Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Reba Lawrence recently asked if I knew a way to boil eggs so that the shell comes off easily instead of in tiny pieces that take bits of egg with it.
There's no guaranteed way, but through research and experience, I've found steaming rather than boiling is the key to eggs that peel easily.
The process is simple: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold a metal steamer basket. Once the water is boiling, place the steamer basket in the pot and add as many eggs as will fit in a single layer. Cover with a lid and cook for 12 to 14 minutes. Immediately transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 15 minutes, then peel as usual.
This method even works with super-fresh eggs, though not quite as flawlessly.
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A Sherwood reader shares this sweet bar that combines caramel, oats and chocolate. With a combination like that, how can you go wrong?
Salted Carmeliats
32 individually wrapped caramels such as Kraft, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place caramels in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Pour cream over caramels and heat mixture on 100 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each interval until caramels are melted and smooth; set aside. Alternately, combine the caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until smooth.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt.
Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat butter in microwave until melted. Stir vanilla extract into melted butter; then pour mixture over dry ingredients. Using a fork, stir well to evenly coat. Press half of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of a buttered 8-inch square baking dish (layer will be thin). Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on) and sprinkle milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips into an even layer over baked cookie crust, then pour caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chip layer. Sprinkle a scant 1/2 teaspoon of the flaky sea salt evenly over caramel layer (or you can sprinkle it over the top of the last crumble layer before baking), then sprinkle top evenly with remaining oat mixture. Return to oven for 16 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Cool completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
Makes about 12 bars.
REQUEST
• Potato soup like that served at Chip's Barbecue, which closed earlier this year, for Donna Rutledge.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 10/12/2016