Baking

Gingerbread House

The Pattern

              /\       /\     -
             /  \     /  \    4 inches
            /    \   /    \   _
           |      | |      |  |
           |  _   | |      |  5 inches
           | | |  | |      |  |
           |_|_|__| |______|  _
                   
           |--5"--| |--5"--|
    

             _            _            _        _
            | |          | |          | |      | |
            | |          |_|          | |      | |
            | |                       | /      \ |
            |_|                       |/        \|
            Front       Back         Side1  Side2
            2.5" tall   1.5" tall
    

Dough

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the molasses and eggs.

In another large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures and knead into a smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

On a well-floured surface, roll out a small amount of the dough until it's 1/4 inch thick. Place one of the paper pattern pieces on the dough and cut around the edges. Gently, using the spatula, lift the dough and place it on the prepared cookie sheet.

Put all scraps into a bowl and cover. Save these for the kids to play with, or to make gingerbread men.

To make windows and the door: Cut out a rectangle from the appropriate side. Cut the window in half to make shutters. Fill empty window holes with crushed life-savers to form stained glass windows.

To make the chimney: Cut out a rectangle big enough to hold all pieces of the chimney. When the baked dough is still warm and soft, lay the pattern on top and cut out the pieces.

Preheat the oven to 325oF. Bake 15-20 minutes or until slightly firm. Let cool on racks until firm enough to handle. Peel the foil off the sections and set the pieces aside to dry thoroughly overnight.

Icing Glue

This recipe is for a single batch. You will probably need several, but if you make them all at once, keep them in separate bowls: it dries very quickly and is like cement. Keep it well covered: one piece of saran wrap touching the icing itself and another on the bowl.

To Assemble

Cover the plywood base with aluminium foil. Pipe (or spread with a knife) two straight lines of glue at a 90o angle from each other: one for a side wall and another for an end wall. Pipe glue on the side wall where it will meet the end wall. Place walls on base, touching each other. Hold them in place until they are dry enough to stand on their own (about 15 minutes, and you can use those pop cans as support).

Repeat with the remaining two walls, running a line of icing glue along the corners so that all the walls are glued together. Again hold walls in place until the glue is dry.

Let the roof-less house dry at least 30 minutes until the icing is firmly set.

Banish small children from kitchen; find an extra pair of hands. Pipe a lot of icing along the tops of all the walls. Run a thick line along one long side of a roof. Stick the two roof sections together at an angle and sit the two pieces on top of the house. Make sure that the roof overhang is the same at both ends of the house.

Hold the roof gently in place until it dries (the pop cans should be the right height to support them). Let dry half an hour.

While the roof is drying, attach the door to the doorway by running a line of icing glue down one side and along the base. Make sure the door is open wide enough to slide a small flashlight inside later (so you can appreciate the stained glass windows). To attach the chimney: on one side of the roof near the peak, glue one angled piece to the roof. Glue the largest rectangle to the angled piece, then glue the second angled piece in place. Lastly, if there's room, glue the smallest rectangle to the other sections. Hide any mistakes under a "snow" of icing.

Let the house dry until completely solid, preferably overnight.

To Decorate

Remove the soda cans. Attach shutters to windows. Decorate by gluing candy to house.

Pineapple Cinnamon Rolls

Drain the crushed pineapple in a kitchen strainer over a small mixing bowl that will catch the syrup. Press out as much of the syrup as possible with the back of a spoon. Reserve both the fruit and the juice.

Separate the crescent dough as illustrated into eight rectangles instead of sixteen triangles as directed on the package. Place four of the rectangles together to form one large rectangle measuring about 13 inches by 7 inches. Press the edges and perforations to make a smooth continuous piece of dough. Repeat with the remaining four rectangles to make a total of two large rectangles.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the surface of the rectangles. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, dry frosting mix, and drained pineapple. Blend well and spread this mixture evenly over the rectangles to within 3/4 inch or the edges. Starting with a 13-inch side, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. When completely rolled, pinch the edge to seal. Repeat with the other rectangle.

Cut each roll into ten to twelve even slices and place each slice with the cut side down into a paper-lined muffin cup. Bake at 375oF for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly in the pans while you make the glaze.

To make the glaze, blend the powdered sugar with enough of the reserved pineapple syrup to make an icing of drizzling consistency. When the rolls have cooled to lukewarm, drizzle the glaze from the end or the spoon decoratively in swirls over the top or each roll.

The rolls may be served warm or at room temperature. Warm is best.

In large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add butter, eggs, and salt; mix well. Add the yeast mixture; blend. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth and elastic.

Place in very large greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Punch down and let rise again (45 minutes).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle, 21 inches in its smaller dimension. Note: you may wish to divide the dough in halves and roll out two rectangles. You may have to partially roll it out, then cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest before finishing. Spread 1/2 cup melted butter over surface. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, and spread evenly over surface, leaving a 1-inch margin along one of the long edges. Roll up tightly, starting from a long side. Press together along the edge not covered with cinnamon sugar.

Slice at ~1 1/4 inch intervals. Place on greased baking pan, ~2 inches apart. Cover and let rise until double again.

Optional additions (add to dry mixture after cutting in the butter)

• 1/4 cup raisins, currants, etc.
• 1/2 tsp orange or lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Sieve flour, baking powder & sugar into a bowl. Cut butter into pieces and rub it into the flour until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in everything else, and mix to form a stiff batter.

Put rounded tablespoons of the batter onto a greased baking sheet, about two inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool on a rack. These will keep in an airtight tin for a few days at most.

Place cornmeal, butter and salt in large bowl. Add boiling water and stir until butter is melted. Set aside to cool until just warm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir into cornmeal mixture and blend well. Stir in milk and add flour 1 cup at a time, blending well to form a dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead for 5-10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep flour form sticking. Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in size. Punch down and knead 5 minutes. Return to bowl and allow to rise until doubled again. Knead for 1-2 minutes. Place in 9" round baking pan and cover. Let rise about 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees , or until bread pulls away slightly from the edges of the pan.

Combine first five ingredients. Sift dry ingredients and blend well with creamed mixture. Add nuts and cranberries. Turn into 2 greased and wax-paper lined loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake 40 minutes more. Remove bread from pans and peel wax paper before cooling. Can be frozen.

Squeeze juice from orange into 8 oz measuring cup; add boiling water to fill. Blend orange rind in food processor with raisins. Add orange juice. Stir in shortening, vanilla and egg. Add dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in nuts. Bake in wax-paper lined loaf pan at 350 degrees for an hour.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Dissolve soda in persimmon pulp and add to creamed ingredients. Combine dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Add orange rind, dates and nuts and mix well. Bake in loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 75 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and slice.

Blend all ingredients together. Bake in greased loaf tin at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.

Bake in a 350oF oven about 50 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool completely on the rack.

113 calories per serving (16 servings)

Scald milk, butter, sugar and salt. Stir in 3 cups flour and mix to make medium batter. Add egg yolks and cardamom, mix well. Dissolve yeast in warm water; when cooled, add to batter. Let rise until double, then punch down. Add remaining flour and knead. Let rise until double, cut into four parts. Shape into loaves or braid. Spread with egg whites for glaze, if desired. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

FREEZING: These apple rolls freeze well. Wrap in small batches. Thaw before re-heating at 350.

Sift together dry ingredients. Stir in oats. Add eggs, molasses, vinegar and milk; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins. Turn into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Saucepan Brownies

Melt butter over medium heat; stir in cocoa. In separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla. Combine all ingredients and stir until mixed. Bake in greased 9' square pan for 20 minutes; the brownies should be gooey.

Melt chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter. Cool and set aside. Cream remaining butter with cream cheese until softened. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Blend in 1 egg, 1 tablespoon flour and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. Beat remaining eggs well. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating until thickened. Add baking powder, salt and remaining flour. Blend in cooled chocolate mixture, nuts, almond extract and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Measure 1 cup chocolate mixture and set aside. Spread remaining chocolate batter in 9" greased pan. Top with cream cheese mixture and swirl to marble. Cover with remaining chocolate batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool then cut into 24 squares.

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Cool slightly. Beat eggs until foamy. Gradually add sugar to eggs, beating well after each addition. Blend in chocolate. Stir in flour. Add vanilla and nuts. Spread in greased 9" square pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool then cut into 24 squares.

Melt butter and combine with sugar. Cool slightly and combine with remaining ingredients. Pour into greased and floured 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into 24 bars.

Chocolate Almond Flutes

Place almonds, flour, cocoa and salt in food processor or blender and process until almonds are finely ground; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, oil, butter and vanilla. Add the flour/almond mixture and whisk until well blended.

Drop 1 tablespoonful of batter onto a prepared baking sheet. With a metal spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the batter into a circle 4 to 4.5 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining batter, leaving ample space between cookies --- you will have room for about 3 per sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are firm. Immediately life the parchment or foil from the baking sheet and place it on the counter. Carefully slip a flat metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it. Return the cookies to the baking sheet and place in the oven for about 1 minute to soften. To shape, wrap each (warm) cookie loosely around a wooden spoon handle to form a flute. If the cookie hardens before you finish shaping it, soften in the oven for a minute or so.

Transfer the shaped cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. They may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Before serving, dust the edges of the flutes with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream and fresh fruit.

Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp grated orange peel. Roll balls of dough in sugar mixture. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten to about 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.

In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

Blend sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at a medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture and chocolates, and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not over-mix. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 23-25 minutes. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool, flat surface.

Scoop out heaping tablespoon fulls of dough and put them on a baking pan about two inches apart.

A few notes: Instead of butter you can use margarine or some butto-marga-blend. Don't leave out the salt, it's what really makes chocolate chip cookies happen. If you're worried about your health what are you eating chocolate chip cookies for? Some people have complained that my cookies are too rich and they get dizzy or feel buzzed. Mix at your own risk.

The dough can be saved in the refrigerator for 5 days or so. Probably longer. Maybe indefinitely.

Now the baking. The parameters to cookie baking are virtually unlimited -- altitude, humidity, oven thermal-stability. Again, punt the neurotic approach. Set the oven to about 375F degrees. If you remember to preheat, even better. A cold oven tends to make them melt before they bake so you get flat crispy cookies rather than what crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle, but these are fine aesthetic points.

Bake the cookies in for 9-10 minutes and then check them. Raising or lowering the rack can effect how the cookies bake but its not clear exactly how. All sorts of hypotheses can be considered while the cookies burn in the mean time. Just keep giving them another minute or two until they are done.

I think that cookies are done when they are brown on the edges and bottom but just transitioned from the dough state in the middle. Sort of a dough triple point. Cookie nirvana. When they look done, take them out and eat immediately. You will be horribly burned but it's worth it. Enjoy.

Cream together first five ingredients until light and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees .

Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, beating well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonsful onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Blend together butter and sugars. Add egg and water and whip until creamy. Add flour, soda and vanilla, again beating until creamy. Add oatmeal and stir well. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes.

Cream sugars, shortening and vanilla. Add eggs and beat in well. Beat in chocolate. Sift together dry ingredients, blend into creamed mixture alternately with milk. Add nuts. Chill 3-4 hours. Form into 1" balls and roll in confectioner's sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Mix well all ingredients except raisins, walnuts, cornflakes and cherries. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop dough into cornflakes by teaspoonsful; roll until covered. Top with cherry half and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Variations:

In 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, molasses, shortening, water, raisins and dates. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Let stand in saucepan until mixture reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes. Beat in eggs until smooth. Stir in all remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until firm to touch in center. Cool and cut into 24 squares.

Cream the butter. Add sugar and eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour with baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and blend well. Add nuts and the rum-soaked fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to slow (325oF). Grease cookie sheets. Form batter into balls the size of walnuts.

Bake on cookie sheets for 10 to 12 minutes at 325oF. Cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with 10X sugar.

Cookies: Preheat oven to moderate (350oF). Grease cookie sheets. Cream butter with sugar. Add flour sifted with cornstarch and salt. Mix in the lemon rind. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in the chopped nuts, pressing them in. Bake about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Drizzle with Lemon Frosting.

Apple Filling

Fillings:

Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee/butter, the cardamom and the 1/2 cup chopped pistachios, and, stirring constantly, pour in the powdered milk. When mixture is smooth, place the pan over moderate heat and cook, stirring and scraping constantly, until mixture is reduced to a thick paste which pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in remaining ghee/butter & the rose water.

Using a rubber spatula, spread burfi onto a buttered cookie sheet, and mold into a square about 3/4" thick. Press pistachio slivers into top of burfi. When burfi is thoroughly cooled cut into 24 pieces with a knife (dip knife into hot water, and wipe dry, between each cut). Keep refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving. Best served within 4 days.

Ari Rapkin

Pastry

Syrup

Bake at 350oF for 25 minutes. After 12 minutes, brush cake with remaining egg. When done, cool 10 minutes then cut squares and take out of the pan.

Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the butter and minced ginger on medium speed until it whitens and holds soft peaks, 3-5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until well blended. Whisk together the egg and molasses and add to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Beat half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then beat in the baking soda. Add the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325oF. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.

Work with the dough in small batches, keeping the rest refrigerated. With your hands, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on paper-lined or non-stick baking sheets. Chill until firm, 15-20 minutes. Put the 1/4 cup sugar in a saucer. Toss the balls one at a time in the granulated sugar to lightly coat the surface; return to the baking sheet. Press cookies down lightly with the heel of your hand to keep them from rolling around on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly colored. At the beginning of baking, the cookies will rise a bit into a domed shape, then, just before they are done, they will deflate, spread very slightly, and crack on top.

Remove from the oven as soon as the cookies have fallen. They will still be soft, but will firm up as they cool.

There are two flavors: chocolate and gingerbread. The cookies are dense and not very sweet. This is necessary so that they will keep their shape during baking. If you use white flour or sugar they may be tastier but they won't look like shit.

Chill 1 hour in the freezer or several hours in the fridge. Roll dough logs of random length and the diameter of cat poops. Roll logs in grape- nuts and bake at 350 degrees till done (10 to 15 minutes).

Serve in a disposable cat litter box on a bed of grapenuts, with a cat litter scoop. You get lovely effects by decorating the box and scoop with melted chocolate, pudding, brownie mix, etc., and by tinting the grapenuts pale green with colored powdered sugar. Also try scattering plastic flies around the table.

Mix flour, sugar, salt and nuts. Stir in vanilla. Melt butter and work into dough until it forms a ball. Shape into 1" diameter patties, place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown. Let cool slightly, then dust with confectioner's sugar.

Blend bananas, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix remaining ingredients together and add to banana mixture. Blend well. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Oatmeal Cookies II

Cream wet ingredients. Blend in remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake 10 minutes at 325 degrees.

Cream first five ingredients thoroughly. Stir in peanut butter. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheet; criss-cross with floured fork tines. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Beat shortening and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and peanut butter, beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and criss-cross with fork tines. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, cinnamon and salt. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (reserve white). Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill several hours. Roll out to 1/8" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake on greased cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Sugar Cookies II

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in milk. Sift dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Chill 1-2 hours. Roll to 1/8" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet 6 minute at 400 degrees.

Melt butter and add dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Smooth into shortbread tin or glass baking ware and bake at 325 degrees until light brown. Dredge with sugar and slice while warm.

Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut squares and place onto floured cookie sheet.

Bake at 300oF for 25-30 minutes, until firm to the touch.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees . Thoroughly blend shortening, sugar and egg. Sift remaining ingredients together and stir into creamed mixture. Form into small balls and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Place 2" apart in ungreased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Filling: Combine candy and sugar. Reserve 1/4 for topping cookies. Blend cream cheese and milk and add to remaining candy mixture. Add food coloring. Mix well.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Make a deep hole with your finger in center of each ball and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon filling. Seal with a small bit of dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350oF oven for 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool slightly on wire racks.

While cookies are still warm sprinkle with reserved candy mixture. Cool completely.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture until smooth. Force through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees about 8-10 minutes.

Pecan Pralines

Be careful not to get any of the mixture on your skin as it sticks and can cause serious burns.

Melt the butter in the pot over high heat. As soon as it's melted, add the sugars and cream. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add the milk and chopped pecans. Cook 4 minutes more, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and whisking 5 minutes. Add the pecan halves and vanilla and continue whisking and cooking until done, about 15 minutes longer. If the mixture starts to smoke toward the end of cooking, lower the heat.

Remove pan from heat. Quickly and carefully drop the batter onto the cookie sheet by heaping teaspoonfulls, using the second spoon to scrape the batter off the first. Each praline should form a 1-2 inch patty about 1/2 inch thick. Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Doneness: To judge doneness, use one or more of the following guides:

1. Candy thermometer at 240oF.
2. When done, the batter will begin forming distinct threads on the sides or bottom of the pan.
3. Near the end of the cooking time, make a test praline every few seconds. The early-test pralines will be somewhat runny, very shiny and somewhat translucent. The ideal praline will have progressed past that stage -- it will not be runny and will be less shiny; when cooled it will be opaque, lusterless and crumbly instead of chewy.
4. Near the end of the cooking time, drizzle spoonfuls of the mixture across the surface of the mixture. When ready, it will form a neat thread across the surface.

Select Large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check rum again. It must be just right. To be sure rum is of proper quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat.

With electric mixer beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again.

Meanwhile, make sure rum is still all right. Try another cup. Open second quart if necessary.

Add eggs, 2 cups fried druit and beat 'til high. If druit gets stuck in beaters, pry loose with drewscriber. Sample rum again, checking for tonscisticity.

Nest, sift 3 cups pepper or salt (it really doesn't matter). Sample rum.

Sift 1/2 pint lemon juice. Fold in chopped butterand strained nuts. Add 1 bablespoon of brown thugar or whatever color you can find. Wix mell.

Grease oven. Turn cake pan to 350 degrees. Pour mess into boven and ake. Check rum again and bo to ged.

Mix ingredients together. Form into ball, roll in confectioner's sugar. Refrigerate.

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually and beat until peaks are stiff. Fold in chocolate and nuts. Cover a cookie sheet with brown paper and drop batter by teaspoonsful 2" apart. Bake 25 minutes at 300 degrees .

In glass container, combine chocolate chips and milk. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Spoon into foil-lined pan and chill 2 or more hours.

Put sugar, vinegar, syrup, and water in a heavy saucepan (cast iron if you have it). Be careful that your pot is big enough, because sugar has a tendency to boil over. Gently heat the mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar has dissolved & syrup has melted. Bring to a boil, cover & boil for 3 minutes, then uncover and boil until temperature reaches 285-degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat & stir in the baking soda, mixing well to allow bubbles to subside a little. CAUTION: once you add the baking soda the mixture WILL bubble up quite a bit. Again, make sure your pot is large enough or it will bubble over the sides. The baking soda is what gives it its light airy texture.

Pour into oiled tin & leave until just beginning to set. Mark into squares with a lightly oiled knife. Leave to set completely. Cut or break into pieces.

Combine chocolate chips, shortening & baking chocolate in 2-quart glass micro-proof bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Using wooden spoon, stir through to melt.

Dip honeycomb pieces into chocolate, covering completely. Let cool on waxed paper. Wrap individually in waxed paper, twisting the ends together, and store in an airtight container.

The Basic Chocolate Truffle

Take a little ganache at a time and form 1" balls, using fingertips (with as little contact as possible so the chocolate doesn't soften). Keep unused portion refrigerated as you work. Place balls on waxed paper-lined baking sheet; continue until ganache is used up. Refrigerate baking sheet until ganache is hardened, overnight or up to two days. Allow to set in refrigerator at least two hours before loosely covering with waxed paper. Foil can be substituted in all cases for waxed paper, but never use clear plastic wrap. It clings too tightly to the candies and traps moisture inside which discolors the chocolate.Prepare Chocolate Coating: Chop or grate chocolate into small pieces. Heat chocolate and oil together in top of double boiler over hot water, stirring until smooth with a wooden spoon. Insert candy thermometer and begin dipping the ganache balls when temperature registers between 85-90F. If chocolate begins to cool and thicken before you're finished dipping, reheat over hot water. Work with only 1/2 dozen at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated. Drop a single ganache ball into the chocolate, turning to coat well, then lift it with the fork. Allow excess chocolate to drip back into pan, then gently rap fork against edge of pan to remove more chocolate from ball. Failure to do this will cause a large dribbly "platform" or "skirt" to form around the base of each hardened truffle. (this makes it difficult to pack them side by side in a box.)

There are two schools of thoughts as to the proper method of depositing truffles onto the baking sheet: A) If you are conservative by nature it's best to gently slide them off the fork with a butterknife, onto the waiting baking sheet. B) If you intend to further decorate the truffle, the second method, (for the show-offs among us) involves dropping the truffle off the fork upside down directly onto the baking sheet. Quickly manipulate the single strand of chocolate, adhering to the fork, into some glorious shape atop the candy, like the pros do. Either way is acceptable, although the second way requires some practice and an accurate thermometer to get it right. If your chocolate temperature is off by a few degrees, you're likely to find a chocolate highway - not a chocolate strand - adhering to the fork when that critical moment comes.

The perfect finale for the basic recipes, for instance, is a sprinkling of shaved dark chocolate over the top, or better yet, gently rolling each newly-dipped truffle in the shavings to coat completely.

Refrigerate all truffles after dipping several hours or overnight to harden.

Bavarian Mint Truffles

Dark Rum Truffles

Bourbon Pecan Truffles

Amaretto Truffles

Exquisite Almond Truffles

Melt chocolate using tempered method below. Using a fork, dip balls one at a time into chocolate; place on waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Melt 4 ounces white baking pieces and 1 tablespoon shortening over hot water. Spoon over candies.

Kahlua Cream Truffles

Irish Cream Truffles

Grand Marnier Truffles

Truffles

Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until slightly fluffy (about 2 minutes). Chill till mixture holds its shape (10 to 15 minutes). Drop by well-rounded teaspoons onto baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Chill till firm (30 minutes). Gently shape into balls. Roll in desired coating. Store, covered, in cool, dry place.