Makes: 1 quart | Active time: 20 minutes
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and half-and-half over medium heat just until boiling.
Add both chocolates to hot milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and espresso. Mix until combined.
Serve topped with Marshies or whipped cream, if desired.
Makes about: 2 cups | Active time: 3 minutes
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whip cream on medium-high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Beat in sugar and vanilla and mix for 1 minute more. Serve immediately.
Makes about: 1 half-sheet pan | Active time: 30 minutes
Terrific with our Hot Chocolate.
Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup cold water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat granulated sugar, corn syrup, and ⅔ cup cold water over medium-high heat until it registers 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer on low speed until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add salt and increase mixer speed to medium. Beat whites until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
When syrup in saucepan registers 245 degrees, with mixer running, slowly pour hot liquid into egg whites, avoiding beaters of your mixer.
Scrape gelatin mixture into same saucepan you used for syrup, stirring to dissolve. Pour gelatin into whites, with mixer running on medium-high speed, then add vanilla and beat for 10 minutes, or until mixture is completely cool.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and powdered sugar. Sift cornstarch mixture evenly over a half-sheet baking pan, leaving no bare spots. Use a spatula to spread gelatin–egg white mixture evenly over pan. Set aside to dry at room temperature for up to 4 hours or overnight.
Using a pizza cutter or scissors dusted with cornstarch, cut marshmallows into desired shape.
Store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 week.
If you cook the syrup too long and the temperature goes over 245 degrees, don’t worry! Just add a few tablespoons of water to cool it down.
If the marshmallows are too soft at the end, your candy thermometer is off. Calibrate it. It should read 212 degrees at sea level when dipped into boiling water.
If the bottom of the Marshies are wet, the whites were not beaten until completely cool. Dry by blotting with a paper towel, dust with the cornstarch mixture, and let dry for 24 hours.
Skip cutting the marshmallow into shapes and scoop it directly into an airtight container after drying. Store at room temperature.
Makes: one 16-ounce milkshake | Active time: 1 minute
At Coolhaus we’re known for shaking things up . . . including milkshakes. Our signature ice cream shakes blend ice cream and cookies, so they are a creamy, crumbly dream come true. It’s a great way to use cookies that are becoming stale, since moisture and whipping in the blender will reinvigorate them. The best part is you can get creative and mix and match any of our ice cream and cookie flavors. Custom-made combos are tons of fun. Just use the following recipe and insert your own flavors. Or choose one of our four favorites, opposite.
In a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and three quarters of cookie and blend on high for 30 seconds, until shake is pourable, but not too thick. (Use a bar spoon to loosen as needed.)
Pour into a serving glass. Top with whipped cream and remaining cookie.
Makes about: 1 quart | Active time: 30 to 40 minutes
This is terrific on toast and even better on ice cream. You can also use it as a dip for cookies.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
With a dry cloth, rub off skins while hazelnuts are hot (you may not be able to remove all skins); discard skins. Place hazelnuts in a small bowl.
Place chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 6 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside over water bath.
Place half of hazelnuts into a food processor. Process until well ground, then add remaining hazelnuts and process until texture is like peanut butter.
Add melted chocolate, powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla to food processor, then slowly add oil. Process until combined and smooth. Add salt.
Scrape spread into an airtight quart-size container. Let cool at room temperature. Store at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
Don’t store this spread in the fridge, or it will solidify. The mixture should be soft. If it hardens, microwave until soft.
Makes about: 2½ cups | Active time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Awesome as an ice cream topping! Serve over Tahitian Vanilla Bean, Brown Butter Candied Bacon, Beer & Pretzel, Kit Kat, Nutella Toasted Almond, Salted Caramel, and Salted Chocolate Almond Joy.
Warm a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add chicken skin to dry pan. Add ½ teaspoon salt, a pinch of sage, a pinch of cayenne, and the black pepper and brown skin until deep golden, stirring and turning as needed, about 10 minutes.
Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits.
Add remaining sage and bouillon cube and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard chicken skin with a slotted spoon, leaving smaller bits in for flavor.
Add caramel, and simmer on low, stirring, for 30 minutes to infuse flavors. Add remaining ½ teaspoon salt, remaining pinch cayenne, and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool and mix with immersion blender or hand mixer to emulsify. Caramel can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 month or frozen for up to 3 months.
Makes about: 100 caramels | Active time: 1 hour 30 minutes
These salty, sugary candies are best eaten on their own.
Using tip of a paring knife, scrape out seeds from vanilla bean pods. Discard pods.
In a small saucepan, combine vanilla bean seeds, cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, remove from heat, and steep for 10 minutes.
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil coated with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a 4-quart saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, frequently swirling pan (do not stir), until mixture is amber-colored and registers 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. (Stay with pan and watch to make sure mixture doesn’t burn.)
Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream mixture; be careful, mixture will foam. Return mixture to stovetop, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248 degrees on candy thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes.
Carefully transfer caramel to prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth surface of caramel and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Let cool to room temperature before cutting into 1-by-½-inch squares with a cold knife. The caramels will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes: 1 pound | Active time: 30 minutes
We sometimes use this in place of the salt in Chocolate Chip Cookies or for breakfast seasoning (it’s great on eggs).
In a large skillet, cook bacon, turning once, until dark and crispy.
Place bacon in a food processor or blender and grind or pulse until coarse.
Transfer bacon to a large mortar. Add pepper. Grind together with a pestle, while slowly adding salt until completely mixed.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
