found the time to bake. Pecan Pie Squares, Chocolate Ganache Tart, or Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Filling, anyone?

Now, I think, might be time for broccoli.

Note: I am obsessed with dulce de leche, like for the filling of the vanilla bean cupcakes pictured in this post. I try to always have some in the fridge. It takes a while to make, especially from scratch (as in the recipe here http://beingthesecretingredient.blogspot.com/2010/06/pistachio-halvah-candy-bars.html). However, you can save a little time if you simply cook down a can or two of sweetened condensed milk. Do not simmer it in the can, which can be very dangerous. Instead, empty two cans into a medium-sized saucepan, bring to a simmer, turn the heat to med-low, and cook two hours or till slightly reduced and deepened to a nice, deep-golden color. You'll want to stir occasionally and adjust the  heat as necessary to prevent the bottom from scorching. Once it's done, you don't have to add a thing, but I like to add a splash of pure vanilla extract and a sprinkle of sea salt. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat with ice-cream, cake, apples, bananas, or straight out of the container. I even mix it into oatmeal!

Pistachio Halvah Candy Bars

The Setting: Rain is off and on...such is the onset of hurricane season in my hood.

The Soundtrack: Glee: The Road to Sectionals on DVD (pretty much my new default)

On the Stovetop: Dulce de leche

The Scenario: Testing two products from the store plus one Latin-inspired recipe I've been itching to try since my first trip to South Florida.

El Rey milk chocolate, pistachio halvah (a Lebanese sesame-paste confection), and homemade dulce de leche will join forces to create delectable mini candy bars. This might be genius.

For the Dulce de Leche:
For a slight shortcut on making dulce de leche, see the note at the end of this post, or see this post for a slow-cooker version.

2 cups skim milk
6 oz (approx. 3/4 cup) brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add the milk and brown sugar to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over med-high heat.

When sugar has dissolved, stir in baking soda, and reduce heat to med-low.

Cook gently, stirring occasionally but avoiding reincorporating the foamy parts for 3-4 hours or until mixture is a dark, caramel-ly color and has reduced by about half. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

For the Candy Bars:
The amounts you need of the below items are up to you...make a little, make a lot...it's pretty intuitive.

Pistachio halvah, cut into 1-inch-x-3-inch strips
Dulce de leche
El Rey milk chocolate, chopped

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper, and clear a space in the freezer large enough for the pan to fit.

Arrange the strips of halvah in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spread the tops of the strips with delce de leche, and chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

Before removing the halvah strips from the freezer, place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring well in between each, just until chocolate is completely melted.

Dunk the halvah strips in the melted chocolate so that they are completely coated, and return to the baking sheet. When all halvah strips have been dunked, return the sheet to the freezer till chocolate has completely solidified.

Transfer candy bars to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until eaten. They will last a long time this way, but they are so tasty that it is unlikely their shelf-life will be an issue.


Afterthoughts:

One of my better ideas...ever. The halvah can be crumbly, so if you desire to create a whole lot of these and you care deeply about uniformity of shape and size, you should purchase a lot more halvah than you think you'll need. You can always munch on the crumbled pieces as you go, or toss them to the "vultures" that inevitably circle the kitchen when the promise of chocolate is thick in the air.

Suspension of perfectionism may be necessary for ultimate enjoyment of the process, but the outcome will be surefire deliciousness.