SC - Bounce: Don't use the term "Holiday Gifts" in the subject header.

[Michael F. Gunter]

>It's about time to start that annual thread:
>what kitchen stuff did you get for holidays gifts?
>what holiday treats (traditional or otherwise) did you make?


Let's see here...

A heavy-bottomed, 5 gallon stainless steel pot for brewing
A smallish metal-handled non-stick wok
Cheesemaking kits for mozzarella and hard cheeses
4 knives from Global, including a vegetable cleaver
A commercial grade calphalon omelette pan (score!)
2 cases Boylan black cherry soda

(gifts to myself right before Christmas included Bo Friberg's "The
Professional Pastry Chef" and the 6th ed. of "The New Professional
Chef".
At 40% off, I couldn't resist)

Gifts to others included peanut brittle (that far more resembled Cadbury

Crunchie bars rather than any peanut brittle I'd seen before) and two
loaves
of orange walnut bread.

The brittle, from "Death by Chocolate Cookies":

3/4 c. peanuts
1/4 c. peanut butter chips
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda

1) Roast the peanuts in a 350 degree (F) oven for 3-4 minutes (the
original
recipe says 15.  This may be right if they're raw to begin with, but I
was
using dry-roasted ones).  Put them in a 9" x 13" nonstick pan to cool.
Once
they have cooled, add the peanut butter and chocolate chips, ensuring
they're well mixed.

2) Mix the extract and baking soda in a cup.  Stir well, and stir well
before the end of the cooking process in the next step.

3) Mix sugar, water, and corn syrup in a 3 qt pot.  Heat, whisking
frequently.  Keep an eye on the temperature with a candy thermometer.
The
mixture will start to brown as it approaches being finished.  When the
temperature reaches just over 300 degrees F (hard crack notation on a
candy
thermometer), add the extract and baking soda mentioned in step 2.  The
mixture will froth up!  Whisk, whisk, whisk!

4) As soon as the mixture seems to have attained a uniform color, pour
it
over the chips and peanuts.  Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour,
then
refrigerate for 1/2 hour.  Break and enjoy.

Steinn Karlsson