Crazy Good

After eating on the road most of the week, I was ready for some home cooking today, so I started early by putting some pork chops in the crock pots to simmer. Within a couple of hours the kitchen smelled of slow cooker onions and barbecue sauce doctored with peach jelly, fig chutney, cider vinegar, Worcestershire, black pepper, and some chipotle for good measure. By the time six o'clock rolled around we were all starving because of the sweet aroma permeating the house. Of course, the pork began falling apart before I even got it to the plate for shredding. Once there, I added just a little corn starch to the liquid and let it thicken while I pulled apart the meat with a fork. The only side dish with this lovely bit of dinner was a bowl of ice cold cole slaw. Although slaw isn't Jeff's favorite, the boy and I adore it with our barbecue sandwiches.

For dessert, I pulled a recipe jotted by my grandmother in the back of a 1968 Women's Auxiliary of St. Anthony's Hospital (in Amarillo, Texas) cookbook. According to the note in the front cover, this Treasure of Personal Recipes came into Grandma's possession in May of 1970 when she lived in nearby Pampa, Texas. The volume bears a few notes next to recipes along with handwritten additions in most of the empty spaces. Grandma even cross-referenced these by adding them to the appropriate section of the index. For example, "chicken enchilada pie" is handwritten on page 29 and listed under the other chicken recipe titles at the back of the book. The index also has check marks with notes of "good" and "very good" next to items like "hello dollies," "Italian cream cake," "autumn surprise cake," and "chocolate syrup cake." As an added bonus, recipes Grandma cut from newspapers, magazines, and ingredient boxes are tucked in the back. This truly is a treasure trove of ideas and here's today's jewel:

Crazy Quick Candy - "This candy has a surprising consistency - crunchy and layered."

1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
Melted sweet chocolate

Place corn syrup in a small saucepan and boil until it just turns golden brown. Pour hot corn syrup over peanut butter while beating on medium speed of mixer until ingredients are well combined. (This does best when you start beating the peanut butter before adding the syrup.) Immediately turn out on a buttered cookie sheet and pat out to about 1/4 inch thickness. When cool, spread one side with melted sweet chocolate. Let chocolate harden; then turn candy over and spread other side with chocolate. Cut into pieces. Makes about 40 pieces - tastes like Butterfingers.

While this recipe is as easy as it sounds, I discovered the most important prop is a mixing bowl attached to a stand. Since I used my hand mixer, I had a little difficulty operating it with one hand while pouring the hot syrup with the other and keeping the bowl in one spot at the same time. (After a moment or two, I just scooched it up against my apron to keep it still.) In addition, pouring the syrup in a steady stream kept the candy from getting lumpy. Finally, I didn't have any sweet chocolate, so I used semi-sweet mini chips, which I sprinkled on the candy while it was warm and then spread around when it melted. Since I'm impatient, I only put chocolate on one side, but the candy was yummy all the same. I will make this again, but next time I'll have to have a double batch. The recipe says it makes 40 pieces, but I'm guessing those are pretty small and this stuff is addictive. It does taste like Butterfingers, only softer so it doesn't stick the teeth as much as the candy bar. I'm also considering using chocolate hazel nut spread instead of peanut butter. (I think Grandma would approve of the tinkering.) If this first foray into her cookbook is any indication, there are sweet days ahead!