The Full Monty, the musical based on the 1997 film, concludes its run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) with shows tonight at 7:30 p.m.; tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 19, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 20, at noon. Tickets cost $39 and $46 (plus fees).
Thursday, Feb. 17
Oscar completists can mark off Drive My Car (NR, 2021), nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, tonight at the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; themusichall.org). The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $15 for adults.
Saturday, Feb. 19
Unwind with some music this weekend. Area 23 (254 N. State St., Unit H, in Concord; thearea23.com) will feature a bluegrass jam with Ross Arnold at 2 p.m. today. Then at 8 p.m., catch Scalawag. Find more live music in our Music This Week listing, which starts on page 35.
Monday, Feb. 21
If President’s Day (today) is one of your days off, head to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144), which isn’t usually open Mondays but is open today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. , according to the website. The “Looking Together” docent-led close study of one piece of art that day will be of Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ “Standing Lincoln” at 11 a.m. and noon.
Monday, Feb. 21
Or use this day to get outside. Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) is holding a Guided Winter Hike for ages 14 and up today from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Admission costs $20. The hike (or snowshoe walk, depending on the weather) will go through meadows and evergreen forest and near wetlands, according to the website.
Wednesday, Feb. 23
The Flying Ace, a 1926 silent film with an all African American cast, will screen tonight at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org, 224-4600). Tickets cost $12. The screening will feature live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis.
Jeff will be performing at several other silent film screenings this week. On Thursday, Feb. 17, he will accompany Girl Shy (1924), a Harold Lloyd rom-com, at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. On Sunday, Feb. 20, he will accompany When Knighthood Was in Flower (1922), which stars Marion Davies, at 2 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre (wiltontownhalltheatre.com). (Suggested donation is $10).
Save the date! Feb. 28 through March 6
The Nashua Garden Club and the Nashua Public Library will hold a Seed Swap Monday, Feb. 28, through Sunday, March 6, at the library (2 Court St. in Nashua; nashualibrary.org) during library hours (Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m, according to the website). Samples donated by seed companies and information on collecting seeds and gardening will be available, according to a press release. People with seeds to swap can bring them packaged in small quantities, labeled with the name and instructions, to the Chandler Memorial Wing of the library before Feb. 28, the press release. A virtual lecture, “The Soil Food Web” by Diane Miessler, will be presented on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m.; register at bit.ly/soil2022. See nashuagardenclub.org for more information.
Featured photo. Kathryn Boyd and Laurence Criner star in The Flying Ace (1926).
Tristan Bowen, a fourth-grade teacher at Riddle Brook School in Bedford, has won the 2020 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, representing the country’s top honors for teaching in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science. According to a press release, Bowen has been teaching for 22 years and is one of 102 teachers nationwide to receive the award. She and other award recipients will receive a certificate signed by the president of the United States, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and a trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in professional development opportunities.
Score: +1
Comment: “What sets Tristan apart is her forward-thinking and student engagement abilities, especially in the area of STEM education. She encourages creativity, critical thinking and problem solving through interest-based learning for her students,” Principal Molly McCarthy of Riddle Brook School said in the release.
Red Cross needs help
The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers for its Disaster Action Team and for blood donor ambassadors due to an increase in the number of house fires this winter and the ongoing critical need for blood. According to a press release, local Red Cross Disaster Action Team members have responded to at least 83 home fires in New Hampshire, helping 421 people, since July. Now, more volunteers are needed to help families with immediate needs after a fire, as well as to provide emotional support. Most locally, disaster team volunteers are needed in Laconia and Plymouth and on the Seacoast. The Red Cross is also looking for 26 blood donor ambassadors in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, according to the release. Blood donor ambassadors greet and register donors and offer support throughout the donation process.
Score: -2 for the high number of house fires and the critical blood shortage
Comment:Vaccinations are required for in-person volunteer roles, the release said.
Local Hall of Famers
Sixteen Central High School graduates have been named as inductees into the Manchester High School Central Hall of Fame. According to a press release, the new inductees are usually announced every five years but were postponed last year because of Covid. Some of the biggest names among the inductees are Col. Jason Fettig, director of the President’s Own Marine Band; Rep. Chris Pappas, who represents New Hampshire’s 1st District in Congress; Max Clayton, whose Broadway credits include featured roles in The Music Man and Moulin Rouge; and Kayleigh Cronin, who is currently appearing on the Great White Way in a production of Mrs. Doubtfire, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment: Previous inductees of the school’s Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1996, include Olympic gold medalist Bob Beattie; John Sullivan, former secretary of the Navy; Chip Kelly, former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles and current UCLA head coach; and comedian Adam Sandler.
Free small business support
The NH Tech Alliance and NH Small Business Development Center have launched a free Cybersecurity Review program for small- and medium-sized businesses. According to a press release, businesses in New Hampshire with up to 500 employees can participate and receive an online education, a one-on-one consultation with a cybersecurity consultant, and a report with action items based on the consultation.
Score: +1
Comment: The release said 61 percent of all small- and medium-sized businesses have reported at least one cyber attack during the previous year according to the 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report.
QOL score: 59
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 60
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
On Feb. 11, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced in a press release that its virtual advisory committee meeting discussing possible emergency use authorization approval of the Pfizer vaccine in children ages 6 months to 4 years old has been postponed. The meeting had been scheduled for Feb. 15 but was postponed following new data findings from Pfizer’s ongoing clinical trials, according to the release. A new date has yet to be scheduled as of Feb. 14.
The same day, the FDA greenlit emergency use authorization for a new monoclonal antibody against the omicron variant. According to a press release, the authorization for bebtelovimab is for treatment of mild to moderate Covid in people ages 12 and up. The drug is not authorized for patients who are hospitalized or require oxygen therapy due to Covid.
In New Hampshire, health officials reported 531 new Covid cases on Feb. 11. The state averaged 635 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a decrease of 36 percent compared to the week before. Hospitalizations stood at 174 statewide as of Feb. 11.
Revenues up
Last week Department of Administrative Services Commissioner Charlie Arlinghaus announced New Hampshire’s updated revenue projections for Fiscal Year 2022-2023, with estimates indicating that revenue will be $283.8 million over plan. “Republicans in Concord cut taxes and our economy is seeing record-setting results,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement after the announcement. “By cutting taxes in New Hampshire, businesses have flooded in, revenues are through the roof, and our economy is soaring. This model has proven successful and New Hampshire families are seeing results.”
Superintendent resigns
Dr. John Goldhardt has stepped down as superintendent of the Manchester School District. The Manchester Board of School Committee announced his resignation Feb. 11 and said it was effective that day at 5 p.m. According to a press release, Goldhardt will still be an employee of the district until June 30, though he will not be acting in a superintendent capacity during that time. The decision was “an amicable transitional employment agreement with all parties involved, the release said. “I want to thank Dr. Goldhardt for his service to the City of Manchester,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. “The past few years have been challenging. I understand Dr. Goldhardt’s desire to move closer to his family and wish him the best moving forward.” An interim superintendent was expected to be nominated and voted upon at the regularly scheduled Board of School Committee meeting on Feb. 14, and a special committee will be named to begin the search process for a new superintendent, the release said.
New commission
An order establishing the Governor’s Commission on Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets was signed by Gov. Chris Sununu last week. According to a press release, the new commission will be responsible for reviewing and investigating the cryptocurrency and digital asset industry, as well as federal and state laws and regulatory rules and laws of international jurisdictions; holding public hearings; making findings and determinations regarding possible modifications and improvements to laws and regulations; and supporting any proposed legislation or regulations. Membership will include the Attorney General, or designee; the Commissioner of the Bank Department, or designee; one state senator recommended by the Senate President; one state representative recommended by the Speaker of the House; one representative of the New Hampshire Bankers Association who is a resident of the state; one representative of the Cooperative Credit Union Association who is a resident of the state; three public members with experience with cryptocurrencies, digital assets and the provision of services to institutions or consumers with respect to digital assets; and three additional members. A report with the commission’s findings, determinations and recommendations will be presented within 180 days, the release said. “New Hampshire is a hub of financial innovation, and this Executive Order will further our commitment to attracting high-quality banking and financial businesses in a safe and responsible manner,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.
2021 drug deaths
Chief Forensic Investigator Kim Fallon of the state’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner released a report last week with the number of drug deaths in 2021. According to the report, there were 416 total deaths, with “fentanyl with or without other drugs” accounting for the greatest number of that total at 197 deaths. One hundred seven deaths are still pending toxicology. “If all the pending toxicology deaths are confirmed and no unsuspected drug deaths are identified, then the number of drug deaths in 2021 will be essentially the same as in 2020,” Fallon said in the release.
Summer enrichment
A free summer enrichment program for all New Hampshire students in kindergarten through 8th grade will be available to help students who have experienced learning loss due to the pandemic. According to a press release, the Prenda Discovery Summer Camp will provide assistance to students in a personalized, small-group setting. There are four two-week segments from July 5 through Aug. 26 that will be led by Prenda Guides in various locations, including homes, libraries, community centers and more. “While the pandemic has resulted in missed learning opportunities for many children, summer learning programs can empower youth and narrow achievement gaps,” said Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education. “This free educational platform will offer project-based and collaborative summer learning that targets creativity in the arts, technology, science and engineering.” For more information, contact [email protected].
Easterseals Camp Sno-Mo located in Gilmanton Iron Works was the recipient of a $161,384 donation after hundreds of snowmobilers gathered in Shelburne for the 50th Annual Ride-In to benefit the camp. According to a press release, local snowmobile clubs raised the money throughout the year through fundraising efforts like spaghetti suppers and bake sales. Camp Sno-Mo is for campers ages 11 to 21 with disabilities and special needs who participate alongside Boy Scouts in activities like water sports, team sports, hiking, archery, a ropes course and crafts, the release said.
On Feb. 11, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen visited the Commercial Driving School in Concord to talk with trucking industry leaders about the importance of training qualified commercial truck drivers to address supply chain challenges. According to a press release, the state has received a 90-day waiver to adjust state laws to comply with new requirements of the Entry Level Driver Training program. “A robust trucker workforce is key to avoiding any bottlenecks in the supply and delivery of goods, and it’s clear the Commercial Driving School is hard at work training the next generation of truckers,” Shaheen said in the release.
NH Audubon’s Twitcher Reunion Tour Team in Rye took home the “Townie Award” during the Semi-Superbowl of Birding on Feb. 5, according to a press release. The competition involves looking for as many bird species as possible in 12 hours, and the team spent the entire day in Rye, tallying 62 species, including a thick-billed murre, a razorbill and a black guillemot, all relatives of the puffin, as well as a gray catbird and a yellow-rumped warbler, which usually don’t stick around in the winter, the release said.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day (or any occasion, really) with homemade goodies, from truffles and cocoa bombs to sugar cookies and cupcakes.
Also on the cover, head to Wilton for the town’s all new Winter Festival, p. 17. And voting is open for the Hippo’s annual Best of readers’ poll! See p. 21 for details on how to vote for your favorite people, places and things in New Hampshire.
Experts explain how to wow with cookies, candy and cupcakes for your Valentine — or yourself
Make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter with homemade goodies as local bakers share their secrets for jazzing up sugar cookies, getting creative with cupcakes and going fancy with chocolates.
From chocolate-dipped strawberries to homemade truffles and breakable chocolate hearts, here are some sweet ideas for chocolate-y treats you can try out at home this Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate-dipped strawberries
One of the most common treats associated with Valentine’s Day, the chocolate-dipped strawberry is easy to create at home — the key is which type of chocolate to use, said Emilee Viaud, pastry chef and owner of Sweet Treats by Emilee, a home baker based in Milford.
“Baker’s chocolate is what you want to use. You can find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store,” Viaud said. “The top two brands are Baker’s and Ghirardelli, and those can come in a bag or as a bar. … There are options, [like] unsweetened, semi-sweet and bittersweet, and they are based off of the amount of cacao that’s in them. I recommend using semi-sweet for the strawberries, because it kind of gives it a little bit of sweetness and it’s not super bitter.”
Viaud recommends about five ounces of chocolate per pound of strawberries. The fruit itself should be bought fresh, washed, dried and kept at room temperature, never frozen.
“Dryness is super important, because water and chocolate do not mix,” she said.
Inserting a toothpick into the top of the fruit can make it a useful tool for dipping, or you can twist the leaves a bit to turn them into a sturdy handle and prevent them from breaking.
To melt the baker’s chocolate, the easiest way is to just pop it into the microwave. Viaud recommends starting with the smallest size possible, cutting it up or breaking it with your fingers, placing it in a bowl and heating for 30-second increments, stirring after each.
After it’s melted, dipping the strawberries into the chocolate works best when you use the smallest bowl you can, so that you have a deeper level to work with.
“You don’t want a big wide bowl. You want to be able to have at least two to three inches of chocolate so that you can dip the strawberry in,” Viaud said. “You can choose to dip them halfway or all the way up to the leaves, and then you basically just shake the strawberry five or six times to let off all that excess chocolate. … Then you want to place it on parchment paper on a plate or something. Tin foil will not work because it will stick.”
Placing the fruit into the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes after it’s dipped will cause the chocolate to harden. For extra flavor, you can roll them in anything from peanuts or hazelnuts to toasted coconut pieces, chocolate sprinkles or a white chocolate drizzle.
Ashley Reisdorf of Ashley’s Eats & Sweets, based in Raymond, said she has worked with alcohol-infused chocolate-dipped strawberries — a batch she made a few years ago, for instance, featured strawberries infused with Grey Goose vodka using pipettes.
“You poke a hole in the top of the strawberries by the stems with a toothpick, and then stick a pipette of the alcohol in the hole and squeeze it in right before you eat it,” she said.
Homemade truffles
Truffles are also very easy to make because they only require two ingredients — chocolate and heavy cream. Butter is also an optional ingredient to give them an added creaminess, or you can incorporate an extract like vanilla, raspberry, orange, peppermint or coconut for more flavor.
Like with the strawberries, Viaud said she recommends using baker’s chocolate for truffles. About eight ounces of chocolate and two-thirds of a cup of heavy cream would yield 20 tablespoon-sized truffle balls. If you’re using butter and extract, she said, one tablespoon of butter at room temperature and half a teaspoon of extract would be enough for that same amount.
Truffles require creating a ganache, achieved by heating the heavy cream in a pot on the stove until it simmers, or just until you see bubbles. The chocolate should be finely chopped.
“You don’t want to boil it. You just want to make it simmer,” Viaud said. “You’re going to have that chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. You want to add the butter to that bowl of chocolate and then, once the heavy cream comes to a simmer, you’re going to pour that hot cream over the chocolate. … Then, the most important thing is to let it sit and not touch it.”
Allowing the pot to sit for about five minutes will allow the heavy cream to incorporate and melt the chocolate. If you’re using an extract, this is when you’ll add that in next, Viaud said.
“You can mix it in using a whisk, which will help incorporate the liquid into the melted chocolate,” she said. “Then it will come together and basically look like a chocolate hot sauce.”
Once you have your chocolate hot sauce, placing it in the refrigerator for one to two hours will cause it to harden. Viaud recommends covering it with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap down so that it touches the top of the chocolate in the bowl and prevents moisture.
After that time in the refrigerator has passed, the chocolate should become moldable, allowing you to scoop it out and roll into balls using your hands. If the ganache is too sticky, you can use gloves or lightly coat your hands in cocoa powder to help produce smooth truffle balls.
If your truffles have other ingredients like coconut pieces, peanuts or hazelnuts, they should be rolled a second time at room temperature to help them stick. Placing them back into the refrigerator afterward for an additional 30 minutes will then allow them to be fully incorporated.
Cocoa bombs and breakable chocolate hearts
While a bit more involved than truffles or chocolate-dipped strawberries, cocoa bombs are great to enjoy on a cold winter night. Pouring hot milk or water over these hollow balls of chocolate, which are usually filled with flavored cocoa mixes, miniature marshmallows or any other ingredient you want to put in them, causes them to “explode” with flavor inside your mug.
Breakable chocolate hearts. Photo courtesy of Emilee Viaud.
Viaud, who began making her own cocoa bombs in late 2020, now offers all kinds of flavors from traditional milk, dark or white to peanut butter, salted caramel and more.
The traditional round appearance of cocoa bombs is achieved using half sphere-shaped silicone molds, which are available in most big box or craft stores in all shapes and sizes. Unlike for the strawberries or truffles, Viaud recommends using coating chocolate.
“You can really use any type you want, but for cocoa bombs, because you’re molding them and keeping a sphere shape, you really want to use a chocolate that is durable,” she said. “[Coating chocolate] is made with ingredients that help keep it stable and give it that nice shine. … Ghrirardelli has coating chocolate at the grocery store, or melting wafers, is what they call it.”
Melting the chocolate can similarly be done by placing it in the microwave and stirring at 30-second increments. Viaud recommends pouring just about a teaspoon into each individual mold and using a spoon to coat its entire inside. Placing it in the refrigerator for about five minutes and repeating that process a second time will cause your molds to harden well.
“I think that’s the step that a lot of people don’t do, and then their chocolate breaks,” Viaud said. “So it’s important that you repeat that process to get a really thick shell.”
Once it’s completely hardened, you can remove the shells from the mold — the best way to do that is to gently push them out from the bottom with your finger or thumb, as the edges would break most easily, Viaud said. Two half sphere molds equal one cocoa bomb, and heating a saute pan over the stove on low heat will ensure smoother spheres. This is also when any flavorings such as cocoa mixes or marshmallows get added into your bombs.
“You take the edges and quickly put them on the hot pan to melt the chocolate and make it smooth, so that they come together easily,” she said. “You have to have the right pressure, because if you push down too hard, you’ve melted half of it. … So it’s really about having the right touch to know exactly how much of that sphere to melt.”
The chocolate then eventually cools at room temperature, the half sphere molds “glued” together.
If you have heart-shaped molds, you can make breakable chocolate hearts, a process very similar to the cocoa bombs. The difference, Viaud said, is you can fill them with any small candy you want, from M&Ms or Hershey’s kisses to jelly beans or conversation hearts.
“You can use the back of a spoon to kind of crack it open,” she said.
If you’d rather let the experts handle everything this Valentine’s Day, check out this list of local candy and chocolate shops, home bakers and other businesses offering special chocolate treats.
• Candy Kingdom (235 Harvard St., Manchester, 641-8470, candykingdom.shop) takes special orders for chocolate-dipped strawberries, and also offers treats like chocolate red-foiled hearts and assorted heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. • Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4043, dancinglion.us) has various bars, boxes, drinking chocolate sets and other items that can make great Valentine’s Day gifts. • Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) is offering a variety of specialty chocolates and candies for Valentine’s Day, like milk, white or dark chocolate heart boxes, Valentine malt balls, chocolate-dipped strawberries and more. • Loon Chocolate (252 Willow St., Manchester, loonchocolate.com) just opened a new retail shop inside The Factory on Willow on Feb. 5, in partnership with 603 Charcuterie. The purveyor of small batch chocolates features 12 flavored bars in addition to a product line that includes cacao nibs, dark chocolate cocoa bombs and a do-it-yourself chocolate elixir kit. • Nelson’s Candy & Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) is offering a variety of specialty sweets and treats for Valentine’s Day, from traditional assorted heart-shaped boxes of chocolate to solid chocolate dinosaurs holding tiny hearts. • Pearls Candy & Nuts (356 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-9100, pearlscandynh.com) has assorted milk chocolate heart lollipops, gold foil solid milk chocolate hearts and more. • Sweet Treats by Emilee (Milford, [email protected], find her on Facebook) offers milk chocolate-dipped Twinkies, breakable chocolate hearts filled with assorted candies, and cocoa bombs in several flavors, from milk, white or dark chocolate to salted caramel, peanut butter and cookies and cream. Find her products at the Manchester Craft Market (inside the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester), Locally Handmade (at the Merrimack Premium Outlets, 80 Premium Outlets Blvd., Merrimack), and Junction 71 (71 Route 101A, Amherst). You can also find them at the Milford Farmers Market on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., inside the Milford Town Hall Auditorium (1 Union Square, Milford). • Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) has assorted chocolate gift boxes, custom chocolate-dipped Champagne bottles and milk chocolate foiled hearts. They’re also taking special orders for chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Elevate a standard sugar cookie to a bake-shop-worthy treat by stepping up your baking game, whipping up a perfect royal icing and decorating with finesse.
Jessica Radloff from Granite State Cakes in Wilton teaches classes and posts tutorials on her Facebook page to help novice bakers make sugar cookies that look professionally decorated. And the best part is, you can focus on the icing instead of the dough.
“While you can make your own cookie dough, there’s absolutely no rule that says you can’t use ready-made dough from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket,” Radloff said.
Here are her tips for making ordinary sugar cookies extraordinary.
Roll and bake
Regardless of whether you make or buy your dough, Radloff advises that you roll your cookie dough out between two layers of parchment paper and place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes to help retain the shapes you cut out and make it easier to transfer to your baking sheet. Once it’s chilled, you can use cookie cutters or get creative; Radloff said you can print a template on a piece of paper and cut cookies with a sharp knife. Then it’s time to bake.
“I’ll preach parchment until the end of my days,” Radloff said. “Line your baking sheet with it. If you have a silicone mat feel free to use it instead. Give your cookies about 2 inches of space in case they spread a little.”
Bake ¼-inch-thick cookies at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, then let them cool completely before you start icing.
Nice icing
“Royal icing can seem intimidating but it is all about the consistency — too thin and it will never stay where you want it and it will take an eternity to dry. Too thick and it will be impossible to get [a] smooth, satisfying finish,” Radloff said.
Valentine’s Day cookies. Photo by Jessica Radloff.
Once your icing base is made [see recipe in box], add your desired amount of royal icing base to a mixing bowl and add food color until you get the shade you want. Radloff said that color continues to develop over time so mix them in a couple days ahead of time for darker colors. In a pinch, you can microwave your royal icing on the 50-percent power setting for 15 seconds at a time (no more than twice) to help speed up the process.
There are two popular methods of icing cookies, Radloff said. The first is using two different consistencies of icing — one that’s thicker to create a sturdy border and one that’s looser to fill in the spaces you’ve outlined. The second is using one medium-consistency icing that can hold its shape enough to outline but also be smoothed out nicely to fill in the outlines. “I personally prefer the second option — I would prefer not to have to mix double the icing for my cookies when it’s not absolutely necessary,” Radloff said. “[But] some designs and details require different consistencies to achieve different looks.”
When thinning your icing, add water by the drop; consistency can change greatly with even a teaspoon. Medium consistency royal icing looks a bit like ranch dressing, Radloff said. You can test your icing by drawing a line through your icing with a knife and then counting the number of seconds it takes for the line to disappear into the rest of the icing. Medium icing will smooth out within about 15 seconds.
“The best advice I can give a new cookie decorator is to count your icing and then test it out on a piece of parchment paper to make sure it’s where you want it before piping it onto a cookie,” Radloff said. “If it’s too thick and doesn’t smooth out properly, add another mist of water and try again. … If it is too thin you can add half a teaspoon of confectioner’s sugar at a time to thicken it and then test again.”
Decoration perfection
“I would suggest using tipless icing bags so you do not have to go through the hassle of finding, buying and cleaning a ton of piping tips,” Radloff said. “Start small when you first cut your piping bags — you can always cut off more but you cannot add it back.”
Once you outline your cookies, let them set for a few minutes.
“Trust me, it’s worth the few minutes to preserve your mental health,” Radloff said. “The last thing you want after going through all the work to get to this point is for your icing to start dripping off of your cookies because you were too impatient to wait for your outline to set a bit.”
Once your outline has set — it will look a little less glossy and more matte — you can start to fill them in. Start from just inside your outline and work toward the center of each space you are “filling in.”
“You can choose solid-colored cookies for your first time decorating, or you can let your imagination run wild and add polka dots or stripes, choose a different outline and food color — the possibilities are endless,” Radloff said.
Once decorated, cookies should dry for 12 to 24 hours before packaging to prevent moisture in the cookie from seeping out and causing the colors to run or the ice cracking due to not being allowed to fully harden.
Royal icing Jessica Radloff shares her recipe, minus a couple of “secret” ingredients that are key to her icing’s flavor but don’t affect consistency.
6 tablespoons meringue powder (You can use 9 tablespoons of egg whites but make sure they are pasteurized for food safety.) 10 Tablespoons water 2 pounds confectioner’s sugar 1 Tablespoon corn syrup (This is optional but it gives your fully dried icing a softer bite as opposed to the crunchy texture you sometimes find with decorated cookies.) 1 teaspoon almond extract (I use imitation to ensure I don’t have any issues with allergies.)
Add all of your ingredients to your mixing bowl, making sure to sift your dry ingredients to remove all lumps. Mix with a stand mixer or beater for a couple minutes or until the royal icing looks a bit like plaster — it will be thick. Store your finished royal icing in an airtight container with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap laid directly on the surface of your royal icing to prevent crusting on the surface of your icing.
When it comes to Valentine’s Day treats, cupcakes are quintessential.
“They’re made with love, pretty to look at, and, let’s face it, they just make people happy,” said Tara Collins, baker and owner of Collins Cupcakes in Derry. “They’re everything we think about on Valentine’s Day.”
Courtesy of Collins Cupcakes.
Cupcakes have a short, simple set of steps and ingredients that “most people have right in their cabinets and pantries,” Collins said, making them a great dessert option for beginner bakers.
“The great thing about baking cupcakes is that even if they don’t look perfect the first time, they will still taste great,” she said.
The versatility of cupcakes gives bakers plenty of room for creativity and experimentation.
“The customization options are endless,” Collins said, “and the fun thing is, cupcakes are individual [desserts], so each cupcake can be different … and customized to each person’s liking, and, more importantly, you don’t have to share.”
Consider filling your cupcakes with a fruit filling, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or apples; or with pudding or sprinkles.
“Filling is a super easy way to elevate your cupcakes to a whole new flavor dimension,” said Brianna Lucciano, manager at Cake Fairy Bakery in Hooksett.
Play around with frostings by mixing extracts, liqueurs or candy or cookie pieces into a buttercream frosting base. Then, add a topping, like a single piece of candy — a heart-shaped candy is the perfect accent for a Valentine’s Day cupcake, Lucciano said — or sprinkles, fruit, edible glitter, or chocolate or caramel drizzle.
Courtesy of Cake Fairy Bakery.
“If it sounds good to you, try it,” Lucciano said. “Do you think anyone thought a maple bacon cupcake would be good at first? Definitely not, but someone tried it, and look how beloved that flavor is now.”
One of the easiest ways to jazz up your cupcakes, Collins said, is with food coloring. For Valentine’s cupcakes, place streaks of pink food coloring inside the piping bag, fill it with white buttercream and swirl it on top of the cupcake once it’s cooled.
“Each one will look slightly different than the others, while at the same time complementing one another,” she said.
You can have fun with cupcakes this Valentine’s Day even if you aren’t up for baking them yourself.
“You can literally just go to your local box store and grab some unfrosted cupcakes,” Lucciano said, “and, if you can’t frost very well, grab an ice cream scoop and do a scoop of frosting on top of the cupcake, add some sprinkles or a chocolate drizzle, and you now have a gorgeous dessert that looks professionally crafted.”
Finally, Lucciano said, have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously; even if your cupcakes are a flop, “the thought is truly what counts.”
“So, they came out disastrous? It’s a fabulous story to tell your family and friends about how you tried and completely failed,” she said. “Laughter is the best medicine.”
Valentine’s Day buttercream frosting Courtesy of Tara Collins, baker and owner of Collins Cupcakes in Derry
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter ¾ cup strawberry jam 3 cups powdered sugar
Using a stand or hand mixer, whip butter until smooth. Add strawberry jam, then slowly add in powdered sugar. Mix until all sugar is well-incorporated and buttercream is smooth and creamy. Frost onto cooled chocolate cupcakes and top with fresh sliced strawberries.
Featured photo: Valentine cocoa bombs. Courtesy of Emilee Viaud.
Robert Irvine, celebrity chef and host of Restaurant:Impossible on the Food Network, will sign bottles of his Irvine Dry Gin and Irvine Vodka at the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet in Bedford (9 Leavy Drive) today from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 10
Catch Stephen Decuire at Stones Social (449 Amherst St. in Nashua; 943-7445, stonessocial.com) tonight at 6 p.m. Find more live music at area bars and restaurants in our Music This Week listing on page 35.
Friday, Feb. 11
The Full Monty, the musical based on the 1997 film, continues its run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) this weekend with shows tonight at 7:30 p.m.; tomorrow, Feb. 12, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 13, at noon. Tickets cost $39 and $46 (plus fees).
Also from the Palace today, Feb. 11, a vaccine clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Palace’s Spotlight Room (96 Hanover St. in Manchester). This walk-in clinic is offering Pfizer, Moderna and J&J vaccines for first, second or booster doses to anyone 5 and older, according to the website.
Friday, Feb. 11
“What even is this?” followed by “this is awesome!” might be your reaction to the trailer for New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization, a concert film (sort of) featuring the final performance of the European tour of cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang, pianist Vanessa Perez and Bill Murray on vocals. Yes, that Bill Murray — who sings, recites poetry and more. The performance was from 2018; the broadcast will be tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com, where you can find a trailer for the film). Tickets cost $18 for reserved seating (plus fees). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 11
Get some laughs with Drew Dunn and Jim Lauletta at Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) during tonight’s Tupelo Comedy Night at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $22.
Sunday, Feb. 13
It’s (stakes-free for New England fans) Super Bowl Sunday! The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will meet in Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI with game time at 6:30 p.m. on NBC.
Want to participate in some competition yourself? The Primary Bank Super Sunday 4-Miler, a 4-mile race in Bedford, starts at 9:30 a.m. on Nashua Road. Registration costs $35 through Saturday, $40 on race day (based on availability); registration for youth (under 21) costs $30 through Saturday and $35 on race day, according to millenniumrunning.com.
Monday, Feb. 14
It’s Valentine’s Day! Though advance RSVPs are strongly encouraged, you may still be able to find a spot for you and your sweetie to grab a bite. Find our listing of Valentine’s Day meals (some of which are available earlier in the weekend) in the Feb. 3 issue of the paper on page 22. The e-edition is available at hippopress.com.
Save the date! Thursday, Feb. 24
Alton Brown, Food Network host beloved by “but why and how?” food nerds, comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Thursday, Feb. 24. The show starts at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. This “Beyond the Eats” tour is billed as a “culinary variety show” on the Cap Center website. Tickets start at $54.50. For Alton Brown merch and more on what he’s been up to, see altonbrown.com.
