Q–I have a 1-pound square of white chocolate and would like to make cookies similar to chocolate chip cookies. How do I do this? If I grate or chop the chocolate it will make the chips irregular in size and shape.
Bessie Kubanis, Cicero
A–Chopping the white chocolate into irregular chunks is your best alternative, according to Elaine Gonzalez, author of ”Chocolate Artistry”
(Contemporary Books, $12.95 paperback). ”But remember that the bigger the chunk, the more melt there is going to be; so try to keep the chunks small.” Although hand-chopped chips lack uniformity, Gonzalez says, the cook shouldn`t mind because the hand-chopped ones have a unique, I-did-it-myself quality. She cautions that white chocolate will not tolerate intense heat.
Q–I have a 32-ounce bottle of white syrup, and the top is covered with mold; how do I remove it?
Edna Kohlmetz, Chicago
A–Mold on white syrup can be removed easily with a spoon, but once the syrup grows mold, it will not taste good; so we suggest throwing it away.
”Mold growth can be retarded if the syrup is refrigerated after opening,” says Phillip Wells, a nutrition research associate at Best Foods Research Center, Union, N.J. (Best Foods manufactures Karo syrup.) ”But refrigeration will make the syrup very thick. If the bottle has never been opened, it can be kept indefinitely on the shelf.”
Several readers answered Pat Dziedzic`s call for help in locatinga chili sauce recipe put out by the People`s Gas Light and Coke Co.
Here is the one submitted by Loise Gaughan, of Chicago:
CHILI SAUCE (WITHOUT SPICES
About six pints
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
40 large ripe tomatoes
8 each: onions, green peppers
2 large stalks celery
6 cups each: sugar, cider vinegar
1/2 cup salt
1. Scald and peel tomatoes.
2. Put vegetables through a meat grinder, using medium-size knife, into a large, nonaluminum pan.
3. Add sugar, vinegar and salt to ground vegetables. Bring to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 3 hours, or until thick.
4. Fill hot sterilized jars to within 1/2-inch of top. Seal at once.
