The Last Remaining Piece of VanLeer Chocolate in the World

Funny Story.

For many years my Mom made her famous English Toffee. She made it for gifts and then started a small cottage industry selling to friends and family. She would make so much that she would go through hundreds of pounds of chocolate each holiday season (she only made toffee in the winter during proper weather conditions). She bought her chocolate wholesale, but in order to do so she had to purchase a minimum amount. So, she would offer to buy chocolate for her friends at church so they could add to her order and they could get the wholesale price.

After testing numerous brands, she found a brand she loved called VanLeer. It had the best melting capabilities and the perfect flavor. I remember sitting in her house tasting samples of the different milk chocolates they made and determining which one was the very best for the toffee. They all had slight but very distinct flavor differences.

The orders came in 50 pound boxes with huge 10# slabs. My children were fed chocolate by their Grandmother from the time they were infants, and feasted on pound blocks that she would cut off and give them to nibble on, like a giant lollipop.

I am convinced the chocolate makes the toffee. There are probably thousands of "the best English Toffee" made out there, but none of them could hold a candle to Mom's and I am sure it was because of the chocolate.

Unfortunately, VanLeer went out of business and sold their operation to Caillebaut. I have nothing against Caillebaut, but their milk chocolate wasn't the same and they did not keep the VanLeer recipe.

Mom was determined to find every last ounce of VanLeer chocolate before it became extinct. She talked to Caillebaut and convinced them to send her the last of their stock. But finally, it ran out and Mom, so disheartened, discontinued her toffee business. That was about 12 years ago.

Fast forward to 2011. I was visiting an old friend of Mom's who used to order chocolate from Mom when she would put her order in to VanLeer. Gwen wanted to show me something in her pantry. It was a container filled with a 5 pound block of VanLeer chocolate! It had to be at least 12 years old! It had been wrapped so well that it was in almost perfect condition. She offered it to me as she was no longer able to cook or utilize the chocolate.

So, armed with probably the last existing piece of Van Leer chocolate in the entire world, I made once more, a batch of The Best English Toffee in the world!

Gooey German Chocolate Cake Bars

okay, here's the thing...sometimes i get into these moods where i need to cook. in the last two days, i've made corn bread, chocolate covered oreos, eggplant and tomato stacks, and these. i affectionately call this sugar casserole. or diabetes. i'm just being honest here. i found a recipe on some random blog that used cake mix as a base for cookie bars, and was topped with sweetened condensed milk and thought, "hmmm, i wonder if this could be a good way to get rid of all that random junk in my pantry." it was. behold, gooey german chocolate cake bars.


warning: this stuff is not pretty. see the picture? don't mind my half eaten blob and dirty fork off to the side there.  if you actually wait for it to cool (i clearly could not), it can be cut into bars.  despite the hideous appearance, i have received rave reviews from everyone that has tried it. so! go make it.

mix these together until they form a dough:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter

press the dough into a foil-lined 8 by 8 glass dish.

dump whatever you want on top. no, seriously. w-h-a-t-e-v-e-r you want. i can't even give you super accurate measurements because i just started dumping, but my best guess would be:
1 bag (3-ish cups?) german chocolate cake marshmallows (i found them at target. chocolate marshmallows covered in coconut. seriously. i'm guessing normal marshmallows plus a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut would do the trick, if need be)
1 cup chopped pecans
10(+...) oz chopped chocolate of your choice (chocolate chips work, i assume. i just used all the random leftover chocolate bars in the pantry)

then top with the magic sauce:
1 cup of sweetened condensed milk

bake at 350 for 25 minutes. take it out before the marshmallows burn. don't try to eat it right away...trust me on this one...remember the picture? let cool 30 minutes. it WILL be rough getting that junk off the foil, but it's better than trying to get it off the dish. cut into squares. go into sugar coma (less of an instruction, more of a warning).

the sweetened condensed milk seeps through the marshmallows and keeps the cake dough base really moist, plus it mixes well with the chocolate.  the marshmallows get crusty on top but keep their gooey-ness and help everything to stick together well.  there is something about that yellow cake flavor that makes these taste sooooo good...but i'd be interested to try different flavors too.  did i mention that you need to make these?

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

Parry and I experimented with several homemade ice cream recipes with the ice cream maker he got for his birthday the summer of 2011. Among them were a curry ice cream, basil/lemon balm sorbet and this one for hazelnut ice cream. The following recipe is so simple but so amazingly creamy and intense in flavor as to seem almost to be a Gelato.

Ingredients:

370 grams Nutella
410 grams evaporated milk
1/4 cup hazelnut syrup
hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Pre-freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Combine the Nutella and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low until Nutella is melted and thouroughly blended into the milk.
Remove from the heat and add in the hazelnut syrup. Whisk until completely incorporated.
Pour into a bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight until well chilled.
Process in ice cream machine. When ice cream is just about done, add in the toasted, chopped hazelnuts.
Freeze in freezer.

Swiss Hazelnut Torte with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

When we were in Switzerland in 1992, the mother of our dear friend Thomas Caratsch, made this torte for us. Parry loved it so much that she gave us the recipe. Parry and Walt went on to win the award of "Best European torte" in a cake contest in New Jersey with this recipe.

The original traditional recipe called for a mocha frosting but we have updated it to add to the hazelnut theme.

Here then is the original recipe for the Hazelnut Torte with an updated chocolate hazelnut frosting.

Ingredients:

6 Egg yolks
200-250 grams sugar
1/2 package vanilla sugar
150 grams hazelnuts, ground (3/4 pound whole nuts)
30 grams flour
30 grams potato flour or corn starch
6 Egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 9" spring form pan.
Beat egg yolks and sugar with electric mixer on medium til light and thickened (about 5 minutes).
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients and beat on medium til blended.
In a separate medium bowl (preferably a copper bowl) beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
Gently fold egg whites into rest of mixture until well blended.
Pour batter into spring form pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool on rack. When completely cooled remove from spring form pan.
Frost with a chocolate butter cream frosting (see note below).
Garnish with coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

For Frosting:

Make a chocolate butter cream frosting adding Nutella until desired consistency and flavor is obtained.

Nutella Continued: Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

If you love hazelnuts, these cookies can not be trumped. They are soft and chewy with crunchy, toasted hazelnuts. They are unlike any other cookies I have ever had. Adding the extra Hazelnut syrup intensifies the flavor and keeps the cookies soft for weeks.
If I have any cookies left over I use some Trader Joe's Vanilla ice cream and make fabulous ice cream sandwiches.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 11 oz jar of Nutella
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk (or substitute with hazelnut syrup for a more intense flavor)
1/4 cup hazelnut syrup (such as Torrani's)
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts finely ground in food processor
sifted powder sugar

Directions:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside

Combine Nutella and shortening in a large mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Add sugar; beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beat just until combined.

Alternately add flour mixture and milk and 1/4 cup syrup to creamed mixture, beating on medium speed just until combined. Use a spoon to stir in the 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts. cover and chill for several hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Shape the dough into 1 or 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in finely ground hazelnuts, then roll in powdered sugar. Place the balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (They will spread a crinkle as they bake.) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until surface is cracked and cookies are set. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Adventures in NUTELLA by Paula with contributions from the fam

Though relatively new to the American market, Nutella has been around for a long time. It originated in Italy and is made from chocolate and hazelnuts, which is the European nut of choice. No problem of peanut allergies there. Hazelnuts are in everything from chocolate bars to torts and ice cream. I think the hazelnut is at it’s best when coupled with chocolate.

I was introduced to Nutella when I lived in Paris in the Pre-Cambrian era, shortly after Nutella was conceived. I fell in love with it and was thrilled when a few years later I found it available in specialty stores in the US. Today it is available everywhere. I find the best deal at GFS where you can get 2 of the larger jars for $9.99.

I introduced Nutella to my children and they never looked at another PB and J again (except for Parry who thought Peanut butter was a cheaper alternative to protein while in college and soon discovered he was actually allergic to peanuts!). Corey had a Nutella sandwich (Nutella on Country White bread), without a single alternative, every single day of his entire public school experience! Our family has gone through A LOT of Nutella over the years.

Several years ago while making one of his famous brunches, Walt decided to try making Nutella Stuffed French Toast. It was an instant hit and has been a staple of our Sunday morning brunches ever since. It was the first thing the boys learned to master in cooking and which they have used to impress their friends when cooking for them. As Corey once said: “ I think it is safe to say that Nutella Stuffed French Toast, with or without the creme brulee topping (an over-the-top addition Walt came up with), is the easiest, and most impressive breakfast food, ever.”

Since then, we have gone on to discover or create several recipes that revolve around the use of Nutella. So, let me introduce you to the joys of Nutella. ( More recipes will follow in additional entries.)


NUTELLA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
For 2 pieces

Ingredients:
2/3 to 1 cup Nutella, or more to taste
4 slices of firm, dense white sandwich bread, such as Arnolds Buttermilk or Country White
2-3 TBS Butter
2 Large Eggs
1-2 TBS Milk
Maple syrup

Lay the four slices of bread out on a clean work surface. With a small spatula spread an equal amount of Nutella on each of the 4 slices; approx 1/3 cup per each pair of slices. (Corey probably has more like 1/2 cup).

Put two slices together to make two sets of stuffed “sandwiches”. Set aside.

In a large plate with sides, such as a quiche dish, beat the eggs and milk together until well blended. Dip the Nutella sandwiches into the egg mixture until each side is completely covered in mixture.

In a 10-12" Skillet melt 2-3 Tbs butter over medium high heat. Place each Nutella Stuffed Sandwich into the pan and fry until nicely browned then flip and brown the other side. Slice and serve with maple syrup.

Variations:
Use Cinnamon Swirl bread instead of white bread (we like the Cinnamon Crunch Bread from Great Harvest)
Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top after cooking
Just before serving sprinkle with sugar and use a blow torch or heat gun to caramelize the sugar like brulee.


To be continued.

.

CHICAGO Part 3

FREDHOTS
by Walt and Paula


It’s not really a stretch to have a hot dog at ten in the morning as we have learned from previous encounters in Chicago. We rarely need to eat breakfast following a night in Chicago. And besides, 10:30 in Chicago, is really 11:30 in Ann Arbor, so it’s almost lunch time for us.

With that, we set out for Fredhot’s; no disrespect to Fred, but it’s the Northern suburbs version of Hot Dougs. What’s missing from Fredhots is the perpetual line you experience at Hot Dougs.

In seeing the blank stare of the first timer on our faces, Al, behind the counter directed our attention to the specials of the day. What we chose was the Antelope sausage with a pommegranite mustard, lightly sauteed onions and sprinkled with the Mexican feta-like cheese, on a beautiful poppy seed bun. It was the best looking bun we’ve seen. The meat was slightly gamey tasting but was complimented by the slightly sweet sauce. The bun was full and sturdy, yet soft.

The Chicago Dog was superb, possibly the best we have had yet in Chicago. The tomato was perfectly ripe, the pepper was larger than usual, the hot dog had the perfect snap. We had been thinking it would be hard for a Chicago style dog to stand out from all the rest, given that all are made with Vienna beef dogs. But Fred’s clearly makes the difference by using the best of the additional ingredients.

Walt had asked Al if he were the owner. He said no, directing us to Fred who was in the dining area bussing a table in a chef’s coat. Fred Markoff embodies two current trends in food. Fred appears to be a pioneer in both. First is the alternate career of the baby boomer, leaving corporate IT, for a passion in food. And secondly, after earning his culinary chops as a chef and manager of other well known establishments, Fred turned a simple cuisine into a more in depth concept, in this case the Chicago canvas of hot dogs, french fries and Italian Beef sandwiches.

The menu board at Fredhots lists Belgian style French fries. This is a claim not to be taken lightly. Belgian fries are twice cooked. The first time at a lower temperature to cook the potato through, again, cut size is important. The second time, in hotter oil to crisp the outside for serving. Fred apologized to us for todays fries explaining that the water content in the potatoes during peak summer french fry season can vary significantly. For Belgian fries, they lacked a little crisp. To us, they were still very good. Fred’s culinary chops show in the sauces he serves with the fries. We were delighted with our two choices of curried mayo and a Thai mayo. Fred researched the most popular Belgian sauces to determine which he could recreate in his limited space. .

While it would be easy to compare Hot Dougs to Fredhots, because of their seemingly similar offerings, both are great places on their own, and worth seeking out.

Fredhots also serves an Italian Beef Sandwich. In taking an idea from mothers in New Orleans, Fred uses the scraps from the Italian Sliced Beef to produce a “Debris” (pronounced Day/Bree in Naw’lans) Po-Boy Sandwich. He gave us a sample of the meat. It was delicious, but we just didn’t have room to eat one more thing, so we promised to return. It’s always a treat at these smaller establishments to have the chef/owner hand you his food to enjoy. Close second to that, and in some ways on a non-food level, even better, is having the owner mingling in the seating area as Fred does, or taking your order, as does Doug at Hot Dougs.

Fred talked with us between helping in the tiny grill area, bussing tables, and waiting on customers. If he were a little less of a food lover and a little more of a business operations manager, given time, he would be like Portillos. In two years, when his lease is up at his current location, expect an expanded Fredhots and additional locations. He appreciated our appreciation of his product and loved talking about his experience, concept and product.

Fredhots is located at 1707 Chestnut Ave, Glenview, Il. Phone: 847-657-9200 or on the web at www.fredhots.com.

We said our goodbys to Fred and hurried onto our next location. We were in a bit of a hurry since Cemitas Puebla is known to close around 3:00 in the afternoon, just because.

In an era when we can text and call each other via cell phone and reach each other any time, any place, the Garff family takes it up a notch...we text and call each other across the country while we are simultaneously having an other-worldly food/dining experience. For example, on August 1, 2010 at exactly 11:40 a.m. PST Parry called us. We were in Chicago, it was 1:40 CST. We were eating lunch at Cemitas Puebla (more on that in Part 4) while he was eating at Bubba in San Angelina, California.